School Librararies access mini-grantsCongratulations to the 2023-2024 SLA Mini-Grantees! 

The 2024-25 SLA Mini-Grant applications for elementary and secondary schools will open in January 2024.

School libraries play a vital role in ensuring Idaho’s students learn and continually develop strong literacy skills from their earliest grades, throughout their academic careers, and beyond. Unfortunately, many Idaho schools haven’t had the resources to allow students in developmental preschool programs, kindergarten, and even first grade, the years they are learning to read, to check out books to take home. Despite findings that secondary students who continue to read for pleasure are more academically successful and score higher on the SAT, students in many secondary schools have a selection of dated materials that do not meet their recreational or academic reading needs. To help school libraries provide students access to the books they need, the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) is offering mini-grants to Idaho’s publicly funded elementary and secondary schools.

The 2023-2024 school year will see teachers and librarians connecting with students to help them recover learning that may have been lost during the pandemic. With that in mind, now more than ever it is important for all students to have fingertip access to lots of engaging reading material.

Decades of research and empirical evidence shows a strong school library collection is linked with higher achievement in reading and other subjects, including math. Add the fact that for many students the school library is the only library where they can count on finding books to take home to read, and it becomes clear that a well-funded school library is essential for student success.

The 2012 Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Plan states: “School libraries should have a minimum of 20 books per child to enable children to take multiple books home at each visit. This figure also takes into consideration the needs of teachers to have access to quality trade books to support standards and curriculum. In addition, it is recommended that…two new books per child should be added to the school library collection each year to allow for the addition of important new titles. Books and other literary materials must be updated annually…. Research suggests that at least five to eight books per child are necessary to support choice and motivation to read.”

Data from the ICfL’s September 2012 Public Elementary School Library Study by Boise State University literacy professor Dr. Roger Stewart shows that most school districts spend very little if anything on reading materials for their elementary school libraries. The 2021 average price for a new hardback children’s nonfiction book is $19.83 (School Library Journal, 2/2021), and the average price of a new library bound children’s nonfiction book is $27.89 (School Library Journal, 2/21). Dr. Stewart’s study found that 62 percent of Idaho elementary school libraries reported annual book budgets from their districts of under $1,000 – which would purchase a maximum of 50 hardbound books. Twenty-eight percent had budgets of under $100 – which would purchase a maximum of five books. These numbers fall extremely short of the Literacy Plan’s recommendations.

Since 2012, this situation hasn’t changed much. Most Idaho school libraries have insufficient budgets to provide quality, age-appropriate books for their students to either read at school or take home. With at least a third of Idaho school children qualifying for free or reduced lunch, many of them are not likely to have age-appropriate reading material at home. The result: many Idaho children do not have access to enough reading materials to become proficient readers, the basis required for all other learning.

Grant Application

2023-2024 School Library Access Mini-Grant for Early and Elementary Literacy Grant Application

Eligible elementary schools:

  • Have not received funding from the SLA Mini-Grant program in the 2020-2021 school year or later;
  • Serve any combination of pre-K through Grade 6 students;
  • Are publicly funded (includes charter schools); and
  • Have a physical space dedicated to library materials and service and a paid, contracted staff member who serves as the school librarian.

2023-2024 School Library Access Mini-Grant for Secondary Schools Application

Eligible secondary schools:

  • Have not received funding from the SLA Mini-Grant program in the 2020-2021 school year or later;
  • Serve any combination of Grade 6 through Grade 12 students;
  • Are publicly funded (includes charter schools); and
  • Have a physical space dedicated to library materials and service and a paid, contracted staff member who serves as the school librarian.

Clarifying note: 

  • Schools that serve Grade 6 with younger grades should apply for the Early and Elementary Literacy Mini-Grant;
  • Schools that serve Grade 6 with older grades should apply for the Secondary School Mini-Grant;
  • Schools that serve only Grade 6 may choose either grant, keeping in mind that receipt of any prior SLA Mini-Grant make the school a repeat grantee and therefore subject to the 10% match requirement and the three-year waiting period  between funding years; and
  • Schools that serve grades that span the elementary and secondary grant programs should choose whether the funds will be spent on the elementary grades or the secondary grades and apply for the appropriate grant.  Subsequent applications may be submitted in either grant program observing the three year waiting period between grant applications.

Check this document to see if/when your school has received a mini-grant in past years.

2022-2023.

School Library Access Mini-Grant Map for 2022-2023 Awardees

2021-2022.

School Library Access Mini-Grant Map for 2021-2022 Awardees:

2020-2021.

School-Library Mini Grants 2020-2021 map.

ICfL received 29 applications requesting a total of $126,000 and awarded $116,000 in Elementary School Library Mini-Grant funds. Awards range from $2,000 to $5,000 at 27 grantee sites across the state. Schools with developmental preschool programs on campus and larger proportions of students from lower-income families were given highest priority.  This year every qualifying application was funded!

For a map of the 2020-2021 school sites, click here.

2019-2020.

ICfL received 64 applications requesting a total of $230,000 and was able to award $200,000 in Elementary School Library Mini-Grant funds—ranging from $1,000 to $5,000—to 46 schools. Those with developmental preschool programs on school grounds and high levels of students from lower-income families were given highest priority.

For a map of the 2019-2020 sites click here.

2018-2019.

Grants were awarded to 39 elementary school libraries totaling $182,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000 to increase access to books for Idaho’s youngest students.

For a map of the 2018-2019 sites click here.

2017-2018.

Grants were awarded to 43 elementary school libraries totaling $200,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000 to increase access to books for Idaho’s youngest students.

For a map of the 2017-2018 sites click here.

2016-2017.

Grants were awarded to 47 Idaho elementary schools totaling $200,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000 to increase access to books for Idaho’s youngest students.

For a map of the 2016-2017 sites click here.

2015-2016.

47 Idaho elementary schools received $200,000 in grant funds. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000 to increase access to books for Idaho’s youngest students.

For a map of the 2015-2016 sites click here.

2014-2015.

The Idaho Legislature approved a one-time increase of $100,000 for school library Mini-grants. ICfL received 80 applications requesting a total of $314,000 and was able to award $200,000 in grant funds—ranging from $1,000 to $5,000—to 49 schools. Those with developmental preschool programs on school grounds and high levels of students from lower-income families were given highest priority.

For a map of the 2014-2015 sites click here.

2013-2014.

ICfL received 59 applications this year, requesting a total of $242,000. Schools that had developmental preschool programs on school grounds and high levels of student poverty were ranked highest. Grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 were awarded to 23 elementary schools.

For a map of the 2013-2014 sites click here.

2012-2013.

The Idaho Commission for Libraries received mini-grant applications for the School Library Access mini-grants from 88 elementary schools requesting over $325,000 in funding support. We had $100,000 to award for improving access to print; $17,000 was awarded to several public libraries to start or expand deposit collections to increase access to print in daycare and Head Start centers and 20 elementary schools will receive grant funds ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

For a map of the 2012-2013 sites click here.

Important Grant Docs for Grantees:

  • August 2022 Mini-Grant Business Meeting Recording
  • School Library Access Grant Best Practices

Reporting Prep Materials and Forms:

Early & Elementary Literacy Grantees:

Secondary School Grantees:

Document Examples and Templates:

Mini-Grant News:

Grant Resources from School Library Access for All Workshop

Handouts: Supporting Beginning Readers

Handouts: Collection Development

Handouts: Other

Questions? Contact Jeannie.

Jeannie Standal

Jeannie Standal

School Library Consultant
Email / 208-639-4139
Read my Blogs