The chief officers of state library agencies will enhance public libraries' resilience against cybersecurity threats, especially ransomware attacks

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded $533,420 to Cosla Inc., doing business as Chief Officers Of State Library Agencies, on September 1, 2026, under the National Leadership Grants program (CFDA 45.312) to enhance public libraries' resilience against cybersecurity threats, particularly ransomware attacks.

The project will develop four deliverables: a guide to cybersecurity for library stakeholders, a cybersecurity checklist for library stakeholders, a guide to recovering from a ransomware incident from a library perspective, and a cybersecurity scorecard for private completion by libraries. These tools will improve the capacity of library staff, library board members, and other stakeholders to assess cybersecurity attack risk. Work is performed in Lexington, Kentucky with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028.

The project draws on an advisory team including state librarians, public library directors representing small rural libraries, large urban libraries, and tribal libraries, public library information technology managers, cybersecurity specialists, and vendors serving the library technology market. This structure ensures the deliverables address the needs of libraries across diverse operational scales and contexts.

The results of this project will improve the capacity of library staff, library board members and other interested stakeholders to assess the risk of a cybersecurity attack. The project will result in a guide to cybersecurity for library stakeholders; a cybersecurity checklist for library stakeholders; a guide to recovering from a ransomware incident: a library perspective; and a cybersecurity scorecard to be filled out privately by libraries. This project will draw upon and collaborate with an advisory team that includes key stakeholders: state librarians, public library directors of various sizes (to ensure representation of both small rural libraries, large urban libraries, and tribal libraries), public library information technology managers, cybersecurity specialists and representatives of vendors serving the library technology market.