Politics
Illinois Secretary of State Awards $20M in Grants to More Than 600 Public Libraries Amid Federal Cuts
(Kenishirotie / iStock)
Nearly $20 million in grants will be awarded to more than 600 Illinois public libraries, Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias announced Tuesday.
The public library grants come as libraries nationwide face federal funding cuts by President Donald Trump.
“Libraries are so much more than books,” Giannoulias said during a news conference at the Prairie Trails Public Library in southwest suburban Burbank. “They offer things like job searching and training courses, literacy support, de facto child care for working parents, language instruction, and most of all, welcoming and inclusive public spaces for the community.”
The Secretary of State’s Office is awarding nearly $18 million in per-capita grants to 639 public libraries statewide. The funds can be used to support resources and services including books, e-books, online resources and internet access, personnel and public programming.
The Chicago Public Library will receive about $4.5 million in per-capita grant funding. Funding amounts were calculated according to a statutory formula based on the population of each community, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
“The support that we see through this per-capita grant, coupled with our city resources, has allowed us to do more than just maintain services,” Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown said. “It’s helped us expand hours, retain talent and deepen our ability to respond to needs across all 81 branches.”
The office is also issuing more than $1 million in technology grants to 88 public libraries in underserved communities with needed technology upgrades, such as expanding online and e-book collections, increasing Wi-Fi capacity and purchasing digital devices and mobile apps.
Nearly $1 million in construction grants are also being awarded to 11 public libraries in the state. The grants can be used for new construction, accessibility upgrades or additions to existing buildings.
Trump signed an executive order in March to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides funding to libraries nationwide, after the president deemed it and other various federal agencies as “unnecessary.”
The institute issued $180 million in funding to states last year, with Illinois receiving nearly $6 million in funding.
“It’s counterproductive to our values as a society that relies on libraries for learning, information and civic engagement,” Giannoulias said about the efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services. “The federal government is essentially disinvesting in an educated, informed, caring society, which will have dire consequences for our democracy.”
Prairie Trails Public Library Director Mary Ann Lema said the library plans to use its new grant to add more to its collection, both in physical books and digital materials. Fossil Ridge Public Library District Executive Director Rene Leyva, whose district serves residents in Will, Kankakee and Grundy counties, said the grant will help the district keep up with technology updates.
“It also allows us to expand and maintain the demand for more online services, something that’s especially critical for our rural and underserved communities,” said Leyva, who serves as president-elect of the Illinois Library Association.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
