Dear Partners,
It has been awhile since I provided an update. The LSTA grant application, which involves federal money administered by Commonwealth Libraries in Harrisburg, is not due until early September, but given the intensity of the application and the nature of summer (vacations etc.), I am trying to get a head start. The people who evaluate the applications want to make sure that the applicant knows what is involved in a project like this so the application asks for a lot of detailed information. As a result, I have been in touch with
vendors, our consultants from Lyrasis, and Kristen at the University of Scranton (Thanks, Kristen!) about issues like scanner types, file size, bit depth, and metadata creation.
There is one issue that I would like to alert you about with the understanding that many of you are having your own problems. On the library’s web site is some information about proposed cuts in state funding for libraries.In this statement, mention is made of lost LSTA dollars. This is the money that would fund our grant so it would be appreciated if, while you and your supporters are communicating with legislators and other contacts at the state level, you can put in a good word for libraries. I would be happy to return the favor if you can provide some specific information on the kind of cuts you are facing.
Anyway, the application process is ongoing. As the summer progresses, I may need some additional information from some of you. If this is the case, I will give you plenty of advance notice. As always, thank you for your interest and cooperation.
