Illinois
Libraries

Jesse White Secretary of State and State Librarian Jean E. Wilkins Director, Illinois State Library Kathleen L. Bloomberg Editor Kristie Metrow Assistant Editor Editorial Policy ILLINOIS LIBRARIES is the official journal of the Illinois State Library. The purpose of ILLINOIS LIBRARIES is to disseminate articles of general interest to library staff and library governing officials in Illinois who represent all types of libraries and library consortia. Every effort is made to provide a balanced treatment of library-related issues. Articles are solicited that will address the interests of the publication's audience. Individuals are also encouraged to submit unsolicited articles for consideration. Articles are not limited to Illinois contributors, and guidelines for manuscript submission are available upon request. ILLINOIS LIBRARIES will not compensate authors for submitted or requested articles. The editor and/or the director of the Illinois State Library has the right to reject and/or edit articles before printing. Edited manuscripts and/or galley-proofs cannot be sent to individuals for approval. Published articles do not necessarily repreent the views of the Illinois State Libraryandthe Office of the Secretary of State. Articles from ILLINOIS LIBRARIES may not be reprinted without prior written permission of the Illinois State Library. Reprint of an article should include a credit to ILLINOIS LIBRARIES. For permission, contact Editor, ILLINOIS LIBRARIES, Illinois State Library, 300 South Second Street, Room 502, Springfield, IL 62701-1796. Telephone: (217) 785-0052. Internet; kbloomb@library.sos.state.il.us No advertisements are allowed in ILLINOIS LIBRARIES. Forms and other tear out sheets cannot be placed in ILLINOIS LIBRARIES due to postal regulations. ILLINOIS LIBRARIES is free of charge. Back issues, if available, are also free of charge. ILLINOIS LIBRARIES (ISSN 0019-2104; OCLC 1752654); publishes four issues yearly. (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) Published by the Illinois State Library, Room 502, Springfield, IL 62701-1796, Periodical postage paid at Springfield, IL. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ILLINOIS LIBRARIES, Illinois State Library, 300 S. Second Street, Springfield, IL 62701 1746.

Spring 1999      Springfield, Illinois         Vol. 81 No. 2 Table of Contents Library-Based GIS Initiative at the Illinois Institute of Technology ..........................................................Alison Atkins    67 Deconstructing the Carnegie Libraries: The Sociological Reasons Behind Carnegie's Millions to Public Libraries ...........................................................Michael Lorenzen    75 Questions and Answers on Library Law: The Freedom of Information Act, Part 3 ....................Scott Uhler, Janet Petsche and Rinda Allison   79 Hiring Students with Disabilities in the Academic Library ............................Marcia A. Dick and Dorothy E. Jones    83 Assistive Technology for a Community College Library ..............................Sangeeta Kumar   88 The Illinois State Library: 1870-1920 ..........................Mark Sorensen    94 Benchmarks for the Future ..............Sean O'Hanlon and Ann Phillips   99 Pamphlets in Medical Libraries ........................James Timothy Struck     104 Our Multicultural Neighborhood ..............................Debra Wordinger       109 Jump Start: Outreach to Pre-School Caregivers ............Ann Huntting      113 Guidelines for Illinois Libraries Manuscripts       120

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Illinois State Library Advisory Committee 1999

Name	Term Expires
Lydia Acosta Fountaindale Public Library District, Bolingbrook	2000
Ann P. Bishop Graduate Library School, University of Illinois, Urbana	1999
Doris Brown DePaul University, Chicago	1999
Vandella Brown East St. Louis Public Library	2002
Vickie Cook Kaskaskia Community College, Centralia	2002
Mary Dempsey The Chicago Public Library	2002
Eileen Dubin Dekalb	2002
David Dyer Elmhurst	1999
Dale Hoover Danville	2000
Jan Ison Lincoln Trail Libraries System, Champaign	1999
Mary Barb Johnson Lake Forest	1999
Deborah Johnson-Small Illinois Department of Human Services, Springfield	2002
Mary Kay Kickels Palos Hills	2000
Susan Lucco Lewis & Clark Library System, Edwardsville	2002
Robert Plotzke Rolling Prairie Library System, Decatur	1999
Fayne Tharp East St. Louis School District 189	1999
Robert Wedgeworth University of Illinois, Urbana	1999
Mary Wyly Newberry Library, Chicago	2000
Jane Yoder Waukegan Community Unit Schools, District 60	2000
Kathleen Zar University of Chicago	2000

Ex Officio Member
Pamela Gaitskill, President, Illinois Library Association

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Dear Friends,

Jesse White Secretary of State

Dear Friends,

An important role of the Office of the Secretary of State is addressing issues facing the Illinois library community. Grants from my office provide the opportunity to address many of these challenges.

This issue provides an in-depth look at some of the federal grant projects funded through the Office of the Secretary of State and the Illinois State Library. These grants provide an important and effective means of making library services more accessible to the people of Illinois. Whether it is enhanced library service to the disabled or specialized approaches to meeting the needs of immigrants, Illinois libraries are at the forefront in providing exemplary library service.

I applaud the efforts of Illinois librarians and library governing officials in using these grant funds to explore a new way of expanding library service. I urge you to continue these innovative efforts, thereby, getting us closer to meeting the information needs of all Illinois residents.

Sincerely, JESSE WHITE Secretary of State and State Librarian

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Preface

Kathleen L. Bloomberg

Two articles in this issue of Illinois Libraries address library history. The second of a three-part series by Mark Sorensen on the history of the Illinois State Library covers the pivotal years from 1870 to 1920. During this time the General Assembly passed legislation to enable cities, towns and townships to establish public libraries in the state. One of the areas covered in the article is the role of the Illinois Library Extension Commission, a quasi-official part of the Illinois State Library, in organizing free public libraries statewide.

During this same time period, Andrew Carnegie's largesse was helping to build more than 2,000 Carnegie libraries in Illinois, the United States and Europe. Michael Lorenzen's article analyzes the reasons behind Andrew Carnegie's contributions.

Other articles continue our tradition of addressing a variety of topics of interest to the Illinois library community.

As always, contributions to Illinois Libraries are welcomed. Please refer to the Illinois Libraries guidelines printed at the back of the issue and contact me with your ideas.

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