Greetings library colleagues,

The Bureau of Library Development (BLD) in the Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) has been busy with many new and existing programs and initiatives this quarter. Some highlights of our recent activities are listed below, but please refer to BLD’s second quarter Compendium posts at the end of this message for more information.

• The rebuilding of BLD continues, and we are thrilled to welcome a new member to the BLD team – Abbey Lukiewski, our new Statewide Services Advisor. And I’m also happy to share that Hadiyah Cleveland, previously our LSTA Coordinator, has been promoted to the role Education Administration Supervisor for the Admin and Data unit. A few positions remain to be filled and will be posted soon.
• The FY 2023-24 LSTA Statewide Library Service grant application closed May 31, 2023. Applications are currently under review. Awards are expected to be announced later this month with grant activities beginning October 1, 2023. A “Manage a Grant” webinar will be recorded and available in October.
• The State Aid Library Subsidy Application (SALSA) opened July 11, 2023 with a due date of October 1, 2023. Detailed guidance and FAQs for the SALSA are available on the State Aid Resources for Pennsylvania Public Libraries LibGuide.
• The 2024 Keystone Grants for Public Library Facilities opened July 17, 2023. Applications are due October 13, 2023, and applicants will be notified of the status of their applications in February 2024. The grant performance period for project work is expected to be April 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.
• The new public library directory is now available at Directory 2.2 (countingopinions.com). If you find out-of-date information listed for your library, please use this form to submit a change request.
• The BLD team has been hard at work developing topical LibGuides to provide in-depth guidance on programs, grants, state aid, etc. Visit our Compendium LibGuides page for quick access to some of guides. A full listing of OCL’s LibGuides are on available at pa-gov.libguides.com.
• Following the Governor’s Advisory Council’s (GAC) approval at the June business meeting, the “Guidelines for Libraries Seeking to Expand or Reduce Service Areas” were submitted to the PA Department of Education for final review and approval.
• The work on updating the state’s library regulations found at 22 Pa. Code §§ 131 – 143 continues. The BLD work group expects to complete our review and recommendations for the full GAC Ad Hoc Statute and Regulations Committee by late July/early August.

NOTE:  At the time of this writing, the Pennsylvania budget was still at an impasse, and unfortunately, we don’t have any news to report. We will provide updates as we’re able. In the meantime, please refer to the Office of the Budget’s website for the most current information and FAQ.

I continue to be grateful for your patience and support as we move forward.

Thank you for all you do for Pennsylvanians.

Heather

Heather Sharpe, MLIS | Director, Bureau of Library Development
Office of Commonwealth Libraries | Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street | 11^th Floor | Harrisburg PA  17126
Office: 717.783.0565 | Mobile: 717.903.1819 | www.statelibrary.pa.gov

Quarterly BLD Digest

April
April 3, 2023 Community Asset Mapping for the Curious
April 5, 2023 Statewide Library Service Grant Information Session

May
May 15, 2023 “Co-Design: Walking Alongside Community” Webinar Opportunity
May 17, 2023 Bureau of Library Development – Staff Update
May 24, 2023 2023-24 Statewide Library Service Grant
May 24, 2023 Public Library Trustees – Register for INCLUDING YOU June 7 – July 12 Workshop
May 25, 2023 Pennsylvania School Librarians Summer 2023 Series

June
June 14, 2023 Professional Development Opportunity: Readers’ Advisory Workshops with Becky Spratford
June 15, 2023 Professional Development Opportunity: Trauma Informed Library Service Workshops with Beth Wahler
June 20, 2023 PA One Book 2023 Evaluation Surveys
June 23, 2023 Bureau of Library Development – Staff Update
June 28, 2023 Keystone Grants for Public Library Facilities 2024 Application Training
June 29, 2023 Register for the Final INCLUDING YOU Workshop Series of 2023
June 30, 2023 State Aid Library Subsidy Application Training

The Bureau of Library Development (BLD) in the Office of Commonwealth Libraries supports libraries and library services for Pennsylvanians through the administration of state and federally funded programs and grant opportunities including LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act), Library Access, LAMP (Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians), the Public Library Subsidy, and Keystone Grants for Public Library Facilities. BLD also provides advisory services, professional development, and continuing education for library staff and volunteer leadership at public, school, academic, and special libraries.

The Compendium is BLD’s primary communication channel. If you don’t already subscribe, please do so to ensure you receive the most up-to-date information.