Thanks to everyone who contacted the State on behalf of the Illinois Library Systems! We just received the news that a portion of the funds still owed for FY2010 will be disbursed to the library systems that are most in need. Metropolitan Library System, that serves Downers Grove Public Library, will receive about half of the funds that are owed to it. This will fund the remaining services – interlibrary delivery and some support for SWAN – through the winter. The news came on Friday after the Governor and Comptroller received thousands of emails and letters from library supporters across Illinois.
This doesn’t mean that the Systems have been saved, only that they can continue to offer the remaining critical services for a few more months. There has been no word on when the other half of the funds appropriated last year will be released, or if and when any of the funds appropriated for Systems in current year will be paid. This is good news for libraries now, but after the November election we will have ask our supporters to continue to remind the State that on-going funding for library systems is important.
In the mean time, thanks to all of you who took the time to contact the Governor in support for Illinois Library Systems!
