Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias has announced nearly $22 million in grants for library services and $6 million for literacy programs across the state. The funding aims to enhance online catalogues, support daily operations, expand interlibrary loan programs, and provide resources for vision-impaired individuals.
Locally, Frontier Community College’s Literacy program will receive $77,000. In contrast to challenges faced by libraries in other states, Illinois libraries have secured over $104 million in grants during Giannoulias’ administration in the past 18 months.
Recent allocations include:
Over $18 million for library systems to support operations and resource sharing, allowing patrons to borrow from any participating library.
Nearly $5.8 million for adult, family, and workplace literacy programs through various organizations.
More than $2.3 million to enhance online catalogues and interlibrary resource sharing.
Over $500,000 for technology mentorship programs for middle and high school students in public libraries.
More than $350,000 for narrations of local newspaper content for individuals with reading challenges.
Nearly $50,000 for veteran’s home libraries to provide essential resources to veterans and their spouses.
These grants utilize combined state and federal Library Services and Technology Act funds.
A complete list of grants can be found here:
| City | Institution | Grant Category | Amount Awarded |
| Arlington Heights | The Center | Literacy | $85,000.00 |
| Arlington Heights | Township High School District 214 | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Arlington Heights | Township High School District 214 Community Education | Literacy | $100,000.00 |
| Aurora | Dominican Literacy Center, Aurora | Literacy | $55,000.00 |
| Beardstown | Beardstown Houston Memorial Library | Library Services | $12,109.00 |
| Belleville | MindEye Radio | Library Services | $93,626.00 |
| Belleville | Southwestern Illinois College | Literacy | $84,384.00 |
| Bensenville | Bensenville Community Public Library District | Library Services | $10,993.00 |
| Bloomington | Regional Office of Education 17 | Literacy | $92,000.00 |
| Blue Island | Corazon a Corazon | Literacy | $25,000.00 |
| Bradley | Bradley Public Library District | Library Services | $8,410.00 |
| Bradley | Kankakee Community College | Literacy | $68,000.00 |
| Brimfield | Brimfield Public Library District | Library Services | $14,400.00 |
| Burr Ridge | Reaching Across Illinois Library System | Library Services | $11,871,713.71 |
| Burr Ridge | Reaching Across Illinois Library System | Library Services | $109,342.00 |
| Burr Ridge | Reaching Across Illinois Library System | Library Services | $104,283.00 |
| Canton | Spoon River College | Literacy | $58,976.00 |
| Carbondale | Carbondale Public Library | Library Services | $31,531.00 |
| Carbondale | WSIU-Southern Illinois Radio Information Service | Library Services | $21,353.00 |
| Carol Stream | World Relief Chicagoland | Literacy | $100,000.00 |
| Carterville | Anne West Lindsey District Library | Library Services | $17,135.00 |
| Carterville | John A. Logan College | Literacy | $41,336.00 |
| Centralia | Kaskaskia College | Literacy | $74,560.00 |
| Champaign | Board of Trustees of the UofI (at Urbana-Champaign) | Library Services | $1,227,841.00 |
| Champaign | Board of Trustees of the UofI (DBA Illinois Radio Reader) | Library Services | $31,370.00 |
| Champaign | Parkland College | Literacy | $87,191.00 |
| Chicago | Aquinas Literacy Center | Literacy | $80,000.00 |
| Chicago | Arab American Action Network | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Chicago | Association House of Chicago | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Chicago | Centro Romero | Literacy | $87,500.00 |
| Chicago | Centro Romero | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Chicago | Chicago Public Library System | Library Services | $2,573,253.46 |
