Public Act 96-37 (starts page 12) created a new Illinois public library construction program. The new law requires the Secretary of State and State Library to file with the General Assembly a comprehensive assessment report of the capital needs of ALL Illinois public libraries before January 1, 2010. Filing this report is one of the steps that must be completed before the Secretary of State’s office can implement the new program to assist public libraries with capital improvement projects. The new grant program is funded with a $50 million Build Illinois Bond Fund appropriation contained in Public Act 96-35.
In order to compile the assessment report, the State Library asks that every Illinois public library complete and submit the one-page online Capital Needs Assessment Survey by Friday, November 20, 2009. PLEASE COMPLETE THE SURVEY EVEN IF NO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED. It is recommended that you have Acrobat 8.1 or higher installed on your computer to take the survey (you may download the latest version for free here.)
Access, complete and submit the survey. We are using only an electronic format to facilitate the collation and retention of data for future use.
It is important that all public libraries respond to this survey so that the State Library can convey an accurate need for capital improvements to the General Assembly and to the public. Library systems are asked to assist public libraries, if necessary, in completing the survey and to assist us in ensuring 100% participation of public libraries.
This exciting new library construction program is in addition to, and separate from, the Secretary of State’s annual Live and Learn Library Construction Grant Program (see next story), which was appropriated $810,800 for FY2010.
We will share details regarding both of these public library construction grant programs in this newsletter as they become available.
If you have any questions or difficulty accessing, completing and submitting the survey, please contact H. Neil Kelley (217-782-1891), Patricia Norris (217-524-5867) or Mark Shaffer (217-524-4901).
Go to the ISL website for a list of answers to frequently asked questions we’ve already received about the survey.