Applications for tuition assistance may be submitted before the start of each semester for reimbursement of that ​semester’s tuition. Awards will be made as long as funds are available.

Grants of Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds are available for library staff seeking a Masters degree in Librarianship. Reimbursement of tuition is available for coursework that prepares librarians to develop, expand, deliver, or promote services and programs that are related to the Federal purposes.*

This LSTA program is not intended to provide assistance for generic library coursework. General introductory librarianship courses, and coursework in other areas of librarianship not directly applicable to the Federal purposes, cannot be reimbursed.

* The Federal purposes as outlined in LSTA (20 U.S.C. 9141) are:

1. Enhance coordination among Federal programs that relate to library, education, and information services;

2. Promote continuous improvement in library services in all types of libraries in order to better serve the people of the United States;

3. Facilitate access to resources in all types of libraries for the purpose of cultivating an educated and informed citizenry;

4. Encourage resource sharing among all types of libraries for the purpose of achieving economical and efficient delivery of library services to the public;

5. Promote literacy, education, and lifelong learning, including by building learning partnerships with school libraries in our Nation’s schools, including tribal schools, and developing resources, capabilities, and programs in support of State, tribal, and local efforts to offer a well-rounded educational experience to all students;

6. Enable libraries to develop services that meet the needs of communities throughout the Nation, including people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, residents of rural and urban areas, Native Americans, military families, veterans, and caregivers;

7. Enable libraries to serve as anchor institutions to support community revitalization through enhancing and expanding the services and resources provided by libraries, including those services and resources relating to workforce development, economic and business development, critical thinking skills, health information, digital literacy skills, financial literacy and other types of literacy skills, and new and emerging technology;

8. Enhance the skills of the current library workforce and recruit future professionals, including those from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, to the field of library and information services;

9. Ensure the preservation of knowledge and library collections in all formats and enable libraries to serve their communities during disasters;

10. Enhance the role of libraries within the information infrastructure of the United States in order to support research, education, and innovation;

11. Promote library services that provide users with access to information through national, State, local, regional, and international collaborations and networks; and

12. Encourage, support, and disseminate model programs of library and museum collaboration.

Purposes from https://www.imls.gov/grants/grants-state/purposes-and-priorities-lsta

For additional information on LSTA grants in South Carolina, contact the LSTA Coordinator, Alexandra Sanders, (803) 734-8917.

To submit a comment or complaint about the administration of LSTA grants, please contact the SCSL Director, Leesa Aiken, (803) 734-8668.