| Chicago | Chinese Mutual Aid Association | Literacy | $60,000.00 |
| Chicago | Chinese Mutual Aid Association | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Chicago | Erie Neighborhood House | Literacy | $85,000.00 |
| Chicago | Family Legacy Foundation | Literacy | $70,500.00 |
| Chicago | Heartland Human Care Services | Literacy | $100,000.00 |
| Chicago | Howard Area Community Center | Literacy | $78,447.00 |
| Chicago | Indo-American Center | Literacy | $75,000.00 |
| Chicago | Instituto del Progreso Latino | Literacy | $41,000.00 |
| Chicago | Instituto del Progreso Latino | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Chicago | Jane Addams Resource Corporation | Literacy | $58,677.00 |
| Chicago | Lester and Rosalie Anixter Center | Literacy | $69,459.00 |
| Chicago | Literacy Chicago | Literacy | $100,000.00 |
| Chicago | Literacy Volunteers of Illinois | Literacy | $53,800.00 |
| Chicago | Literacy Works | Literacy | $60,000.00 |
| Chicago | Poder Learning Center | Literacy | $80,000.00 |
| Chicago | Rohingya Culture Center | Literacy | $40,000.00 |
| Chicago | Safer Foundation/PACE Institute | Literacy | $59,004.00 |
| Chicago | scaleLIT | Literacy | $30,000.00 |
| Chicago | South-East Asia Center | Literacy | $67,949.00 |
| Chicago | The Chicago Lighthouse | Library Services | $68,599.00 |
| Chicago | The Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago | Literacy | $40,000.00 |
| Chicago | The HANA Center | Literacy | $66,000.00 |
| Chicago | The Learning Center/House of Connections | Literacy | $73,164.00 |
| Chicago | The Vietnamese Association of Illinois | Literacy | $81,383.00 |
| Chicago | Touch Gift Foundation | Literacy | $78,819.00 |
| Chicago | United For Better Living, Incorporated | Literacy | $32,995.00 |
| Chicago | Universidad Popular | Literacy | $49,122.00 |
| Chicago | Universidad Popular | Literacy | $41,809.00 |
| Chicago | Universidad Popular | Literacy | $41,809.00 |
| Chicago | Universidad Popular | Literacy | $41,809.00 |
| Chicago Heights | Prairie State College | Literacy | $74,113.00 |
| Chicago Ridge | Chicago Ridge Public Library | Library Services | $26,000.00 |
| Cicero | Morton College | Literacy | $85,000.00 |
| Clifton | Central Citizens’ Library District | Library Services | $39,990.00 |
| Collinsville | Mississippi Valley Library District | Library Services | $11,709.00 |
| Crystal Lake | McHenry County College | Literacy | $80,312.00 |
| Danville | Danville Area Community College | Literacy | $70,600.00 |
| Decatur | Baby TALK | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Decatur | Richland Community College | Literacy | $85,000.00 |
| DeKalb | Northern Illinois Radio Information Service | Library Services | $28,273.00 |
| Des Plaines | Oakton Community College | Literacy | $15,865.00 |
| Des Plaines | Oakton Community College | Literacy | $8,072.00 |
| Des Plaines | Oakton Community College | Literacy | $16,135.00 |
| Des Plaines | Oakton Community College | Literacy | $8,049.00 |
| Dixon | Sauk Valley Community College | Literacy | $67,884.00 |
| East Moline | Black Hawk College | Literacy | $49,000.00 |
| Edwardsville | Illinois Heartland Library System | Library Services | $166,321.00 |
| Edwardsville | Illinois Heartland Library System | Library Services | $3,919,852.02 |
| Edwardsville | Illinois Heartland Library System | Library Services | $709,016.00 |
| Edwardsville | Illinois Heartland Library System | Library Services | $175,573.00 |
| Effingham | CEFS Economic Opportunity Corporation | Literacy | $75,000.00 |
| Elgin | Literacy Connection | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Elgin | The Literacy Connection | Literacy | $85,485.00 |
| Elgin | YWCA Elgin | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Elgin | YWCA Elgin | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Evanston | Evanston Public Library | Library Services | $39,887.00 |
| Fairfield | Frontier Community College | Literacy | $77,000.00 |
