Illinois State Library

Library Development Group

Patricia Norris, Associate Director/Grants & Programs 217-782-7848

Vandella Brown, Diversity Program Manager 217-785-9075

Cyndy Colletti, Manager, Literacy Office 217-785-6921

The Library Development division promotes statewide library and literacy development.

Specific grant programs include:

• Educate and Automate Grants
• Live and Learn System Automation
• Library Services Technology Act Grants
• Library Construction Grants
• Public Library Per Capita Grants
• School Library Grants
• System Area and Per Capita Grants

Other Programs include:

• Production of Annual Satellite Teleconference/Webcast Series
• Statewide delivery of library materials
• Scholarship Program for students to earn their masters degree in Library and Information Sciences
• "Lighting the Fire" Statewide Initiative
• Coordination of Statewide Electronic Resources: FirstSearch, NoveList, NewsIllinois and Physicians Desk Reference
• Small Public Library Management Institute
• Institute for School and Public Librarians
• Disaster Grant Programs
• Read for a Lifetime
• Trustee Education Initiative
• Family Reading Night
• Project Next Generation

Diversity Program

The Illinois State Library Diversity Program, a division of the Library Development Group, was created in 2003 to assist the Illinois library community in developing cultural and minority diversity initiatives. The Diversity Program offers:

• Cultural and diversity competency training workshops
• Provides resource sharing through its cultural poster exhibits and Human Rights Video and DVD Project
• Promotes and develops events that commemorate heritage, multi-cultures and ethnic activities (Black History Month, Women's History, Dia de Muertos, etc.)
• Assists in employing a culturally diverse library workforce through diversity recruitment and mentoring forums

Literacy Office

The Secretary of State/Illinois State Library Literacy Office offers grants to Illinois agencies to help Illinois adults and their families increase their reading ability in English. These grants have been available since 1986. Grant program serve adults who read below the 9th grade level, using trained volunteers to provide instruction.

The grant program provides basic literacy instruction to enhance the reading, math, writing, and English language skills of program participants. The grant programs are:

• Adult Literacy
• Penny Severns Summer Family Literacy Grant