Secretary of State and the state’s Chief Librarian Alex Giannoulias announced $27 million in grants to libraries and institutions across the state for services and literacy efforts.
$21.4 million has been designated for library services grants, while over $5.7 million in adult literacy grants for local literacy programs has been allocated.
Giannoulias awarded the grants to projects that support education mentoring programs, fund online catalogs, provides education and training for library staff, trains older students and adults in specific subjects, enhance family literacy in multiple subjects, allows access to news especially those with physical limitations, and expand statewide inter-library resource sharing. Giannoulias says it goes beyond just these services: “This funding and those library systems support functions that make our public, school, and academic libraries even more effective for their patrons by assuring resources are shared freely and delivered expeditiously throughout all regions of the state.”
Beardstown’s Houston Memorial Library was awarded over $14,000 for their Project Next Generation technology program. Petersburg’s Public Library received the same type of grant for over $25,000. Lincoln Land Community College was awarded over $65,000 for the adult volunteer literacy program. John Wood Community College received just under $72,000 also for the adult literacy program. Western Illinois University received just under $37,000 for their radio information service through WIUM and WIUW.