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Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (Last Updated: June 14,2023) |
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Title11 Libraries |
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SubTitle11-24d-1_11-24d-7. Administration of Library Automation Grants |
| Sec. 11-24d-1. Definitions |
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Latest version.
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(a) "Board" means the State Library Board. (b) "Library Automation Grant" means support for a project or program which provides financial assistance to support the application of automation to the state's publicly supported libraries. (c) "Publicly supported libraries" means those libraries which are supported in whole, or in part, from local or state tax revenues. Such libraries include public, school, or public academic libraries, the State Library, state agency libraries, and Cooperating Library Service Units and automated networks of which the majority of members are publicly supported libraries. (d) "Allowable expenses" means consultant fees, travel, supplies, equipment purchase or rental and contractual agreements. (e) "Connlinet" means the Connecticut Library Information Network. (f) "Connlinet Council" means advisory council which has been established to advise the State Library Board on the distribution of library automation grants. (g) "Project grants" means competitive grants that are made available to publicly supported libraries to support the purposes of the library automation program. (h) "Special program grants" means funds which are granted by the State Library Board for automation to support a specific program need. (i) "Connecticut Library Information Network" means a cooperative multitype and multipurpose network which is designed to provide a broad range of library and information resources and services to all citizens of Connecticut. (j) "Network Components" means the users of any participating library who wish to obtain information and/or services found not only in that participating library, but in other participating libraries or information services. Members of Connlinet are those libraries and organizations that voluntarily agree to become participants in the Connecticut Library Information Network and either offer their users Connlinet programs and services or furnish network services that facilitate the interchange of bibliographic information, library materials, and information services. |
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(Effective March 6, 1987) |
| Sec. 11-24d-2. Purpose |
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Grants under this program are to support the application of automation to the state's publicly supported libraries. Grant funds shall provide, to publicly funded libraries, state financial assistance where such aid would not otherwise be available from other sources. Funds may be used to support expenses associated with the purchase of necessary capital equipment and entrance fees to join centralized automated library systems; changing library records from a manual system to an automated system accessible to users of other libraries in the state; enlarging existing library databases to accommodate increased library participation and technological innovations; providing connections to centralized automated library databases; procurement of terminals and software for libraries to access shared bibliographic and source databases; expansion of electronic mail service among the state's libraries and establishment of communication systems to support cooperative information services for the public. |
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(Effective March 6, 1987) |
| Sec. 11-24d-3. Eligibility requirements |
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Publicly supported libraries submitting applications for library automation funds must meet the following eligibility requirements: (a) Subscribe to, and demonstrate a commitment to, the sharing of bibliographic records, access to information, and equity of access. (b) Demonstrate an appropriate commitment of resources and staff to the project for which such grants are requested and/or made available by presenting a written plan which outlines their expectations of any project to be funded under this program and which provides information about the actual and potential sources of financial support. (c) Demonstrate a conscientious effort to meet existing service and support standards for their library organization. Those who do not already meet existing standards must demonstrate how grant funds will help them to achieve such standards. (d) Demonstrate, if the project involves the creation and/or use of bibliographic records in machine-readable form, a conscientious effort to create, or upgrade, bibliographic records to national bibliographic standards, or such other bibliographic standards as may be adopted by the State Library Board; those who do not already meet such bibliographic standards must demonstrate how grant funds will help to achieve those standards. (e) Provide mutually agreeable, reasonable and appropriate access to the bibliographic database in which their records are contained to all other components of the Connecticut library network without any direct charge for that access as such beyond any direct costs that may be incurred on behalf of those components; provide reasonable and appropriate access to the information and materials represented by the bibliographic database in which their records are contained to all other components of the Connecticut library network, and to individual libraries, without any direct charge for that access as such beyond whatever system of reimbursement for services may be provided by the State Library Board, or beyond the actual direct costs for services that may be incurred on behalf of a borrower. (f) Be requesting, or receiving, such grants for projects which demonstrate a direct relationship to existing automation and network activities in Connecticut, or to future directions in automation and network activities in Connecticut that have been endorsed by the State Library Board. |
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(Effective March 6, 1987) |
| Sec. 11-24d-4. Application process |
