Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (2023)
At a glance
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (2023) is a closed federal grant opportunity from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The application deadline was March 17, 2023. Individual awards are listed as $50K – $1M, with about 37 awards expected and $8M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include others (see notice). Cost sharing or matching is required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 45.313 (Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program).
Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.
Key facts
- Jul 7, 2022Posted
- Mar 17, 2023Application deadline
- Posted
- Jul 7, 2022
- Close date
- Mar 17, 2023
- Award floor
- $50,000
- Award ceiling
- $1,000,000
- Est. total funding
- $8,000,000
- Expected awards
- 37
- Cost sharing
- Required
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Opportunity category
- Discretionary
Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)
See the Notice of Funding Opportunity for eligibility requirements.
A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.
Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.
What it funds
Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.
The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21) supports the training and professional development for library and archives professionals; developing faculty and information leaders; and recruiting, educating, and retaining the next generation of library and archives professionals in order to develop a diverse workforce of library and archives professionals and meet the information needs of their communities.
The goals for this program are to generate projects of far-reaching impact that:
• Recruit, train, develop, and retain a diverse workforce of library and archives professionals.
• Develop faculty, library, and archives leaders by increasing the institutional capacity of libraries, archives, and graduate programs related to library and information science.
• Enhance the training and professional development of the library and archival workforce to meet the needs of their communities.
The application process for the LB21 program has two phases; applicants must begin by applying for Phase I. For Phase I, all applicants must submit preliminary proposals by the September 21st deadline listed for this Notice of Funding Opportunity. For Phase II, only selected applicants will be invited to submit Full Proposals. Invited Full Proposals will be due March 17, 2023. Make sure you are filling out the application for the correct phase; Grants.gov will not let you submit the application if you accidentally upload it to the wrong phase.
Full announcement & documents
The full announcement has the complete rules — page limits, required attachments, evaluation criteria and any letter-of-intent dates. Files download directly from Grants.gov.
Assistance Listing
What is an ALN?Reported obligations under ALN 45.313
Historical data · not a predictionAgency contact (as published)
Institute of Museum and Library Services
imls-librarygrants@imls.gov
202-653-4636
Quick answers
Who is eligible to apply for “Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (2023)”?
The official notice names these applicant types as eligible: Others (see notice). Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.
How much funding is available through “Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (2023)”?
Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $50k – $1m, total estimated program funding is $8,000,000 and the agency expects to make about 37 awards.
How do I apply for “Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (2023)”?
Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity LB21-FY23), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.
Related open opportunities
Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $75K – $1M
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
21st Century Museum Professionals Program (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $100K – $500K
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $5K – $500K
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
Inspire Grants for Small Museums (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $5K – $75K
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
Museums for America (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $5K – $350K
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $5K – $500K
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)