Verified September 23, 2026. The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA) Local Records Branch provides a rolling emergency grant for Kentucky local government agencies whose public records or access to those records are endangered by an emergency, disaster, or ongoing climate crisis.
Funding
Each eligible local agency may request up to $40,000 per application. Awards are subject to available funds and project urgency, and the exact award is determined after review. The current KDLA guidance does not publish a universal match or cost-share requirement.
Eligibility and purpose
Eligible applicants are Kentucky local government agencies that have suffered damage or face an ongoing condition that endangers public records or access to them. Examples include burst pipes, failed climate control, mold, fire, flood, tornado, mudslide, severe storms, windstorms, lightning, and sustained climate-related threats. Priority is given to preserving, conserving, or restoring permanent and vital records.
Allowable costs
Eligible items and services include freeze drying, records storage, transportation of materials, acid-free boxes and folders, storage cartons, dehumidifiers, climate-control monitors, cleaning materials, protective gear, and professional preservation, conservation, or restoration services. Other items may be considered individually by the Local Records Branch and Commissioner. Non-urgent items that belong in the regular Local Records Grant Program are not eligible under this emergency program.
Deadline and submission
Applications are accepted as needed. The current application may be submitted by email, mail, or courier and must be signed by an appropriate agency official. The application asks for the nature and timing of the emergency or disaster, description and quantity of damaged records, proposed recovery plan, requested budget by supplies/professional services/equipment/other, and supporting photos where available.
Atlas fit
Atlas Opportunity Score: 70/100. N9+ Fit: 0/100. QC Healthcare Fit: 0/100. This is a legitimate Kentucky-administered emergency public-records recovery opportunity, but it does not establish a defensible healthcare-technology, telehealth, remote physical-examination, or clinical-device pathway.
Next action
Before applicant-specific ORIGINAL outreach, identify a Kentucky local government agency with a verified current records emergency or disaster need, confirm the specific recovery costs and current fund availability with the appropriate KDLA Regional Administrator, and clear verified business Contact, Email_Opt_Out, permanent-bounce, CRM/Deal/Atlas_Email_Queue, authoritative send-history, and cross-lane deduplication gates. Do not infer contact information.
Authoritative source
Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives — Local Government Records Services