Hinckley Library District asks for $1M in federal aid to relocate public library

HINCKLEY – The Hinckley Library District has asked for $1 million in federal aid to help relocate the Hinckley Public Library out of a downtown Hinckley basement to a renovated property, a proposal backed by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville.

The Hinckley Library District recently requested $1,064,000 from the U.S. House Committee of Appropriations with the backing of Underwood, who helped the district secure $750,000 in fiscal 2023 through the same committee.

“I have always made it a priority to bring the voices of the 14th District to Congress, and I’m working hard to make sure that our community’s needs are reflected in federal funding bills,” Underwood said in a statement provided to the Daily Chronicle.

Underwood also has recently announced her support for a bid by DeKalb-based domestic violence survivor shelter and nonprofit Safe Passage, which requested $2.5 million in federal aid for a new 24/7 emergency shelter.

The federal funding would allow the Hinckley Public Library to move out of the basement of a 97-year-old building at 100 Maple St. in Hinckley – a village of about 2,000 people in southern DeKalb County – Library Director Rylie Roubal said. The library functions with fewer than 3,000 square feet of space.

“So, not perfectly ideal for a library,” Roubal said.

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Rylie Roubal, Hinckley Public Library District director, talks Thursday, April 27, 2023, about the proposed renovation plans for the new library in a larger space than they have in their current location. The hope is to move into a building that was recently donated to the library district that needs major renovation. The project has received $750,000 in federal funding and is hoping to receive another grant this year. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

“The building has some issues and needs a complete overhaul before it can be turned into a library.”

—  Rylie Roubal, Hinckley Public Library director

The Hinckley Public Library District is in possession of a larger space – gifted to the district years ago – with more than double its current home, but there’s a catch.

The building is equipped and set up for a dental practice, and needs a $2 million renovation to be converted into a library, officials said.

“The building has some issues and needs a complete overhaul before it can be turned into a library,” Roubal said.

According to a news release from Underwood’s office, the space gifted to the library needs comprehensive renovations to clean up asbestos and mold. Underwood said her office has worked with Hinckley library officials for years to come up with a solution.

“Once completed, the renovated library will have dedicated youth and teen areas, meeting spaces for local business owners, public computers and study rooms, programming to serve the community, and be fully accessible,” according to the release.

The Hinckley Library District has earmarked $250,000 to pay for the project. Roubal said it would take decades before the district could afford the renovation through its own means.

In fiscal 2023, the library applied for community project funding through Underwood’s office. During the review and approval process, the legislature granted $750,000 worth of funding for the project, about ⅔ less than the initial request.

“We went through that whole process last year and came away with $750,000 – which is amazing – but that will not get us moved into the new space,” Roubal said.

With the new $1 million request for a second round of federal aid, library officials remain hopeful the move could come to fruition.

Roubal said Underwood has told the library district she is committed to seeing the project through to the end.

“We are very grateful for that, and now we are in the waiting process again,” Roubal said. “The Congress people all over the country can submit their requests for projects all over their districts, and it has to go through this whole process again. So we are at the point where she has submitted us, and we are hoping that the next levels also see the need of our project.”

Roubal hopes to hear if the funding request has made it through the Appropriations Committee within the next few months, but last year nothing was signed until the end of December.

In a statement provided to the Daily Chronicle, Underwood said she is proud to have garnered the first round of funding and is working to bring in additional funds.

“Our libraries are the heart of our communities, and this renovation project in Hinckley will help expand their services and make the library a more accessible place for all of our neighbors to enjoy,” Underwood said in the statement. “I am proud to have secured funding for the first phase of the renovation last year, and I’m working to bring this new funding home so that the library can complete their renovation and open their doors to the community.”