West Chicago library receives "Back to Books" grant

The West Chicago Public Library District was recently awarded a “Back to Books” grant in the amount of $3,500 from the Illinois State Library. These monies will be used to purchase books in the areas of computer instruction and health information in both English and Spanish.

The West Chicago Public Library offers a broad consumer health collection which can rapidly become outdated as advances in healthcare translate to revolutionary changes in diagnosis and treatment options. Similarly, the Library's collection also includes a broad range of computer instruction materials to help patrons become and remain digitally literate and engaged in the 21st century. This collection, too, is constantly evolving with rapid technological advances and new software development.

Acknowledging that these two subject areas require constant updating to remain current, Adult Services Manager Benjamin Weseloh said that, “The Back to Books grant funds will enable us to serve our patrons better by providing significant improvements to the health and computer collections."

“Our libraries perform so many essential tasks, but at their core what our libraries do best is make books and other materials available to patrons,” said Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White in announcing the recipients of the more than $1 million in grants. “I am pleased to be able to award these grants that will allow library users to be better educated and entertained.”

The Library is one of 230 Illinois libraries to receive this award, with grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 per library. These grant awards were made possible by a combination of funds from the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services and state of Illinois library funds.