New Jersey State Library

Timeline for LSTA Funded Activities: October 1, 1997 - September 30, 2002

See the following two tables for timelines for activities proposed to implement LSTA's two key priorities: information access through technology and services to targeted populations.

As part of the transitional year from LSCA to LSTA , the State Library issued grant applications in 1997 for the following programs: State Institutional Libraries Services, Library Services to Special Populations, Academic/School/Public Library Cooperation Resource Sharing, Public Library Literacy Programs and Major Urban Resource Library. The State Library does not intend to issue applications in 1998 for these specific programs.

Timeline for LSTA Funded Activities

Information Access Through Technology

October 1, 1997 - September 30, 2002

Timeline for LSTA Funded Activities

Services to Targeted Populations with Special Needs

October 1, 1997 - September 30, 2002

Administration of the LSTA Program

The State Library will administer the LSTA program in accordance with LSTA goals and priorities and with all financial and reporting requirements outlined in the Act.

Each year, the State Library will administer a grants program and a program of statewide services in accordance with the procedures established in the New Jersey State Library Grants and Aid Management Procedures . Library Development Bureau staff will plan the focus of the grant programs for the year with input from the library community. The availability of competitive grants will be announced in the Grant$ Bulletin which is mailed to all New Jersey libraries and is also published on the State Library's Web site. Staff will offer technical assistance sessions in preparing grant applications and coordinate the grant review process. Applications for competitive grant programs will be read and scored by Reader Evaluation Panels composed of librarians and lay people knowledgeable about specific grant programs. Staff will perform programmatic and technical review of all passing competitive and targeted applications, conduct on-site visits to monitor grant projects, and perform an ongoing evaluation of projects receiving awards of contract for grants and statewide services.

In coordination with the Thomas Edison State College, the State Library will maintain fiscal controls and accounting procedures necessary to disperse federal funds, monitor expenditure of funds, and prepare fiscal reports required by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The State Library will prepare a publication containing information on LSTA grants awarded during the fiscal year and on the progress made in meeting the goals and priorities of the Plan. This publication will be widely disseminated to the library community in print and by making the text available through the State Library's Web site. Descriptions of library projects awarded contracts and other information on LSTA will be published periodically and widely disseminated in print and electronic formats.

The State Library will review the Plan each year, and with input from the library community, will revise the plan as needed to take advantage of advances and upgrades in technology and to meet the evolving needs of libraries and library users for new or expanded services. When necessary, revisions to the Plan will be submitted to the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services not later than April 1 preceding the beginning of the next federal fiscal year.

The State Library will make the Plan and any subsequent revisions to the Plan available to the public and the library community in print and electronic format for their review and comment. Library patrons browsing the State Library's Web site will be invited to e-mail comments on Plan programs and priorities.

Evaluation of LSTA Five Year Plan Programs

Evaluation of projects awarded contracts will be based on the success of the applicant agency in implementing the proposed program and on qualitative and quantitative measures of the success of the project.

Each competitive grant program Request for Proposal will contain required evaluation criteria and/or performance outcomes which are unique to that grant program. The application form will require that the applicant agency describe its proposed method to evaluate the success of the project and/or the outcomes which are specified in the RFP.

Agencies receiving an award of contract will be required to submit a six month program report in which they are requested to identify any problems they are having in implementing the program. Staff assigned to monitor a particular grant program will contact the agency and offer assistance in getting the project back on schedule.

In addition, staff will make site visits to at least one third of the recipients of awards of contract within applicable RFP grant programs.

Agencies will also be required to submit a final fiscal report and a final program report which includes:

• a statement on whether the proposed goals and objectives of the project have been met; and if they have not been met, a detailed explanation of why this occurred: and
• an evaluation report on the project which includes, as a minimum, responses to the evaluation criteria required for that particular grant program.

Statewide service contracts and other targeted grants contain performance outcomes, evaluation criteria and requirements for submitting statistical and project progress reports which will be reviewed by staff.

The LSTA Program Coordinator will be responsible for conducting the evaluation and preparing a report that meets the requirements of the Institute of Museums and Library Service for the Five Year Evaluation of the State Program. This evaluation will involve: 1) analysis of subgrantee evaluation reports for competitive grants; 2) analysis of statewide service contracts and other targeted grants performance outcomes; 3) input from Library Development Grant Program Managers; 4) input from focus groups of librarians; and 5) and input from a survey sent to all public and academic libraries and directors of library computer consortia in the state.

Expenditure of Funds for Administration

As authorized in LSTA up to 4 percent of the federal funds may be expended for administrative costs in connection with programs and activities carried out in the Act. These funds will be used to: manage the projects and activities that fall under the purpose of the Act; provide financial and program accountability for the administration of federal funds; provide reimbursement for members of grant Reader Evaluation Panels; conduct meetings with librarians to solicit input, feedback and suggestions about the programs being conducted; and evaluate the results and impact of the LSTA program.

Involvement of Librarians in Policy Decisions Regarding the Plan

The State Librarian will annually appoint a committee of librarians representing all types of libraries and library related agencies to meet and evaluate LSTA activities completed in the previous year and to make recommendations on revising the Plan. This committee will include library users as well as lay persons possessing required expertise to evaluate particular aspects of the Plan. The composition of this committee may change from year to year, depending on the needs arising from the implementation of specific programs or changes that need to be made in the Plan.

Meetings of stakeholders involved in such initiatives as the Hub Library project and the statewide virtual union catalog and interlibrary loan system will be held to discuss progress made in implementing goals and objectives of the project, problems encountered in operating the project, and the need for revision and/or expansion of the project's operation or guidelines.

Library Development Bureau staff will present updates on LSTA funded projects and the implementation of the Plan at various meetings of public, academic and special librarians, school library media specialists and at Regional Library Cooperative meetings.

The State Library will make the Plan and any subsequent revisions to the Plan available to the public and the library community in print and in electronic format via its Web site.