Vernon Area Public Library will use state grant for digital resources

The Vernon Area Public Library District in Lincolnshire will use a $75,150 state grant to help keep up with the cost of e-books and other digital resources, officials said.

The funding is from the Public Library Per Capita Grant program recently announced by Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias.

E-books can cost libraries up to six times more than they cost individual consumers, and library e-book licenses often expire after a set period of time or number of checkouts. The funding will help insulate patrons from extra costs, said Director Anne Rasmussen.

The grant equates to just under $1.50 per person and can be used for a variety of library operational needs, community programming or facility improvements. A separate request from VAPLD for $100,000 through the Illinois Library Security and Construction Grant program was not successful.