Library To Receive State Grant

Vernon Area Public Library District will receive $65,645 from a State of Illinois Public Library Per Capita Grant, announced Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias in a recent news release.

“The annual Per Capita Grant helps us ensure continued access to high-quality materials and learning opportunities,” said Vernon Area Public Library Director Anne Rasmussen. “From our youngest patrons starting out in baby storytime to the seniors we serve through assisted living visits, this grant helps all in our library district to connect to information, culture and each other.”

Public Library Per Capita Grants are awarded annually to support local public library services. This year, public libraries were allocated just under $1.50 per resident of their service area. The funds can be used for operational needs including buying books and other materials for patron use or capital improvements to their facilities.

To be eligible for a Public Library Per Capita Grant, the library must meet certain performance standards and continuing education requirements set by the Illinois Library Association, must have completed the most recent Illinois Public Library Annual Report, and — new for 2024 — have formally adopted an anti-censorship policy such as the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights. 

On June 12, 2023, Illinois became the first state in the nation to ban book bans. The law, which took effect on January 1, 2024, blocks state grant funding to public libraries and schools that don’t adhere to the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, a set of rules that says reading materials shouldn’t be removed or restricted due to “partisan or personal disapproval.”

Public Library Per Capita Grant funds are allocated by the state to help ensure all residents have access to quality resources and programming.