Several south suburban library districts get by with very little state funding, but the state librarian is moving to change that with $2 million in grants to improve technology offerings at the facilities.
Depending on population size, 113 qualifying libraries statewide each have the opportunity to receive grants of either $27,500 or $12,500 to spend within two years. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, in his role as the state’s librarian, said he wanted to support traditionally underserved areas by providing funding to bolster the infrastructure of their libraries, which provide important resources to a diverse array of people.
“The issue has always been important to me,” said Giannoulias, who served on the board of directors for the Chicago public libraries before becoming secretary of state. “What I noticed was at least within the city, some libraries were doing extraordinary — you know, well-resourced and really unbelievable places of learning. And then you go to other parts of the city and state and libraries were antiquated, didn’t look the same … even before I was secretary of state, as a member of CPL, that was really troublesome to me.”
To be eligible for the state grant funding, communities had to have both a low tax base and high poverty rate relative to others across the state. Because libraries are mostly funded through property taxes, their budgets rely heavily on their local taxable base.
Libraries eligible for $27,500 grants in the Southland include those in Blue Island, Calumet City, Chicago Heights, Dolton, Harvey, Grande Prairie in Hazel Crest, Justice, Lansing, Park Forest, Riverdale and Steger-South Chicago Heights. Libraries listed for $12,500 grants include Calumet Park, Dixmoor, Phoenix, William Leonard Public Library in Robbins and Nancy L. McConathy Public Library in Sauk Village.
Many are still planning how they would spend the money. Steger-South Chicago Heights Public Library Director Jessica Rodrigues said her branch is in need of a new fax and scanning section as well as new computers for both staff and patrons.
“We’re a lot smaller, physically and fiscally, (than other libraries),” Rodrigues said. “I think that overall, we’ve done a good job stewarding what we have, but you can only do so much … like we have the carpet that’s original to like the 1970 or 1980s building. We’ve applied for grants to fix some of these things. And we just haven’t won them yet.”
She said the $27,500 grant would make a “huge difference” in the budget.
Dolton Public Library has plans for a program that would teach children and teenagers robotics and coding skills. Ellissa Mwesigwa, the library’s finance consultant, said the $27,500 granted could cover costs of a computer cart and other equipment library officials have been hoping for to foster career and technical skills in young people they serve.
“We know we have poor literacy rates here in the area,” Mwesigwa said. “The thought is to have them enter different robotics competitions and partner with the school. But here is where they can come after school and on weekends … to keep them active and non-idle.”
Giannoulias said libraries awarded the grants will be able to begin funding projects June 28. There are few stipulations for how the money can be spent as long as projects are technology-related.
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