Springfield-area school libraries working together in Weed and Feed grant         

[OCT. 18, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois State Library has awarded $40,000 to a grant written cooperatively by the librarians from nine central Illinois school media centers and Lincoln Land Community College. The Weed and Feed grant will provide financial support for the replacement of outdated materials in the areas of general knowledge, philosophy and psychology, natural sciences and mathematics, and technology and medicine.

Serving student populations from pre-kindergarten through college undergraduates, the 10 librarians will each evaluate and purchase new materials in collaboration with local staff members. Each library will receive $4,000.

The yearlong networking effort among the librarians in seven Sangamon County public and private schools, one school in Menard County, one school in Macoupin County, and Lincoln Land Community College includes monthly staff development programs, mentoring services and expanded online database training.

All participating libraries are members in good standing of their regional library systems: Chatham Elementary School, Christ the King Elementary School, Lincoln Land Community College, Porta High School, Rochester Elementary, Rochester Middle School, Rochester High School and Williamsville High School in the Decatur-based Rolling Prairie Library System; Girard CUSD in the Edwardsville-based Lewis & Clark Library System; and Pleasant Plains High School in the East Peoria-based Alliance Library System.

[News release]