Tinley Park Library Receives Over $83K In Grant For Improvements

TINLEY PARK, IL — Upgrades to services at the Tinley Park Public Library will be coming soon, after it has received a state grant of over $83,000, according to a news release from Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White's office.

White has awarded Fiscal Year 2021 Illinois Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants, totaling $18.1 million to 638 public libraries serving almost 12 million patrons. For more than 40 years, the program has helped public libraries with a low library tax base to ensure a minimum level of funding for library services, the release states.

The Tinley Park Public Library has received $83,636.93, and the Orland Hills Public Library District received $10,544.78. According to the release, libraries will use the grants from the Secretary of State’s office to help fund new services and products, such as audiobooks, adult programming, dual language materials and more.

“Public Act 102-0039 allowed my office to award these grants at $1.475 per capita, an increase from the previous rate of $1.25,” White said. “I am extremely proud of the outstanding service Illinois’public libraries provide to all residents. I truly believe libraries are cornerstones of our communities, and I am pleased to provide this increased funding to help them serve the public.”

Some services public libraries provide with grant money include:
• Large print material for aging patrons
• Books, magazines, newspapers, CDs and DVDs
• Audiobooks and eBooks
• Home visit book delivery service
• New computers, iPads and printers
• Spanish and dual language materials
• Expanded access to online resources
• Adult programming
• Newsletters, postcards and other promotional materials

“The Tinley Park Public Library has served as a learning hub for generations of residents in the South Suburbs and deserves additional investment to uphold that tradition,” Sen. Michael E. Hastings said in a news release. “This funding will give the library the ability to keep pace with other local libraries in an ever changing technological landscape.”

For more information on the grants, visit the Secretary of State’s website.