Contact Name
Ms. Meg Placke
Contact Title
State Librarian
State Library Address

State Library of Louisiana
701 N. Fourth Street
P.O. Box 131
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0131
United States

Contact Email Address
mplacke@crt.la.gov
Grants to State Programs

The Grants to States Program

The Grants to States Program is the largest grant program run by IMLS; it provides funds to State Library Administrative Agencies (SLAAs) using a population-based formula set by the law. SLAAs determine goals and objectives for the funds in their statutorily required five-year plan (see below). For more information, see the Grants to States program overview.

    Allotments
    YearAllotment Value
    2019 $2,172,724.00
    2020 $2,270,083.00
    2021 $2,590,821.00
    2022 $2,578,316.00
    2023 $2,752,989.00
    5 Year Plan Text

    Each state creates a 5-year plan for its programs to strengthen the efficiency, reach, and effectiveness of library services. View all states' plans.

    5 year plan
    Attachment Size
    louisiana5yearplan.pdf 1.01 MB
    5 Year Evaluation Text

    At the end of a 5-year period, each state reports their results in achieving goals and objectives projected in their 5-Year Plan. View all states' evaluations.

    5 year evaluation
    Attachment Size
    louisiana5yearevaluation.pdf 926.57 KB
    Meg Placke

    "For almost a century, the goal of the State Library of Louisiana has been simple: to foster a love of books, literacy, and reading across the state. We started out traveling around Louisiana in a tiny bookmobile as we helped set up local libraries. Today, we continue this mission by providing consulting and assistance to libraries, statewide electronic resources, and our continuing education program. We’ve expanded the State Library’s reach by developing our Louisiana Collection and state documents collection and by coordinating the annual Louisiana Book Festival and making library services accessible to all through our Talking Books and Braille Library and institutional outreach. We are grateful for the LSTA funding that lets everyone benefit from these services."
    -- Meg Placke, State Librarian, State Library of Louisiana

    Project Examples

    outdoor tables at Louisiana Book Festival

    Louisiana Book Festival
    The Louisiana Book Festival is the Louisiana Center for the Book’s primary event in achieving its mission to promote literacy, reading, and education, and to showcase Louisiana authors and its publishers. The annual festival was held virtually during the pandemic, which served as a model for how to safely continue local and regional festivals and programs across the state. The Louisiana Writer Award presentation, posted on the festival’s YouTube channel, featured recipient John Barry discussing his contributions to the literary heritage of Louisiana and his body of work, including The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.  
    IMLS Funds: $126,109 

    room full of library staff at a continuing education event

    Continuing Education and Support for Library Staff
    The State Library of Louisiana provided continuing education opportunities, advice, and support to public library staff across the state. This training helped library staff, directors, and trustees deliver basic library services to their communities competently and effectively. The State Library offered a yearly continuing education schedule along with courses certified by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) Library Support Staff Certification Program. Louisiana’s is the only state library agency in the country that teaches these courses and has more staff certified than any other state as a result. State Library consultants also helped public libraries develop policies, interpret library laws, and troubleshoot any other issues that arose.  
    IMLS Funds: $292,373 

    E-rate learning event with panel presenters

    E-Rate Training and Support
    The State Library of Louisiana provided advice, instruction, and support to public library staff in applying for discounts on telecommunication services, internet access, and internal connections through the E-Rate program. With these discounts, Louisiana public libraries offered free internet services, both wired and wireless, to their communities, increased bandwidth, and made technological infrastructure improvements. All of the main libraries in the state have an internet connection of at least 10 Mbps or more, a necessity for a state where nearly 25 percent of the population does not have home internet access. With the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act and additional funds for broadband through the Emergency Connectivity Fund, the State Library has also assisted libraries in understanding and applying for broadband services with this funding. 
    Match Funds: $7,271 

    Review recent Grants to States projects from this state library in the State Program Report database

    Search the Awarded Grants Database for additional details about awards in this state or view the State Details Dashboard.

    Five-Year Plan Highlights

    Goal 1: Enhance Access to Information  

    • Projects include: 
      • Institutional Library Services to state prisons  
      • Louisiana Collection of digitized historical materials   
      • Louisiana Public Document Depository Program  
      • Resource sharing, including interlibrary loan and courier services   
      • Statewide Electronic Resources including Homework Louisiana  
      • Talking Books and Braille Library   

    Goal 2: Improve Library Services  

    • Projects include: 
      • Continuing education and consulting for public libraries  
      • Broadband and technology support   
      • Literacy programming, such as the Summer Reading Program and the Louisiana Readers’ Choice (LRC) program  

    Goal 3: Community Engagement  

    • Projects include: 
      • Communications for activities funded through LSTA  
      • Louisiana Book Festival  
      • Strategic partnerships for libraries  

    IMLS Data Collection

    State Library Administrative Agency Survey
    The State Library Administrative Agency Survey (SLAA) provides descriptive data about state library agencies for all fifty states and the District of Columbia. To interact with the latest data, please visit the SLAA Survey Comparison Tool

    Public Libraries Survey
    The Public Libraries Survey (PLS) provides national descriptive data on the status of public libraries in the United States and its territories. Explore state profiles representing more than 9,000 public library systems and over 17,000 public library outlets.