STATE AID TO LIBRARIES

Department of State and Secretary of State

45400000 Program: Library and Information Services

45400100 Library, Archives and Information Services

GAA  #3320, FY 2026-27, $17,304,072

050792 - G/A - Library Grants

Sections 257.17 through 257.18, F.S.

The program is an incentive program, designed to encourage counties and municipalities to provide library service to their residents and to provide funding to support that library service.  Grant formulas are based largely on local funds invested in library service.  There are three types of grants under the State Aid to Libraries Program: Operating, Equalization,  and Multicounty.  Any county or municipality that qualifies for the State Aid to Libraries Program can receive an Operating Grant.  Equalization Grants are available to counties that qualify for an Operating Grant and that have limited local tax resources.  Multicounty Grants provide additional support to counties that qualify for Operating Grants and choose to join together to provide library service to their residents.

Grants

Local Government
Non-Profit

1. A county or municipality shall designate an eligible political subdivision as the single library administrative unit 
2. The eligible political subdivision shall designate a governing body to provide service.  
3. When two or more participating local governments join to establish a library, contracts or interlocal agreements outline the decision-making power given to the library's governing body and the power retained by the participating local government.  Consolidated library and public library cooperative are the two types of library governance that can be established through those agreements.
4. The library shall have a single administrative head employed fulltime by the library's governing body with authority to manage or coordinate the operations of the library.  The single administrative head shall have completed a library education program accredited by the American Library Association and shall have had at least two years of full-time paid professional experience, after completing the library education program, in a public library that is open to the public for a minimum of 40 hours per week.
5. The library shall expend its funds centrally.
6. The library shall provide reciprocal borrowing to residents of all political subdivisions with the county which receives Operating Grants from the state.
7. The library shall provide free library service.
8. All public libraries within a county that receives Operating Grants shall participate in joint planning for the coordination of library services to residents.
9. The library shall meet minimum standards:  (a) provide access to materials, information, and services for all residents of the area served; (b) at least one library, branch library or member library shall be open 40 hours or more each week; and (c) the library shall have a long range plan, annual plan of service and an annual budget.
10. The designated governing body of a library that has established public library service for the first time during the two previous years shall report in the State Aid application the total amount of local funds appropriated for the operation and maintenance of the library.

Notice of availability of grant applications and guidelines is provided in the FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE REGISTER.

Applicants may obtain a copy of the "State Aid to Libraries Grant Guidelines and Forms" from the INFORMATION CONTACT or at the web address listed below.  Applications must be submitted online.

Application deadline:    October 1.  Reports and other documents deadline: December 1

Grants Staff
Division of Library and Information Services
R. A. Gray Building, 500 S. Bronough Street
Tallahassee, FL, 32399-0250
Telephone: (850) 245-6620
GrantsOffice@dos.fl.gov

http://dos.fl.gov/library-archives/library-development/funding/state-aid/