State Reports

Items listed under "State Documents" have been received by the Documents Unit, Illinois State Library, Springfield, and are usually available from public libraries in the state through interlibrary loan. Issuing agencies may have copies available. For items listed under "Other Reports," write to publisher as noted.

State Documents

• A Directory of Illinois Nature Preserves, Illinois Department of Conservation, Division of Natural Heritage, 524 S. Second, Springfield 62701-1787 (1991), 382pp.

Illinois has 183 nature preserves. They cover 28,140 acres and are located throughout the state. While the preserves are excellent places to carry out various kinds of geological, botanical and biological studies, not all of the preserves are open to the public. The bulk of this directory consists of two-page entries for each preserve; one page is devoted to a map of the preserve; the other offers information on its location and access, a brief description, its ownership, when it was dedicated, its size and whom to contact for further information.

• Office and Commercial Waste Reduction, Department of Energy and Natural Resources, 325 W. Adams, Room. 300, Springfield 62704-1892 (August 1991), 56pp.

The purpose of this publication is to help businesses and organizations reduce their solid waste costs and conserve natural resources. It focuses on both waste reduction and recycling and provides specific suggestions on how to plan and implement a program. One chapter is devoted to a discussion of purchasing recycled and recyclable products.

• Child Day Care Services, Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, 620 E. Adams, Springfield 62701 (October 1990), 25pp.

This booklet is one of 27 produced so far by the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in a series entitled "Basic Business and Industry Profile." Each profile follows the same outline: general industry information, costs/financial considerations, management considerations, general start-up issues, information sources. Some of the other businesses included in the series are computer maintenance and repair firms, caterers, business consultants, real estate agencies and beauty shops. A complete list may be obtained by calling the Illinois Business Hotline: (800) 252-2923.

• Solid Waste Videos: A Teacher's Guide to Selected Videotapes on Solid Waste Management, by Richard S. Treptow for the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources, 325 W. Adams, Springfield 62704-1892 (September 1991), 59pp.

The 12 videos described in this guide are available on free loan to teachers, citizen groups and government leaders throughout Illinois. All are in color and all are in VHS format. They may be obtained from the University of Illinois Film/Video Center, 1325 S. Oak Street, Champaign 61820, which has a total collection of approximately 50 videos on the subject of solid waste. For each of the 12 tapes included in the guide, information is provided on the viewing time, suggested grade level and the subjects covered. In addition, a summary, key terms, discussion questions and suggestions for further activities are included.

Other Reports

• County Government Law: A Reference Guide, by Trisha A. Crowley, Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois, 201 E. Adams, Suite 350, Springfield 62701 (14th edition, spring 1991), 229pp.; $20.

Counties in Illinois have three major functions: They play a role in the judicial as well as the criminal justice systems, they are involved in the real estate property tax system, and they conduct elections. This volume offers clear, concise explanations of the structure, function and powers of county government in this state and provides a specific statutory reference for each explanatory statement. Its eight chapters are logically organized and subdivided, making it a truly useful resource: structure of county government, laws applying to counties, revenue sources, fiscal management, functions, real estate property tax assessment and collection, law enforcement and the courts, and county related entities.

• 1991 Illinois Tax Climate, by Jennifer Filson Gordon for the Illinois Tax Foundation, 201 E. Adams, Suite 350, Springfield 62701 (15th edition), 96pp.; $15.

This study compares the state's tax laws and revenues with those in the leading industrial states and Illinois' midwestern neighbors: California, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. The first section contains summary tables indicating Illinois' relative tax burden and tax reliance based on personal income and tax receipt data. The second section profiles the midwestem and industrial states by six different types of taxes: corporate income, corporate license, personal income, general sales, property and utility.

Anna J. Merritt

30/February 1992/Illinois Issues