When submitting for reimbursement for LSTA grant funds please make sure that you provide us with all of the information that is needed to process your request. All reimbursements are submitted through the electronic grants management system (eGMS). All public library systems in Maryland have been allotted a few licenses and we are unable to support purchasing more at this time. If you have forgotten your password to the eGMS please contact Mary Rayme. If you are new to the reimbursement function in the egms or just need a refresher on how to submit, there is a short video showing the process here.
MOST IMPORTANT:
Info to Include
If you are submitting for reimbursement for a conference, webinar, or training, please include:
Know Your Budget Buckets
Various expenses need to be properly sorted into the correct budget bucket. Here are some guidelines about where reimbursements may fall within those categories.
Contracted Services = Tuition reimbursement, conference registration, and software subscriptions.
Other = Indirect Cost is the only item that is allowed in this category. If your library system's director opted to claim Indirect Costs in the annual Indirect Cost Survey, 10% of the grant may be allocated for grant management or library overhead. To claim the full 10%, libraries need to spend the full grant amount. In this way, it's best to submit for Indirect Costs when a library system is sure that they will fully spend down their grant funds.
Consultant Services = If your library hired an outside vendor to help with a strategic plan or feasibility study.
Supplies - Other = computers, hardware, printers, wifi hotspots.
Equipment. = If your library purchased a single supply or piece of technology that cost over $5,000 for a single item that was pre-approved by IMLS.
Travel = Hotel, parking, mileage, transportation, and tolls.
Optional Info
We do not need invoice numbers or staff names. We also do not need to have copies of the invoices scanned and on the portal. If you need those invoice numbers on the reimbursements for auditing purposes this is perfectly acceptable. If you would like to use the grants portal as your central repository for all grant administration you are welcome to file your invoice copies here. The character limits in the new system are much higher than in the old MAPLA system.
One a Month or Once a Quarter
Ideally, we would like each library system to submit for reimbursement once a month for each grant. If this is not possible due to library capacity we request that you submit for reimbursement on each grant once per quarter. Seeing the money spent and reimbursed shows us that the important LSTA grant work is being completed. Please submit no more than ONE reimbursement per grant per month.
Allowable & Unallowable Costs
Please familiarize yourself with the rules of spending federal LSTA funds. An excellent list from our Federal grantor, the Institute of Museum and Library Services may be found here. A Tip Sheet for Allowable Costs may be found here, also from IMLS.
Examples of Unallowable Costs include:
If you are unsure of whether something is allowable or unallowable please do not hesitate to get in touch with your grant liaison.
