The mission of the New Athens District Library is to provide educational, informational, cultural and recreational resources and services to all diversified groups of people in the district that it serves. The library will provide books, materials and services to support the educational enrichment of the community, recreational reading and to introduce children to the world of books. As the community grows, the library will continue to provide the latest in educational and technological services needed for the continued growth of the community.
The library’s total operating budget for fiscal year 2024 is $176,000.00.
Funding sources are property taxes, state and federal grants, fees, and donations.
The library has the following number of employees:
- Full-time: 0
- Part-time: 6
The library has no functional subdivisions. Library board members are Deborah Politsch, Laura Wildermuth, Regina Kurtz, Barbara Reuschel, Jo D. Fritsche, Kathryn Renshaw, and Robert Kreher
The NADL FOIA Officers are Erica Pyle, Director, and Deborah Politsch, Board President.
How Do I Submit a FOIA Request?
FOIA requests must be submitted in writing. Phone and/or in-person requests are not accepted. The FOIA request should include a clear description of the public record requested. If a request is unclear, NADL may need to contact you to further clarify the request.
Written requests can be submitted in three ways:
- Via EMAIL to nwalib@gmail.com with the subject “FOIA request”
- By FAX to (618) 475-9384 with “FOIA Request” clearly stated as the subject and to the “attention of the Director”
- By MAIL or hand delivery to
New Athens District Library
201 N. Van Buren St.
New Athens, IL 62264
Important Note: We encourage all requestors to send FOIA requests by email rather than by postal mail.
Required Information When Filing a Request
- The requestor’s name
- Complete contact information (name, address, email address that can be used for communication and responsive documents, phone number)
- A clear description of the document(s) being sought
- A statement that the request is being made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act
- Whether this is a commercial request or not
- If records are being requested without charge or at a reduced charge
- Any specific records to be certified
- Format requested for delivery of public records (hard copy print, email, Excel spreadsheet, etc.)
Requests may be to inspect or copy records. If inspected, an employee must be present throughout the entire inspection.
The place and times where the records will be available are as follows:
- Monday through Thursday, 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM
- 201 N. Van Buren St., New Athens, IL
Inspection of documents shall not be allowed when records are in immediate use by persons exercising official duties that require use of the records.
FOIA Requests for Electronic Records Instructions
Pursuant to Section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/5), “[e]ach public body shall furnish upon request a description of the manner in which public records stored by means of electronic data processing may be obtained in a form comprehensible to persons lacking knowledge of computer language or printout format.”
Requestors may request public records in an electronic format from NADL by including in their FOIA request a statement that the requestors prefer the records to be delivered in an electronic format and by providing an email address where the electronic records can be delivered.
Upon receiving a request for public records in an electronic format or if the public records are only maintained in an electronic format, the FOIA Officer (Director) will respond to the FOIA request and unless exempt, will deliver the electronic records to the requestor via the requestor’s email address, if feasible. If the requestor requests the electronic record to be delivered in a means other than email, NADL may charge the requestor for the actual cost of purchasing the requested medium, such as disk, DVD, or flash drive.
If the records are maintained in an electronic format which cannot be submitted to the requestor electronically, the FOIA Officer will provide the requestor a printout of the records.
Requestors may request an explanation of the electronic records or printout from the FOIA Officer if the records are not comprehensible because of the requestor’s lack of knowledge of computer language or printout format.
If the electronic records or printouts are in a format which are not easily comprehensible to persons who lack knowledge of computer language or printout format, the FOIA Officer will provide a verbal or written explanation of the records in the FOIA response.