The State Library is offering small grants to Oregon libraries to purchase materials in the field of music. This grant program is supported by the Moses Fund.
About the Moses Fund
In 1963, the State Library of Oregon was gifted money from the estate of Joy Turner Moses, the amount of which was to be invested, and the interest, “used for the purchase of books in the field of music." In the 1990s, the State Library's purpose and mission changed, after which, the library no longer served as a direct lending library to the public, nor to libraries. As books in the field of music do not fit within the current collection guidelines nor the current mission and purpose of the library, the State Library Board authorized the State Library to create a grant program for libraries to apply for monies from this fund to purchase library materials in the field of music.
Timeline
- Oct. 1, 2026 – Applications open
- Nov. 30, 2026 – Applications close
- Dec. 14, 2026 – Applicants notified of award status
- Jan. 1, 2027 – Funded projects may begin
- June 30, 2027 – Funded projects must end
- July 31, 2027 – Final reports due
Eligibility and Project Scope
Eligible organizations:
-
Officially recognized public libraries and public library systems in Oregon.
- Academic libraries at public and private (nonprofit only) colleges and universities in Oregon, that are freely accessible to the public.
- Federally recognized tribes in the state of Oregon.
- Special libraries in Oregon (government or nonprofit only), including county law libraries, that are freely accessible to the public.
- Oregon public school districts, nonprofit private schools and public charter schools that have a library facility and some level of FTE of paid library staff at each participating library. [NOTE : Except for private and charter schools, applications must be at the district level. Each district may decide how many and which schools to include, based on priorities, needs, etc. Coordinate with library staff in the district before submitting one application on behalf of the district.
Each organization may request up to $1,000.
- There can only be one application per organization (meaning, one application per public school district, per university or college, per public library, etc.).
Requests must focus on library materials in the field of music. Here is a list of ideas intended to get you thinking about the possibilities; you are not required to choose any of these projects.
- Enhancing a music collection with recent titles or a specialty section (ex: sheet music or instruction books).
- Acquiring music-related books or CDs by Oregon musicians and/or Tribal Nations.
- Purchasing Spanish-language or bilingual music-related materials.
- Acquiring instruments for a Library of Things collection.
- Purchasing supplies for the preservation of a special music collection.
- Obtaining equipment to digitize recorded sound from a special music collection.
Grant funds may
not be used for database subscriptions, performers, or story time supplies.
Evaluation and Awards
Applications will be reviewed and scored by State Library staff using the following criteria:
- Application presents strong rationale for identified need.
- Application documents how project will address identified need.
- Application confirms that the project is connected to larger organizational goals and/or priorities.
- Application shows that project is doable within grant period.
- Application demonstrates potential for significant benefit to underserved and/or under-resourced community.
- Application budget is linked to activities and contains reasonable cost estimates.
State Library staff will make final funding decisions, considering:
- Application score from the evaluation.
- Organization geography, size, and type (the State Library strives to award grants to a diversity of organizations throughout the state).
Those awarded a grant will be required to:
- Sign a grant agreement;
- Contact the State Library to make changes to the project and/or budget;
- Submit a final report;
- Have all purchases completed by the end of the grant period; and
- Keep records pertinent to the grant for ten (10) years after the end of the grant period, as such records may be needed for audit purposes.
How to Apply
- To start your application, go to our
Grants & Statistics Portal.
- In the Music Collections Mini-Grant box, select the
Apply button.
- Login with your credentials. If you are new to the system, you will need to
contact us to get an account.
- You may save your work, log out, and come back to your application at any time before submitting.
- Final applications must be submitted by the deadline listed in the timeline. Applications that are left incomplete in the system or not submitted by the deadline will be considered abandoned requests and will not be considered for funding.
Contact
If you have questions about this grant opportunity, contact Tamara Ottum, LSTA & Grants Coordinator, at tamara.ottum@slo.oregon.gov.