Request For Proposals

IMPORTANT DATES

Call for Proposals Released: January 23rd, 2025

Applications due: This funding is on a rolling Deadline

Applicants notified: 2-4 weeks after submission

Award period: 6 months to a year from start date

• BACKGROUND

  • The GIS-Mapping Exchange is an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funded partnership between academics, geospatial data professionals, and public libraries. Our goal is to establish an innovative training program and collaborative networking platform between public library staff, geospatial data professionals and library patrons. More simply, we want to support librarians that want to learn how to create maps, work with geospatial data, and more.

  • With the generous funding received from IMLS, we are now starting a two-year project that will further develop the guide and toolkit while at the same time directly fund and support teams of librarians from around the country to partner with geospatial data professionals in their local communities.

  • Public Libraries can apply for anywhere from up to $5000 of funding to partner with local geospatial data professionals. These small awards are aimed to fund projects that increase a library’s capacity as a key participant in their geospatial data community. To learn about some potential projects that can be funded, see the “Example Projects” section below.
    
    

• ELIGIBILITY

This funding is available for any public library in the United States.

• FUNDING

  • Public Libraries can apply for anywhere from up to $5000 of funding to support projects that help your library learn how to create maps, work with geospatial data, and more.

• EXPECTATIONS
  Award winners will be expected to…

  • Complete their proposed project to the best of their abilities (with the support of a GIS professional). Projects should be completed within 6 months to a year of the award.

  • Remain in contact with the GIS-Mapping Exchange project team during the duration of the project.

  • Submit a final report on the project upon its completion.
    
    

• APPLICATION MATERIALS
  To apply for an award, please submit a 2-3 page request to nhunter@pdx.edu including the following information:

  • Introduction of your library (name, location, any other information you would like to share).

  • Description, scope/timeline, and importance of the geospatial project or capacity you would like to use the award to complete or increase. Please also include how this project is in accordance with the GIS-Mapping Exchange mission. See below for the GIS-Mapping Exchange mission and a list of example projects.

  • Explanation on how you heard about this opportunity.

  • Draft budget of estimated costs. See example of this here.

  • Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis.

• SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

Please submit your request as a pdf to Nancee Hunter, nhunter@pdx.edu. When emailing your request, please put GIS-Mapping Exchange Grant Proposal in the subject line.

• WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN THE APPLICATION
  When reviewing applications, the GIS-Mapping Exchange will consider the following…

  • Does the application follow the instructions noted above in the “Application Materials” and “Submitting Your Application” sections?

  • Does the project assist in building geospatial capacity at your library?

  • Considering the proposal, timeline, and budget, does this project align with your broader goals? If you’d like to discuss how it fits into your vision, feel free to reach out GIS-Mapping Exchange team.

  • Is the project in line with the mission of the GIS Mapping Exchange: "We believe that strong partnerships between public libraries and geospatial data experts better serve library users, further democratize data-use by communities, and support equitable access to information. This project aims to support public libraries and geospatial data experts to establish and grow their partnerships."
    
    

• WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR AWARD IS APPROVED

  • Applicants notified: 2 weeks after submission

  • Award period: 6 months from start date

  • A meeting between your library and the GIS-Mapping Exchange team will take place at the start of the project to help get it started and discuss project expectations.

  • Check-ins with the GIS Mapping Exchange team as needed.

  • Submission of a final report by your library when the project is completed.

• EXAMPLE PROJECTS
  Feel free to mix and match these projects (or invent your own) for your library’s grant.

  • Install ESRI desktop and/or set up cloud-based GIS software for library staff and/or patrons (see “Additional Information on GIS Software” section for more information).

  • How to create web maps for library staff and/or patrons. (Workshop)

  • Create a map “tour” of important places in your community (Workshop/Project)

  • Georeferencing historical maps (Workshop/project)

  • Web/Story Map on local history (Workshop/Project)

  • Turn a table of addresses or latitude and longitude coordinates into a map (Workshop)

  • Community data collection and storage techniques - Paper maps/GPS/Etc. (Workshop)

  • Teen or Seniors programming on mapping and/or GIS careers. (Speaker Series/Workshop)

  • Critical Mapping: Understanding the biases behind maps and data.(Speaker Series/Workshop)