Section 3035.115  Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants

a)         To be eligible for a per capita grant, a public library shall show that it will either meet or show progress toward meeting Serving Our Public 4.0:  Standards for Illinois Public Libraries (2019) (produced by the Illinois Library Association, 33 West Grand Avenue, Suite 401, Chicago IL 60654-6799). The material incorporated by reference includes no later amendments or editions. A grant applicant must raise or improve its performance levels in relation to the standards, when those levels are below the standards, according to objectives, time frames, and priorities the library shall state in its application for a grant, and that it shall also state are consistent with the terms of the plan of service of the system of which it is a member.  (See Section 8.1(1) of the Illinois Library System Act [75 ILCS 10].) The applying library must be in good standing and meet the criteria of a "full member library" or a "developmental member library" as defined in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 3030.110.

b)         Application for annual equalization grants and per capita grants to public libraries shall be made each year.  (Section 8 of the Act)  Whenever an applicant library reports any changes in the population count for the eligible service area population, then the applicant library shall submit with the grant application the appropriate supporting legal documentation for the population count change.  The Illinois State Library shall validate the eligible service area population of a public library using the latest census of population of Illinois, or a municipality or parts of a municipality, as prepared and submitted to the Secretary of State's Index Department by the federal government and certified by the Secretary of State in accord with the application deadline date established by the Illinois State Library.

c)         For a public library to qualify for a per capita grant, it must be a member of a library system and not under suspension.  The application shall show that grant funds will be used to meet or make progress in meeting Illinois library standards cited in subsection (a). 

d)         A public library that receives a per capita grant and or equalization aid and contracts for service with another public library must, within 30 days after receipt of the grant funds, remit the entire amount to the public library that provides the service.

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 6614, effective April 7, 2022)