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Nurturing and Connecting Readers and Writers, and Honoring our Rich Literary Heritage

Illinois Center for the Book was established as an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress  at the Illinois State Library in 1985. The purpose of the Center is to: stimulate a public interest in books, reading, literacy and libraries while fostering an appreciation of Illinois' rich literary heritage. The Illinois Center for the Book is a part of the Illinois State Library's Library Development Group and administers statewide literary programs and projects.

The Illinois Center for the Book is guided by an Advisory Committee composed of librarians, authors, publishers, educators, business men and women, government/municipality employees and interested citizens from a general cross section of the state who provide leadership and support. The Illinois Center for the Book also works within a network of the 50 state center affiliates through the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

Below, you will find information about the different programs and projects of the Illinois Center for the Book - some of which are continuous and others which bring limited offerings to highlight special partnerships or occasions. 

• Family  Reading Night (Forms and Documents)
  A statewide event that encourages families to spend quality time reading together. It is celebrated annually in Illinois on the third Thursday in November. 
   
• Illinois Authors Wiki
  A comprehensive resource for information on authors, photographers and illustrators who have published books, have lived in Illinois or write about Illinois 

• Illinois Emerging Writers Competion (Forms and Documents)
  An adult writing competition to encourage creative writing among local writers and provide a unique opportunity to recognize and promote new literary talent. There are two awards - James Jones Short Story Award and Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award. This competition is supported by the James Jones Literary Society, Illinois Poet Laureate, Kevin Stein and the Illinois Center for the Book.
   
• Illinois Literary Heritage Award
  Established by the Illinois Center for the Book in 1995, the purpose of the award is to acknowledge extraordinary contributions to the literary heritage of Illinois over a significant period of time.
   
• Letters about Literature (Forms and Documents)
  A national reading and writing promotion sponsored by the Illinois Center for the Book in cooperation with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target. Students in grades 4 – 12 read a book and write a personal letter to the author explaining how the book changed his/her perception of the world. National winners receive a $10,000 grant to implement reading programs at their school or community library.  
   
• Literary Landmarks
  In the endeavor to promote the rich literary heritage of Illinois, the Illinois Center for the Book has partnered with Friends Of Libraries USA (FOLUSA) and other organizations to dedicate Literary Landmarks in Illinois.
   
• Essays about Lincoln 
  A one time competition to celebrate the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth. [Photo: Secretary of State and State Librarian, Jesse White congratulates the winners of the Essays about Lincoln. (front row: Grace Moran, Sara Serritos, Sec. of State Jesse White, Summer Wu, June Kreml back row: Evan R. King, Bryce Peters, Teresa Cooper, Emiko Gomez, Kate Pond)]
   
• The Big Read
  The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment by providing communities the opportunity to read and discuss a single book. The initiative includes innovative reading programs in selected cities and towns, comprehensive resources for discussing classic literature, an ambitious national publicity campaign, and an extensive Web site providing comprehensive information on authors and their works.
   
• Read for a Lifetime (Forms and Documents)
  The first statewide reading program to target high school students. The primary goal of the program is to promote the enjoyment of reading, by encouraging students to read both classic and contemporary literature, and rewarding them for their effort.
   

For more information visit the Illinois Center for the Book web site or contact Bonnie Matheis at bmatheis@ilsos.net