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Illinois State Library Annual Report FY98


Illinois State Library services evolved and diversified during fiscal year 1998, July 1997 through June 1998. Ongoing services were maintained and expanded, and new initiatives included the award of the first Library Services & Technology Act grants to local libraries, the debut of the Trustee Information Page on the Illinois State Library Web site and the School Libraries Summit in March 1998.

Throughout the year, the State Library's mission statement again guided our steps. This mission statement, adopted in June 1990, follows:

It is the mission of the Illinois State Library to provide state government officials and employees with the information they need to make informed decisions as well as to develop and promote libraries in order to enrich the quality of life for the people of Illinois.

Inherent in this mission is the State Library's advocacy of the right of Illinois citizens to read and have full access to information.

The mission is accomplished by sharing library resources through the Illinois Library & Information Network.

Major accomplishments during the fiscal year are summarized on the following pages. These initiatives expanded library services to state government and the citizens of Illinois.

Bridget L. Lament, Director
Illinois State Library


Promoting libraries and reading

Family Reading Night: For the annual statewide bilingual public relations campaign that encourages families to read together, nearly 3 million posters, bookmarks, brochures and stickers were distributed to libraries, schools and literacy programs for Family Reading Night on Thursday, November 20, 1997. Using the theme, "Read Together, Grow Together," the work of Illinois artist Jeff Camehl was again featured on the materials that encourage families to experience the pleasure of reading. Additionally, packets of books were distributed through hospitals to the parents of children born on Family Reading Night.

Illinois Authors Literary Weekend: The third annual Illinois Authors Literary Weekend was held October 24-25, 1997, at the Illinois State Library. Co-sponsored by the Illinois Center for the Book, the event honored 60 Illinois authors of all literary genres and their contributions to Illinois' rich literary heritage. Featured authors included Chicago mystery writer Sara Paretsky and young adult author Richard Peck, a Decatur native. Funding was provided by a variety of corporate sponsors and organizations, including major support from Ameritech and the Illinois Humanities Council.

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Telecommunications Discounts: More than 400 Illinois public libraries, library systems and consortia developed technology plans as the first step in applying for telecommunications discounts ("e-rates"). The plans were reviewed and certified by library system and State Library staff members, who also worked with the libraries on their applications for the telecommunications discounts. Although discounts were anticipated prior to June 1998, issues raised about the program on the federal level precluded verification of discounts by the Schools & Libraries Corporation before the end of the fiscal year.

LOOK US UP Radio Public Service Announcements: For the third consecutive year, more than 250 radio stations in Illinois received bi-monthly mailings of 30- and 60-second public service announcements (PSAs) promoting the services and collections of Illinois libraries. The "LOOK US UP at an Illinois Library" PSAs featured local librarians.

Publications: Issues of the children's newsletter, Quest, featured the return of the Volkswagen Beetle, the dark Bridge in Alton and cicadas. More than 70,000 issues of Quest are distributed semi-annually to libraries, schools and individuals. Nine issues of the Illinois State Library newsletter, Insight, were distributed to a mailing list of 10,000 and 4 issues of Illinois Libraries were sent to 5,800 readers. More than 30 articles were submitted by librarians for a special report on the impact of the Library Services & Construction Act on Illinois library service. A small 3-fold flyer, Illinois Advocacy Now!, was distributed statewide to tout the impact of all types of libraries. A major bibliography on Illinois fiction, edited by Thomas Kilpatrick, was distributed as part of the Illinois State Library Special Report Series.

Press Releases: More than 30 announcement pertaining to library issues were distributed to media outlets statewide.

Grants: The number of grants awarded in FY98 and processed by Administrative Services staff, increased from 9,249 in FY97 to 15,433 in FY98—a 67 percent increase.

Legislation: Key pieces of legislation passed by the General Assembly and supported by the Illinois State Library and the library and literacy community statewide covered Internet access to Illinois legislative information and workplace literacy for prospective employees.

Awards:

• In June 1998, State Library Director Bridget Lament accepted the John Cotton Dana Award at the American Library Association annual conference for the library's 1997 Family Reading Night public relations campaign.

