Mini-Pilot Reporting Instructions and Submission Forms

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Mini-Pilot Report Submission

The deadline for submitting your final reports on all activities and expenditures is Monday, June 15, 2026. 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

All information can be submitted on this page. Several elements have been updated and simplified. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION.

Project Activities Form and Instructions

Use the form below to tell us about your library's project activities. This includes any activities involved in using Mini-Pilot funds and implementing your project plan, such as:

  • Procedures, policies, and plans developed by your staff
  • Patron events
  • Staff training
  • Circulating devices
  • In-house use devices
  • Marketing and communications
  • Patron interactions and feedback
  • Reflections on the impact of your project
  • Feedback on your experiences with the Mini-Pilot program itself

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

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 Reporting

Financial reporting has two elements:

  1. Project expense documentation: All libraries are required to submit proof of purchase AND proof of payment for EACH expense using the form below. This replaces the expense log used for the previous reports.
  2. Payroll timekeeping log and report: 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 required to submit the Payroll Timekeeping Log AND a report from your payroll system.

All information is due June 15, 2026, but may be submitted at any time as transactions are completed. The form can be submitted multiple times. Please be sure to track your total expenditures and use all the funds you were awarded.

Project Expense Documentation

Complete and submit the form below for each transaction using Mini-Pilot funds. Each expense must be accompanied by two documents: proof of purchase and proof of payment.

  1. Before completing the form, gather 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: YOUR LIBRARY_YYYYMMDD_name of document
  4. Example: Blossom Public Library_20260615_ipadreceipt)
  5. Enter expense information and upload all documents in the spaces below
  6. If you are submitting multiple items, click "Save and add another" for each additional item. When you've entered all items, click "Save" to finish the process and submit.
  7. You may also return later to start a new submission for additional transactions. They do not need to be added all at once.

Expense FAQ

  • What is a Proof of Purchase document?
    • Receipt or vendor invoice. Order confirmations and vendor quotes do not count as proof of purchase.
  • What is a Proof of Payment document?
    • Bank statement, check statement, general ledger, or copy of check
  • My IT (or other) consultant bills for their time by the hour. Is this a payroll expense?
    • If the consultant is not library staff and not on the library's payroll, this is considered a service and can be submitted with this form. It does not need to be included in your Payroll Log.
  • How do I use Mini-Pilot funding for a monthly subscription (hotspots, Roku, etc.)?
    • Mini-Pilot funds can be used to pay subscription bills that align with your project plan and are received and paid within the project term (February 4, 2026 - June 15, 2026). You may pre-pay for any period of time beginning within the project term through June 2027 if funds are sufficient and your vendor will accommodate. Your Proof of Payment must show that the entire amount was paid during the Mini-Pilot term. Funds may not be "saved" to pay for future monthly bills.
  • What do I do if I have unspent funds or outstanding purchases?
    • Please submit any information you have on outstanding purchases and contact us right away for additional guidance.

Payroll Timekeeping Log and Reports (if relevant)

If your library has used Mini-Pilot funds to pay non-exempt staff to work extra hours to attend training or work on project implementation, you must submit a Payroll Timekeeping Log AND a report from your payroll system.

  1. Download and complete the template: Payroll Timekeeping Log.xlsx. See the Instructions tab of the log for detailed requirements.
  2. Save completed template using the required file name structure: YOUR LIBRARY_YYYYMMDD_PayrollLog
    • Example: Blossom Public Library_20260615_PayrollLog)
  3. For each employee and each pay period covered in your timekeeping log, export a report from your payroll system (requirements are outlined in the Instructions tab of the Payroll Timekeeping Log)
  4. Upload completed templates and payroll reports in the space below
How to use template:
  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

IF YOU DO NOT SEE THE EXPENSE REPORT SECTION BELOW, PLEASE LOG IN TO THE RAILS WEBSITE USING YOUR L2 ACCOUNT INFORMATION

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