Niles Youth Community Petition - NMDL
Submitted | Dec. 13, 2021 |
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Communications
From: Niles Coalition
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:
Any and all written records (including but not limited to hard-copy documents, memos, emails, word processor documents, PDF documents, PowerPoint files, etc.) generated between September 15, 2021 and the date this request is processed (inclusive of those dates) that meet the contain the following terms:
-“Niles Youth Community”
-”equity / equitable”
-“racial representation”
-“youth representation”
-“mission”
------------------------------------------------
On September 15, 2021 the Niles Youth Community caucus[1] of the Niles Coalition made the following reasonable and basic demands of the Niles-Maine District Library:
*We demand equity at the Niles-Maine District Library by updating the mission: “to equitably engage, inform, enrich, and educate.”
*We demand resources to meet the needs of community members from ALL backgrounds (including immigrant families, families of color, families from lower socioeconomic statuses, etc) by funding library hours, programs, materials, and services.
*We demand racial representation by filling the vacant library trustee position with a person of color who is against eliminating the services and resources that some board members have targeted.
*We demand youth representation (including middle/high schoolers) to have our opinions be equally listened to and valued, through inclusion at board meetings
These demands were sent as an email directly to the Niles-Maine District Library Board trustees and the Executive Director Cyndi Rademacher. Lacking a sufficient response by board president Carolyn Drblik, a petition was launched by the Niles Youth Community caucus of the Niles Coalition on October 10, 2021[2]. To date, two months later, 209 signatures were collected in solidarity with the Niles Youth Community.
[1]]Niles Coalition email newsletter posting: Youth Coalition Building
<https://web.archive.org/web/20211212052028/https://www.nilescoalition.org/2021/09/14/email-youth-coalition-building/>
[2]Niles Youth Community Library Petition
<https://web.archive.org/web/20211212052147/https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/niles-youth-community-library-petition/>
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Niles Coalition
From: Niles-maine District Library
To Whom it may concern,
We received your Freedom of Information request dated 12/13/21. It is not clear what is meant by "generated," can you clarify please.
Cyndi Rademacher
FOIA Officer
From: Niles Coalition
Hello,
"generated" to mean the date a record was created, written, authored, received, or sent.
Thank you.
From: Niles-maine District Library
12/23/21
VIA email
To whom it may concern,
We have received your FOIA request dated December 14, 2021 requesting:
Any and all written records (including but not limited to hard-copy documents, memos, emails, word processor documents, PDF documents, PowerPoint files, etc.) generated between September 15, 2001 and the date this request is processed( inclusive of those dates) that meet the contain the following terms:
"Niles Youth Community", " equity / equitable", "racial representation", "youth representation", "mission."
Pursuant to Section 3(e) of FOIA, the Library is extending its time to respond to your December 15, 2021 FOIA request by five (5) business days as the requested records require examination and evaluation by personnel having the necessary competence and discretion to determine if they are exempt from disclosure under Section 7 of this Act or should be revealed only with appropriate deletions. 5 ILCS 140/3(e)(v). The Library will respond to your FOIA request no later than December 30, 2021.
Regards,
Cyndi Rademacher
FOIA Officer
From: Niles-maine District Library
Cyndi Rademacher would like to recall the message, "Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Request: Niles Youth Community Petition - NMDL".
From: Niles-maine District Library
12/23/21
VIA email
To whom it may concern,
We have received your FOIA request dated December 14, 2021 requesting:
Any and all written records (including but not limited to hard-copy documents, memos, emails, word processor documents, PDF documents, PowerPoint files, etc.) generated between September 15, 2001 and the date this request is processed( inclusive of those dates) that meet the contain the following terms:
"Niles Youth Community", " equity / equitable", "racial representation", "youth representation", "mission."
Pursuant to Section 3(e) of FOIA, the Library is extending its time to respond to your December 15, 2021 FOIA request by five (5) business days as the requested records require examination and evaluation by personnel having the necessary competence and discretion to determine if they are exempt from disclosure under Section 7 of this Act or should be revealed only with appropriate deletions. 5 ILCS 140/3(e)(v). The Library will respond to your FOIA request no later than December 30, 2021.
Regards,
Cyndi Rademacher
FOIA Officer
From: Niles-maine District Library
December 28, 2021
Via Email
Niles Coalition
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>
Re: December 13, 2021 FOIA Request
Dear Niles Coalition:
Thank you for writing to the Niles-Maine Public Library District (“Library”) with your request for information pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq. (“FOIA”). On December 13, 2021 the Library received your FOIA request dated December 13, 2201, in which you requested copies of the following records:
* Any and all written records (including but not limited to hard-copy documents, memos, emails, word processor documents, PDF documents, PowerPoint files, etc.) generated between September 15, 2021 and the date this request is processed (inclusive of those dates) that meet the contain the following terms:
* “Niles Youth Community”
* ”equity / equitable”
* “racial representation”
* “youth representation”
* “mission”
On December 15, 2021, you clarified that “generated” meant the date a record was created, written, authored, received, or sent.
