Peer Review

Overview

Apply to join the Peer Review volunteer team for the California State Library! The grant peer review process is a chance to apply your skills and help the California State Library promote equitable grantmaking. As a peer reviewer, you will help the State Library make meaningful investments in library programs and services. You and your fellow reviewers can enrich the grantmaking process with your perspectives and insights.

Your service as a peer reviewer will support the California State Library’s mission to strengthen and advance access, equity, and innovation through strategic collaboration, capacity building, and responsible management of federal funds. Grants are intended to help libraries across California focus on public service and improve their work with communities.

Who Can Participate?

Peer reviewers should have:

  • At least one year working in public, school, or academic libraries (past or present).
  • Enough free time to commit to the timeline below.  
  • Experience in one or more of the following:
    • Writing and/or reviewing grant proposals
    • Developing and/or managing project budgets
    • Planning and/or implementing grant funded projects

Our goal is to create a pool of reviewers that represents the diversity of California’s library staff and communities.

Time Commitment

As a new peer reviewer, you can expect to dedicate up to five hours to training and preparation:

  • Two hours: View required, asynchronous, virtual training sessions.
  • One hour: Attend a virtual orientation with other peer reviewers, led by State Library Program Consultants, where you will review sample applications with fellow peer reviewers.
  • Two hours: Review and become familiar with:
    • the State Library Five-Year Plan,
    • recorded information session,
    • grant guide, and
    • application instructions for the opportunity you will be reviewing.

For each grant opportunity you serve as a peer reviewer, your time commitments also will include:

  • Approximately one hour per application for review and comments. Depending on the funding opportunity and your availability, you may be asked to review up to ten applications.
  • One hour to attend a virtual meeting to discuss the applications with fellow reviewers.

We understand your time is valuable. You can choose to review once a year, or if there are more opportunities, you may volunteer to review more applications.

Information Session

Want to learn more? View the recorded Peer Review Information Session.

Apply

Complete the Peer Review Interest Form to apply. You will be asked for information on your career in libraries and your experience in designing, writing, and/or executing grant-funded programming. Use the list of interest form questions to prepare.

Timeline

The initial assignments will be for Sustainable California Libraries grants.

Peer review assignments are based on the needs of the California State Library. Peer reviewers will provide recommendations on grant applications. The State Library will make all final decisions.

  • Interest forms are due November 7, 2024, at noon.
  • Peer reviewer interest forms submitted after the deadline will be considered on a rolling basis.
  • The review period will start in March 2025.

Peer Review Training Materials

Required Trainings

You will need to create a CALL Academy account if you do not already have one.

Optional Trainings

Contact Us

For more information, contact the California State Library Peer Review team at PeerReview@library.ca.gov.