AIC's 46th Annual Meeting

Developing a competitive proposal for an IMLS collections stewardship grant takes considerable time and thought, but the rewards can be well worth the effort. With amounts ranging up to $250,000, an IMLS grant can help an institution make significant strides in improving collections care through conservation surveys, treatments, environmental improvements, and building capacity among its staff and volunteers through specialized consultations and training.

Crucial to IMLS’s funding decisions each year are the reviews prepared by peers in the field. Each application is read by three to six experts, who provide scores and evaluative comments in accordance with a set of criteria identified by IMLS. In addition to being available to IMLS staff, these scores and comments are provided verbatim to the applicants, who in turn use them to improve their projects and/or their next applications.
 
What applicants do not experience, however, are the conversations that occur during panel meetings. Typically spirited and intense, the exchanges belie the passion that collections people feel for their work. Occasionally, they can become heated when opinions about techniques or the likelihood of success differ. Without fail, though, in each gathering, at least one panelist will say, “Oh, I wish I could talk directly to them” or “If only we could get this across in advance,” and others quickly line up in agreement. Everyone knows the work that’s being proposed is warranted, and they share a deep desire to see collections cared for in the best ways possible and preserved for use by future generations.
 
In this session, three collections care professionals with deep experience as IMLS grant applicants, grantees, and reviewers will speak candidly about what makes a successful grant proposal. Speaking from their personal experiences and knowing first-hand what it takes to structure and carry out a successful collections care project, they will share their opinions about what to include, what to emphasize, what to ignore, and how to present it in order to get good scores on a proposal.
 
The session will be casual but focused, employing a talk-show format, and questions from the audience will be heartily welcomed.

IMLS One-on-One Appointments
IMLS will be offering 30 minute one-one consultation appointments on May 30-31 for those considering submitting a grant proposal. Register for the session online and you will be contacted after April 1 to schedule an appointment that fits your schedule