Library Services and Technology ActLearning Support :

The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) program was signed into law on September 30, 1996, as part of the Museum and Library Services Act. LSTA consists of a state grants program and competitive grant programs administered directly from the federal level by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), including the National Leadership Grants and grants for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians. State Library Services and School Technology, a division of MDE, administers the state grant program in Minnesota. The president signed the reauthorization of the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-81), of which LSTA is a part on September 25, 2003

The federal goals of the LSTA state grants program are:

• To improve library services through the use of technology
• To encourage libraries to establish consortia and share resources, and
• To target library services to persons having difficulty using a library and to underserved urban and rural communities.

The LSTA funds in the state grants program provide support for statewide library programs and seed money for projects that improve library services throughout the United States. In Minnesota funds are allocated based on the goals and programs in the current The State of Minnesota LSTA Five-Year Plan 2003-2007.