FOIA

Access to Library District’s Public Records

A brief description of our public body is as follows:

1. Our purpose is to provide materials and services for the recreational, social, informational, and educational needs of the community.
2. The total amount of our operating budget for FY18 is $1,440,345.
3. Funding sources are property and personal property replacement taxes, state and federal grants, fines, charges, and donations. Tax levies are:
   1. Corporate purposes (for general operating expenditures)
   2. Social Security (provides for employee’s FICA costs and related expenses)
   3. Audit (for annual audit and related expenses)
   4. General Insurance
   5. Debt Service (for bond and interest payments)
4. The office is located at this address: 600 East Spruce Street, Chatham, IL 62629 
5. We have approximately the following number of persons employed:
   1.  Full-time:               7                  
   2.  Part-time:              26
6. The following organization exercises control over our policies and procedures: The Chatham Area Public Library District Board of Library Trustees, which meets monthly on the 3^rd Monday of each month, 7:00 p.m., at the Chatham Area Public Library.  Its members are: Christine Westerlund, President; Michael Roubitchek, Vice President; Leslie Ross, Secretary; Nela Kirk, Treasurer; Susie Fairfield, Chelsey Moore and Dan Holden, trustees.
7. The following organization operates in an advisory capacity regarding our operation: Illinois Heartland Library System.
8.  We are required to report and be answerable for our operations to: Illinois State Library, Springfield, Illinois. Its members are: State Librarian, Jesse White (Secretary of State);The Director of State Library and various other staff.

Administrative Procedure – Access to Library District’s Public Records

The following procedures shall be followed when a person seeks access to information under the provisions of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.).

1. Inspection of Library District Records not excluded from the Illinois Freedom of Information Act will be permitted between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, on the days that the Library District is open for business.
2. Records are inspected at the Library District building, 600 East Spruce Street, Chatham, Illinois.  Records are not to be removed from the building.
3. Requests to inspect Library District records will be submitted in writing to the Library Administrator or designee.  The Library District will either comply with or deny written request for public records within five working days.  Under circumstances specified in Section 3 of the Act, the time for responding may be extended by not more than five working days.
4. Inspection will not be allowed when records are in immediate use by persons exercising official duties that require use of the records.
5. Requests must specify Library District records with reasonable particularity to avoid inefficient use of staff time in retrieving and preparing records for inspection.
6. Should the requested records be classified as exempt but contain information which is not exempt, the Library Administrator or designee shall delete the exempt material and release the remaining information for inspection and copying.
7. The Library Administrator or designee shall be present during inspection or copying of Library District records.
8. Upon Request, copies of the requested Library District public records shall be produced at the time of inspection.  A fee, which is reasonably calculated to reimburse the Library District for the actual costs of reproducing and certifying the public records, may be charged. There is a $1.00 charge for each certification of records. There is no charge for the first fifty (50) pages of black and white text either letter or legal size; There is a $.15 per page charge for copied records in excess of 50 pages; The actual copying cost of color copies and other sized copies will be charged.
9. If the records are kept in electronic format, you may request a specific format and if feasible, they will be so provided, but if not, they will be provided either in the electronic format in which they are kept (and you would be required to pay the actual cost of the medium only, i.e. disc, diskette, tape, etc.) or in paper as you select.

Christine Westerlund 
President, Board of Library Trustees

CHATHAM AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 5 of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/5), the following documents are available for public review and inspection:

Financial Records

General Records