Illinois Heartland Library System

Please comment on proposed IHLS Bylaws Change

Every year, the board appointed nominating committee works hard to craft a strong slate of candidates for IHLS board positions that will be open for the coming fiscal year. When the process is completed, the nominating committee presents a report to the board detailing how the process played out and recommendations for improvement. This year, a recommendation was made that requires revision of board policy. The revision has to do with what consideration should be given to incumbent board member who is running for a second term.

Comments will be accepted thru February 1.

Viewing Parties: Big Talk From Small Libraries

Big Talk From Small Libraries is a free online conference scheduled for February 22 from 8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The conference is aimed at librarians from small libraries; the smaller the better! IHLS is hosting viewing parties at each of our three hubs.

Library Trustees

Libraries owe much to the unpaid volunteers, whether elected or appointed, who serve on their boards. It is worth investing time and money to help them do their jobs better, network with other trustees and get an overview of the power and future of libraries.

Libraries are a Great Return on Investment!

It is wonderful when we can share stories on member libraries on the Libraries in the News page. It is especially great when they are stories like Chatham saving their cardholders $2 million dollars, Edwardsville saving card holders $3 million, and Decatur saving their patrons over $8 million.

Do you want to communicate the library’s value to your community? Try out the new ROI Infographic template on the Resources for Libraries page.

If your library hasn’t already worked on an infographic, give the template a try. If your library is a member of SHARE, contact Joan Bauer (jbauer@illinoisheartland.org) for your 2018 statistics.

Academic librarians, special librarians, and school media specialists, we haven’t forgotten about you! Would you like to see a similar ROI Infographic to communicate to your organization or stakeholders? We have created surveys to help develop an infographic specific to your community. Please help by taking the survey for your library type:

With your help, we can continue to provide high-quality advocacy tools for your organization!

Elevate 2019

Applications are open for Elevate Illinois Libraries Leadership Program that will be held on April 27, 2019, at the Illinois State Library.

Meet with legislators and advocate for libraries!

Be the voice of your library, register today to attend a Legislative Meet-up! Library trustees, directors, and staff from public, school, and academic libraries are encouraged to attend and participate.

OMA Resources

The Illinois Open Meetings Act is a law that all boards must comply with but can lead to confusion. The law can change or a ruling by the Public Access Counselor (PAC) Office of the Illinois Attorney General may interpret an aspect in a new light. Some helpful resources to keep current on the law or to seek guidance from are the Illinois State Library, Illinois Attorney General and the Municipal Minute.