American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries FAQ
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Frequently Asked Questions
If your question is not listed below, please email ALA's Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org.
Eligibility and Participant Requirements
- What is a “library” for the purposes of this grant?
- What types of libraries are eligible?
- My library previously received American Rescue Plan funding through NEH’s Humanities Organization program. Are we eligible for this grant?
- My library previously received American Rescue Plan funding through another federal agency (e.g. the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts). Are we eligible for this grant?
- I don't know if my library has received NEH American Rescue Plan funding. How can I find out?
- My library received a different grant from ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵthis year. Can I apply for this one?
- Can more than one branch of my library system apply?
- How many libraries will be selected?
- What are the requirements if my library is selected?
- Do I need to provide a SAM/UIE/DUNS number in my application?
- Where can I find examples of humanities programming?
- May I preview the application before completing it?
- May applications be submitted in hard copy?
- What link do I use to access the application?
- This is my first time applying for a grant through the ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵApply grant management platform. How do I use the system?
- How will I be notified about the status of my application?
- Can I edit my application after it has been submitted?
- When is the application deadline?
- What if I have questions about my application?
- What is the difference between fine arts and the humanities?
- Are the fine arts completely excluded from eligible programming?
- Who should letters of support be addressed to?
- Are letters of support required?
- What do you mean by “certifying official”?
- Can the certifying official be the same person as the project director and/or the person submitting the application?
- What will my library receive, if selected?
- What expenses are allowable for the $10,000 grant award?
- Are there any ineligible expenses for the grant funds?
- "Equipment" is listed as an ineligible expense for this grant. What counts as "equipment"?
- Can we use the grant funds to pay for travel for humanities scholars or authors?
- Can we use the funds to pay for programs that fall outside of the implementation period?
- Can we use the grant funds to help pay for a program that we already have planned, or are we required to create a new program?
- Are indirect costs allowed?
Eligibility and Participant Requirements
Q. What is a “library” for the purposes of this grant?
A. To qualify as a “library” and be eligible for this grant, your institution must have: an organized collection of printed or other library materials, or a combination thereof; paid staff; an established schedule in which services of the staff are available to the public; the facilities necessary to support such a collection, staff, and schedule.
Q. What types of libraries are eligible?
A. The applying institution must be a library located in the U.S. or U.S. territories. All library types (e.g., public, tribal, K-12, academic, special, prison) are eligible. Libraries that received funding through NEH’s American Rescue Plan: Humanities Organization program are not eligible to receive funding through this offering.
Q. My library previously received American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funding through the . Are we eligible for this grant?
A. No. If your library received funding directly from NEH through its Humanities Organization program, you may not receive funding through ALA's ARP: Humanities Grants for Libraries opportunity.
Q. My library previously received American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funding through my state library or state humanities council. Are we eligible for this grant?
A. Libraries that received support from state libraries or state humanities councils funded by the American Rescue Plan are eligible for this grant provided there is no overlap between projects or activities.
Q. My library previously received Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding from NEH or another agency. Are we eligible for this grant?
A. If you were previously funded under the NEH CARES program, this will not impact your eligibility for the American Rescue Plan program. Keep in mind that two or more applications for federal funding and/or approved federal award budgets are not permitted to include overlapping project costs.
Q. I don't know if my library has received NEH American Rescue Plan funding. How can I find out?
A. You can verify if your library has received NEH American Rescue Plan funding here: .
Q. My library received a different grant from ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵthis year. Can I apply for this one?
A. Yes. Receiving a previous ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵgrant does not impact your eligibility.
Q. Can more than one branch of my library system apply?
A. More than one branch of a library system may apply for the award. However, it should be noted that the branches will be competing with one another for funding.
Q. How many libraries will be selected?
A. Up to 200 libraries will be selected.
Q. What are the requirements if my library is selected?
A. Participating libraries must appoint one staff member as the Project Director (local point of contact) for the grant; attend a required Orientation Webinar on Thursday, February 24, 2022, from 1-2 p.m. CT.; spend the ARP: Humanities Grants for Libraries funding to support humanities efforts of the library; spend the grant funds within the six-month period of performance; complete a final report, using ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵApply grants management platform, by Oct. 31, 2022; share information about their grant with elected officials (a template email will be provided); and share information about ARP-funded achievements with ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵstaff, as requested, for communications purposes.
Q. Do I need to provide a SAM/UIE/DUNS number in my application?
A. You are not required to submit a SAM/UIE/DUNS number at the application stage. If your library is selected for ARP: Humanities Grants for Libraries funding, you will be required to submit a SAM/UIE/DUNS number with your Grant Acceptance Form. Note that your institution may already have a SAM/UIE/DUNS; if not, you can obtain one free of charge by .
Q. Where can I find examples of humanities programming?
A. Library humanities programs can be on a wide range of subjects, provided they align with the Examples may include literature-based programs (e.g., book clubs, community reads), scholarly lectures, archiving programs, cultural programs or festivals, or local history/oral history projects. ALA’s Programming Librarian website has a suite of articles and webinars that provide examples of humanities programming.
The Application Process
Q. May I preview the application before completing it?
A. Yes. You may download a PDF preview of the application for reference; the application process is also covered in detail in Section VI of the project guidelines.
Q. May applications be submitted in hard copy?
A. No. Applications must be submitted online via the ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵApply by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on December 2, 2021. Applications that are late or incomplete will not be reviewed.
