IMLS grantwriting workshop by DCLA

A few weeks ago I went to an awesome training on grant opportunities through the Institute of Museum and Library Services sponsored by my local ALA chapter. Our president, Christina Bailey, asked me to write a few words about the event for our newsletter. I’m not sure how it will get edited but I want to remind myself that this is what I can bang out in 15 minutes and potentially get this out to a different readership:

The IMLS grantwriting workshop hosted by DCLA last month was a terrific experience. I’ve attended a few workshops focusing on grantwriting for librarians, but this was completely different because of the in-depth focus on an individual agency. IMLS has a broader range of funding opportunities for libraries than I realized going into the session, and their staff laid out their various programs quickly and effectively while sharing information about successful application strategies.

A highlight of this training was a mock grantwriting exercise for small groups. Unlike other trainings, we selected our working groups based on a list of potential projects generated by attendees. This was an opportunity to work with librarians from completely different institutions. In my group, I worked with Kate Mester, who works within DCPS administration in a newly created Library Programs Specialist position, and with Elliott Wrenn, a recent graduate from the University of Maryland and Library of Congress contractor with a background in refugee services. The time flew by as we brainstormed big-picture opportunities for libraries to provide support to recent immigrants.
It was refreshing to step completely outside my professional box and to have the opportunity to talk about how libraries matter with passionate professionals from across the region. Of course, I’m used to leaving DCLA events feeling energized and inspired by the great people working in our field…but to have these conversations with a federal program officer over our shoulder, nudging our group in ever more-productive directions, was especially unique.
I left with ideas about how to spin upcoming projects into IMLS applications, and with business cards from IMLS staff willing to help with their application process. I strongly encourage anyone who works on programming within a library to attend future DCLA workshops on this subject – the IMLS staff are world-class facilitators and the experience of having a funder walk you through the early stages of identifying a project will help you to see the big picture when applying to any funding sources, not just IMLS programs.
If you have an IMLS training in your area, or can attend one of the DCLA ones (I think the Maryland Library Association has offered the same training), I recommend it highly!

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