Skip to main content

Courier Grant

The Department of Libraries supports the mission of local public libraries to provide easy interlibrary loan access for all patrons. The Department provides access to a statewide interlibrary loan system to support this.

In addition to the statewide interlibrary loan system, the Department of Libraries administers an interlibrary loan courier service contract and provides grants to those public libraries that can be added to the service by the vendor. The purpose of this grant is to make it possible for public libraries to provide interlibrary loan services to their communities without the rising costs of postage limiting service access.

This year, we anticipate being able to offer a grant to public libraries that will cover half the cost of one stop per week for the federal fiscal year. 

General Information

  • Each eligible library with one courier stop per week will receive a grant of covering half the cost of one stop per week to be used toward payment(s) to the courier service vendor. Libraries are not authorized to use grant funds for any other purpose. The courier contract is currently going through the state procurement process, so the amount of the grant for federal fiscal year 2023 is estimated based on previous increases in costs.
  • Eligible costs include one or more weekly stops by the courier service vendor.
  • The library programs supported with this grant must take place between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024. All grant funds must be expended by September 30, 2024.
  • Libraries must acknowledge funding support from IMLS through the Vermont Department of Libraries in program publicity and press releases.

 

 

Eligibility

 

  • Vermont public libraries may receive grants under this program. For this grant cycle the grant will be considered non-competitive.
  • Eligibility for this grant award includes grantee compliance with assurances required by previous Courier grants.
  • Eligible grantees are those that are not currently suspended or debarred by the Federal government and are current in submissions of the Subrecipient Annual Report and Single Audit Reports for at least the past three years and must pass a pre-award risk assessment.

 

 

Application Period

The Courier Grant application period will open on August 1, 2023 and will close on August 31, 2023. Both the grant application and supporting documents must be submitted before the application period closes.

 

Applying for the Grant

 

  • Method of submission: The online application is open from August 1, 2023 - August 31, 2023. *APPLICATION NOW CLOSED*
  • Applications must be completed online by the deadline listed on the application and this website. Any applications completed past that date will not be considered.
  • Award letter and grant administrative documents will be sent to the Library Director.

 

NOTE: Your application is not considered complete until both the application and the supporting documents are submitted.

 

Prior to beginning your application, please review the information needed (on the first page) and make sure you have the following documents ready to upload:

  • A W9 that has been hand-signed (no electronic signatures) within the last six months
  • A valid Certificate of Insurance

Please note: If you do not have a Unique Entity Identifier, you cannot apply for a grant.

You must have a UEI. Please refer to this page for instructions: VTLIB, State, IMLS and Federal Compliance Requirements