ALA also has resources for obtaining the one major thing every library needs: money. Unfortunately, at this point in time there are not many grants presented by ALA or the Public Library Association (PLA) with requirements that fit the need for creating new collections and programming. However, the grants offered by state libraries may fulfill the needs of the library and developing new multicultural, multilingual collection and programming may meet the requirements for those grants. For example, the South Carolina State Library offers a Planning Grant, which is used to perform a community needs assessment, strategic planning, and other preparatory planning or research for future library projects. A similar grant may prove to be beneficial for a library as part of the determining needs step.
One grant offered by ALA that should be highlighted is “The American Dream Literacy Initiative”. Funded through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, this $10,000 grant is annually awarded to public libraries that wish to expand their services for adult English language learners or for adult education and workforce development. However, this grant is not for those looking to start a program of either nature; the library must have a preexisting program in order to be eligible. Another additional requirement is that the grantee library must be within twenty miles of a Dollar General store, distribution center, or corporate office. These two requirements can severely limit libraries that can apply, especially the smaller, more rural libraries.
Other grants that could be applied for “down the road”, include the following from the PLA: