“According to the January 2011 Harris Poll of over 1,000 adults, an astonishing 58 percent said they had a library card, and 62 percent said they had visited a public library in person during the last year.

Twenty-three percent had visited the library more than ten times. Nearly all of those interviewed (94 percent) agreed with the statement, “Because it provides free access to materials and resources, the public library plays an important role in giving everyone a chance to succeed,” and 79 percent agreed that “my public library deserves more funding.”

Read the rest of the article from The Journal-Standard here.

Museum Day is a celebration of the free dissemination of knowledge to anyone, emulating the free admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C. – based facilities. This will be the first year that the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum has participated in Museum Day. The regular admission fee for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is $12 for adults, $9 for senior citizens 62 and up, $9 for students with an ID, $7 for active duty military personnel, and $6 for children ages 5-15. Children under five are admitted free.

The Illinois State Museum will also be participating in Museum Day. Admission to the State Museum is free every day, so no tickets are needed.

Evanston branch libraries to remain open until February
dailynorthwestern.com
The Evanston City Council voted 7-2 on Monday to allow the city’s branch libraries to remain open at least until February…

Libraries caught in state budget crunch: Late payments have north suburban sharing program running on fumes
Chicago SunTimes
We’re running out of money,” said Jan Hayes, co-director of the North Suburban Library System, which operates a popular program that allows readers to fetch books from other libraries. “We’ve laid off our director, and we’ve laid off all of our staff except the delivery people,” she said…

Readers are losers in Illinois’ budget crunch
Chicago SunTimes
The well-regarded North Suburban Library System, which links local libraries into a large group, pretty much shut down at the end of May because the state didn’t make its payments. Now, another of Illinois’ multi-library systems has reached its last chapter…

Library, workNet may merge office space to cut costs, offer services
dailynorthwestern.com
Illinois State Senator Jeff Schoenberg and Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl held a press conference Monday at Evanston’s North Branch Library to announce a plan that might allow Evanston’s South Branch Library to stay open, they said…

Schoenberg pitches pairing library, office
Evanston-Review.com
For the newly unemployed, the first two stops are often the unemployment office and the local library, where job seekers go to scour job ads, research a career change or investigate an idea for a new business…

Deadbeat state fails to pay up for regional library systems
The Beacon-News
There are 188,591 items you can check out from the Oswego Public Library. For all but the most voracious readers and cinephiles, that’s probably more than anyone could consume in a lifetime…

Illinois is broke. Who’s gonna fix it?
Chicago Sun-Times
Illinois is broke. Teachers are losing their jobs from Chicago to Champaign, from Will to Williamson counties. Fewer teachers but larger classes won’t help our kids learn. Illinois is broke. Libraries are closing. Band, art and athletics are being cut district by district…

Show some guts: stop the cuts
The Register Citizen
Others are closing libraries and cancelling summer school. In Chicago, the student-to-teacher ratio may hit 35. In Cleveland, it’s headed for 40. Could your child learn in such a crowded classroom?…

New Clarksville library director sees service as job one
TheLeafChronicle.com
The community’s new public library director believes service is the key to running a successful library. “A library is a community service center, a meeting place,” said Pamela Murphy, who took the reins of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library three weeks ago. “It can provide your entertainment needs, your information needs and your educational needs.”…

Libraries caught in state budget crunch: Late payments have north suburban sharing program running on fumes
Chicago Sun-Times
“We’re running out of money,” said Jan Hayes, co-director of the North Suburban Library System, which operates a popular program that allows readers to fetch books from other libraries. “We’ve laid off our director, and we’ve laid off all of our staff except the delivery people,” she said…

IL Regional Library Systems Forced to Slash Services, Staff
Library Journal
Illinois’s nine regional library systems, which serve 8000 multitype libraries, are about to radically downgrade the scope of services they offer on or before July 1, the start of the next fiscal year, owing to lack of funds…

State’s woes could affect Talking Book Centers
Kane County Chronicle
“We understand that the State of Illinois is dealing with an unprecedented fiscal crisis,” Sloan said. “We don’t have the reserve funds to fund the program in fiscal year 2011.”…

Library opens new Teen Space
Commercial-News
The Danville Public Library opened its new Teen Space today on the library’s second floor…

ISU sends off retiring dean of libraries
Pantagraph.com
Friends and colleagues gathered Friday at Milner Library to send off Cheryl Elzy, retiring dean of Illinois State University’s libraries…

Free technology classes offered courtesy of Secretary of State grant
The Journal-Standard
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White is widely regarded for his commitment to improving the lives of Illinois’s children. Back in 2000, Secretary White implemented a forward-thinking new mentoring program, known as Project Next Generation or PNG, in several public libraries in Illinois. This program encouraged students to become technology-savvy by providing the opportunity for hands-on experience with the latest technology tools…

State budget woes could hurt suburban library system
Daily Herald
The state government’s inability to promptly pay its bills will result in layoffs and service cuts at a wide-reaching suburban library organization, officials said Wednesday…

Dry tap threatens library network: Most interloan services will end May 30
Lake County News-Sun
Round Lake Area Public Library is urging patrons to contact their state legislators to restore funding for interlibrary loan service. The state’s nine regional library systems, including the North Suburban Library System that serves Lake County, have received no state funds since July 1, 2009…

Geneva’s talking book center in danger of closing
Daily Herald
In Illinois, the majority of funding for public libraries comes from property taxes. While a number of libraries have already had to make cuts, and more are expected, public library doors and websites are still open for service…

Budget woes threaten library
Galesburg.com
“The systems are looking at funding decisions and are looking even at closing their doors,” Galesburg Public Library Director Pam Van Kirk said Friday morning…

DeKalb library unveils cultural collection
Daily Chronicle
A new collection dedicated to understanding people of various cultures opened Monday at the DeKalb Public Library…

