Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Policy

 

I . A brief description of our public body is as follows:

  1. Our purpose is to provide materials and services for the recreational, social, informational, and educational needs of the community.
  2. An organizational chart is listed at https://www.normalpl.org/trustees
  3. Our elected board of trustees are listed at https://www.normalpl.org/trustees
  4. The total amount of our operating budget is listed in the regular meeting packets at https://www.normalpl.org/trustees
  5. Funding sources are property taxes, state replacement taxes, state and federal grants, fees, charges, and donations. Current year tax levy for the library is listed at https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/919/Tax-Computation-Reports
  6. The Library is located at 206 W. College Avenue, Normal, IL, 61761.
  7. We have approximately the following number of persons employed:
    1. 1. Full-time: 23
    2. Part-time: 48
  8. Control over our policies and procedures is exercised by Normal Public Library Board of Trustees which meets monthly on the third Wednesday, at 6:00 PM, in the Board Room of Normal Public Library at 206 W. College Avenue, Normal, IL. The officers of the Library Board of Trustees are listed at https://www.normalpl.org/trustees
  9. We are required to report and to be answerable for our operations to the Illinois State Library, Springfield, Illinois. Its members are State Librarian, Alexi Giannoulias (Secretary of State); Director of State Library, Greg McCormick; and various other staff. We report budgetary information to the Town of Normal.
  10. The following organization operates in an advisory capacity 
    1. RAILS Library System, https://railslibraries.org/

 

II. You may request the information and the records available to the public in the following manner:

  1. Use the request form (url below) or email the FOIA office at foia@normalpl.org.
  2. Your request should be directed to John Fischer, FOIA officer.
  3. You must indicate whether you have a commercial purpose in your request.
  4. You must specify the records requested to be disclosed for inspection or to be copied. If you desire that any records be certified, you must specify which ones.
  5. To reimburse us our actual costs for reproducing and certifying (if requested) the records, you will be charged the following fees:
    1. There is a $1.00 charge for each certification of records.
    2. There is no charge for the first fifty (50) pages of black and white text either letter or legal size;
    3. There is a $.15 per page charge for copied records in excess of 50 pages;
    4. The actual cost of copying color copies and other sized copies will be charged.
  6. If the records are kept in electronic format, you may request a specific format and if feasible, they will be provided so, but if not, they will be provided either in the electronic format in which they are kept or in print as you select.
  7. Records may be inspected or copied. If inspected, an employee must be present throughout the inspection.

 

III. Certain types of information maintained by us are exempt from inspection and copying. However, the following types or categories of records are maintained under our control:

  1. Monthly Financial Statements
  2. Monthly Receipts and Disbursement Reports
  3. Operating Budgets
  4. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, Committees
  5. Library Policies, including Materials Selection
  6. Adopted Ordinances and Resolutions of the Board
  7. Monthly and Annual Statistical Reports

 

Request form available from

https://www.normalpl.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/foia_request_form.pdf

 

Approved by Board of Trustees of Normal Public Library on April 28, 2021; Amended February 15, 2023; Amended March 20, 2024; June 18, 2025.

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