FY2021 Annual Report

Early Voting at LME Library on October 19

Election officials will have a dropbox for mail in ballots during early voting at the library on October 19. However, voters will need to come inside the building to deposit their ballots.

Visit peoriaelections.org for other locations and dates to vote.

Looking for information on the upcoming elections? Here’s some resources for Peoria County and Marshall County voters:

Peoria County Sample Ballot https://www.peoriaelections.org/201/Sample-Ballots

Marshall County Specimen Ballot http://marshallcountyillinois.com/elected-officials/county-clerkrecorder/election/

Find My Elected Officials https://www.elections.il.gov/electionoperations/districtlocator/AddressFinder.aspx

Find My Peoria County Board Member https://peoriacountygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=a710586d1fb942bcbb82492df2c7289e

Marshall County Board Members http://marshallcountyillinois.com/elected-officials/county-board/

Illinois Courts Website http://illinoiscourts.gov

How To Vote In Illinois https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/how-to-vote/illinois/

New video promoting libraries

Just in time for Library Lovers Day, actor Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, Making It, Good Omens) stars in this video, created by Chicago marketing firm Imagination for our library system, RAILS. The Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) wants to celebrate the passion for libraries through The Wizard of the World Wide Web.

The Wizard of the World Wide Web is growing desperate. Can the Internet regain control of the world's knowledge needs when libraries reign supreme? 

More information can be found on My Library Is ... for Library Lovers page at https://www.mylibraryis.org/librarylovers. While there, you can take the Library Lovers Quiz!

A very special thank you to Mr. Offerman for his time, talent, and generosity.

RSAcat Mobile app

Want to access the library’s catalog from your mobile device? You can with the new RSAcat Mobile app!  It available for both Android and Apple devices. The RSAcat Mobile app means accessing our catalog is more convenient than ever. Head to the Apple or Google Play Stores, install the free app, and log in with your LME library card and PIN.  (Don't know your PIN?  Contact us at 385-4540 and we'll reset it for you!)

The much improved app makes it easy to manage your account, search the catalog, renew checkouts, and place holds. You can also scan the ISBN barcode on the back of a book to see if we have a copy, receive notifications for holds or fees, or search for nearby libraries. The RSAcat Mobile app also features improved accessibility for VoiceOver and larger text sizes.

Brand new features include the ability to link multiple accounts and manage them from the app, so that a parent can link their children’s accounts. Patrons can now also pay fines or bills directly from the app.

Wi-Fi hotspots from the library

With high-speed internet access hard to find in many of Illinois’ rural areas, some public libraries are trying something new: letting patrons check out free wireless hotspots that can connect to the internet just about anywhere.

Recently the public libraries in Princeville and Brimfield received hotspot grants as part of the DigitalLead: Rural Libraries Creating New Possibilities project.  The Lillie M. Evans Library in Princeville received 7 mobile hotspot devices while the Brimfield Public Library District received 10 devices.  Both received free wireless coverage for each device for a one-year period.

This grant was provided by the Public Library Association and Microsoft Corp. to help rural populations reap the benefits of broadband internet connectivity.  Rural libraries are critical for communities to achieve digital access and skills and the resultant employment, economic, educational, and health benefits, often providing the only free access to computers, the Internet, and training in their regions.

The devices connect to the Sprint 4G LTE network and create a Wi-Fi network, allowing users to connect up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled computers or electronic devices.  Patrons must have a library card in good standing, sign a Hotspot Patron Agreement Form and reside within the library district.  More information can be found on each library’s website. For LME Library, go to http://bit.ly/LMEhotspots

The United States as a whole has fallen behind other developed countries in internet download speeds.  According to a recent Microsoft study, 162.8 million people do not use the internet at broadband speeds, and almost 66 million people have low levels of digital readiness, according to the American Library Association. Libraries provide essential services to populations most affected by these challenges, particularly rural and low-income communities.