Illinois State Library System Act From Illinois Library Laws and Rules, April 2015 75 ILCS (Illinois Compiled Statutes) 10 23 ILAC (Illinois Administrative Code) 3030

Definitions • Academic Library - the library or libraries of an institution of education beyond the secondary level that is recognized by the Illinois Board of Higher Education • Branch Library – a separately located building of a library organization where library material or services are made available to be borrowed or used by patrons. It can also mean an academic library with a separate collection or departmental library associated with a specific discipline. • Library – an entity that serves the basic information and library needs of its patrons through a bibliographically organized collection of library materials. • Public Library – a tax-supported library supported by or as a governmental unit that has authority to levy a tax for library purposes or support the library in part from local tax revenues. • School Library – the library or libraries of an elementary and/or secondary school district or a private elementary and/or secondary school under a single governing agency. • Special Library – a library with a unique collection or specialized services recognized by the Illinois State Library but does not meet the definition of academic, public, or school.

Definitions Con’t • Multitype Library System – a library system that serves a minimum of 150,000 inhabitants or an area of no less than 4,000 square miles and serving 10 or more public libraries, elementary and/or secondary school libraries, institutions of higher education libraries, and special libraries.

• Public Library System – a single public library serving a population of over 500,000 inhabitants.

The ACT • Illinois is financially responsible for promoting public education and because the public library is a vital agency serving all levels of the educational process, it is declared to be the policy of the state to encourage the improvement of free public libraries and to encourage cooperation of all types of libraries in promoting sharing of resources.

Under the governance of the State Librarian, the staff of the Illinois State Library administers the provisions of the act and prescribes the rules and regulations that carry out the provisions. • ACT OBJECTIVES • 1. Provide library service for every citizen in the state by extending library facilities to areas not now served. • 2. Provide library materials for student needs at every educational level. • 3. Provide adequate library materials to satisfy the reference and research needs of the people of this state.

• 4. Provide an adequate staff of professionally trained librarians for the state. • 5. Provide an adequate stock of books and other materials sufficient in size and varied in kind and subject matter to satisfy the library needs of the people of this state.

• 6. Provide adequate library outlets and facilities convenient in time and place to serve the people of this state. • 7. Encourage existing and new libraries to develop library systems serving a sufficiently large population to support adequate library service at reasonable cost. • 8. Foster the economic and efficient utilization of public funds. • 9. Promote the full utilization of local pride, responsibility, initiative and support of library service and at the same time employ state aid as a supplement to local support.

System Statutory Priorities (Standards for Core Services to Members - 23 ILAC 3030.215)

The system Budget and Operational Plan must support these statutory priorities: • Administration which includes active membership review and certification; • Bibliographic Access; • Delivery; • Resource sharing, to include LLSAPs, interlibrary loan, reciprocal access, and reciprocal borrowing; • Consulting and continuing education in the areas of resource sharing and assistance to member libraries in understanding and complying with applicable State statutes and administrative rules; and with the system’s bylaws, policies and services.

Library Systems are governed by a board of directors of at least 5 but no more than 15 persons, consisting of representation of varying library interests within the system. The majority of the board is developed from the governing boards of public libraries.

Library system board shall carry out the spirit and intent of the Act. Power of the board of directors • • • • • • • • • • • •

1. Develop and amend bylaws and plan of service (approval must be given by state librarian) 2. Control expenditures and monies of all funds handled by library system 3. Make and adopt policies for the governing and operation of the library system 4. Purchase or lease grounds, and to purchase, lease, or construct buildings for the use of the library system 5. To appoint a competent librarian to oversee the library system – who has power to hire, fire, provide raises of other employees as necessary (subject to board approval) 6. Contract with public or private organizations for providing library services 7. To accrue and accumulate funds in a special reserve fund pursuant of a plan to acquire realty, improved or unimproved, for library system purposes 8. To be a body politic and corporate, to contract and to hold title to property by the name of the “Board of Directors of the ․․․ Library System, ․․․, Illinois”, and in that name to sue and be sued and to take any action authorized by law. 9. To undertake programs for the purpose of encouraging the addition to the district of adjacent areas without local tax-supported library service, and to expend funds for this purpose. 10. To join the library system as a member in the Illinois Library Association and the American Library Association. 11. To take and to have title to any personal or real property acquired by it for library system purposes. 12. To borrow funds for the purpose of expanding or improving the system's facilities through the mortgaging of system owned property or of borrowing against other system owned assets.

Photos and graphics from IHLS, RAILS, and CPL, State of IL websites.