• Illinois State Library awards in the American Library Association's "Best of Show" program were:

• Family Reading Night bookmark and brochure in Spanish: honorable mention in the diversity category.

• Quest reading newsletter for children: honorable mention in the reading materials/special program category.

• For the fourth consecutive year. Director Bridget L. Lamont and Stan Adams were presented with the Francis Keppel Award from the National Commission on Libraries and Information Sciences. The award recognized submitting prompt, complete and high quality public library data.

Web Site: The Illinois State Library Web site was used throughout the year to showcase new services and provide up-to-date information about library programs.

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Illinois Author Visits: Illinois young adult fiction writer James Bennett received an Illinois State Library grant to travel to libraries and library systems to stimulate interest in reading and answer questions. "Author Talks" began at the Chicago Public Library and continued at various sites in Illinois throughout the school year.

William Maxwell Exhibit: An exhibit about award-winning editor and fiction writer William Maxwell was on display in November 1997. Maxwell, one of 35 Illinois authors whose name is etched on the Illinois State Library frieze, is a native of Lincoln, Illinois and best known as the fiction editor of the New Yorker magazine.

Special Visitors:

• International visitors representing Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, El Salvador, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia and other countries toured the Illinois State Library and met with library staff.

• Winston Douglas, a retired administrator of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

• John Y. Cole, director of the Library of Congress/Center for the Book, a participant in the Illinois Authors Literary Weekend.

• Bob Willard, Lincoln scholar and acting executive director of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science.

CHOICES for the 21st Century: Coordinated by the Illinois State Library and the Illinois Humanities Council, 12 public libraries hosted public policy discussion programs that brought citizens together to consider our nation's future.

Statewide Recognition of Outstanding Librarians:

• During Black History Month, Secretary of State George H. Ryan awarded the African-American Outstanding Librarian Award to Estelle M. Black, assistant executive director of the Rockford Public Library. Maude Johnson, director of the William Leonard Public Library District in Robbins, received the Community Service Award for outstanding professionalism and dedication to quality service.

• During Hispanic Heritage Month in September 1998, Frank Varela, manager of the Humboldt Park Branch of the Chicago Public Library, was honored by Secretary Ryan with the Bilingual/Latino Librarian Award.

• Recognized as outstanding Asian-American librarians during Asian-American Heritage Month in May were Charlotte Chung-Sook Kim, associate commissioner of Neighborhood Services/Chicago Public Library and Limin Zhang from the Daley Branch of the Chicago Public Library.

Illinois State Fair: Families walked away from the Illinois State Fair in Springfield in August 1997 with books they had checked out from a "mini library." Co-sponsored with Springfield's Lincoln Library, the mini-library provided families with an inviting place to cool down, relax and read a good book before heading back out to the crowds and heat.

Improving library services statewide


Educate & Automate Grants: In its first complete year, an overwhelming number of applications were submitted for Educate & Automate technology grants:

• Workstations and printers — 531 applications requesting more than $3.5 million

• Telecommunications/networking solutions — 295 applications for more than $530,000

• Fast start program — 512 applications for more than $5.4 million

• Digitizing collections — 46 applications for nearly $1.5 million

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Following review by ISL staff and librarians in the field, nearly $3.5 million was awarded for 222 workstation & printer projects; 87 telecommunications projects; 17 digitizing projects; and 506 Fast Start projects. An example of the types of project funded included a grant to the University of Illinois to make many aerial photographs of Illinois available on the Internet. The photographs, taken by the U.S. Agriculture Department since the 1930s, reduces the need for handling the deteriorating originals and makes the photographs available to a much wider audience.

School Library Summit: A summit meeting, convened by Secretary of State George Ryan, was held in March 1998 to identify and address the issues facing school libraries. Keith Lance, the featured speaker from the Colorado State Library, discussed research that shows a direct correlation between the resources given to a district's school library media program and the scores students achieve on standardized tests. Summit participants discussed solutions for making school libraries stronger.

Videoconferences: In the 6th year of the statewide distance learning continuing education initiative, five videoconferences were beamed via satellite to librarians and trustees. Each videoconference was available at more than two dozen downlink sites throughout Illinois. In addition, videotaped copies were distributed to the library systems. Since the first broadcast in November 1992, more than 10,000 people have attended the programs. FY98 topics included:

• Planning for Results: Building Blocks for Long Term Dividends (LSTA planning; public library planning; and technology plans) — September 1997

• Strengthening Your Strategy: Advanced Techniques for Reference on the Internet — November 1997. A record number of viewers tuned in including viewers in Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Texas, Michigan, Kansas and Wisconsin.

• What Reference Practitioners Should Know about Copyright and the Web — February 1998

• The Road Less Traveled: The Americans with Disabilities Act — March 1998

• Doorway to Excellence: Third Annual Trustee Videoconference — May 1998.

Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants: $13,354,326 was awarded to 618 public libraries for library services. As part of the application process, libraries reviewed Serving Our Public: Standards for Illinois Public Libraries and reported on partnerships and cooperative relations with community organizations and agencies.

School Library Grants: 750 school districts received $1,344,248 in grants on a per student basis, impacting 1,792,020 students, to provide funding for computer software, telecommunications, electronic access, books and CD-ROMs to help school libraries meet the needs of the students. This unique grant program, the first of its kind in the nation, provided $.75 per student for qualifying schools in FY98.

Live & Learn Construction Grants: In September 1997, 50 construction projects received $2.7 million in Live & Learn state construction grants. For the first time, the construction grant program included "mini-grants" of up to $35,000 for smaller projects for public libraries in low-income areas. In spring 1998, 49 additional libraries received grants, totaling nearly $3.4 million. These grants included:

• 26 mini-grants ($760,000)

• 6 mini-accessibility grants ($166,000)

• 4 accessibility grants ($117,000)

• 3 new construction grants ($750,000)

• 4 grants for additions ($720,000)

• 2 grants for building conversions ($500,000)

• 4 grants for remodeling ($346,000)

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Since the program's inception in FY94, more than $26 million has been awarded, with the construction projects creating more than 6,200 jobs.

Services to the Visually & Physically Impaired: State grants to the Illinois Regional Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped, subregional Talking Book Centers and Radio Information Services exceeded $2.7 million.

Dive into Summer with Talking Books: An exciting reading program for children in the Talking Books program for the visually and physically impaired was launched by the Illinois State Library and the Illinois Regional Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped, echoing the Illinois Library Association's statewide summer reading theme, "Dive into Books."

Ford Heights Public Library District: Secretary of State George H. Ryan joined Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. at the reopening of the Ford Heights Public Library District in Chicago's south suburbs. The library, housed in Cottage Grove Middle School, received a $45,000 grant from the Illinois State Library to open after school and on Saturdays.

Newsline Network: The State Library provided a full-year's access for visually impaired individuals to the national Newsline Network, which features full-text, digitized voice readings of daily newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, New York Times and USA Today. Using touch-tone telephones, visually impaired citizens access full-text voice synthesized newspapers throughout the state, enabling people with disabilities to get relevant and up-to-date information on demand. The number of registrants for the newspaper service approached the 3,000 mark, and Illinois has the distinction of having 11 of the 31 national Newsline centers.

Small Public Library Management Institute: Library directors from 45 of Illinois' smaller public libraries took part in the fifth annual Small Public Library Management Institute in June at Western Illinois University. The institute addressed customer service, library budgeting, technology, law, board/director relations and how to involve city officials in the library community.

Institute for Introductory Librarianship: The third annual institute, held at Bradley University in late July 1997, provided an intense week-long training workshop for 51 librarians, training them in basic library skills. This continuing education program focuses on similarities between school and public libraries, promotes partnerships and encourages librarians with little or no formal library education to enhance their library and information literacy skills.

Training Grants: In the summers of 1997 and 1998, Secretary of State George H. Ryan awarded scholarships to 15 graduate students who are pursuing graduate degrees in library science. Grant recipients subsequently work the equivalent of two years in an ILLINET library or at the Illinois State Library.

Library Services & Technology Act: The first grants to Illinois libraries under the new Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) were awarded in spring 1998, with 71 projects receiving $2.8 million. LSTA, the successor to the Library Services & Construction Act, took effect on October 1, 1997. The Illinois State Library's five-year plan was developed with input from the regional library systems, the Illinois State Library Advisory Committee, library users and librarians and trustees statewide.

Library Services & Construction Act grants: Fifty-seven Illinois public libraries received a total of $600,000 in the final phase of the LSCA grant program. Funding was

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used for special reading programs, service to special populations, creating innovative projects and promoting resource sharing.

Diversity: A long-range plan for expanding library services for ethnic minorities in Illinois was approved by the Illinois State Library Advisory Committee. The plan reflects the needs of multitype libraries serving minority populations.

Trustee Education Initiatives: In partnership with the Executive Service Corps of Chicago, two workshops were held in fall 1998 for public library trustees. Expert advice was provided on governance issues and the role of trustees. A Trustee Information Page (TIP) debuted on the Illinois State Library Web site in spring 1998, with substantial information available on issues of concern to library trustees including library legislation.

CD-ROM and Internet Access to Public Library Statistics: Illinois became the first state to make its public library statistics available on CD-ROM through a technology grant from the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. The statistics are available through the ILLINET Web site.

Read for a Lifetime: Planning began for Read for a Lifetime, an exciting new reading program targeting high school students. Students reading a minimum of four books of their choice from a recommended list of current and classic book titles will be recognized with a certificate of accomplishment and a discount coupon for Waldenbooks. More than 250 schools have signed up to participate in the promotional effort.

Promoting networking and technology

Library System Grants: State grants totaling $19.7 million provided basic operating funding for the 12 regional library systems. These funds are awarded annually based on acceptance of the library system's annual Plan of Service, which describes the system's activities to address standards in automation & technology, bibliographic access, consulting, continuing education, delivery, interlibrary loan, reciprocal access and reference.

Live & Learn Technology: Nearly $2 million was awarded to support implementation of technology infrastructure improvements that directly benefit member libraries. Priority areas included adding new collections to the library system databases; design studies for telecommunications networking; upgrades to networking equipment; equipment grants to ILLINET Online libraries; and WebZ implementation.

Internet Access: State Library staff participated in interagency discussions about the proposed Illinois Century network, a statewide telecommunications network that would link libraries, schools, colleges and universities and state agencies to the Internet. Network design studies were begun at nine of the 12 library systems to describe the existing communications network infrastructure and evaluate possible ways to integrate these networks, either with the proposed Illinois Century Network or other statewide access proposals.

ILLINET/OCLC Services: The 20th anniversary of the collaboration between the Illinois State Library and OCLC was marked in fall 1997. During the 20 years the number of full users in Illinois has increased from 70 to 351, and the OCLC database now provides access to nearly 40 million titles owned by more than 7,000 libraries worldwide. During this 20th anniversary year, the Illinois State Library and OCLC negotiated a new statewide contract that permits ILLINET member libraries with tapeloading

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agreements to reuse OCLC cataloging information within the state. In a pilot project designed to implement this new agreement in a consortial environment. State Library staff an the Lincoln Trail Libraries System (LTLS) have been working together to profile the libraries in the system as either OCLC full users or selective users. All individual library holdings information that appears in the LTLS online circulation system will appear in OCLC WorldCat, the OCLC union catalog, and all LTLS libraries will have access to OCLC interlibrary loan.

ILLINET/OCLC Training: Training was provided to two new OCLC full user institutions and 23 selective user (interlibrary loan only) institutions in FY98. In partnership with the Illinois OCLC Users Group, ILLINET/OCLC Services also held 91 workshops throughout the state, with total attendance of 926. This partnership provides access to staff training on OCLC-related topics at a nominal fee ($10 per workshop) for ILLINET member libraries.

Access to Electronic Databases: For the third consecutive year, the Illinois State Library funded statewide access to 10 OCLC/FirstSearch databases and also announced its commitment to provide funding through FY2000. Use of the grant-funded databases increased by 84 percent over FY97, with a total of 3,182,551 searches performed. Full-text usage increased by 190 percent with a total of 606,579 documents retrieved. This volume resulted in a "per search" cost of less than $.15—about one-fourth of OCLC's best listed price per search. In partnership with the Illinois State Library, the Illinois Board of Higher Education provided $100,000 to provide access to four additional databases by libraries statewide, January through June 1998. These databases included: Contemporary Women's Issues, Dissertation Abstracts, EconLit and Newspaper Abstracts.

Expansion of Videoconferencing Activities: The Illinois State Library videoconference network, connecting the library system headquarters and the State Library, was expanded through the addition of closed captioning capabilities. Funding for improving communication and training capabilities was provided through a special General Revenue Fund appropriation. Additionally grants were awarded to the library systems for costs associated with local installation and monthly telecommunications circuits.

Statewide Delivery Service: With the annual cost of vehicular deliver at about $4 million, the State Library continued to explore ways to keep the delivery service operating economically and efficiently. Several vendors responded to a Request for Information issued by the Illinois State Library, providing information about possible alternatives for improving the statewide delivery structure. Attention is now focused primarily on the statewide Inter-system Library Delivery Service (ILDS) and possible methods to improve delivery times for materials moving across the state.

ILLINET Hotlink: A new communications tool called Hotlink was launched in spring 1998. Hotlink is used to quickly disseminate information to all ILLINET libraries and the library systems with a bright neon color for the newsletter to catch readers' attention. Hotlink information also is posted on the State Library Web site.

Atkinson Symposium: The fifth annual Atkinson Symposium, named after the late Hugh Atkinson, a networking leader and university librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana, was held in November 1997, and served as a think tank and retreat to discuss library networking issues. Bonnie Juergens, director of the AMIGOS library network headquartered in Dallas, was the keynote speaker and invited participants to discuss resource sharing issues and possible solutions.

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WebZ/Electronic Interlibrary Loan Project: The Illinois State Library provided funding and coordinated development efforts as the library systems began implementing a World Wide Web interface that will allow library staff and patrons to research library databases statewide. Using OCLC's SiteSearch WebZ software, Phase I of this project (fall 1998) will provide seamless search access to the shared circulation systems operated by the regional library systems. The Web interface will permit the user to search one or more of these bibliographic databases simultaneously. Phase II (spring 1999) will provide users with the capability to create an electronic interlibrary loan request for items identified in the search. Future developments will add access to circulation information from other individual and consortial circulation systems in Illinois, as well as access to FirstSearch databases and other electronic information resources to create a single electronic point of access for library resources in the state.

Promote improved literacy skills for Illinois citizens

Literacy Council: The Illinois Literacy Council held four meetings to further literacy partnerships with other state agencies and the private sector.

Workplace Literacy: Secretary of State George H. Ryan doubled the funds for workplace literacy grants through the "Making Work Pay" initiative, which will enable businesses to train welfare clients onsite and hire those who successfully complete the training. This grant initiative will begin in FY99.

Domestic Violence: In response to requests, five pilot sites were developed for the "New Chapters" program, which provides literacy services onsite at domestic violence facilities. Secretary Ryan secured $400,000 to expand the program to 15 sites in FY99.

Libraries and Museums: Thirty-two family summer enhancement projects were funded to provide educational opportunities for families, which focused on libraries and museums.

Technology: Five technology pilots were funded to integrate technology into literacy instruction. These projects developed instructional units on topics of interest to adult learners and their families.

Technology for Family Literacy: CD-ROM grants were awarded to 223 libraries and literacy agencies. Grant recipients purchased 12 instructional CD-ROM software packages for use by families. Literacy Office staff trained library and literacy personnel on using the CD-ROMs for parent/child activities and received a manual for students to use with the CD-ROMs. Also included in the package was a reference book on CD-ROMs called "Great Software for Kids & Parents."

Educate & Automate: With full implementation of the Educate & Automate program, the amount of funding awarded for family literacy projects tripled, from $500,000 to $1.5 million.

Labor Union Partnerships: Efforts were undertaken with the AFL-CIO to recruit labor organizations into the GED Business & Labor Partner program. The collaborative effort was very successful in recruiting 59 labor partners.

Chicago Children's Museum: A partnership with the Chicago Children's Museum encouraged Chicago and suburban family literacy programs to take field trips to the museum. The Illinois State Library, the Chicago Children's Museum and the American Library Association collaborated on the development of a Dr. Seuss traveling exhibit for Illinois libraries.

