Contact Name
Ms. Robin Westphal
Contact Title
State Librarian
State Library Address

Missouri State Library
600 West Main
P.O. Box 387
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0387
United States

Contact Email Address
robin.westphal@sos.mo.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 $3,037,797.00
    2020 $3,131,845.00
    2021 $3,160,515.00
    2022 $3,139,047.00
    2023 $3,359,329.00
    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
    missouri5yearplan.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
    missouri5yearevaluation.pdf 3.17 MB
    Robin Westphal, State Librarian, Missouri State Library

    “As library service continues to evolve, our priorities will as well. Our focus remains on assisting with resource sharing, technology-focused programs and training and improving connectivity and infrastructure. We do all of this through a mix of competitive grants and support of statewide services and programs.”

    --Robin Westphal, State Librarian, Missouri State Library
     

    Project Examples

    six participants in a Carthage Public Library citizenship class

    Your Path to Citizenship at Carthage Public Library
    With support from a Spotlight on Literacy subgrant, Carthage Public Library continued its successful English language and citizenship instruction program. These classes were geared towards Hispanic adults who needed to improve their English reading and writing skills so they could study for and pass the U.S. citizenship exam. The library purchased books and classroom supplies, and the students worked with materials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Even with COVID-19 and a water line break that caused the program to migrate to a local church, the library reached 73 attendees and three participants obtained their citizenship at the Federal Courthouse in Kansas City.  
    IMLS Funds: $12,269.13 
     

    Kirkwood Public Library virtual author talk with Walter Johnson

    The Missouri Compromise and Its Legacy
    In conjunction with Missouri’s Bicentennial, Kirkwood Public Library hosted a series of events highlighting local and state history, with a particular focus on the lasting effects of the Missouri Compromise and contemporary racial equity issues. The project included a collection of community audio stories, a film screening and panel discussion about Black men in medicine, two events with a local historian, and an author visit discussing the Missouri Compromise. The events attracted interest from across the St. Louis region, expanding the library’s typical reach. There was high demand for materials related to the programs, evidencing a hunger for local history.  
    IMLS Funds: $4,394.27 

    salad greens in a bowl at Ozark Regional Library

    Tails and Tales from the Ozarks: Lakes, Creeks, and Ponds
    Ozark Regional Library held an eight-week summer reading program, Tails and Tales from the Ozarks: Lakes, Creeks, and Ponds, for children up to age 18. The program emphasized folklore and how to reimagine those tales in the local environment to celebrate learning, the region, and the library's related resources. The library collaborated with ecologists, field biologists, state park officials, agents from the Missouri Department of Conservation, and art teachers to present programs on pollinators, local wild edible plants, Missouri's endangered animals, and nature embroidery, as well as theme-related storytimes. Project staff also developed outdoor backpack kits, microscope kits, and shadow puppet theaters. 
    IMLS Funds: $8,000 

    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: Missourians have expanded services for learning and equity of access to quality library resources, services and technology to support individuals’ needs for education, lifelong learning, and digital literacy skills.  

    • Projects include: 
      • Resource sharing, including discovery tools and interlibrary courier service   
      • Digitization program  
      • Broadband connectivity and technology infrastructure support  
      • Network development monitoring and support to ensure strong technology infrastructures  
      • Grants and other funding  

    Goal 2: Strengthen and expand both quality and availability of library services appropriate to meet the educational, cultural, intellectual, workforce, personal and social development needs of Missourians, particularly persons with difficulty using the library and underserved rural and urban areas.  

    • Projects include: 
      • Wolfner Talking Book and Braille Library services  
      • Literacy skills development programs  
      • Life skills development programs  
      • Workforce development programs  
      • Business and economic development programs  
      • Children and youth services programs development  
      • Adult and senior services programs development  
      • Underserved populations programs development  
      • Grants and other funding  

    Goal 3: Current library workforce and leadership possess enhanced skills to advance the effective delivery of library and information services.  

    • Projects include: 
      • Library service trends, issues, and opportunities  
      • Consultant services  
      • Library staff skills trainings  
      • Data analysis (impact and value of library services)  
      • Library science resources collection  
      • Grants and other funding  

    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.