2022 ALA COVID Library Relief Fund

Deadline: April 21, 2022

The American Library Association (ALA) will make available $1.55M in emergency relief grants to more than 75 libraries in 2022 that have experienced substantial economic hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ALA COVID Library Relief Fund invites public, school, academic, tribal, and correctional libraries across the United States and US Territories to apply for grants of $20,000.

These funds are intended to bolster library operations and services including broadening technology access, developing collections, providing digital instruction, staffing, and expanding outreach, as well as maintaining and amplifying existing service strategies or adding new ones to extend impact through the end of 2022. Eligible expenses may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Staff time (only salaries and benefits. Bonuses are not eligible)
• Collections
• Technology
• Furnishings and Equipment
• Materials and Supplies
• Promotion
• Operation Expenses

Funds will support libraries' ability to provide their users with the information services and digital access they need to retain or secure socio-economic mobility during a time of shift and upheaval. Libraries serving low-income and rural communities, or communities that are predominately Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous, and People of Color, are especially encouraged to apply.

A webinar on March 24 will provide information on the fund, the application process, and respond to questions you might have. The ALA COVID Library Relief Fund is generously supported by Acton Family Giving as part of its pandemic responsive grantmaking. The guidelines provide links to application templates. Also, note that signatures are required from three representatives. 

For more information and a link to the online application, visit the website: https://www.ala.org/aboutala/ala-covid-library-relief-fund