Contact
PO Box 42460
Olympia, WA 98504-2460
WLA in Tacoma
The Washington Library Association 2025 annual conference will take place in Tacoma, April 10-12, 2025. Washington State Library supports Washington library staff in attending this locally-focused professional development opportunity.
If six or fewer staff from a library system are requesting PD grant funding to attend WLA, each applicant should submit a regular Professional Development grant application and follow the usual PD grant process. If more than six staff from a library will attend, follow the process below.
Multi-staff applications for WLA
Want to send more than six staff to the 2025 WLA conference in Tacoma using WSL Professional Development grants? Please note the following restrictions.
- Lodging can only be reimbursed if both the attendee's home and typical work site are more than 50 miles from the conference venue.
- Lodging can only be reimbursed at the state per diem rate of up to $136/night in Tacoma (or up to $170/night at the conference hotel, the Marriott Tacoma Downtown). This may not be enough to cover the actual cost of lodging and the difference must be paid by the attendee's library or another funding source.
Before the conference
One program coordinator should submit an application for the group. The WSL Grants team will review the application and send an official award letter to the applicant and the contracting authority if approved.
Register for the conference, taking advantage of early bird and group discounts when possible.
After the conference
Assemble receipts and proof of payment documentation. Complete the budget breakdown worksheet. Fill out a claim form and have it signed by the program coordinator and the contracting authority. Send the reimbursement packet to wslgrants [at] sos [dot] wa [dot] gov or mail to PO Box 42460, Olympia, WA 98504.
Attendees at an IMLS-funded staff training must respond to the four-question Instructional Program for Library Workforce survey. The program coordinator should tally the responses and submit to WSL as part of the report.
As a group, prepare a visual presentation about your learning. This could be slides, a video, or a infographic that features highlights from your conference experience.
Complete the Group Training Professional Development grant report and upload the visual presentation.
Administration
The following table shows the most common types of reimbursements and details about claiming them. If you would like to claim an expense not listed here, contact the WSL grants team.
| Reimbursement category | Notes |
|---|---|
|
Registration for conference and pre-conferences |
Use early bird and group pricing discounts when possible. If the registration email does not say "paid" or show a $0 balance, proof of payment must be included in the reimbursement packet. WLA memberships are not reimbursable. |
|
Lodging |
Can only be reimbursed if both the attendee's home and typical work site are more than 50 miles from the conference venue. Only reimbursable up to the state per diem rate of $136/night in Tacoma (or up to $170 at the conference hotel, the Marriott Tacoma Downtown). |
|
Mileage |
If driven in a personal or non-federally-owned vehicle, mileage is reimbursable at the 2025 rate of $0.70/mile. Include a map showing the mileage in the reimbursement packet. Mileage around Tacoma for non-conference activities like meals or sightseeing are not reimbursable. |
|
Parking |
Parking at the airport, hotel, or conference venue can be reimbursed with receipts. Attendees should use the most economical parking options available. |
|
Transportation |
Tickets for transportation by air, ferry, bus, or train can be reimbursed with receipts. If personal travel is included, comparison documentation that shows the cost of the tickets with and without the personal travel needs to be included in the reimbursement packet. WSL will reimburse the lower option. Taxis and rideshare trips to and from the airport/transportation station are reimbursable; transportation to and from non-conference activities like meals or sightseeing are not. |
|
Luggage |
Luggage fees for one standard checked piece of luggage are reimbursable with receipts. |
|
Substitute costs (School libraries only) |
The cost of paying a substitute to work in the school library while a teacher-librarian is attending the conference can be reimbursed with a payroll report showing the substitute's payment. |
|
Indirect costs |
Libraries can claim up to 10% or their federally negotiated rate. |
Credit
Supported by funding provided by the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.