Regional RIPL Travel Stipend for Rural and Small Public Libraries | Compendium

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Regional RIPL Travel Stipend for Rural and Small Public Libraries

by | Jan 22, 2020 | Data, Grants and Other Funding Opportunities, Professional Development, Resources of Interest, rural, Rural and Small Libraries

RIPL Regional Travel Stipend Opportunity for Rural and Small Public Libraries

Five travel stipends for the South Carolina RIPL Regional, March 31-April 1, 2020, are available to staff working in rural and small public libraries in the United States. These stipends are funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  February 3, 2020 is the deadline to apply.

What is a RIPL Regional? It’s a scaled-down version of the national data boot camp – 2 days, 4 instructors, and up to 75 public library participants from South Carolina and beyond– that provides the training necessary to begin using data and evaluation for managing, planning, and communicating impact.

To be eligible for a travel stipend, you must be:

  • Employed by a U.S. public library that is located in a rural area, as determined based on data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services Public Libraries Survey. To determine whether your library meets these criteria, please click here.
  • A first-time participant of RIPL – if you have already attended a national or regional RIPL event, you are not eligible for a stipend.
  • Employed by a public library outside of South Carolina. (South Carolina public library staff may apply for a CE Travel Grant from the South Carolina State Library.)

Note: The stipends are contingent upon meeting these employment conditions at the time of the institute. If  – between the time when you submit this application and the institute – you take a position in a public library that doesn’t meet the small and rural criteria OR a job outside of public libraries, you will forfeit the stipend.

The stipends cover up to $750 in travel costs, including:

  • Transportation (airfare, ground transportation, mileage, etc.)
  • Lodging
  • Meals other than those provided during the event

These costs will be reimbursed after the event. Receipts are required for all items other than mileage and meals.

Application Process:

To be considered for a travel stipend, you must submit an application via online survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RIPL2020 by the application deadline, February 3, 2020.

The travel stipend application contains the following essay questions:

  1. How do you plan to implement the knowledge and skills gained at the RIPL Regional in your library?
  2. Briefly describe a project or service you hope to evaluate. What outcomes do you hope to achieve for this project as a result of this workshop?

The recommended length of response for the essay questions is 150-250 words each.

You can view the rubric that will be used to evaluate the stipend applications here.

Travel stipend applications are due by 8 PM Eastern/5 PM Pacific on Monday, February 3, 2020. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status by February 21.

Note: Registration is open. Please register for the event before submitting your stipend application.

Questions? Please contact Tiffany Hayes at the South Carolina State Library.