HR1362 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1362 LRB094 20683 HSS 59025 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to recognize milestones in the history of institutions that serve the citizens of this State; and

WHEREAS, The Westchester Public Library is celebrating its 50th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, In 1956, voters approved a dedicated library tax and elected the library's first Board of Trustees; the first meeting of the Board was held on April 2, 1956, at which time the library had 3,759 books; and

WHEREAS, During the first month, there were 1,605 active cards of registered borrowers and 4,450 books borrowed; the building was 3,200 square feet; and

WHEREAS, Today, the library has a substantial collection; it has 84,033 books, 621 e-books, 4,648 audio recordings, 4,140 DVDs, 35 electronic databases, and 276 current subscriptions to publications; there are 10,249 active cards of registered borrowers as of April 30, 2006, and 143,234 items were borrowed in FY 2005-2006; the current library facility is 22,000 square feet, and it is visited by 126,715 persons; and

WHEREAS, The mission of the Westchester Public Library is to promote lifelong learning and enrichment through access to information, services, and a knowledgeable staff in an open environment; it seeks to stimulate the free exchange of ideas and a sense of community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the 50th anniversary of the Westchester Public Library; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Library as an expression of our esteem.