Opportunity Information: Apply for LB21 FY22
The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21 FY22) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) designed to strengthen the library and archives workforce across the United States. The program focuses on building and sustaining a diverse pipeline of librarians and archivists who can respond to evolving community information needs. In practical terms, the opportunity is geared toward projects that improve education, training, and professional development for current and future professionals in libraries and archives, including efforts that cultivate faculty and information leaders and that recruit, educate, and retain the next generation entering the field.
A central theme of this program is workforce development: supporting initiatives that expand skills, leadership capacity, and readiness for modern information work. While the funding category is listed under arts and humanities (with cultural affairs relevance), the intent is strongly professional and workforce-oriented, emphasizing capacity building within the library and archives professions. Competitive proposals are likely to align their activities with demonstrable training outcomes, leadership development, or strategies that broaden participation and representation in the profession.
The application is structured as a two-phase competition. Phase I requires a preliminary proposal submitted by the published deadline, and only applicants whose preliminary proposals are selected will be invited to continue. Phase II consists of invited full proposals, and only those invited full proposals are eligible to be reviewed for funding. For this cycle, the preliminary proposal deadline (original closing date) was September 24, 2021, and invited full proposals were due March 25, 2022, making it important for applicants to treat the initial submission as a critical gatekeeper to the full application stage.
The opportunity is identified by Funding Opportunity Number "LB21 FY22" and is associated with CFDA number 45.313. IMLS anticipated making about 31 awards under this notice, with an award ceiling of up to $1,000,000 per grant. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with the expectation that applicants consult the notice's additional eligibility details for clarification on which organization types may apply. The funding opportunity was created on July 1, 2021, and it is offered as a grant funding instrument.Apply for LB21 FY22
- The Institute of Museum and Library Services in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda), humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (2022)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.313.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 01, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 24, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 31 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21 FY22)?
The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21 FY22) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). It is designed to strengthen the library and archives workforce across the United States by supporting projects that improve education, training, and professional development for current and future library and archives professionals.
What is the main purpose or theme of this funding opportunity?
The central theme is workforce development. The program emphasizes building skills, leadership capacity, and readiness for modern information work within libraries and archives, with a strong focus on developing and sustaining a diverse pipeline of librarians and archivists who can respond to changing community information needs.
What kinds of projects does the program aim to support?
The opportunity is geared toward projects that improve education, training, and professional development for library and archives professionals. This includes efforts that cultivate faculty and information leaders, and projects that recruit, educate, and retain the next generation entering the profession.
Does the program focus more on arts and humanities or workforce development?
While the funding category is listed under arts and humanities (with relevance to cultural affairs), the intent of the program is strongly professional and workforce-oriented. The emphasis is on capacity building within the library and archives professions through training, leadership development, and related workforce strategies.
How can applicants make their proposals more competitive based on the stated priorities?
Competitive proposals are likely to align activities with clear workforce outcomes, such as demonstrable training outcomes, leadership development components, and strategies to broaden participation and representation in the library and archives profession.
Is this a single application submission or a multi-phase process?
This opportunity uses a two-phase competition. Phase I requires submission of a preliminary proposal by the deadline. Only applicants whose preliminary proposals are selected will be invited to proceed to Phase II.
What happens in Phase II of the competition?
Phase II consists of invited full proposals. Only applicants who are invited to submit a full proposal are eligible to be reviewed for funding.
Why is the preliminary proposal especially important for this program?
The preliminary proposal is a gatekeeper. Only applicants selected at the preliminary stage are invited to submit a full proposal, and only invited full proposals can be reviewed for funding. That makes the initial submission critical in determining whether an applicant can advance in the process.
What were the key deadlines for this LB21 FY22 cycle?
For this cycle, the preliminary proposal deadline (original closing date) was September 24, 2021. Invited full proposals were due March 25, 2022.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is "LB21 FY22."
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 45.313.
How many awards did IMLS anticipate making under this notice?
IMLS anticipated making about 31 awards under this notice.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) per grant?
The award ceiling is up to $1,000,000 per grant.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others." Applicants are expected to consult the notice's additional eligibility details for clarification on which organization types may apply.
What type of funding instrument is used for this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered as a grant funding instrument.
When was this funding opportunity created?
The funding opportunity was created on July 1, 2021.
What professions or workforce does this program specifically target?
The program targets the library and archives workforce, focusing on librarians and archivists, as well as the development of faculty and information leaders connected to education and professional preparation in these fields.
Is the program concerned with diversity in the profession?
Yes. A stated focus is building and sustaining a diverse pipeline of librarians and archivists, along with supporting strategies that broaden participation and representation in the profession.
What outcomes does the program emphasize for funded projects?
The program emphasizes outcomes connected to workforce strengthening, such as improved training and professional development, increased leadership capacity, and greater readiness to meet evolving community information needs.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (LB21 FY22) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Museums for America (2022) Apply for MFA FY22 Funding Number: MFA FY22 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Inspire! Grants for Small Museums (2022) Apply for IGSM FY22 Funding Number: IGSM FY22 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| National Leadership Grants for Museums (2022) Apply for NLG M FY22 Funding Number: NLG M FY22 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Museums Empowered (2022) Apply for ME FY22 Funding Number: ME FY22 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (2022) Apply for AAHC FY22 Funding Number: AAHC FY22 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services (2022) Apply for NANH FY22 Funding Number: NANH FY22 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Native American Library Services Basic Grant (2022) Apply for NAG BASIC FY22 Funding Number: NAG BASIC FY22 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $10,000 |
| Native American Library Services Enhancement Grants (2022) Apply for NAG ENHANCEMENT FY22 Funding Number: NAG ENHANCEMENT FY22 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants (2022) Apply for NAG HAWAIIAN FY22 Funding Number: NAG HAWAIIAN FY22 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| National Leadership Grants for Libraries (2022) Apply for NLG LIBRARIES FY22 P2 Funding Number: NLG LIBRARIES FY22 P2 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (2022) Apply for LB21 FY22 P2 Funding Number: LB21 FY22 P2 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (2023) Apply for LB21 FY23 Funding Number: LB21 FY23 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services (2023) Apply for NANH FY23 Funding Number: NANH FY23 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (2023) Apply for AAHC FY23 Funding Number: AAHC FY23 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Museums Empowered (2023) Apply for ME FY23 Funding Number: ME FY23 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Inspire! Grants for Small Museums (2023) Apply for IGSM FY23 Funding Number: IGSM FY23 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| National Leadership Grants for Museums (2023) Apply for NLG M FY23 Funding Number: NLG M FY23 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Museums for America (2023) Apply for MFA FY23 Funding Number: MFA FY23 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Native American Library Services Basic Grant (2023) Apply for NAG BASIC FY23 Funding Number: NAG BASIC FY23 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $10,000 |
| Native American Library Services Enhancement Grants (2023) Apply for NAG ENHANCEMENT FY23 Funding Number: NAG ENHANCEMENT FY23 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $150,000 |
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