HR0971 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0971 LRB094 19774 HSS 56481 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to recognize the Rolling Prairie Library System (RPLS) on the occasion of its 40th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, When RPLS was incorporated in October 1965, it had five charter members, including Decatur Public Library, Friends Creek Township Library in Argenta, Illiopolis Public Library, Marrowbone Township Library in Bethany, and the Vespasian Warner Public Library in Clinton; the first System Director was Elizabeth Edwards, who joined the System in February 1966; today, those five charter members are a part of a System membership that includes 127 members, 9 academic, 46 public, 48 school districts, and 24 special libraries, serving a total of 264 individual library facilities; and

WHEREAS, Early services of the System included bookmobile service, rotating collections, central book ordering and processing, and a film collection; as libraries became more self-sufficient, the services of the System changed to provide consulting services, a wide range of continuing education and training programs, delivery, and an automated circulation system with a database of over 2.6 million library items for 147 libraries; and

WHEREAS, Although library systems were first created to promote and support public libraries, systems soon saw the need to become multi-type, and in 1985 Rolling Prairie welcomed academic, school, and special libraries to its membership with representation on its Board of Directors; and

WHEREAS, Throughout Rolling Prairie Library System's forty years of service, it has had only four directors; Elizabeth Edwards, the original director, began in 1966; Ray Ewick became director in 1972; Robert Plotzke followed in October 1978; and on July 1, 2005, Beverly Obert was named the current Executive Director; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the Rolling Prairie Library System on the occasion of its 40th anniversary; and be it further

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