Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has awarded $752,835 in “Back to Books” grants to 187 Illinois libraries for fiction and nonfiction books. Awards ranged from $465 to $4,900 per library and were made possible by federal Library Services and Technology Act funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Spokesperson for the SOS Henry Haupt says these grants help a library continue to provide their services at no cost or almost no cost to the public.

Bill Pixley with C.E. Brehm Memorial Public Library in Mt. Vernon says the grant money will go towards improving a few different aspects of the library.

Libraries submitted applications specifying the types of books that were needed then the grants were awarded to help diversify collections of books across a wide range of subjects and genres.

You can see what amount and which libraries in Illinois were awarded money here, Back To Books Awarded List.