American Rescue Plan (ARP) Funds for Library Recovery
Federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) are available through the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) to support the long-term work of community and library recovery in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania legislature allocated the American Rescue Plan Act through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (ARP-IMLS) and funds are to be distributed to organizations that received direct state aid, from OCL in the 2020-21 state budget year.
Eligible organizations include library systems, local libraries, district library centers, and statewide resource centers.
Furthermore, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed legislation that authorizes the distribution to libraries for $4.7 million in two parts:
- A $5,000 base amount for each eligible entity.
- A proportional amount based on the eligible entity's share of the public library subsidy.
It is important to note that these are one-time federal funds and are not part of the state's public library subsidy; there are targeted areas in which these funds can be spent, restrictions in their use, and special reporting requirements.
For the award period, April 8, 2021 – August 31, 2022, allocations will be distributed for projects that closely aligned with the goals and outcomes outlined in Pennsylvania's LSTA Five-Year Plan.
OCL will follow all applicable IMLS guidelines and regulations while administering the ARP-IMLS funds.
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