DePaul libraries and I-Share can help students save
The DEPULIA
Most of the popular texts students need for class can be found at DePaul’s libraries free of cost. When a student cannot find a book at DePaul’s libraries they are likely to find the book through I-Share…

Pritzker Military Library hires new director
Time Out Chicago (blog)
On Friday, Pritzker Military Library announced that it hired John Zukowsky, former Art Institute of Chicago architecture curator, as its interim director. …

Branches given 6 months to find new funding
Evanston Review
3 to pull the branch libraries off the chopping block, said, “I said to the branch library and library supporters, unless there is a funding stream that’s …

Lisle mourning teacher, longtime library board member
Chicago Daily Herald
Whether it was as a teacher in Lisle Unit District 202 or as a longtime Lisle Public Library board member, those mourning …

School Libraries Receive Grants
Pontiac Illinois Community News
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has awarded Fiscal Year 2010 School District Library Program Grants totaling almost …

State Bar donates Lincoln books to Edwardsville Public Library
St. Clair Record
Accepting the books is Deanne Holshauser, library director. In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth in 2009, the ISBA is donating a set …

Illinois public libraries face 16 percent funding cut
Peoria Journal Star
Every public library in the state – big, small and medium-sized – will receive significantly less than each has come to expect from the …

Glen Carbon library named best in nation
Belleville News Democrat
It’s been a banner year for Glen Carbon — now its library has been named best in the country. …

Police open office inside Chicago library
ABC7Chicago.com
Chicago police launched a new program Saturday by opening a satellite office in a public library. …

Jesse White awards Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants
Quad-Cities Online
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has awarded Fiscal Year 2010 Illinois Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants …

‘The need is still there’: New Manhattan library rejected
Southtown Star
Voters in the Manhattan-Elwood Library District gave – or rather, bellowed – a resounding “no” to plans to build a new library, …

Sugar Grove voters say no to library a 10th time
Aurora Beacon News
Ten times — since March of 2004 — the Sugar Grove Library Board has asked voters for more money. …

Lyons: Reddick Library missing out on revenue
MyWebTimes.com
The Reddick Public Library District is missing out on revenue by not offering services to Wallace Township residents, said township resident Tom Lyons, …

February brings a sinking feeling to La Grange library
Everything La Grange
Explore all things Titanic at the La Grange Public Library during the month of February. A display of artifacts related to the doomed ocean liner will be …

Lourdes dedicates new library to begin Catholic Schools Week
Herald & Review
Rick Welton and Principal Maryrose Hagenbach take part in a dedication ceremony blessing a new library addition at Our Lady of Lourdes Schoo. …

Des Plaines Library Dist. finally gets its win
Joliet Herald News
Voters on Tuesday approved a referendum proposal to build a new Crest Hill library and renovate libraries in Lockport …

New-look Brookfield Library reopens its doors
Riverside Brookfield Landmark
The spiffed-up Brookfield Public Library reopened on Monday after being closed for refurbishing for the past 10 weeks. The library looks and …

Library contracts for e-book service
Pekin Daily Times
Library patrons can download best-selling and classic audio-books and e-books anytime, anywhere, thanks to a new service. …

Voters reject Winfield Library request
Chicago Daily Herald
Winfield library officials decided to seek the same request despite last April’s defeat, because the facility at 0S291 Winfield Road doesn’t meet …

A New Flavor Of A Community Library
Chicagoist
Chicago Underground Library, which will be celebrating its grand reopening this Saturday, is based on a bit of a different model. …

Brookfield Library re-opens on Monday
Riverside Brookfield Landmark
After undergoing a thorough interior face-lift over the past 10 weeks, the Brookfield Public Library, 3609 Grand Blvd., will re-open on Monday …

Profile: New Steeleville Library director Christine Kamprath
The Randolph County Herald-Tribune
Since beginning her job at the library Kamprath has been busy reviewing acquisitions policies. “I have also partnered with Steeleville High School in …

Plainfield library board needs 1
Plainfield Sun
The board of trustees has a vacancy, and library officials are taking applications. …

Cherry Valley Library plans for better days
Rockford Register Star
On one hand, the economic downturn can be credited for soaring growth in library usage. On the other, it’s the very thing that prevents the …

Funding shortfall puts strain on library program
Bloomington Pantagraph
Until last Wednesday, Alliance Library Systems had not received any state money since June and had gone through its reserves trying to remain in operation, …

‘Paper’ library seeks Reddick Library services
MyWebTimes.com
The Wallace Township Library, a “paper” library with no facilities, would like to contract for services with the Reddick Library District, which operates …

Naperville library may offer voluntary buyouts
Chicago Daily Herald
The library doesn’t plan to lay off employees or even reduce the size of its staff. The proposed program would be …

Winfield library improvements can wait for better economy
Chicago Daily Herald
Last April, Winfield Public Library officials asked voters to approve a referendum that would allow them to borrow $1.8 million to improve the facility’s …

Moline Public Library now offers free access to downloadable audio books
Quad-Cities Online
The Moline Public Library is now offering free access to downloadable audio books 24/7 via netlibrary.com. The collection features fiction and non-fiction …

Illinois Library Systems Wait for Cash from State
WSIL TV
The Shawnee Library System connects more than one hundred libraries in Illinois’ southern-most counties. Through this network, libraries can share …

Library giving away old magazines; come in and help yourselves
Little Chicago Review
January is the month when we do some library housekeeping chores, including removal of back issues of magazines. Please help yourselves to discarded …

Librarians Say Services in Jeopardy Without State Funding
Central Illinois Proud
Wednesday marks “Save the Illinois Library Regional Systems Day.” Librarians say many services readers rely on could be cut if state funding doesn’t come …