Washington Digital Heritage Grants: FAQ

1. Are you currently accepting applications/when will you start accepting applications?

Washington Digital Heritage Grants open once a year. Current grants are listed on the Home page. New grants will be announced on the Home page, through WSL Updates, and WSL's social media accounts.

2. I have an idea for a digital project but I'm not sure if it would qualify for a Washington Digital Heritage Grant?

Washington Digital Heritage Grants can support a wide variety of digital projects. Check under Eligibility for details on how this grant funding can be used. If you still have questions, you may contact WSLgrants@sos.wa.gov, or see our Contacts page for more information. New grants may also include an opportunity to submit a Letter of Interest to receive feedback before submitting an application.

3. We previously received a Washington Digital Heritage Grant award. May we apply again?

Yes.

4. 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: https://www.sos.wa.gov/library/libraries/grants/eligibility.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 the project 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.

5. 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 will also provide and/or coordinate copyright training and are available to provide support in assigning accurate rights statements to digital objects.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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, or for more information. This is included in your budget in the application.

10. 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.

 

11. 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.