Purpose
To support continuing education (CE) for member library staff throughout our service area, RAILS is pleased to offer training grants of up to $2,000 for libraries, networking groups, or library consortia.
To qualify, CE events must be made available to all RAILS member libraries and of interest to a wide range of library staff. In addition to prioritizing geographic diversity and training for multiple library types in evaluating grant applications, RAILS will also prioritize events focused on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you have questions about this grant offering, contact Joe Filapek, RAILS Director of Consulting and Continuing Education, at 630.734.5132 or joseph.filapek@railslibraries.info.
Funding
The maximum grant award is $2,000. Partial funding of grant proposals may be considered. Grants will be awarded and funds distributed approximately four to six weeks after the application deadline.
Application Deadline
The current grant application deadline has passed. Please check back in the fall of 2022 for new application deadlines.
Examples
Examples of qualifying CE topics include but are not limited to:
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Marketing (including promotion, advertising, graphic design, exhibits/displays, etc.)
- Public relations
- Advocacy
- Social media
- Digital media
- Evaluation of library programs/services
Those interested in applying should review the conditions described below to ensure eligibility. Priority will be given to applicants that have not received a grant in the past 12 months and to events that introduce new topics and presenters to RAILS members.