Grants Information
Washington State Library (WSL) uses funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to help support WSL strategic goals 
and the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) priorities. WSL regularly makes funding available through different grants. For up-to-date information on grants as they become available, please sign up for weekly WSL Updates emails or follow our Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Grant Opportunities
Awards are available for individual library staff to attend events or to bring professional training to a library. Eligible libraries include public libraries, school libraries, academic libraries, tribal libraries, and libraries in non-profit institutions. We encourage libraries to work together and to propose opportunities that will have an impact on the library patrons. A library may apply for multiple awards. The limit for PD grants is $6,000 per library system and $1,000 per individual per federal fiscal year (October 1-September 30). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
The Washington Digital Heritage (WDH) grants support public, tribal, and academic libraries in carrying out digital initiatives focused on archival and special collections of cultural and/or historical significance. Our purpose is to connect Washingtonians to their history, employing digital initiatives and other preservation strategies to tell the stories of local communities and to celebrate our common heritage. The next application period opens in the spring and is due in the summer.
Past Opportunities
Forty-five public, tribal, and community college libraries received mini-grants of up to $400 to support TTRPGs in their libraries and nine received competitive innovation grants of up to $2,000 for projects with innovative or larger scale ways of integrating TTRPGs into library services.
This grant provided up to $500 to augment English Language Learner collections in 14 community and technical college libraries.
Rural Library Continuing Education Project (2023-2025)
This project supported training for library staff working in rural libraries in towns/communities which serve a population of 5,000 or under. Allowable costs (up to $2,000 per federal fiscal year) included up to 10 hours of the employee’s salary, registration or training fees, and travel costs (lodging and transportation) at per diem rates.
This grant provides 27 Washington public and tribal libraries with up to $1,000 per year for three years to support the purchase or renewal of online tracking services that facilitate participation in reading and library challenges like summer reading.
Funded by House Bill 1835, this grant program supports 10 public libraries and two tribal libraries in Educational Service Districts 114 and 123 in efforts to increase the number of students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Libraries work with Community Based Organizations to reach students in their communities.
This grant provided six Welcoming Library traveling collections to public libraries around the state. These collections of books about immigration, curated by I'm Your Neighbor Books, can be used as pop-up displays in libraries, lent to community groups,or brought to outreach events. They include discussion questions, companion programming, and education materials to help build an environment of welcoming and belonging.
The Virtual Reality in 360 grant program provided four public libraries and two tribal libraries with equipment and specialized training from XR Libraries to create a virtual experience.
WSL received $3.67 million to support public, academic, and tribal libraries and museums statewide as part of the $200 million allocated in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for State Library Agencies to employ in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Grants were awarded to 52 public libraries, 29 academic libraries, 12 tribal libraries, 6 special libraries, and 23 museums/historical societies from every region of the state.
WSL and NewsBank provided an extended trial of NewsBank's Access World News Research Collection, Washington Integrated Collections, and ResearchRocket to public, school, academic, and tribal libraries. The trial runs through December 31, 2022.
CARES Act Funding (2020-2021)
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) distributed stimulus funding, as part of the CARES Act, to help support the urgent needs of museums, libraries, their staff, and the communities they serve in response to the impacts of COVID-19. WSL distributed these funds to Washington libraries, tribes, and museums to support extending exterior connectivity, hotspot lending, outreach programs, and pandemic response.
Microsoft LinkedIn Learning Implementation & Expansion (2020-2021)
This project supported public and tribal libraries and community and technical colleges in implementing a new program or expand an existing program or service that utilizes Microsoft Imagine Academy or LinkedIn Learning resources. Projects supported digital literacy, computer programming/coding, or career advancement in IT, computer science, software, or related fields.
Grants Contact
Claire Imamura
Washington State Library
PO Box 42460
Olympia, WA 98504-2460
360.704.5246
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Funded in part by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).