Trustee Manual: Appendix B - Community Library Enhancement Fund (CLEF)
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Eligible Libraries: All Utah public libraries that fulfill the requirements for State Library Certification are eligible for an annual CLEF Grant. Library Certification requires Utah public libraries to meet service standards in the areas of governance, funding, housing and access, personnel, materials, services, reporting and evaluation.
Grants awards schedule: CLEF Grants are calculated for all qualified and certified public libraries following the State Legislature session and are awarded at the beginning of the next calendar year. Specific amounts are based on a formula applied to the number of libraries that achieved certification in the applicable year.
Background: The State Library awarded the first Public Library Development Grants in 1987. The direct grants were designed to motivate public libraries to meet the service standards required by the Upgrade Process. They also were intended to help augment the operational needs and limitations of local funding to public libraries. Over the years, the size of the grants grew significantly allowing public libraries to improve their services, resources, and programs, and the name was changed to Community Library Enhancement Fund.
Another important purpose of the CLEF grants was to encourage directors and trustees on behalf of their libraries to engage in more formal planning activities to prepare for future service needs. Libraries participate in surveying community needs on a regular basis, set goals to meet those needs, develop and implement plans to achieve those goals, and annually assess the success or failure of their plans. As a result of improved planning activities, public libraries now have formally written mission statements, collection development and Internet Access policies, prepare long-range plans and periodically evaluate them.
Allowed Uses. CLEF Grants may be used for any library purpose that improves library services to the community. The grants may not be used as match in other grant applications, and may not replace local funding. Funds must be expended by June 30th of the grant year.
Local Government Support (Maintenance of Effort). Local governments must provide funding for public libraries. To be eligible for the CLEF grants, local operational funding must not have decreased more than 10% over the course of the two preceding years.
Reporting. Recipients are required to provide a report of expenditures under this grant. This report should include details about how the funding has made a positive difference in library service to the local community. For more information contact: the State Library Grants Coordinator.