| Freeport | Highland Community College | Literacy | $81,150.00 |
| Galesburg | Regional Office of Education 33 | Literacy | $57,128.00 |
| Galesburg | Regional Office of Education 33 | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Galesburg | Regional Office of Education 33 | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Galesburg | Regional Office of Education 33 | Literacy | $15,025.00 |
| Godfrey | Lewis and Clark Community College | Literacy | $75,000.00 |
| Godfrey | Lewis and Clark Community College | Library Services | $17,438.00 |
| Godfrey | Lewis and Clark Community College | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| Harrisburg | Harrisburg Public Library District | Library Services | $5,202.00 |
| Highwood | Highwood Public Library | Library Services | $40,000.00 |
| Joliet | Joliet Junior College | Literacy | $34,888.00 |
| Joliet | Joliet Junior College | Literacy | $66,297.00 |
| Kankakee | Kankakee Public Library | Library Services | $34,000.00 |
| La Grange | TEACH (Tutoring English to Advance Change) | Literacy | $86,850.00 |
| Macomb | Board of Trustees of WlU (WIUM/WIUW RIS) | Library Services | $36,968.00 |
| Marion | Marion Carnegie Library | Library Services | $27,978.00 |
| Mascoutah | Mascoutah Public Library | Library Services | $34,840.00 |
| Matteson | Matteson Area Public Library District | Library Services | $23,100.00 |
| Mattoon | Mattoon Public Library | Literacy | $42,932.00 |
| Melrose Park | Dominican Literacy Center, Melrose Park | Literacy | $27,500.00 |
| Moline | Moline Public Library | Library Services | $16,000.00 |
| Mount Carmel | Wabash Valley College Radio Information Service | Library Services | $27,185.00 |
| Mount Prospect | Hanul Family Alliance | Literacy | $55,900.00 |
| Mount Vernon | Southtown Youth Program Center | Literacy | $50,000.00 |
| North Riverside | North Riverside Public Library District | Library Services | $6,967.00 |
| Northbrook | Northbrook Public Library | Library Services | $100,000.00 |
| Pekin | YWCA of Pekin | Literacy | $82,177.00 |
| Peoria | Neighborhood House | Literacy | $74,483.00 |
| Peoria | Peoria Public Library | Library Services | $12,500.00 |
| Peoria | Regional Office of Education 48 | Literacy | $66,570.00 |
| Petersburg | Petersburg Public Library | Library Services | $26,024.00 |
| Quincy | John Wood Community College | Literacy | $77,000.00 |
| Red Bud | Regional Office of Education 45 | Literacy | $42,945.00 |
| Red Bud | Regional Office of Education 45 | Literacy | $40,835.00 |
| Richton Park | Richton Park Public Library District | Library Services | $13,580.00 |
| River Grove | Triton College | Literacy | $55,000.00 |
| Rock Island | APRIS, Augustana Public Radio Information Service | Library Services | $28,613.00 |
| Rock Island | Rock Island Public Library | Library Services | $5,950.00 |
| Rockford | YWCA Northwestern Illinois | Literacy | $85,000.00 |
| Roselle | Metropolitan Asian Family Services | Literacy | $40,000.00 |
| Skokie | Oakton Community College | Literacy | $100,000.00 |
| South Holland | South Suburban College | Literacy | $58,342.00 |
| South Holland | South Suburban College | Literacy | $19,973.00 |
| South Holland | South Suburban College | Literacy | $14,456.00 |
| South Holland | South Suburban College | Literacy | $12,983.00 |
| Sparta | Sparta Public Library | Library Services | $13,911.00 |
| Springfield | Fishes & Loaves Outreach Ministries | Literacy | $60,000.00 |
| Springfield | Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs | Library Services | $50,000.00 |
| Springfield | Lincoln Land Community College | Literacy | $65,538.00 |
| Springfield | Lincoln Library | Library Services | $18,360.00 |
| St. Charles | Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley | Literacy | $45,050.00 |
| Thornton | Thornton Public Library | Library Services | $35,600.00 |
| Wheaton | Literacy DuPage | Literacy | $100,000.00 |
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