Mini-Pilot Reporting Instructions and Submission Forms

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Mini-Pilot Report Submission

Your library’s Mini-Pilot report materials can be submitted below. There are two required components:

  1. Project Activities: Complete and submit the form below
  2. Financial Data and Expenditures: Templates, instructions, and file upload area are provided below

The deadline for submitting all elements of your first report is Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

Project Activities Form and Instructions

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION.

Use the Mini-Pilot Report Form Worksheet to read through the questions and collect notes before beginning in the online form.

Program data should be submitted in the form below. This is data on any of your grant project activities and can include:

  • Device usage
  • Patron or staff training events
  • Notes on infrastructure improvements
  • Marketing and other staff activities
  • Patron stories
  • General narrative insights about your experience with the program

You will be prompted to select the type of program data you are submitting. If you have more than five different kinds of data (such as unique events or device types) to submit for one category, you will need to submit additional items in a separate submission.

After you have entered program data, you will be asked to share insights about your experience overall and with financial reporting.

The form will save your progress. You can close it out and come back later. However, we can't always predict how the form will interact with your browser settings, so we also recommend that you keep a copy of your answers in the worksheet document.

If you prefer to view and/or submit the form in a full browser page, you can find it here.

Financial Data Templates and Submission

Financial reporting has three elements. All libraries are required to submit the Project Expense Log and Project Expense Documentation. If your library's project plan includes using some of the Mini-Pilot funding to pay for non-exempt staff to work extra hours, you are also required to submit the Payroll Timekeeping Log.

Project Expense Log

  1. Download and complete the template: Project Expense Log.xlsx
  2. Save completed template using the required file name structure (see below)
  3. Upload completed template in the space below

Project Expense Documentation

  1. Gather all invoices, receipts, and other proof of purchase documents related to items and services purchased with Mini-Pilot funds
  2. If any of the items above are not available in PDF or other digital format, please scan or carefully photograph them
  3. Save documents using the required file name structure (see below)
  4. Upload all documents in the space below

Payroll Timekeeping Log (if required)

  1. Download and complete the template: Payroll Timekeeping Log.xlsx
  2. Save completed template using the required file name structure (see below)
  3. Upload completed template in the space below

How to use templates:

  1. Click the template link to open the document
  2. In the top left of the document, go to File
  3. Click Create a Copy, then Download a Copy
  4. Open the downloaded file and save the file with the naming structure below
  5. Enter your information and save the file
  6. When ready, upload the file in the space provided at the bottom of this page

How to name your files:

  • Project Expense Log and Payroll Expense Log: YOUR LIBRARY_YYYYMMDD_NAME OF LOG
    • Example: Blossom Public Library_20260415_Project Expense Log)
  • Project Expense Documents: YOUR LIBRARY - DATE (YYYYMMDD) - Short Description of Document
    • Example: Blossom Public Library_20260415_Dell Laptop Invoice

IF YOU DO NOT SEE THE BULK FILE UPLOAD SECTION BELOW, PLEASE LOG IN TO THE RAILS WEBSITE USING YOUR L2 CREDENTIALS

This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by the Cook County Equity Fund.