Sow the Wind — Reap the Whirlwind:
Project PLUS Two!

A board member and I attended a meeting for discussing library budgeting. After conversations and discussions about the inadequacies of our budget, a decision was reached to become a district library — first, by resolution based on the city lines and then by referendum based on the school district lines. After this discussion, a meeting was held with the Lewis & Clark Library System about our desire to qualify for an LSCA Project PLUS Grant, which was in the spring of 1990.

Grand Prairie of the West Public Library District (formerly The Virden Public Library) submitted the first Project PLUS Grant proposal for establishment of the Virden Public Library District. The second Project PLUS proposal was submitted for establishment of Grand Prairie of the West Public Library District — Northwestern Branch in Palmyra, Illinois. The Illinois State Library Advisory Council recommended that our proposals be funded contingent upon availability of Library Service and Construction Act funds.

Our quest to expand the library boundaries and services began in July 1990 and was completed in June 1992. At that time, we were a small city library in an economically depressed area without prospect for growth. We were serving a population of 3,389 people; about 1,776 people in our school district were unserved, and more than 2,000 people residing in the Northwestern Branch area were without library services.

Because we did not have the support of the city council for increasing library funding, the library board felt we were in a position of having to consider an alternative solution for keeping the library solvent and resolving the non-resident issue. The librarian and the board worked with the system staff to understand the changes that would take place on becoming a district library, and the board and the librarian reviewed the long-term goals of the library with their neighbors. We worked with city officials throughout this process, who were in full agreement and support of the library's intention.

For several months the librarian informally gathered information to begin the process of establishing library support groups in the proposed demonstration area. The Lewis & Clark development consultant worked very closely with the library to develop informational packets, and the assistant executive director worked with the librarian to create a summer reading program and some additional youth-oriented activities for the younger population and developed overall goals for the demonstration projects. The library depended upon Library Services and Construction Act funding to fulfill these projects, which allowed the library to work towards a reduction of the unserved library areas by providing local library service to all the citizens in the proposed areas.

Virden citizens voiced their concern that books and other items paid for through donations was not the proper way a library should be funded because there was little money available to pay for books. Because of financial difficulties experienced by the Virden School District, library services were cut back. School days were shortened and some junior and senior high students could not find the time to use the school library. This put an additional burden on the public library. However, because of the financial structure of the library, we could not provide all the necessary services needed to meet their informational needs. Some citizens voiced the feeling that a well-equipped library is one of the things they would look for in selecting a community within which to reside.

The library board felt that the local library may be the only source available for many of the citizens to obtain information in many forms and, that the library could have a great impact on the quality of the life and education of those residing in the proposed district.

A lot of hard work went into promotion of library services. Because the library district boundaries would fall into three counties — Macoupin, Sangamon and Montgomery we had to do many things in triplicate. We carried out three reading and craft programs and

*Wanda ]. Lake, Head Librarian, Grand Prairie of the West Public Library District, Virden.

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gave presentations to different organizations within the areas to inform citizens of the availability of various library services.

We set up the Northwestern Branch Library in a house in Palmyra and furnished it with 5,000 books, dial access to Lewis and Clark Library System, a photocopier and a fax machine. Two women were hired to manage the library and provide children's programming. During the first month the library was in service, circulation exceeded 500 items. Children were becoming involved in the programs and registration of patrons was growing at the time the referendum was held. Unfortunately, the referendum was defeated by a very narrow margin.

The library continued to provide and demonstrate library service for our other Project PLUS Grant for establishing the Virden Public Library District, which later became The Grand Prairie of the West Public Library District, the boundaries coinciding with the school districts.

The impact of the LSCA funding was significant. We were able to include the unserved by expanding the district boundaries on the school district lines and to demonstrate quality service by purchasing materials in various formats. The LSCA funding gave us the change to use our tax dollars to fully automate the library. This also increased the amount of information available to the citizens of our library district.

After the referendum our tax base rose from $14,000 annually in taxes to about $71,000 per year in taxes. This increase also has allowed the library to revamp to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, to purchase a TTY machine for the hearing impaired and to expand it's large print book collection.

Doing two Project PLUS grants at the same time was truly "sowing the wind," and we were able to reap the results of the whirlwind. The citizens in the library district boundaries are grateful and appreciative of their ability to obtain information to meet their needs. Because of the additional services and equipment we have been able to provide our patrons, we have experienced a growth in borrowers registered and in materials circulated.

None of the above would have been possible without LSCA funds and would have remained just an unrealized dream.

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