Library Board approved July 16, 2002, revised February 16, 2010; FOIA officer name and contact information edited February 11, 2019.
Any patron requesting public records of the Oak Park Public Library under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1 as amended by Public Act 96 – 542, effective January 1, 2010, must make such a request in writing. The person requesting records should specify in particular the records to be provided and copied.
All requests should be directed to the library’s Freedom of Information Officer and Director of Finance Jeremy Andrykowski (foia@oppl.org), Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60301.
The first 50 pages of black and white, letter or legal paper are free. The fee for records copied, after the first 50 pages, will be $.15 per page. Colored copies, copies sized other than legal or letter size, electronic records. e.g. disks, diskettes, tapes, etc., will be charged at the actual cost of reproduction. The fee for certification will be $1 per certificate. Fees exceeding $5 will be payable in advance.
The Library shall respond to a written request for public records within five (5) working days after its receipt, or 21 days if the request is for a commercial purpose. Denial shall be by letter from the Library’s FOIA Officer. No denial shall be issued without the knowledge and consent of the Executive Director.
The letter denying the request for public records shall notify by letter the person making the request of the decision to deny such, the reasons for the denial, and the names and titles or positions of each person responsible for the denial. Each notice of denial shall also inform such person of his right to appeal to the Public Access Counselor, Office of the Illinois Attorney General. Each notice of denial shall inform such person of his right to judicial review under Section 11 of the Freedom of Information Act [5 ILCS 140/11]. When a request for public records is denied on the grounds that the records are exempt under Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act [5 ILCS 140/7], the notice of denial shall specify the exemption claimed to authorize the denial. Any person who is dissatisfied must submit their written appeal within sixty (60) days of receipt of the letter denying the request for public records.
The Library’s failure to respond to a written request within five (5) working days after its receipt shall be considered a denial of the request.
The five (5) working day time limits prescribed above may be extended for five (5) additional working days for any of the following reasons:
- the requested records are stored in whole or in part at other locations than the office having charge of the requested records;
- the request requires the collection of a substantial number of specified records;
- the request is couched in categorical terms and requires an extensive search for the records responsive to it;
- the requested records have not been located in the course of routine search and additional efforts are being made to locate them;
- the requested records require examination and evaluation by personnel having the necessary competence and discretion to determine if they are exempt from disclosure under 5 ILCS 140/7 or should be revealed only with appropriate deletions;
- the request for records cannot be complied with by the Library within the time limits without unduly burdening or interfering with Library operations;
- there is a need for consultation, which shall be conducted with all practicable speed, with another public body or among two or more components of a public body having a substantial interest in the determination or in the subject matter of the request.
When additional time is required for any of the above reasons, the Library shall notify by letter the person making the written request within the five (5) working day time limit the reasons for the delay and the date by which the records will be made available or denial will be forthcoming
