A brief description of our public body is as follows:

• Our purpose is to provide materials and services for the recreational, social, informational, and educational needs of the community.

• An organizational chart is within this tab in the policy section of our site.

• The total amount of our operating budget for 2026-2027 is approx. $811,806.00

• Funding sources are property and personal property replacement taxes, state and federal grants, fines, charges, and donations.

• The office is located at this address: 515 N. First St., Peotone, IL 60468.

• We have approximately the following number of persons employed

  • Full-time: 2

  • Part-time : 13

• The following organization exercises control over our policies and procedures: The Peotone Public Library Board of Library Trustees, which meets monthly on the 3rd Thursday of each month 6:30p.m., at the library.

• Its members are Margaret Horne, President; Bonnie Patek, Vice-President; Susan Chisausky, Treasurer; Becca Markus, Secretary; Jean Oliver, Sarah Dascenzo, and Mary Jane Carlson.

• We are required to report and be answerable for our operations to:

  • Illinois State Library, Springfield, Illinois. Its members are: State Librarian, Jesse White (Secretary of State); Director of State Library, Greg McCormick; and various other staff.

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

  • Use a request form or directly email the FOIA officer, the Library Director.  

  • Your request should be directed to the following individual:  Sarah Ehlers (sbehlers@peotonelibrary.org) – FOIA Officer.

  • You must indicate whether you have a “commercial purpose” in your request.

  • 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.

• To reimburse us our actual costs for reproducing and certifying (if requested) the records, you may be charged the following fees:

  • There is a $1.00 charge for each certification of records.

  • There is no charge for the first fifty (50) pages of black and white text either letter or legal size;

  • There is a $.15 per page charge for copied records in excess of 50 pages;

  • The actual copying cost of color copies and other sized copies will be charged.

• If the records are kept in electronic format, you may request a specific format and if feasible, they will be so provided, but if not, they will be provided either in the electronic format in which they are kept (and you would be required to pay the actual cost of the medium only, i.e. disc, diskette, tape, etc.) or in paper as you select.

• The office will respond to a written request within five (5) working days or sooner if possible. An extension of an additional five (5) working days may be necessary to properly respond.

• Records may be inspected or copied. If inspected, an employee must be present throughout the inspection.

• The place and times where the records will be available are as follows:

  • Monday-Thursday, 9:30a.m. to 7p.m; Friday 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

  • Peotone Public Library, Administrative Offices

• 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:

  • Monthly Financial Statements

  • Annual Receipts and Disbursements Reports

  • Budget and Appropriation Ordinances

  • Levy Ordinances

  • Operating Budgets

  • Annual Audits

  • Minutes of the Board of Library Trustees

  • Library Policies, including Materials Selection

  • Adopted Ordinances and Resolutions of the Board

  • Annual Reports to the Illinois State Library