FOIA requests

Rules and Regulations Pertaining to The Illinois Freedom of Information Act

The St. Charles Public Library District (Library) retains records in accordance with directives from the Local Records Unit/Records Management Section/Illinois State Archives/Springfield, Illinois. Records of the St. Charles Public Library District are kept at the Library, One South Sixth Avenue, St. Charles, Illinois 60174, and are available for supervised public inspection during administrative business hours (*see below).

Any person requesting records of the Library District must make a request in writing (either in person, or by mail, email or fax). Your request should include your name, the date and a daytime phone number or email, and a description of the information you are seeking. A “Records Request Form” is available online or at the Library’s main circulation desk during regular service hours*, but is not required. Written requests for reproduction or inspection of Library records should be addressed to the Library Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officer, St. Charles Public Library, One South Sixth Avenue, St. Charles, IL 60174.

The Library FOIA Officers are Katherine G. Buckson, Mary Katherine Merritt, Virginia Tsipas and Katharina Amstadt. Please EMAIL the FOIA Officers.

The Library will comply with or deny such written requests within five (5) business days [twenty-one (21) days for requests for a commercial purpose] after receipt of the written request.

Retrieval and reproduction of records will be done by Library personnel in order to preserve the integrity of the Library records.

Any person who is denied access for reasons stated in the Illinois FOIA may appeal to the Public Access Counselor, Public Access Bureau, Office of the Illinois Attorney General.

Payment for reproduction or certification must be in cash or by certified check and must accompany the request for records, according to the following fee schedule:

• Free: The first fifty (50) pages of letter or legal size black and white photocopies
• After the first fifty pages: 15¢ per page
• After the first fifty pages, photocopies in public interest: 5¢ per page
• All color photocopies and copies sized other than legal or letter size: 15¢ per page
• Free: Electronic format, if available
• Cost of electronic records such as a USB, will be charged at the actual cost of the recording medium
• Certification: $1.00 per certification

*LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION HOURS
Monday – Friday     9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.