The Illinois Secretary of State’s office is awarding nearly $20 million in grant funding to hundreds of libraries across the state.
Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias says 639 public libraries statewide will receive nearly $18 million in per-capita grants. Funding amounts were calculated according to a statutory formula based on the population of each community.
News of the grants comes amid federal cuts to library budgets nationwide. In March, the Trump administration signed an executive order to eliminate and defund the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which issues $180 million annually to libraries nationwide. Illinois receives nearly $6 million annually – the sixth highest amount of any state.
Libraries in southern Illinois receiving a portion of the funding include those in Carbondale, Marion, Carterville, Murphysboro, Mt. Vernon, Benton and Anna.
