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LSTA Policies and Procedures Manual

Policies and procedures related to LSTA subgrants and LSTA funding from IMLS

Contract

As of May 2015, certified resolutions are no longer necessary for these grant awards.

The LSTA grant contract was last reviewed and approved by the Office of the Attorney General in July 2019. It is no longer being treated as a template contract since the grants are under $25,000. However, if there is a potential LSTA grant that exceeds $25,000, send the contract to the State Librarian so she/he can add an AG signature line and send the contract to the AG for review. 

Each grant recipient receives a unique contract with their information and budget included. Contracts for recommended grants should be prepared in advance of the State Library Board meeting in May/June so they are ready to be mailed soon after the SLB votes to award the grants. Mail the contract, application for payment, and related materials.

All of the completed paperwork is due back to the LSTA Coordinator on July 1.

Checking contract paperwork:

  • All 23 pages of grant contract are included
    • signatures on pages 14 and 19
    • with seal by Town Clerk/Board Secretary on page 14
    • signed by authorized official - Library Director or Mayor/First Selectman
  • An application for payment of federal grant
    • signed by authorized official - Library Director or Mayor/First Selectman

Grant Award Procedure

LSTA Coordinator's procedure for awarding grants:

Create a Fact Sheet for the State Library Board with grant funding recommendations based on reviewer input and send it to Dawn La Valle, DLD Director, and Jane Beaudoin for inclusion in the SLB meeting packet. The SLB will make awards by voting to approve the award recommendations.

After grants are approved by SLB, send letters signed by Dawn La Valle, DLD Director, to each library director to notify them if their proposal was accepted or rejected. If the reviewers would like to encourage revision of rejected proposals for resubmission the following year, then provide some areas for improvement. 

Send announcements to US senators and congressional representatives with information about grant awards in their districts. Prepare announcement for Dawn La Valle to send to Conntech. Update the list of Current/Past Grants on the LSTA Grants page.

Prepare contract packets for accepted grants:

  1. Grant timeline with due dates
  2. Official award notification – includes data required by 2 CFR Part 200, as of December 2014
  3. Grant contract and instructions – fill in approved budget by hand, check all dates
  4. Application for payment of federal grant
  5. Memorandum of Understanding describing any changes to the project design
  6. Contract checklist
  7. Acknowledgement guidelines
  8. Connecticut congressional contact information
  9. Prevention of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Policy

Email contract packets to library directors and project directors as soon as possible after State Library Board vote.

Update report forms and post online, with due dates noted:

  1. Midpoint report and checklist
  2. Expenditure report and instructions
  3. Budget revision request and instructions
  4. Extension request instructions
  5. Final report and checklist

Additional information to post online:

  1. Grant timeline with due dates
  2. Acknowledgement guidelines
  3. IMLS photo release

Grant Appeal Process

Applicant libraries whose LSTA sub-grant applications are denied funding can file an appeal to the Director of the Division of Library Development within 30 days of receiving notice about the grant decision.

The director of the applicant library should submit in writing the reasons for appealing the funding denial and include a request for a re-evaluation of the application.

Letters should be sent to:
Dawn La Valle, Director
Division of Library Development
Connecticut State Library
231 Capitol Ave.
Hartford, CT 06106

Dawn.LaValle@ct.gov

The DLD Director will review the appeal with input from the grant reviewers and will communicate a decision in writing to the applicant with reasons for the decision.

If the library director making the appeal is not satisfied with the information and decision provided by the DLD Director, the appeal will be sent to the State Librarian who will respond as appropriate to the situation. The State Librarian is the person of last resort for appeals about LSTA sub-grants, and his decision is final.

For more information or assistance contact:
Christine Gauvreau, LSTA Coordinator
786 South Main St.
Middletown, CT 06457
860-704-2224

christine.gauvreau@ct.gov

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