Regional Library Systems' FY2010 Final Payments

The State of Illinois has authorized the final FY2010 payments to the regional library systems! FY2010 ended on June 30, but the State of Illinois is more than six months behind on payment vouchers to service providers like the regional library systems.

Thank you to everyone who responded to our call for action on the Library web site, in the last Library newsletter, on Facebook and in the print media. It is the contacts from constituents to our Governor and Comptroller that bring about action.

We are awaiting reports from the regional library systems on how long services can be maintained without FY2011 funds being released. Regional library systems support libraries of all types with services like email hosting, shared catalog systems and delivery of materials among libraries. Delivery service is the backbone of interlibrary loan, moving books and other materials efficiently from one library to another and back again. Without delivery service, local libraries like Plainfield will have to make the hard choice to pay for delivery out of local funds (and cutting some other service or program to pay for it) or lose access to quick and effective resource sharing for our community. With already slashed budgets getting tighter locally, you can help us avoid that fiscal conundrum by continuing your efforts in support of funding for the regional library systems.

Contact the Governor and Comptroller today and ask them to release the FY2011 funds for regional library systems!

10 Years at the Plainfield Public Library!

This month marks my ten year anniversary as the Library Director at the Plainfield Public Library. That ten years have held some of my biggest professional challenges and opportunities. When I interviewed for the job in late summer of 2000, the official population of the library district was tallied at 18,882. Today, it's 66,139! During my tenure, the Library has grown to one of the busiest in our area with over 3/4 of a million items circulated last year. Though the expansion referendum failed, the need continues to grow.

While this Library may be a challenge in terms of funding and space, I am honored to work with all of the individuals who care about this Library and community. The fantastic staff meet the needs of the community to the best of their ability every day. The Board of Trustees set the policies, budgets and goals while being mindful to act as good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. The Friends of the Library and Library Foundation volunteer their time and energy in support of the good work the Library does. There are too many others who dedicate themselves to serving our community to list here, but I am grateful for each of them.

Thank you, Plainfield, for ten amazing years! I can't wait to see what the next ten will bring.

What's with Facebook?

The link on the Library's web site that goes to Facebook is not working. Facebook made a change to the Library's account that has not been for the better. It has made posting to the Facebook account more difficult for the administrators, broken that link and the Wall is now showing old posts on the first page. Very strange!

Please be patient as we figure out what was done and how to fix it.