HR0192

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives are pleased to honor Frederick Byergo on his 
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retirement as the Cook Memorial Public Library District 
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Director; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Frederick Byergo, Cook Memorial Public Library 
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District's Director, announced his retirement to the Board of 
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Trustees on Tuesday, August 1, 2006; he started as Head 
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Librarian in September of 1968; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The main library was in the Cook Mansion and the 
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Children's Department was housed in a storefront; as Head 
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Librarian, Mr. Byergo's first challenge was to organize the 
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33,000 volumes of books into one collection and move all the 
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materials to the Cook Memorial Library; today, Cook Memorial 
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Public Library District ranks eighth in the State in 
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circulation, holds over 300,000 items of many formats, and 
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annually loans nearly 1.3 million items to library cardholders;  
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, Over a span of 38 years, Frederick Byergo has led 
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the library from a lean staff of 13 to group of over a 140; he 
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has overseen the library changing from being a township to a 
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district in 1973; annexing areas of northern Vernon Township to 
 


 






HR0192
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LRB095 11490 KXB 32614 r




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the district; introducing the first automated circulation 
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system in 1974; adding 5,000 square feet of public space in 
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1984; debuting the first public Internet stations in 1995; 
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opening an Audiovisual Department in 1996; and launching the 
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Evergreen Interim Library in 2003; and

 

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    WHEREAS, After his retirement Frederick Byergo plans  to 
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explore the Great Lakes on his sailboat; he is also looking 
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forward to having time to devote to charity projects, including 
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wilderness conservation, animal welfare, and maritime history; 
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therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate Frederick Byergo on his retirement as the Cook 
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Memorial Public Library District Director; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to Frederick Byergo as a symbol of our esteem.