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- The LRC provides a great range of research services to a variety
of clients that hail from academia, industry, and the library community
at large. One of the LRC's greatest assets is the university faculty
and staff who oversee the LRC's daily operations. To learn about the
LRC staff, please visit here. The LRC
also draws on the specialized resources of the University of Illinois,
which includes one of the largest academic libraries in the country.
Established in 1961 to provide statistical support for state and public
libraries, the LRC continues to have strong, enduring relations with
the Illinois State Library and the American Library Association, both
of which contract annually with the LRC for a variety of continuing
and individual projects. For over twenty years, the LRC has been responsible
for compiling the Illinois
Public Library Annual Report (IPLAR), which helps the Illinois
State Library System assess library performance and forecast future
budgeting and expenditures. Other ongoing projects include the
Public Library Data Service (PLDS), the Public Library Association
(PLA) Membership Survey, and the American Libraries Index of Circulation
and Expenditures (ALICE).
The LRC has continued to grow and develop by expanding its client
base. By taking on projects from the H.
W. Wilson Company, Blackwell
Books, the Mellon Foundation,
the Lila Wallace
Reader's Digest Fund, and others, the LRC has demonstrated its
ability to successfully research and analyze industry trends, community
initiatives, and political ramifications. The LRC's commitment to
understanding libraries as an instrument of both public policy and
of freedom of speech is demonstrated by a series of studies analyzing
the impact that the terrorist attacks on September
11, 2001, and the Patriot Act have had on national public libraries.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services
has recently awarded the LRC with a grant to explore the government
information needs of low-access individuals. This and other ongoing
projects reveal of extent of the LRC's capabilities, expertise, and
continuing relevancy in an increasingly information-laden society.
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