McMurry Continuing Staff Education Grant

The McMurry Continuing Staff Education Grant, administered by the Carol McMurry Library Endowment through the Wyoming Community Foundation, offers competitive funding to individuals employed or volunteering in publicly accessible libraries. This grant initiative is designed to support professional development through continuing education opportunities, recognizing the evolving demands and specialized knowledge required in the library sciences. The endowment prioritizes the enhancement of individual competencies that contribute to the improved performance of library services across a variety of institutions. Eligible applicants include individuals from public, academic, special, public school libraries, and public archives, provided they have been continuously employed or have volunteered at their current library for at least 12 consecutive months prior to application submission. The grant supports a hierarchy of professional development activities, with top priority given to courses that lead to degrees or certifications directly tied to library-related subjects. Secondary priorities include attendance at workshops, conferences, seminars, or trainings within the library profession. While general courses not explicitly linked to library science are considered, they must clearly enhance the applicant’s job effectiveness within the library setting. Applicants must carefully time their applications to comply with scheduling requirements. Each cycle has a fixed application deadline, followed by a one-month review period, and awardees must ensure that their intended educational event begins no sooner than 30 days after the submission deadline. For instance, the January 31 deadline aligns with a review in February, and the funded activity must begin after March 1. There are six submission windows annually: January 31, March 31, May 31, July 31, September 30, and November 30, each followed by a corresponding event eligibility window. Applications for events scheduled to occur within 30 days of the deadline are ineligible, as the Foundation requires processing time for award decisions and fund disbursement. Funding is capped at $2,000 per calendar year. Individuals may submit a second application within the same year, provided a final report—detailing expenditures and including all receipts and invoices—has been submitted for the initial grant. Failure to complete this reporting requirement will result in automatic denial of future applications without notice. Support for conference attendance is allowed once every three years, and grant funds may not be used for international conferences. Notably, the program allows applicants to request funding for substitute staffing during their absence to ensure continuity of library operations. The grant pays individuals directly via ACH transfer upon award approval. Recipients are expected to retain and report on all financial documents tied to the grant. Unused or undocumented funds must be reimbursed to the Foundation. This emphasis on accountability ensures transparent and responsible use of the endowment's resources. For further questions or clarification, applicants are encouraged to contact Ben Kinion at the Wyoming Community Foundation via email or phone.