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Workplace Education Providers Group: A meeting was convened for workplace education providers in the northern part of the state. Many providers expressed an interest in reviving this group, which had met several years earlier, and the meetings will continue on a bi-annual basis to discuss common problems and identify solutions.

Illinois Department of Corrections: In partnership with the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), a technology based instruction project at Sheridan Correctional Center was developed. The Literacy Office provided $19,000 in funding for the "Invest Learning" comprehensive software, and IDOC purchased the hardware. The results of the pilot will be used to determine the feasibility of encouraging other literacy projects to use technology.

Evaluation and Program Development: A two-year family literacy evaluation project was completed on outcome-based programming, and the results of the study will guide the grant program in the future.

Family Literacy Story Kits: Story Kits developed for parent/child activities in family literacy programs were field tested and will be used at libraries and literacy programs throughout the state.

Literacy Awards: The "Spotlight on Achievement" program, which recognizes the top 10 literacy students, was expanded to include the top 10 volunteer literacy tutors through a program called "Spotlight on Success."

Workplace Skills Enhancement Workshop: The first Secretary of State Workplace Skills Enhancement Workshop was offered in January 1998, providing a staff development opportunity to workplace education providers and business representatives interested in workforce education. The workshop offered four sessions and a grant information meeting.

Workplace Education Training Institute: In its ongoing partnership with the Workplace Education Division of THE CENTER, the Literacy Office offered the fifth and sixth cycles of the Workplace Education Training Institute to workforce educational providers throughout the state. To date, 63 individuals have participated in the Workplace Education Training Institute.

Family Education Institute: For the second year, partners in family literacy grant projects had four opportunities to attend the Family Education Institute to learn how to develop parent/child activities, evaluate their activities and leam program development skills.

Job Skills CD-ROM: A CD-ROM on job skills for lower-level readers, those entering the workplace for the first time, and clients moving from welfare to work, was developed by the Literacy Office.

Web Site: The Literacy Office maintained its Web site with links to various national government agencies as well as national associations of interest to our common clients and projects. The office also facilitates discussion lists on topics of interest to literacy providers and students.

Workplace Literacy Grants: In FY98, 57 businesses received $488,802 in workplace literacy grants, matched by nearly $1.7 million from the businesses. These workplace literacy programs served 2,528 employees who received assessment and/or instruction in basic skills or English as a Second Language.

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Family Literacy Grants: 38 family literacy grants were funded with $440,530 in Live & Learn funds and $697,655 in Educate & Automate funds. Nearly 2,900 individuals participated in these family literacy projects.

Community Provider Literacy Grants: The community/volunteer program provided direct service to adults reading below the 9th grade level, including classes in English as a Second Language and in correctional settings. Grants of $4.8 million were awarded to 107 agencies statewide. Year-end statistics showed that 28,014 students were served by 12,702 volunteers.

Statistics and Reporting: A new data-collection system was initiated during FY98 as a joint project with the Illinois State Board of Education/Business and Family Partnerships division.

Provide expanded access to information for state government officials and employees

Preparations for the New ILLINET Online Platform: Preparations by the Illinois State Library and the other 44 ILCSO libraries continued throughout the year for a new automated system to replace the software and hardware used for ILLINET Online. The new system, purchased from Data Research Associates, will support a full-range of administrative operational functions and greatly enhance research capabilities. The new platform for ILLINET Online will be operational in August 1998. The new automated system will be the culmination of four years of working on maintenance projects, retraining staff and rethinking what we do.

Institute of Museum and Library Services: A grant application was submitted to the Institute of Museum and Library Services for archiving electronic documents and increasing access to government information. Included in the application is digital access to the Illinois Blue Book, 1902-present.

Expanded Internet Access and Electronic Resources: During the year, increased access to electronic information for the public resulted in increased traffic in the Reference Room. Internet/electronic resources workshops for groups of state employees were held.

