Skip to Main Content

Washington Digital Heritage Grants: FAQ

Information on applying for and managing Washington Digital Heritage grants.

Washington Digital Heritage 2023 Grants

FAQ

  1. We have a question about the grant or the grant application.

If you cannot find the answer to your question in the Grant Application Guidelines, please contact WSLgrants@sos.wa.gov. If you’re considering submitting an application but want feedback on your proposal, we recommend submitting a Letter of Interest. Letters of Interest will be accepted for review and feedback 5/1-6/16/2023.

  1. Are we required to submit a Letter of Interest to apply for this grant?

No. Letters of Interest are recommended but not required. Submitting a Letter of Interest will allow you to receive feedback on your proposal before submitting a full application. This may include whether the proposed project would be eligible for the grant, whether any changes to the project need to be made to make it eligible, and additional information that could help your application be more successful.

  1. We previously received a Washington Rural Heritage grant award. May we apply again?

Yes. Washington Rural Heritage (WRH) grants were replaced with Washington Digital Heritage (WDH) which expanded the work that could be done using the awards. If your library received either of these awards they are still eligible to apply for a new award.

  1. Why is this grant titled for 2023?

WSL is using funds from the federal fiscal year 2023 LSTA award, although grant activities will run into 2024.

  1. Can a museum or other organization from the community take the lead in the project or apply without a library partnership?

No. An eligible public, academic, special, or tribal library must be the contracting authority and fiscal agent, and WSL will only reimburse the library’s expenses. For definitions of library eligibility, please see the “Applying for a Grant” page on the WSL website: http://www.sos.wa.gov/library/libraries/grants/applicants.aspx

One of the goals of this project is to foster the development of long-term, sustainable digitization programs within libraries. Library staff should be actively involved in the project to build capacity so they have sufficient knowledge and skills to continue similar projects over time. The library must take a lead in the coordination and monitoring of the project. Additionally, the library must be active in one or more activities that are primary in the completion of the project (e.g., selection and copyright research, imaging, cataloging, etc.). However, it is possible that a partnering organization or contractor performs a significant portion of the work.  

  1. How do we determine if digitization and publication of items online violates copyright?

It is the responsibility of the participating library to research and document the copyright status of the items they plan to digitize. If this is a new topic for your staff, a good place to begin learning more is this webinar on copyright fundamentals from the Digital Public Library of America: https://youtu.be/AurzAmj4SvM. Additionally, the book Copyright & Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for Digitization for U.S. Libraries, Archives & Museums is an excellent resource: https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/14142. WSL staff can also provide and/or coordinate copyright training and are available to provide support in assigning accurate rights statements to digital objects.

  1. Do we have to sign over copyright to WSL if I have items in the WRH collection?

No. Copyright will stay with the creator or owner. However, the contracting library must grant permission by contract for WSL to publish the items online. In turn, your library may need to obtain such permissions from creators or owning organizations. We can provide a sample contract upon request.

  1. Does the applicant library have to sign a contract with the State Library?

In order for WRH projects to ensure proper rights and permissions, the applicant library will have to sign a contract with the Secretary of State granting permission to digitally publish and preserve items. This may mean the library needs to first gain permission from copyright owners and owning institutions. Non-WRH projects will still have to sign a standard grant contract with the State Library upon receiving and accepting an award.

  1. Do our collaborative partners have to sign a “Letter of Agreement”?

No. However, WSL strongly encourages a “Letter of Agreement” (LOA) or other contractual document be signed between the collaborative partners in order to ensure understanding between cooperating organizations. We consider it best practice to have documents like this in place.  We can provide a template LOA upon request. You can customize this document to fit the needs of all collaborative partners. A LOA can also make your application stronger.

            10.  What is an UEI number?

UEI stands for Unique Entity ID. As of 4/4/2022,  the federal government will stop using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities. At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) created in SAM.gov. They will no longer have to go to a third-party website to obtain their identifier. This transition allows the government to streamline the entity identification and validation process, making it easier and less burdensome for entities to do business with the federal government.

