A new chapter in Illinois literary history unfolded today as the Illinois State Library officially dedicated the Jim Edgar Reading Room, celebrating the legacy of former Governor and Secretary of State Jim Edgar. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Governor JB Pritzker, and Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski led the ceremony, highlighting Edgar’s pivotal role in expanding library access and promoting literacy. The reading room honors Edgar’s decades of public service, including the construction of the library, championing the Illinois Authors’ Collection, and launching a model adult literacy program. The bipartisan resolution to name the room passed unanimously, immortalizing Edgar’s contributions for generations to come.
“It’s a privilege to honor the legacy of Governor Jim Edgar – an incredible statesman, advocate and friend – for his career of service to our state and its citizens,” Giannoulias said. “The Jim Edgar Reading Room enshrines the former Governor and Secretary of State’s legacy and indelible contributions to our state’s library, which continue to have a profound impact throughout our state.”
“Governor Jim Edgar has a relentless passion for upholding our political institutions, and a seemingly unlimited energy to continue bettering them,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “From the construction of the new Illinois State Library, to extensive rural library investments, to his nationally-renowned adult literacy program, Jim has connected so many across our state with new opportunities to learn, read, and grow. There is no more fitting tribute to him than the Illinois State Library Reading Room, a place that holds within its shelves the values that Jim has exemplified and fought for throughout his life: civic engagement, public good, and intellectual freedom.”
“I’m proud to join Governor Pritzker and Secretary Giannoulias in honoring my friend and mentor, Governor Jim Edgar,” said Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski. “Throughout his many years of public service, Governor Edgar was a champion of Illinois’ library system and literacy programs, and he took immense pride in our state’s rich literary heritage. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate his legacy than by dedicating a reading room in the library he helped build.”