Q. What link do I use to access the application?
A. Register or sign in at to begin your application.
Q. This is my first time applying for a grant through the ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵApply grant management platform. How do I use the system?
A. For more information about using our grants management system, please visit our .If you have additional questions after visiting the How to Apply page, email publicprograms@ala.org.
Q. How will I be notified about the status of my application?
A. You will receive a confirmation email once your application is submitted. All applicants will be notified of their award status via email by February 1, 2022.
Q. Can I edit my application after it has been submitted?
A. No. Applications cannot be edited once they are submitted.
Q. When is the application deadline?
A. Applications will be accepted between October 5 and December 2, 2021. Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on December 2, 2021. Late or incomplete applications, and applications from ineligible institutions, will not be reviewed. Applications and support materials may not be submitted by mail or e-mail.
Q. What if I have questions about my application?
A. Call the ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵPublic Programs Office with any application or grant-related questions: (312) 280-5045 or toll free at (800) 545-2433 x 5045 or send an e-mail to publicprograms@ala.org. You can also .
Inside the Application
Q. What is the difference between fine arts and the humanities?
A. The fine arts refers to art created for its aesthetic value and its beauty. Humanities requires the use of a critical lens to study and interpret.
as follows: The term 'humanities' includes, but is not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of the arts; those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life
Q. Are the fine arts completely excluded from eligible programming?
A. No. If a fine arts activity is paired with a critical discussion through a humanities lens, then the activity would be eligible (eg. a cooking program or series that incorporates discussions about food and culture, a hands-on art program with an art history/critique element.
Q. Who should letters of support be addressed to?
A. You can address letters of support to the ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵPublic Programs Office, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1300, Chicago, IL 60601. Please do not mail letters of support. Letters of support should only be uploaded via the grants management platform.
Q. Are letters of support required?
A. No, letters of support are optional.
Q. What do you mean by “certifying official”?
A. The certifying official who signs off on your application should be anyone with your library who is able to submit applications for funding on behalf of the institution. This may vary depending on the institution but is typically the library director.
Q. Can the certifying official be the same person as the Project Director and/or the person submitting the application?
A. Yes. The certifying official can be the same person listed as the Project Director and/or the person submitting the proposal as long as they are able to submit applications for funding on behalf of their institution.
The Grant Award
Q. What will my library receive, if selected?
A. Selected libraries will receive $10,000 to support humanities functions of the library; one print copy of “Going Virtual: Programs and Insights from a Time of Crisis” by Sarah Ostman for the ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵPublic Programs Office (ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵEditions, 2021); access to a community of practice for grant recipients, via the ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵConnect platform, throughout the grant term; and online resources to announce the grant locally (e.g., template press release, social media messaging, web graphics).
Q. What expenses are allowable for the $10,000 grant?
A. ARP funding is designed to provide libraries with flexible funding to reaffirm and strengthen their roles, post-pandemic, as vibrant centers of humanities learning, conversation, and connection. The general goals of this ARP funding opportunity include: to assist with creating or preserving jobs; support or maintain general operations; create or sustain humanities programs; and implement new humanities activities or sustain existing activities.
Examples of eligible expenses include salary and benefit support for library workers engaged in humanities activities; costs related to humanities programming (in-person or virtual), such as book clubs, guest lectures, exhibition development, oral history collection, digitization projects, or heritage festivals; purchases of books, ebooks, or technology for use in humanities programming; and marketing and advertising to support library humanities efforts.
Q. Are there any ineligible expenses for the grant funds?
A. Yes. Ineligible expenses include: overlapping project costs with any other pending or approved application(s) for federal funding and/or approved federal awards; competitive regranting; cancellation costs; pre-award costs incurred more than 90 days before the subrecipient’s period of performance; equipment costs in excess of 20% of total project costs (see the federal definition of "equipment" below); travel (both foreign and domestic); construction, purchase of real property, major alteration and renovation; collections acquisition (note that purchases for use in humanities programs are allowable); the preservation, organization, or description of materials that are not regularly accessible for research, education, or public programming; promotion of a particular political, religious, or ideological point of view; advocacy of a particular program of social or political action; support of specific public policies or legislation; lobbying; and projects that fall outside of the humanities and the humanistic social sciences.
Q. "Equipment" is listed as an ineligible expense for this grant. What counts as "equipment"?
A. Per federal guidelines, if a single item costs more than $5,000, it counts as "equipment." If a single item costs less than $5,000, it is considered "supplies." For more details, please see the definition of "equipment" at.
Q. Can we use the grant funds to pay for travel for humanities scholars or authors?
A. Per the list of ineligible expenses, "travel (foreign and domestic)" is not an allowable use of grant funds. However, your library can provide an all-inclusive "stipend" to scholars/authors to cover their time and travel. Please note: budgets that include "travel expenses" will be flagged as ineligible.
Q. Can we use the funds to pay for programs that fall outside of the implementation period?
A. Yes. However, all funds must be spent by August 31, 2022.
Q. Can we use the grant funds to help pay for a program that we already have planned, or are we required to create a new program?
A. The grant funds may be used to create new or sustain existing or planned humanities programs. For more information see Eligible Expenses in the project guidelines.
Q. Are indirect costs allowed?
A. Indirect costs are allowable. If your organization has a federally negotiated rate, you may use it; please upload your cost rate agreement in the Uploads section of your proposal. If you do not have a federally negotiated rate, you may use the de minimis (10%). Note that you are not required to include indirect costs in your budget.
If you have questions about the eligibility of your planned expenses, please email publicprograms@ala.org.
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