Help light the way forward for libraries in Illinois! ILA's Illuminate fundraising initiative is designed to inspire giving with universal recognition of all gifts of $5 or more, and increasing honors for increasing levels of cumulative lifetime support.
Explore the many opportunities to support ILA and Illinois libraries via the menu at right. Contributions to any fund at ILA or for unrestricted purposes count toward Illuminate recognition. All contributions to ILA, a 501(c)3, are tax-deductible.
Since its humble beginnings in 1896, ILA has weathered two pandemics, two world wars, two recent years in which there was no Illinois state budget, and countless other challenges to library services, budgets, and materials. We’ve fought for intellectual freedom, achieved increases in state and federal library funding, and we are on the road toward advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in a traditionally white-dominated profession. We’re not finished with any of this by any means! ILA may not be able to solve or do everything, at least not at all once, but together, we can do anything we set our minds to. And we can’t do it without you.
Membership dollars alone do not cover the cost of the services ILA provides to our membership, and to the profession at large. Therefore, we’ve developed additional sources of income: event registration fees, the iREAD® summer reading program, wise investments, affinity programs, advertising in the ILA Reporter and the Annual Conference print program, sponsorships, and a key component: individual contributions.
Need more reasons to consider giving to ILA? Read below to learn firsthand how our programs and services positively impact Illinois librarians and librarianship.
Has ILA made a positive difference for you in your career? Let us know!
“I am grateful to the Sylvia Murphy Williams Scholarship for introducing me to several opportunities offered by the ILA. The recent ILA Virtual Conference offered numerous excellent sessions, and it was inspiring to learn from the work of library and community professionals. As a new member of ILA’s Students and New Professionals Forum (SANP), I have started to network with other Illinois colleagues, and we are preparing a three-part Career Pathway Talk Series that will introduce new professionals to various avenues of librarianship. Mentorship from a Spectrum Scholar was pivotal in my decision to embrace librarianship. By continuing to work and build community through ILA and Spectrum, I hope to also be a source of support and encouragement for my colleagues and future librarians of color as we develop inclusive, equitable, and accessible services for the diverse communities we serve.”
—María del Carmen Cifuentes, 2020 Sylvia Murphy Williams Scholar
“This experience has been priceless and well-worth the $100! It’s hard to know what questions to ask, or even who to ask, but when you're given a format with structure—even if it’s not what you’re working on right then, it lays really nice groundwork going forward. With all that collective involvement, you almost feel smarter than you have a right to feel. I am grateful.”
—Robin Smith, 2021 Directors University participant
“These are valuable experiences and I appreciate the opportunity to attend.”
—2019 Library Legislative Meet-up attendee and survey respondent
“I believe the program presented at this year’s Elevate confirms to me the value of the program. Elevate is always on the forefront of my mind when it comes to learning and growing. Elevate is a valuable asset in how it continues to provide the materials and programming which impact me and others in the library world. This helps me and my colleagues, in turn, hopefully make inroads and impacts in the community we serve.”
—2021 Elevate attendee
“Amazing keynote speaker. Lots of easy to find handouts, great job. You can tell that much hard work went into making this challenging time feel like we were a priority.”
—2020 Virtual Annual Conference attendee
“I really, really like the lunch and the opportunity to sit with colleagues from other library systems and converse with one another. I find that very enriching. It affords an opportunity to gain a greater, broader, and contrasting perspective about library and library systems by engaging with others who work in different parts of the state and within different systems.”
—2019 Reaching Forward attendee
“I appreciate Reaching Forward’s welcoming atmosphere for everyone no matter their job title or education level.”
—2019 Reaching Forward attendee
“I feel welcome at Reaching Forward. Other conferences can feel like too much pressure. Reaching Forward feels inviting.”
—2019 Reaching Forward attendee
iREAD Summer Reading Programs
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