INFORM Survey: A survey was sent to INFORM subscribers to update patron information, such as addresses and telephone numbers, as well as delete patron files for former subscribers who have left state employment. From a high of 320, the INFORM subscriber list has been reduced to 287, but applications are processed on a continuous basis in this popular program. The goal was, and remains, providing the best possible service for state employees in this current awareness program. The survey also added information to patron files, such as e-mail addresses and Web access for possible delivery in the future.

Reference Room Policies and Guidelines: In an effort to offer a safe, comfortable and suitable environment for all State Library users, a general statement on policies and guidelines was prepared for the use of the public services area. The statement provides specific guidelines for use of library computer equipment and electronic networks as well as standards of acceptable behavior within the library.

Patent & Trademark Library: During the fiscal year, the Patent and Trademark Depository Library researchers were awarded an average of two patents each month.

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State Archives Cataloging Project: The project concluded in December 1997. As a result of the project, more than 2,400 additional titles were cataloged by the State Library staff and added to the OCLC database. The records, which supplement information at the State Library on state officials and state agencies, will be invaluable to scholars, political scientists, historians and genealogists. This material, available in a bibliographic format for the first time, can be accessed via the Internet.

Special Acquisitions: Noteworthy additions to State Library's collections included photocopies of 13 Illinois mid-19th century land ownership maps from the British Library. The county maps name settlers and show roads, town boundaries, streams and other important landmarks.

The Illinois Authors Collection: Proceeds from the annual Illinois Authors Book Fair and donations from authors help support the library's Illinois Authors Collection. With an emphasis on first editions by the 35 authors whose names appear on the State Library's frieze, the collection also focuses on works by contemporary authors, many of whom participate in book signings and workshops at the book fair. The collection ranges from works of early Illinoisan Chief Black Hawk to contemporary mystery writer Sara Paretsky. Examples of the 675 additions to the collection during the year include:

Native Son, by Richard Wright. A 1941 first edition biography of a young African-American man and his struggle with justice.

The Haunted Computer and the Android Pope, by Ray Bradbury. The master of the fantastic and celebrator of the familiar recreates the radiant world of Bradbury in verse (An Illinois Authors first edition).

Statewide Interlibrary Loan Conference; A capacity crowd of 224 library professionals attended the State Library's first Interlibrary Loan Conference, which covered new OCLC initiatives, delivery, Aril, WebZ, grant opportunities and statewide statistics. The conference provided the opportunity to discuss universal issues and increase awareness about the potential of the latest electronic resources in advancing information access.

Vendacards: A coin-op system was installed in the Reference Room for library users' convenience and is another step in enhanced services to library patrons.

Illinois Initiative II: "Building Our Documents Community" was the theme of the federal documents conference held on October 29, 1997, at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield. The conference focused on the developing statewide federal documents "help directory" on the Secretary of State's Web site and grant proposals for federal document libraries.

Preservation of County Atlases: With the preservation of an additional 100 19th- and 20th-century county plat books in FY97 and FY98, the circulating collection of about 700 volumes of pre-1920 original atlases is nearly completely preserved.

Survey of Academic Geography Departments: The Illinois State Library conducted a survey of geography departments at Illinois universities and colleges to find out if college interns are available to work at the State Library with the map collection. Follow-up is underway with departments that indicated an interest in an internship program with the State Library.

Map Inventories: Two inventories of map collection holdings were updated and republished, covering large-scale topographic quadrangles of Illinois and historical topographic quadrangles of Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin. A

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third map inventory—a checklist of the Illinois Department of Transportation's county highway and county traffic maps in the State Library collection—was published for the first time. Inventories are available upon request.

Map User Survey: The survey of Map Room patrons during a six-week period indicated who uses the collection, which maps are most heavily used and how users value the collection and services.

FY98 BUDGET

STATE GRANTS:

Research & Reference

$ 1,514,117
Family Literacy $ 1,500,000
Community-Based Literacy $ 5,000,000

School Library

$ 1,425,000

Public Library Per Capita

$ 13,004,327

Library Service to the Blind & Physically Handicapped

$ 2,727,136

Educate & Automate Technology

$ 4,000,000

SUBTOTAL

$ 57,350,493

LIBRARY OPERATIONS:

$ 5,607,960

FEDERAL GRANTS:

$ 9,477,858

TOTAL:

$ 72,436,311

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