Libraries Progress Summary
Aurora Public Library District
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $25,000.00
Benefit/Impact:
A smart locker located in Will County portion of the library district will allow convenient pick up and return of library materials in an area that currently does not have a library branch. This will improve access and measure demand and interest to plan for possible expansion in the coming years. Better and more convenient access to library materials for the Will County households in the Aurora Public Library District can be expected to improve quality of life, to enrich learning and literacy opportunities for children, to strengthen bonds between parents and children as they read together, to provide comfort and recreation to adult readers, to deliver better access to reliable information on all topics.
Smart lockers will mitigate COVID-19 by allowing Will County residents to use them instead of the other Libraries in the area, which are not physically located in Will County. They not only increase Library access to the public for picking up materials but also allow for social distancing.
Beecher Public Library District
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $20,000.00
Benefit/Impact:
The funds will be used to purchase 10 Wi-Fi hotspots for patrons to check out. The money will be used to purchase the hotspots carrying cases with tags and labels and to pay internet service fees for 4 years through 12/31/2026.
Crete Public Library District
Completed as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $35,000
Fossil Ridge Public Library District
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $20,000.00
Benefit/Impact:
A smart locker in an area that currently does not have a library branch will improve access to library materials to residents of this area and will also allow us to measure demand and interest so that we can better plan for services, delivery, and access to resources. Better and more convenient access to library materials for the Will County households in the Fossil Ridge Library District can be expected to improve quality of life, to enrich learning and literacy opportunities for children, to strengthen bonds between parents and children as they read together, to provide comfort and recreation to adult readers, and to deliver better access to reliable information on all topics.
Fountaindale Public Library District
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $120,000.00
Benefit/Impact:
The district is requesting funds to install book lockers outside of the library and at a remote location to be determined. The book-lockers will provide access to needed resources for patrons who need to continue to practice social distancing by making pickup of materials outside the library building with 24/7 availability. The remote site will make it easier for patrons to access needed resources by providing a pickup location on the other side of our community. A book drop will also be installed next to the book lockers at the remote location so that patrons may return books as well. Multiple locations are being considered for the remote book locker and book drop. The final determination will be made later. The district is also requesting funds to enhance our digital collections of eBooks and audiobooks, which provide 24/7 access and social distancing.
Frankfort Public Library District
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $60,000
Benefit/Impact:
The funds will be used to purchase a Meeting OWL 3 device which will be utilized in hosting virtual programs or meetings, to add additional digital materials to our eBook collection, which has seen increased demand since the beginning of the pandemic, and to update the study room furniture for better remote workspaces and add additional outdoor seating. Additionally, the funds would be used to update the library’s website to be ADA compliant and easier for community members to find our digital resources.
Joliet Public Library
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: : $269,000
Benefit/Impact:
The funds will be used to purchase a customized vehicle that would serve as a bookmobile/outreach mechanism enabling the library to service those areas, predominantly on the East side of Joliet that we were unable to reach before the pandemic and that have only become more challenged since and post-pandemic. Due to socio-economic issues, language and COVID impact these areas have been underserved thus far. The contents (books, videos, etc.) of the vehicle can be customized for the target market of a particular visit, in addition to being able to provide free Wi-Fi. Additionally, library cards can be issued, and materials checked out and returned via this vehicle. Also included would be seniors living and assisted living and/or group settings. The pandemic had a devastating impact on their quality of life and ability to access the world. The Outreach vehicle would give them the opportunity to have controlled interaction with library staff and access material.
Manhattan Public Library
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $30,000
Benefit/Impact:
The library district is purchasing a small building in the Elwood community where we hope to locate the smart locker system and provide public computer workstations for the residents. The Elwood community currently does not have a library establishment in their community and must find transportation to the Manhattan community to use the library and its services. By adding internet service to this new location, the Manhattan-Elwood Public Library District will be able to install smart lockers to provide 24/7access to library materials, boost internet and Wi-Fi for public access and provide public computer stations and printing services for residents who may not have computers or printers in their homes. As a result of the pandemic, library visits and circulation has decreased as well as the implementation of shortened library hours. The addition of smart lockers would provide no contact accessibility to materials.
Mokena Community Public Library District
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $40,000
Benefit/Impact:
Wi-Fi antenna will extend the Wi-Fi coverage range to the parking lot behind the library where curbside and contactless services occur. We would like to restart our youth services and hire an assistant to serve our community, including 1 of 4 students to qualify for NSLP that attend school in the buildings next door to our library.
