WATSEKA PUBLIC LIBRARY
I. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF OUR PUBLIC BODY IS AS FOLLOWS:
A. A short summary of our purpose is:
To provide library service to the residents of the City of Watseka
B. We are a municipal library, a municipal (or city) library is a semi-autonomous public library created and supported by a city, village, or incorporated town. Governed under the Illinois Local Library Act, these libraries operate independently from the municipality’s day-to-day administrative departments and are overseen by an appointed board of trustees.
Key operational and legal characteristics of a municipal library in Illinois include:
- Establishment: They are created by the “corporate authorities” (the mayor and city council, or village board) of a municipality.
- Governance: Municipal libraries are legally managed by a board of 9 library trustees, who are appointed by the mayor or village president and approved by the city council.
- Funding & Autonomy: The municipality levies property taxes specifically for the library fund. While funded by the municipality, the library board retains exclusive control over its expenditures, library property, and the hiring of library staff.
- Municipal libraries differ from public library districts, which are independent units of government that span across multiple townships, municipalities, or counties and set their own distinct taxing boundaries.
C. The total amount of our operating budget for this fiscal year is $411,214
D. We have our only office located at 201 S. 4th Street, Watseka, IL 60970
G. We are required to report and be answerable for our operations to:
The various state offices that supervise library activities, especially the Illinois State Library
II. YOU MAY REQUEST THE INFORMATION AND RECORDS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER:
The Primary FOIA Officer is: Darcy Wallace, Library Director
Designated Mailing Address: 201 S. 4th Street, Watseka, IL 60970
Designated email Address: watsekadirector@gmail.com
All FOIA requests must be submitted in writing. You must specify the records requested to be disclosed (and copied).
To reimburse us our actual costs for reproducing the records, you will be charged the following fees:
- $.25 per page if our employee copies the record.
- $.10 per page if an individual requesting records makes black and white copies using our equipment.
- $.25 per page if an individual requesting records makes color copies using our equipment.
- There is no charge for emailed information.
The times and places where the records will be available are as follows:
At the Library from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday thru Friday, all copies must be completed within regular business hours. The library has 5 business days to provide the information.
III. CERTAIN TYPES OF INFORMATION MAINTAINED BY US ARE EXEMPT FROM INSPECTION AND COPYING. HOWEVER, WE MAKE AVAILABLE THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF RECORDS UNDER OUR CONTROL:
Fiscal Records, Minutes of Meetings of the Board of Trustees, Resolutions, Ordinances, Legal Notices, Insurance information, Policies and Procedures, Correspondence, Training Records and Agreements.
