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IMLS previews evaluation of CARES and ARPA grants: $200M-plus reached tens of thousands of institutions
Summary
IMLS Office of Research and Evaluation presented a third‑party evaluation finding that CARES and ARPA grants reached more than 40,000 libraries, 350 museums and 80 tribal institutions, drove a major surge in institutional‑capacity purchases (devices, Wi‑Fi, safety), and left a mix of lasting services and funding sustainability questions.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services onstage presenters on a conference panel previewed findings from a third‑party evaluation of CARES and ARPA funds distributed through the Grants to States program. Lisa Heckman said the two pandemic relief programs together resulted in “over $200,000,000” in expenditures by state library administrative agencies (SLAAs), with CARES around $30,000,000 and ARPA about $171,000,000.
The evaluation relied on three data sources: semi‑structured interviews with Grant to States program officers and SLAA representatives (34 state interviews), quantitative analysis of IMLS’s State Program Report (SPR) records, and a literature review. Heckman told attendees the analysis used 2019 as a benchmark year to compare the distribution and intent of projects funded before the pandemic.
A central finding was a large increase in projects categorized as institutional capacity. ‘‘The biggest jump in intent was improving libraries’ physical and technology infrastructure,’’ Heckman said, noting that the share of projects in that intent rose from about 10 percent in the 2019 baseline to roughly 42–46 percent under CARES and ARPA. She and other presenters attributed much of that increase to bulk procurements and allowable purchases of devices, Wi‑Fi hotspots and physical safety equipment.
The evaluation cited concrete impacts from digital‑access investments. Heckman pointed to SPR entries showing state programs that distributed laptops and hotspots and described examples from reporting, including students completing high‑school diplomas and even nursing programs because they gained access to devices and Internet connectivity.
Mobile services were another theme. The report found libraries expanded services such as mobile vans equipped with staff, Wi‑Fi and devices for checkout, extending reach to patrons who could not travel to library buildings, particularly during the ARPA phase of pandemic funding.
On sustainability, Heckman said many pandemic responses have been reduced or ended (notably PPE distribution), while hybrid programming and equipment purchases often continued; however, ongoing subscriptions (databases, hotspots) sometimes required additional funding and were cut in some states. She told the room that SLAAs reported a mix of outcomes: some activities persisted, others were scaled back due to cost or staffing constraints.
Equity in distribution received attention. Some states used formula approaches tied to socioeconomic indicators such as poverty and broadband access to allocate funds; program officers reported that projects did serve historically less‑served communities, but Heckman warned distribution challenges varied by state size, political context and preexisting grant‑writing capacity.
Heckman closed by summarizing the contractor’s conclusions: SLAAs used diverse methods but sought efficient and equitable distribution, virtual engagement expanded access, libraries adapted and often retained pandemic‑era services, and many adaptations helped address the digital divide. She and other presenters noted implementation challenges such as ARPA timelines, supply‑chain delays, staff turnover and reporting burdens.
IMLS said the interview data were anonymized and that examples cited from the SPR are public entries. Attendees asked follow‑up questions about unique awardee counts and specific digital‑branch data; presenters said some questions would require further analysis of contractor records or SPR data.
