(WREX) — Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is showing his support for Illinoisans' right to have literacy and access to libraries.

On Monday, Giannoulias awarded $28.3 million for library services and literacy programs across the state. The grants will be used to enhance online catalogues, support day-to-day operations, expand interlibrary loan programs, and to provide information to vision-impaired individuals about newspaper content narration.

While other states' libraries face budget cuts, Illinois libraries have received more than $155 million in grants to expand library services under Giannoulias during the past two and a half years.

“Providing our libraries – the cornerstones of our communities – with the support necessary to expand their services and programs is

See Full Page