Sustainable California Libraries

Sustainable California Libraries grants fund climate and sustainability programming for adults and intergenerational groups.

Purpose

Most Californians say climate change is a threat to the economy and quality of life for California’s future. Libraries are community hubs that respond to local concerns and interests, from reducing food waste, to community disaster preparedness, to supporting biodiversity.

Projects may include:

  • Climate education programs, including climate change as a public health issue
  • Citizen science and conservation programs
  • Environment-focused civic engagement programs
  • Programs and services that support local climate resilience, mitigation and adaptation

Projects must include public programming, outreach, and at least one project partner or community connection in place by the time of application.

The Sustainable California Libraries project meets Goal 4 of the California Library Services and Technology Act Investment Plan 2023–2027: Strengthen equitable resource-sharing and access to information, services, and opportunity with an emphasis on local community strengths and challenges.

Timeline

  • Grant opportunity opens: January 8, 2025
  • Information Session: Tuesday, January 14 at 2:00 pm (Recording)
  • Grant opportunity closes: Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 12:00 noon
  • Application review period: April 2025
  • Application status and selection notification: May 2025
  • Grant period begins: July 1, 2025
  • Grant period ends: June 30, 2026

Awards will be made after federal IMLS funding levels are confirmed for 2025-2026 and the 2025-2026 California State budget has passed. Successful applicants can expect to receive project funds up to 8 to 10 weeks after the payment claim form is received by the State Library.

Project Details

Successful past projects have included grant funding to support:

  • Staff time to co-design, coordinate, and implement projects.
  • Supplies to support programs.
  • Services from community organizations in climate and sustainability. (Note: if grant funds will be used to pay for a service from a community organization or organizations, those organization(s) cannot be considered as a partner in the application).
  • Outreach, promotion and community engagement around project programs and services.
  • Evaluation of project activities and outcomes.
  • Scholarships for community members participating in educational and workforce development activities as part of the project and in alignment with the primary purpose of the grant.
  • Internships for time spent directly on project related activities.
  • Participation in professional development to gain knowledge and skills around sustainability and climate.
  • Staff time and travel costs to attend a professional, in-state conference (such as California Library Association or a climate-focused conference) to share projects in progress.
  • Any additional allowable expenditures to help libraries and communities achieve project goals.

Applicants must review the application instructions for full details about allowable and unallowable expenses.

See the Sustainable California Libraries Resources page for programs, partnerships, and past projects.

Eligibility and Requirements

This opportunity is open to California public libraries and nonprofit organizations supporting libraries, such as Friends groups and library cooperative systems.

  • Minimum funding request: $10,000 
  • Maximum funding request: $75,000
  • Applicants should have at least one community connection in place before submitting an application.

Project staff funded through this opportunity should make a commitment to participate in the following:

  • Community of Practice virtual sessions (estimated 5-6 sessions).
  • Recorded Ignite Talks virtual session in June 2026 to share promising practices and stories with the larger library community.

In order for projects to be funded through LSTA, they must:

Public libraries applying for funds must have completed:

The State Library team is here to help. Request a meeting to discuss your proposal with members of our team. For those with questions about designing equitable grant programs, we may ask a trained Equity Advisor to join the meeting.

To Apply

Applications will be completed and submitted online using the California State Library’s grant application portal. Please be sure to review the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Application Guide thoroughly before beginning the application and expect to reference the instructions while completing the application. Use the link included below to access the online application.

To help ensure California communities have the library services and programs they need to thrive, the State Library’s Five Year Plan for Grantmaking centers equity. 

If we receive more strong applications than we can support, we will prioritize funding projects that:

  • Deliver innovative programs and services directly to Californians.
  • Support libraries and communities that have not received LSTA grants in the last five years.
  • Support communities with higher poverty rates as measured by the California Poverty Measure (CPM). 
  • Support libraries with a low Local Income Per Capita (LIPC).

To help expand the libraries and communities that benefit from LSTA funding, we encourage applications from library jurisdictions and branches that have not received LSTA funding in the last five years, and collaborative groups of libraries representing a variety of regions, library sizes, and populations.

This opportunity does not fund projects that focus solely on collection development, space planning, capacity building in libraries, or projects that are eligible to be funded through our other grant programs. For example, proposed projects that aim to improve access to nutrition are more appropriate for the Lunch at the Library program.

Funding for this opportunity is contingent upon federal funding confirmation, the passage of the 25-26 state budget, and authorization in the state budget to expend these funds.

Email LSTAgrants@library.ca.gov with questions.