Spring Valley, Toluca, DePue libraries among 18 awarded state grants

Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White awarded $870,800 in library grants to 18 public libraries as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 Live and Learn Construction Grant Program.

Three local libraries were among the recipients.

Local libraries that will be receiving funding as part of this program include $2,980 to The Richard A. Mautino Memorial Library in Spring Valley will receive $2,980 for the installation of automatic entry doors to meet ADA requirements; the Selby Township Library District in DePue will receive $24,450 for carpet replacement throughout the library; and the Toluca Public Library District will garner $70,022 for repair to an exterior brick and masonry building wall.

“I am pleased to award these grants to help maintain our public libraries so that they remain open and the best information resource available to residents,” White said in a Wednesday press release. “Many of our public libraries simply do not have sufficient funds to pay for these structural improvements on their own. I am proud to provide this necessary support.”

Other libraries receiving funding include the Antioch Public Library District, Carlinville Public Library, Carrier Mills-Stonefort Public Library District, Catlin Public Library, Flora Public Library, Nokomis Public Library, North Chicago Public Library, Pontiac Public Library, Riverton Public Library, Shorewood-Troy Public Library, South Holland Public Library, Sterling Public Library, Western District Library in Orion, William Leonard Public Library in Robbins and Wilmington Public Library.

More information about the Illinois State Library’s Live and Learn construction grant program is available at https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/library/grants/livelearn_construction.html.