Library Response:
Your request is granted in part and denied in part. Enclosed are responsive records to your request. Certain records have been withheld or redacted pursuant to the below sections of FOIA:
Section 7(1)(f) of FOIA: Section 7(1)(f) of FOIA: Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations, memoranda and other records in which opinions are expressed, or policies or actions are formulated. Please note that the agendas are from an internal staff Anti-Racism Actions Committee, which discuss ideas and options for the Library in a preliminary manner. Therefore, most of what they discuss are exempt under FOIA.
You have a right to have the partial denial of your FOIA Request reviewed by the Public Access Counselor (“PAC”) at the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. 5 ILCS 140/9.5(a). You can file your Request for Review with the PAC by writing to:
Public Access Counselor
Office of the Attorney General
500 South 2nd Street
Springfield, Illinois 62706
Fax: 217-782-1396
E-mail: publicaccess@atg.state.il.us
You also have the right to seek judicial review of any denial by filing a lawsuit in the State circuit court. 5 ILCS 140/11. If you choose to file a Request for Review with the PAC, you must do so within sixty (60) calendar days of the date of this denial letter. 5 ILCS 140/9.5(a). Please note that you must include a copy of your original FOIA Request and this letter when filing a Request for Review with the PAC. The undersigned is responsible for this partial denial.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Cyndi Rademacher
FOIA Officer
From: Niles-maine District Library
December 29, 2021
Via Email
Niles Coalition
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>
Re: December 21, 2021 FOIA Request
Dear Niles Coalition:
Thank you for writing to the Niles-Maine District Library with your request for information pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq. (“FOIA”). On December 21, 2021 the Library received your FOIA request by mail dated December 15, 2201, in which you requested copies of the following records:
1. Any and all communications (including but not limited to email or written letter) from the Illinois Secretary of State with the following domains specified in TO: or FROM fields:
@ilsos.gov
@senatorram.com
@ilga.gov
@senatormartwick.com
@ilhousegop.org
2. Any and all written records (including but not limited to hard-copy documents, memos, emails, word processor documents, PDF documents, PowerPoint files, etc.) that contain the following terms:
"Secretary of State”
"Jesse White"
"State Librarian"
"Illinois state Library"
Library Response:
Voluminous
You are hereby notified that the District has determined that your FOIA Request is voluminous in nature as defined in Section 2(h) of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act in that your FOIA Request asks for more than five (5) different categories of records 5 ILCS 140/2(h). Specifically, there are more than five (5) categories to your request.
You are hereby notified that you have ten (10) business days (until January 13, 2022) to amend and/or narrow your request. If we do not receive an amended request within this timeframe, or if the request continues to be voluminous, the District will respond to your request and assess any fees permitted under Section 6 of the Freedom of Information Act. Once an amended request has been received, the District will respond within five (5) business days after receipt of the reply or, if no reply is received, the District will respond five (5) business days from January 13, 2022 the last day to amend the request. The District may also extend its time to respond to the Request up to an additional ten (10) business days. If the responsive records are not accepted or collected, the District may still charge fees for its response pursuant to Section 6 of FOIA, and failure to pay will be considered a debt due and owing to the District, which may be collected in accordance with applicable law.
Per Section 6 of FOIA, the District may charge for the time spent by staff searching for and retrieving a requested record or examining the record for necessary redactions if that time exceeds eight (8) hours. Further, it can charge for the electronic production of PDF’s based on the fee schedule below:
Up to 80 MB $20
80 MB – 160 MB $40
160 MB and over $100
You have a right to have the partial denial of your FOIA Request reviewed by the Public Access Counselor (“PAC”) at the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. 5 ILCS 140/9.5(a). You can file your Request for Review with the PAC by writing to:
Public Access Counselor
Office of the Attorney General
500 South 2nd Street
Springfield, Illinois 62706
Fax: 217-782-1396
E-mail: publicaccess@atg.state.il.us
You also have the right to seek judicial review of any denial by filing a lawsuit in the State circuit court. 5 ILCS 140/11. If you choose to file a Request for Review with the PAC, you must do so within sixty (60) calendar days of the date of this denial letter. 5 ILCS 140/9.5(a). Please note that you must include a copy of your original FOIA Request and this letter when filing a Request for Review with the PAC. The undersigned is responsible for this partial denial.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Cyndi Rademacher
FOIA Officer
From: Niles Coalition
Hi Cyndi,
Thanks so much for your help with this request! We really appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Niles Coalition
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