Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Other Legal Compliance

    1. A brief description of our public body is as follows:
      1. Our purpose is to provide multi-type library system services.
      2. An organizational chart is attached.
      3. The total amount of our operating budget for FY2022 was $13.1 million (FY2023 budget pending). Funding sources are the State of Illinois and member libraries.
      4. The primary office is located at: 125 Tower Drive, Burr Ridge, IL 60527. Branch offices are located at 600 High Point Lane, East Peoria, IL 61611; 4607 Colt Road, Rockford, IL 61109; 220 W. 23rd Avenue, Coal Valley, IL 61240; and 1000 W. Crossroads Parkway, Bolingbrook, IL 60490.
      5. We have approximately the following number of persons employed: 100
      6. The following organization exercises control over our policies and procedures: The Reaching Across Illinois Library System Board of Directors, which meets most months at various locations. Board members are listed at https://www.railslibraries.org/board.
      7. 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); the Director of the State Library; and various other staff.
    2. You may request the information and the records available to the public in the following manner:
      1. Use the request form (see attached).
      2. Your request should be directed to the following individuals: Alex Vancina and Deirdre Brennan, FOIA Officers.
      3. You must indicate whether you have a "commercial purpose" in your request.
      4. 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.
      5. To reimburse us our actual costs for reproducing and certifying (if requested) the records, you will 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.
      6. 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.
      7. 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.
      8. Records may be inspected or copied. If inspected, an employee must be present throughout the inspection.
      9. The place and times where the records will be available are as follows:
        8:30 AM until 5:00 PM
        Reaching Across Illinois Library System Administrative Offices
        125 Tower Drive
        Burr Ridge IL 60527
    3. 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:
      1. Monthly Financial Statements
      2. Annual Receipts and Disbursements Reports
      3. Budget
      4. Annual Audits
      5. Minutes of the Board of Directors
      6. System Policies and Bylaws
      7. Adopted Ordinances and Resolutions of the Board
      8. Annual Reports and the Area and Per Capita Grant Application to the Illinois State Library

    (Approved by the RAILS Board of Directors, July 21, 2011; revision approved by the RAILS Board, April 27, 2012; information in description updated as needed.)

    RAILS FOIA Request Form (recommended)

  • To access this compensation information required by PA 97-609, please visit our administrative headquarters located at 125 Tower Drive, Burr Ridge, IL 60527 and contact the RAILS Finance Department. Office hours are 8:30am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday.