Institute of Museum and Library Services · General
IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21)
Funds projects that develop a diverse workforce of librarians and library staff to meet the changing needs of the public. Eligible applicants include ALA-accredited graduate schools of library and information science as well as libraries and museums collaborating with such schools.
Program facts
- Typical award
- $50K – $1M
- Non-federal match
- Varies by NOFO
- Audience
- Local governments and eligible subrecipients
- Application window
- Annual.
- Typical prep time
- 8–14 weeks
- Statutory authority
- Museum and Library Services Act §224 (20 U.S.C. §9165)
Catalog entry last verified 2026-05-27 · Verify on the agency page →
Eligibility at a glance
- Institutions of higher education are eligible applicants.
Institution applicants are typically ALA-accredited LIS programs; libraries and museums may also apply in partnership. Amounts and timing approximate; verify directly with administering agency.
How Strategic Pursuit scores this program
When you run a city dossier, Strategic Pursuit cross-checks the city's demographics, federal award history, disaster history, and CEJST burden categories against this program's eligibility and strategic-fit signals. You see an explicit eligibility / strategic / competitive grade — backed by source citations — instead of a generic "match" badge.
Planning purposes only. Award ranges, match percentages, and application windows on this page summarize the latest publicly available agency guidance and are approximate. Always verify the binding NOFO on the administering agency's page before applying.