Naperville Public Library
Completed as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $95,000
Benefit/Impact:
Naperville Public Library (NPL) will use the grant funds for OverDrive eBook and eAudiobook content. The district would purchase new titles as well as purchase additional copies to meet high demand for specific titles. COVID-19 has increased demand for digital content, and the grant funds would allow NPL to expand our existing services in terms of depth of holdings while decreasing frustrating wait times. OverDrive is the most popular of our digital resources thus the grant funds would have the largest impact. The library provides collections, programming, and access to technology. In response to COVID-19, services continued while also expanding to curbside service for material pickup, online programming, and new online collections. From 2019 to the last year, there has been a 13% increase in unique users and a 21% increase in checkouts of eBooks and eAudiobooks in OverDrive. The number of holds, or people waiting for an item they want to utilize, has also increased 23%. Meanwhile, NPL’s material budget decreased in FY20 and FY21. The FY22 materials budget remains 4% lower than the FY19 materials budget. However, the cost of eBooks and eAudiobooks has continued to increase, particularly since federal and state lockdown mandates were lifted. The e-material has been purchased and the project is complete.
New Lenox Public Library District
Completed as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $70,000
Benefit/Impact:
Library staff have increased their focus on ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As a result, a decision was made to expend additional funds during our upcoming renovations to install touchless, automatic doors at our main entrances and a water bottle filling station. These are in addition to current precautions, such as social distancing of workstations/public services desks, multiple hand sanitizing stations throughout the library, and masks free of charge for anyone that enters our building. The touchless features have been installed and the project is complete.
Oswego Public Library District
Completed as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $20,000
Park Forest Public Library
Completed as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $20,000
Peotone Public Library District
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $35,000
Benefit/Impact:
The grant funds will be used to help those in our library district have better and broader access to more information in their home setting. Our homeschool families, parents, caregivers, and teachers will have access to the databases especially the Youth Services Department selection to aid in building up skills that were lost during the pandemic and school closures. The Adult Department has been lacking the access to online resources – newspapers and buying information – which is much needed in a post-pandemic economy.
Plainfield Area Public Library
Completed as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $145,000
Benefit/Impact:
The Plainfield Public Library District wishes to move forward with using the funding to restore and support public sector employment that was impacted during the pandemic. The staffing request was reviewed and the payroll reimbursement was issued.
Shorewood-Troy Public Library District
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $40,000
Benefit/Impact:
New Self-Check Devices: COVID has made the library cognizant of traffic patterns and how clustering occurs in our facility. One central chokepoint is that in our current layout, the reference desk and the circulation desk are clustered together, meaning that patrons have difficulty maintaining appropriate social distancing.
Investment in e-books and e-audio: Wider access to this form of media will allow patrons to continue utilizing their library for their informational and recreational needs remotely, from their homes.
Remote book drops, which are offsite materials returns, will allow the community to return items safely at a location convenient to them, without having to return items directly to our facility. This assists with social distancing and quarantine concerns.
Steger South Chicago Heights Library District
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $20,000
Benefit/Impact:
Currently, the Steger-South Chicago Heights Public Library District building has a single small meeting room. However, since our local history collection has grown, this is the only room where it can be stored, and this has meant that the room is no longer accessible to the public. Equipment to enable reconfiguration would ensure there is meeting room space for appropriate social distancing and private meeting space.
Additionally, the library’s single water fountain, installed when the building was constructed in 1987, is no longer operational. In its place, the library would use grant funds to install a more sanitary refillable water bottle station, simultaneously providing patrons with fresh water and making progress toward preventing any further spread of the virus.
Three Rivers Public Library District
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $20,000
Benefit/Impact:
Funds will be utilized towards the retention of current public sector staff, with the hope that staff members remain in their positions at the library district.
Additional funds will go towards the purchase of electronic materials, of which the demand has increased dramatically since the onset of the pandemic. These funds will assist the library district in meeting the needs of its community while also recognizing that many patrons are not comfortable returning to public spaces and rely on our online resources for their library service.
University Park Public Library
In Process as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $20,000
Benefit/Impact:
Computer and technology equipment that patrons can borrow for virtual appointments, meetings, and study to improve service delivery for homebound patrons and those who experience accessibility issues.
White Oak Library District
Completed as of September 20, 2023
Total Allocation: $145,000
Benefit/Impact:
White Oak used the grant funds to purchase and install new computers to replace all 150 public computers located across our three library facilities (serving the communities of Crest Hill, Lockport, and Romeoville). According to the district, in recent years, the district has been experiencing and continues to experience unprecedented shortfalls in other areas of their budget, technology spending being one of those areas. Updating public computers allowed the library to install the newest/latest assistive applications such as resume builder software, screen reader software for the visually challenged, and software to convert files/data from one format to another (such as transferring files from floppy disks or CR-ROMs to flash drives). This will improve effective service delivery to all patrons and respond to the increased demand for technology services because of the pandemic. The computers have been purchased and installed and the project is complete.
Wilmington Public Library District
Completed as of September 20, 2023