The following is an article that appears on the Institute of Museum and Library Services Web site at http://www.imls.gov/grants/museum/info_log.htm Learning Opportunity Grants: Application Now Available Have you received your Learning Opportunity Grant application in the mail yet? If not, you should receive it very shortly. Or, you can access the application on the IMLS Web site at http://www.imls.gov/grants/appl/index.htm#log <http://www.imls.gov/grants/appl/index.htm> How was the interim Learning Opportunity Grants Program developed? After a three-year process of consulting with the field in surveys, focus groups, and dialog at regional and national meetings, IMLS has refocused its major grant program for the 21st century. The evaluation of the General Operating Support Program, which served the museum field for 25 years, was a major step in the transition process. A new interim program, Learning Opportunity Grants, has been announced. IMLS expects to use feedback about this program to continue to inform the development of a replacement for GOS. The new program will be in place in 2004. What will the interim program support? IMLS has already begun to get feedback about the interim Learning Opportunity Grants. Application materials were discussed at regional and national museum meetings this fall, and staff at IMLS has received feedback through phone calls and e-mail messages as well. The most commonly asked question is about what types of activities can be funded through the program. In particular, people have wanted to know whether this program would still support costs associated with collections care and conservation, operating costs, and membership programs. The short answer is the interim program maintains the flexibility so valued in the General Operating Support program. The interim program encourages museums to define their own greatest needs. Ongoing activities, as well as new initiatives are eligible for funding. However, a difference from General Operating Support is that Learning Opportunity Grants applicants will need to define their goals and activities before funds are awarded and tie them to their own institution's strategic plan and goals. Applicants will apply to further one of three strategic goals: building public access, expanding educational services, and reaching families and children. Museums are encouraged to use technology to more effectively support these goals. Reviewers will consider how the project furthers these strategic goals and fits into the museum's strategic plan and mission. Building Public Access At first glance, this goal appears to focus on public programs, but this category is also meant to encompass behind-the-scenes museum activities that help an institution serve their public more effectively. The cornerstone of many museum mission statements is educating the public. This is done through exhibits and programs about the collections that the museum holds. Collections care activities ultimately expand public access by providing more information about objects and allowing objects to be preserved for future interpretation. Funds could be used under the strategic goal of public access to: * Buy software and pay staff salaries to migrate a paper card cataloguing system to an automated collections system. This expands public access by assisting the staff to group the collections for exhibits, to understand the objects and their conservation needs and ultimately to determine what can be placed on exhibit. * Develop, expand, or improve membership activities, thus allowing museums to more effectively reach the people who support activities, as well as to cultivate new audiences. Expanding Educational Services Traditional, ongoing outreach and school programs would be eligible under this goal. However this goal could also support collections activities. Funds could be used to: * Catalog portions of a museum's collection that had not yet been catalogued. By gathering information about the collection, the museum can develop more educational programs for local schools, thus expanding its educational outreach. * Support staff to digitize a small portion of the museums' collection and create online exhibits with these images for both the adult audience as well as local schools. Reaching Families and Children This goal could support: * Operating costs to support targeted programming. For example, suppose the local community wants to be able to take advantage of the museum on a weekday evening. Learning Opportunity Grant funds could be used to pay staff to keep the museum open one night a week to serve those families. * Salary support for staff to research a part of the collection. Museums may use Learning Opportunity Grant funds for collections research that will support the development of a guide for grandparents and children who visit the museum. Furthering Institutional Planning and Evaluation Evaluation will be a very important part of the interim program. However, applicants will not be required to provide an assessment plan with their application. After awards have been made, IMLS will work with grantees to develop assessment plans. For more information on outcome based evaluation, see <http://www.imls.gov/grants/current/crnt_obe.htm>. We hope that museums will be very creative in the interpretation of Learning Opportunity Grants. The funds are intended to help museums with ongoing activities as well as to support new activities that further the museum's institutional plan. Projects can be for collection-based activities such as research, cataloging, and collections care, or for education-based activities such as programs and new exhibits. IMLS expects to make awards to fund a broad range of museums and activities, and envisions that Learning Opportunity Grants will help museums reach a variety of goals, helping museums serve their public better. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).