Sangamon Sun

The Illinois Secretary of State has announced that districts across Illinois will receive funding for library resources and programs to ensure residents have equal access to library services. The funding comes from a mix of annual per capita grants, equalization aid grants, public library construction grants, and newly introduced technology grants.

Libraries across the 48th Senate District, which serves over 210,000 residents, are set to receive a total of $340,545 in grants. Libraries in the 95th House District that will receive funds for improvement include:

- Stonington: $1,474

- Rochester: $11,196

- Chatham: $25,775

“The role of libraries are essential community hubs that offer limitless access to information and the funding will help libraries meet changing community needs. I’m happy to see quality resources like improved Wi-Fi and technologies for people with disabilities being available to residents in the communities," said an official statement.

Rep. Coffey recently toured the University of Illinois Springfield Brookens Library. "I want to thank Pattie Piotrowski and her colleagues for the tour of Brookens Library, located at the University of Illinois Springfield. They all do a wonderful job providing exceptional services to students who need a collaborative work space and quiet study time in the library. It’s impressive how much the library has grown over the years!"