Fox River Valley Libraries receive CARES Act support
Like all businesses and organizations, the Fox River Valley Public Library District incurred unexpected expenses in 2020 for needs caused by the arrival of the coronavirus.
So when Library Director Lauren Rosenthal learned that the Kane County CARES Act Allocation Committee was distributing funds to special districts such as townships, park districts and forest preserves, but not libraries, she pled the case to the CARES Act Allocation Committee that library districts be included.
The Kane County Board authorized $250,000 in CARES Act funds for the 11 library districts in Kane County.
The U.S. Department of Treasury allocated $92,900,218 of Coronavirus Relief Funds to Kane County under the CARES Act to help alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in our communities.
The library district is receiving $48,109.27 to cover expenses already incurred, such as:
• Supplies for curbside summer meal pick up like ice packs, coolers and a refrigerator which allowed the library to distribute more than 12,000 free boxed meals to children. Meals were paid for by the Summer Food Service Program, a federally funded program managed by the USDA and operated by the Illinois State Board of Education in conjunction with the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
• 50 additional Wi-Fi hot spots to facilitate students' distance learning and two outdoor Wi-Fi antennas to improve wireless access outside the Dundee Library in East Dundee.
• Supplies needed to offer home delivery and curbside pickup of library materials like reflective vests, traffic cones, plastic bags, and signage.
• Plastic bins necessary to quarantine recently returned materials.
• Cleaning supplies necessary to disinfect and clean the libraries to safeguard employees and patrons.
• Masks, gloves, thermometers, hand sanitizer, sneeze guards, and safety guideline signage.
• Professional sanitation services for both library locations.
• Technology such as webcams, a digital platform for its summer reading challenge, and Zoom administrative fees for virtual programming.
The library wishes to acknowledge the library district's representatives on the Kane County Board in appreciation for their recognition of the library's needs.
"Kane County Board member Chris Kious was instrumental in getting this process started," Rosenthal said. "Additionally board members Cliff Surges and Jarett Sanchez, who are also on the Kane County CARES Act Allocation Committee, listened to our request and provided much needed relief for our taxpayers."
"We can now make sure those budget dollars are used to support our patrons with physical and digital materials and resources as well as the services and assistance we provide that are needed now more than ever," Rosenthal said.
The Fox River Valley Public Library District serves 70,000 residents of Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee, Sleepy Hollow, Gilberts, and parts of Algonquin, Elgin, and Barrington Hills.