EIU Media Relations

Eastern Illinois University's Booth Library Recipient of $100,000 Grant

Booth Library at Eastern Illinois University has been awarded a $100,000 Library Services and Technology Act grant for "Art and Architecture in Illinois Libraries, Part II."

The Illinois State Library, a division of the Secretary of State's Office, administers LSTA grants with funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The original Art and Architecture project established a mechanism for collecting data about academic, public and research libraries in Illinois, especially information about public art and artists represented; their buildings and architects, including renovations and new buildings; and digital images related to these areas of the libraries. The project has been well-received by libraries across the state, and data review and processing has been on-going since 2006.

"Art and Architecture in Illinois Libraries, Part II" will allow for completion of this project. A total of 950 libraries within Illinois are to be included in this study.

New funding will provide travel monies for the research team to visit the approximately 350 remaining libraries throughout Illinois. The grant will also provide funds for clerical staff and student research assistants to explore relevant information from newspaper archives and journal backfiles, adding to the richness of the online resource.

Expected outcomes of this project include:

• An electronic database containing information on more than 950 Illinois libraries, featuring, but not limited to, the art in those libraries and the architects of their buildings;
• A resource highlighting the role libraries play as cultural centers in Illinois communities;
• Increased access to information on works of art and their artists, thereby promoting research, especially on Illinois artists, many of them unknown outside their region; and
• Increased exposure, heightened awareness and better understanding of the prevalence of art in Illinois libraries, including the development of local inventories of such collections, and the influence of Illinois architects on regional library design and the look of Illinois communities.

The principal investigator for "Art and Architecture in Illinois Libraries, Part II" is Allen Lanham, dean of Library Services at Booth Library.  Marlene Slough and Nackil Sung, both of the Booth Library faculty, have major roles with the research team.

Booth Library serves the academic community of approximately 12,000 students and 1,800 faculty and staff, in addition to providing services to the citizens of east central Illinois. Booth makes its materials available via interlibrary loan to the entire Illinois population and beyond, and maintains collections of more than one million volumes, 1.3 million microtexts and more than 100 electronic databases.

The library has developed a reputation for quality exhibits and educational public programs and resides in a recently renovated 165,000 square foot facility.