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The Connlinet Council shall advise the State Library Board annually on the funding emphasis and priorities for library automation grants. (a) Project grants—Beginning November 1, 1986 the State Library Board annually will circulate a Library Automation Grant announcement to all publicly supported libraries. Such announcement shall describe the purposes of Library Automation Project grants, establish a timetable and procedure for submission of applications and designate the total amount available for project grants. Applicants shall submit, to the State Library Board, on a form prescribed by the State Library, information deemed necessary to evaluate the merits of each application. At a minimum such application shall include: (1) A detailed project budget form for the project which outlines expenditures for allowable expenses and details available funds. (2) A project narrative which outlines project goals and objectives, specifies planned activities, describes project staff, details the project's impact upon the community to be served, describes the project's contributions to statewide, regional and local resource sharing efforts, details plans for project evaluation and continuation. (3) In cases where a library is joining or accessing an automated system, the applicant shall attach a letter from the system stating that such library will be accepted as a member or will be allowed access to the database. (b) Special Program grants—The State Library Board and Connlinet Council may circulate a Request for Proposal (RFP) to all publicly supported libraries and appropriate parties to make an application for library automation grant funds to support a specific program need identified by the Board and the Connlinet Council. |
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(Effective March 6, 1987) |
| Sec. 11-24d-5. Review/award process |
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(a) The State Library staff shall review all applications and communicate any deficiencies to the applicant. Applicants will have 15 days to resubmit the application following receipt of notification. (b) The Connlinet Council shall review all eligible applications. The Council shall prepare funding recommendations in priority for funding to the State Library Board. (c) The criteria to be employed in the evaluation of applications include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) There is a clearly started narrative which details the intended project. (2) The methodology is appropriate for successful project completion. (3) The applicant has developed an appropriate method to evaluate the proposal. (4) The budget is appropriate and the applicant has the ability to meet ongoing costs associated with the project. (5) The critical impact of the project is stated. (6) The degree to which the project fosters local, regional and statewide resource sharing. (7) The degree the project will be visible to and have an impact on the community. (8) The applicant has outlined a reasonable timetable for the specific accomplishment of tasks associated with the project. (d) Additional criteria for bibliographic records. In addition, when recommending the allocation of funds for providing improved access to bibliographic records, the Connlinet Council and State Library Board will consider: (1) The past and present initiative demonstrated by a library or network in creating machine-readable records. (2) The extent to which records represent materials that are not already recorded in the Connecticut database. (3) The extent to which the activity will provide improved access to materials which are not widely held in Connecticut libraries. (4) The extent to which the records involved, and the materials they represent, have demonstrated value to other libraries in Connecticut and their users. (5) The extent to which categories of records are incorporated into a plan, which includes the establishment of priorities, for the upgrading, converting, or creating of records established by Connecticut network, a cooperating library service unit, or another appropriate grouping of libraries in Connecticut. (6) The extent to which the upgrading of records is a prerequisite to adding software modules to a network or system than will provide improved access. (e) The State Library Board—After applications have been reviewed and evaluated by the Connlinet Council, State Library Staff will submit the information and recommendations to the State Library Board. The State Library Board has the final responsibility for decisions on applications. (f) The applicant institution whose project(s) are approved for funding will be notified of a contingent award, pending allocation of necessary funds by the State Bond Commission. A request will be made to the State Bond Commission to allocate necessary funds when the State Library Board has approved funding recommendations. (g) If a proposal is not funded, an applicant may write to the State Library Network Services Department and request a copy of the Connlinet Council meeting minutes which state the reason for denial. The applicant has two weeks from the receipt of official notification to file a written appeal with the Connlinet Council. The appeal must demonstrate that the application was not reviewed in accordance with the criteria and procedures established by the State Library Board. The Connlinet Council will consider all written appeals. The Connlinet Council may deny the appeal or present a new recommendation to the State Library Board. Grant applicants may appeal directly to the State Library Board if not satisfied with the Connlinet Council response to their appeal. |
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(Effective March 6, 1987) |
| Sec. 11-24d-6. Reports |
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Publicly supported libraries receiving funds under this program shall submit to the State Library Board periodic reports on their funded projects. At the termination of the funding period, institutions receiving funds shall submit, to the State Library Board, a final report in a form and at a time prescribed by the State Library Board. |
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(Effective March 6, 1987) |
| Sec. 11-24d-7. Funding |
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(a) Library automation funds will be used to support up to 75% of the cost of project grants to support programs outlined in Public Act 85-537-2. Applicants may meet their share of project costs by a combination of cash and in-kind support. At least twenty-five percent (25%) of the local contribution must be actual cash. (b) Grant applicants may request funding for a period not to exceed one year. An interim report outlining expenditures and progress to date shall be submitted 9 months after the applicant receives their first state library automation grant payment. If at the end of the 12 month period, unexpended funds remain in a project and if a grantee makes application at least 30 days before the termination of the funding period, permission may be granted by the State Library Board for a six month extension of the project without additional funding. (c) Grant recipients will immediately notify the State Library in writing if they are unable to meet the requirements of a project grant. In the event a library receiving a grant is unable to meet the requirements of the grant, a grant award will be made to a library on the priority list with the highest priority ranking. (d) Any equipment purchased under this program shall be the property of the applicant institution. (e) Funds awarded must be spent in accordance with grant application as subsequently approved by the State Library Board; If the State Librarian finds that any grant is being used for purposes which are not in conformity with the purposes of the library automation grant program, the State Librarian may require repayment of the grant to the State. |
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(Effective March 6, 1987) |