On Tuesday, 14 December 2010, representatives of the Illinois library community met with Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White to present an action plan for statewide cooperative services, such as delivery and other priorities.  Secretary White agreed to consider awarding an LSTA grant to support the effort and requested that a formal request for funding be submitted to the Illinois State Library by the Illinois Library Association (ILA).

Based on information and resources identified in the Future of Illinois Library Cooperation planning documents, the group requested funding to analyze current delivery needs and prepare a formal RFP/RFI to identify best practices and service models, culminating in an implementation plan to redesign delivery in the most efficient and cost effective manner.  The project will intersect with on-going work of the regional systems and other consortia.

The request for funding will be submitted to the Illinois State Library in December with notification anticipated in early 2011.

Attending the meeting were:
Illinois Secretary of State Chief of Staff Thomas Benigno, Oak Park Public Library Executive Director Deidre Brennan, ILA President Gail Bush; Illinois Secretary of State Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Programs and Policies Terri Coombes, Illinois State Library Director Anne Craig, Chicago Public Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey, Illinois Secretary of State Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff Jacki DiCianni, ILA Executive Director Robert P. Doyle, ILA Legislative Consultant Kip Kolkmeier, Chicago Public Library First Deputy Commissioner Karen Danczak Lyons, and Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White.

Click here to download/view the planning documents for Future of Illinois Library Cooperation.

Bob Doyle has been executive director of the Illinois Library Association since 1996, leading the association from a position of financial uncertainty to financial security while continually improving the association's advocacy efforts, communications, and continuing education vehicles.  Prior to joining ILA, Doyle worked at the American Library Association (ALA) where he created and secured funding for a Fulbright program for librarians and then reestablished American Library Association's International Relations Office.  As a former staff member of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, he has worked since the inception of Banned Books Week to produce the necessary materials and resources to make the event an annual celebration of the "right to read."  He currently serves on the board of the Freedom to Read Foundation and received its highest honor, the Roll of Honor Award, in 2009.  Doyle is the author of Banned Books and editor of the ILA Reporter, as well as a regular contributor to national and international library journals and a frequent speaker at conferences and events.  He has served two terms as a member of ALA Council and been active in the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).  A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Doyle holds an MLS from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  A Milwaukee native, Doyle has lived in Chicago for many years and began his career in librarianship at the Oak Lawn Public Library.

As of November 2010, the roster of Illinois Library Luminaries continues to grow with fifteen illustrious members, all of whom have been honored with at least $1,000 in contributions to the ILA Endowment.  This campaign to honor Illinois library leaders and build the ILA Endowment began in 2008 and has now raised nearly $30,000 in contributions.  Please visit the ILA Web site for more information on how to submit a nomination or add your contributions to current fifteen honorees or make a contribution to honor any of the following nominated outstanding individuals:  Ernest J. Martin, Vandella Brown, John W. Berry, Alphonse F. Trezza, and Sylvia Murphy Williams.  Many thanks to all the generous donors to date!

The new ILA Advocacy Network will focus on providing virtual, online training sessions between January and March to help you make the most of your library's 2011 advocacy efforts.  Mike Grady, ILA's advocacy consultant, will bring examples of how to turn the experiences of your library's Snapshot Day into marketable tools to use with legislators and other decision makers, as well as getting you up to speed on working with the new ILA Advocacy Network.  Send a message with ILA Advocacy Network in the subject line to mgrady@michaelalexanderassociates.com for more information.