Because these grants use federal funding, we cannot reimburse without your UEI.

  1. What is a CFDA number? What is the CFDA # for this grant?

CFDA stands for the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
The CFDA # is 45.310 (for the State Library program, Office of Library Services, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities).

  1. When will our contract be signed and in place?

Once we announce all the awards, contract establishment could take a few weeks. The Office of the Secretary of State’s Financial Division will develop, route for review, and obtain signatures needed for contract execution. Our Contracts Department will notify the Project Manager and Contracting Authority by email when the contract is fully executed. Then reimbursable work and purchases may start.

  1. Can we amend our contract?

If you want to make any changes to your contract budget or Statement of Work, please send an explanation to WSLgrants@sos.wa.gov. We don't usually allow any amendments if the contract has less than six weeks left in the period of performance.

  1. If we receive a sub-grant, when may we start spending the grant money?

WSL does not distribute funds in advance of activities or purchases. Libraries must expend local money first and then claim reimbursement. WSL reimburses documented eligible and allowable expenses. Once your contract is executed, we will provide reimbursement forms that must be used. We require these forms be used when you request reimbursement. You must also document expenses completely.

Any costs incurred before contract execution will not be eligible for reimbursement.

  1. Who is the Contracting Authority?

The Contracting Authority is the person who has the authority to accept federal monies and bind his or her library to a legal contract. In public libraries, library districts and systems, it may be a local government department head or the library/system director. In tribal libraries, it may be another individual. In academic libraries it is likely a grants or contracts officer.

  1. Who is the Project Manager and what are their responsibilities?

The Project Manager coordinates the activities and communication between WSL, other members of the grant project, and the grant project’s fiscal agent. The Project Manager is the primary person WSL will contact about specific project work. There may be only one Project Manager identified as such on the application. This person is responsible for the preparation and submission all reports, communicating deadlines and other tasks to collaborative partners, submitting properly signed reimbursement requests, and work completion. The Project Manager is also responsible for notifying WSL of any changes to their contracting authority, fiscal agent, or their own position as Project Manager.

  1. What are the responsibilities of the Fiscal Agent?

The Fiscal Agent is the person who pays the bills and maintains the financial records for the applicant library with which we will establish a contract. That person may be termed the business manager, the accountant, or something else. The fiscal agent must be from the same organization as the Contracting Authority. Foundations cannot act as fiscal agent. The fiscal agent must sign the grant contract.

  1. Who are the collaborative partners and what are they responsible for?

This is up to your library and the collaborative group. It is possible that your partner could perform the majority of the work. However, it is the responsibility of the applicant library to make sure this work is finished and submitted. WSL encourages collaborative partners sign a “Letter of Agreement” or other type of contractual document.

  1. We would like to be reimbursed for our indirect, administrative, and overhead costs. Are these costs eligible for reimbursement?

Federal regulations allow reimbursement of indirect costs at a set or previously negotiated rate. Please refer to https://www.imls.gov/grants/apply-grant/fy15nofolinks#indirect. If your entity does not have a negotiated rate, you may request up to 10% for indirect costs. This is included in your budget in the application.

  1. We would like to offer prizes or incentives to our patrons. Is that allowable?

Prizes and incentives are not allowable costs. See OMB Code of Federal Regulations: www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=3a3f21216554fd54f9be9d89a0cf33b6&node=se2.1.200_1421. However, educational items, such as bookmarks which specifically support the project are allowable costs. One solution is to find other funding sources for prizes and incentives, such as local businesses, Friends of the Library groups, or foundations. See the Grant Management section for more information on allowable costs.

  1. We would like to offer food or refreshments at our events. Is that allowable?

Food or refreshments are not allowable costs. See OMB Code of Federal Regulations: www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=3a3f21216554fd54f9be9d89a0cf33b6&node=se2.1.200_1438. Again, a possible solution is to find other funding sources for this through local businesses, Friends of the Library groups, or foundations.

 Washington Digital Heritage grants are funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services.