EDWARDSVILLE — Committed to supporting the arts, advocating for our youth and helping neighbors in need, Busey is pleased to welcome 15 Little Free Libraries across communities it serves—including installations at Busey’s Downtown Edwardsville and Granite City branches, located at 330 Vandalia Street and 3502 Maryville Road, respectively. Built to promote connection and literacy, the Little Free Libraries are available to community members interested in increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds.

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“Building and installing Little Free Libraries is a small way to make a big impact in our communities,” said Robin Elliott, President and CEO of Busey Bank. “This creative partnership provides access to free books, allowing for improved literacy and education while fulfilling the Busey Promise by bringing people and resources together to generate positive change in the places we live and work.”

What started as a small book exchange created in 2009 has now spread to over 80,000 Little Free Libraries in 91 countries, and more than 120 million books have been shared in this growing global phenomenon. On average, the libraries see nearly 500 visits per location annually and have increased literacy in neighborhoods and communities by offering free access to books.

Throughout the month of September, customers and associates generously donated more than 5,000 books to the Busey Book Drive. Some of the books collected serve as the first donation to the Little Free Libraries at the Metro East branches, which will be listed on the Little Free Library World Map as charter numbers 111440 and 111441. To learn more, please visit littlefreelibrary.org.

The Busey Book Drive and Little Free Library installations are part of a larger community initiative—Busey Drives Generosity. Through this monthly campaign, Busey associates are encouraged to give generously to benefit their neighbors, further strengthening the communities they serve.

In addition to the Book Drive in September, in which associates and customers were encouraged to donate new or gently used books, Busey is hosting the B United Blood Drive for its associates in October—stationing Blood Mobiles throughout its footprint in support of the American Red Cross. In preparation for Thanksgiving, Busey will host a Food Drive in November, accepting non-perishable food items to benefit local food banks.

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Being a community financial services organization means being a good neighbor—partnering for purpose and progress. From robust associate volunteering efforts to corporate-led sponsorship opportunities, Busey gives more than $1 million and countless volunteer hours annually to the places we call home. That’s been our promise since we opened our doors more than 150 years ago and it remains our promise today.

Corporate Profile

As of June 30, 2020, First Busey Corporation (Nasdaq: BUSE) was a $10.84 billion financial holding company headquartered in Champaign, Illinois.

Busey Bank, the wholly-owned bank subsidiary of First Busey Corporation, had total assets of $10.82 billion as of June 30, 2020 and is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, with 61 banking centers serving Illinois, 13 banking centers serving Missouri, five banking centers serving southwest Florida and a banking center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Through the Busey Wealth Management division, the Company provides asset management, investment and fiduciary services to individuals, businesses and foundations. As of June 30, 2020, assets under care were approximately $9.02 billion. Busey Bank owns a retail payment processing subsidiary, FirsTech, Inc., which processes approximately 27 million transactions per year using online bill payment, lockbox processing and walk-in payments at its 4,000 agent locations in 43 states. More information about FirsTech, Inc. can be found at firstechpayments.com.

Busey Bank was named among Forbes’ 2019 Best-In-State Banks—one of five in Illinois and 173 from across the country, equivalent to 2.8% of all U.S.banks. Best-In-State Banks are awarded for exceptional customer experiences as determined by a survey sample of 25,000+ banking customers who rated banks on trust, terms and conditions, branch services, digital services and financial advice.

For more information about us, visit busey.com.

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