Manley Applauds Investment in School Libraries, Continues Efforts to Support Students

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, is highlighting efforts by the Illinois Secretary of State to ensure that students have access to up-to-date educational materials by investing nearly $1.5 million in public school libraries across Illinois.

“With the many services they provide to students, school libraries play an integral role in our education system,” said Manley. “As technology continues to advance, libraries have become more and more important due to their ability to provide students access to resources that can be otherwise inaccessible for them. I would like to thank the Secretary of State for his work in helping our students have access to materials that will help enhance their educational experience.”

As part of an annual program to ensure that school libraries are being properly funded, the Illinois Secretary of State’s office awarded over a million dollars in grants to school libraries across the state. Two school libraries in Manley’s district are receiving grants totaling over $22,000: Richland School District 88A and Plainfield School District 202. These grants can be used on a number of library services and resources, including books, e-books, audiobooks, periodicals, multilingual materials, technology and programs.

During her time as an elected official, Manley has fought to increase the quality of education students across Illinois receive. In response to efforts across the country to ban iconic books such as Maus over the past few years, she helped pass legislation requiring libraries to develop policies against banning books in order to receive grants from the state. Earlier this year, Manley also supported a bill requiring public schools to offer full-day kindergarten, providing children with the various benefits that having more time in school provides.

“Ensuring that our public education system is well-funded and has all the resources that kids need is essential to the future of our state,” said Manley. “Children deserve every opportunity to succeed academically and put themselves on a path to achieve their short- and long-term goals. While we have made progress towards that over the past few years, I know that there is still more that needs to be done, and I look forward to working with local school districts and others to ensure that all children get a quality education.”