EXPERIENCE

State Library leadership: Led statewide continuing education at the New Mexico State Library and Arizona State Library, including Technology and Library Institutes, customized onsite training, and more than 100 continuing education events annually.
National and international training: Presented at conferences, keynotes, workshops, delivering training for libraries and nonprofits nationally and internationally.
Foundation and rural library experience: Worked with foundations, state libraries, and national organizations to support rural and small libraries through onsite and online training, grant-focused professional development, train-the-trainer programs, and capacity-building initiatives. This includes service as a trainer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s U.S. Library Program, training rural public libraries onsite and leading week-long train-the-trainer programs for large library systems and state libraries. WebJunction Rural Libraries Sustainability Arizona Program Coordinator; Rural EqualAccess Libraries Manager, Arizona State Library, and Grants, Awards & Scholarships Committee, Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL), 2026.​
Training design and development: Designed outcome-based needs assessments, evaluation approaches, core competencies, and training plans, and developed initiatives in advocacy, train-the-trainer, grants and fundraising, and frontline staff development. Created and facilitated the Public Library Association’s Dynamic Planning Institute for small libraries and served as a trainer for PLA’s Planning for Results, Project Outcome, and Turning the Page 2.0. Taught online courses for national and regional organizations, including Urban Libraries Council Edge Initiative, for  Advocacy, Leadership, Management, Assessment. Also taught Winning Library Grants, Community Needs Assessments, Logic Models, and Outcome Measurement. 
Leadership development: Facilitated annual Leadership Institutes in three states and evaluated leadership development initiatives for state library organizations.
Guest Faculty: Taught graduate grant writing for the University of Washington iSchool and San José State University.
Evaluation and assessment consulting: Served as a founding project manager for COSLA’s Continuing Education Connector, evaluator of the Infopeople and CALL Leadership Programs, and consultant for statewide and national training needs assessments and grant-funded initiatives, including IMLS Grant Evaluator, Arizona State University, Digital POWRR Program; external evaluator for cohort-based digital preservation peer assessment initiative.
Library and nonprofit partners: Consulted, trained, or partnered with organizations including WebJunction, TechSoup, PLA, ALA, the Urban Libraries Council, ARSL, RAILS, CALL, AZLA, ASU, IMSL, PCI, SLA, and numerous state and regional library systems.
Writing and publishing: Author of five books, including the ALA Editions Winning Grants (2024), publisher of the Library Grants Blog, and author of 40+ professional articles.
Career breadth: Earlier roles included managing a corporate library as a systems administrator, working as a traveling trainer for SIRSI, and serving as an academic library cataloger.

My career was featured by the University of Tennessee’s College of Communication & Information, highlighting my journey in libraries, grant writing, and consulting. The feature article highlighted my dedication to helping libraries succeed by making grant writing accessible and actionable.

Stephanie Gerding

Library grants blog

I’m Stephanie Gerding, MLIS, owner of 4Libraries. I have 20+ years of experience supporting libraries and nonprofits through grant-focused consulting, professional development, needs assessments, and evaluation. Currently, I teach graduate grant writing for the University of Washington iSchool and deliver grant-focused professional development and consulting for organizations such as library systems, universities, State Libraries, ALA/PLA, United for Libraries, and other national organizations. Earlier in my career, I led statewide continuing education at the New Mexico State Library and Arizona State Library, designing training programs, needs assessments, and outcome-based evaluation approaches. I’ve also served as a trainer and advisor for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Library Program. I hold certification through the Public Library Association in strategic planning, facilitation, staffing, and advocacy. 

I’m the author of five books, including the ALA Editions bestseller Winning Grants, Third Edition: a How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians (2024), and I’ve published 40+ professional articles. I publish the Library Grants Blog, which lists grant opportunities for libraries. I’m based in gorgeous Gig Harbor, Washington, near Seattle.​

​Contact me for training, writing, or consulting opportunities at stephaniegerding@ gmail.com.