JERSEYVILLE – The Jerseyville Public Library is getting temporary help from an out-of-town cataloger following a 4-1 vote from City Council members.
Jerseyville City Council members approved the employment of a part-time cataloger for the Jerseyville Public Library who resides outside corporate city limits at their Aug. 18, 2026 meeting.
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Mayor Kevin Stork said under the city’s personnel policy, city employees are required to reside within Jerseyville city limits, and that the council would be considering an exception in this case.
Library Director Judy Pruitt explained that as part of the Illinois Heartland Library System, the Jerseyville Library offers countless academic resources from across the region to its patrons. However, the system also requires extensive and detailed cataloging work to ensure accuracy and efficient operations at the library.
Pruitt said catalogers require certification from the State of Illinois and 12 to 18 months of training. However, after unexpectedly losing their previous cataloger earlier this year, she said the library does not yet have a trained replacement “in the pipeline.”
The out-of-town cataloger in question, Jace Cook, currently works for the Edwardsville hub of the Illinois Heartland Library System and is already trained and certified, Pruitt said. Without his in-person help in Jerseyville, Pruitt said the library would have to send nearly a third of its new items each year to Edwardsville and back to be catalogued, costing $15 per item and delaying new book releases by at least two weeks.
City Councilman John Miles expressed hesitation towards “bending the rules” and possibly setting a precedent in bypassing the residency requirement in this case. Miles said he would rather the Jerseyville Library train a new cataloger in-house.
Councilman Tony Steckel agreed, saying the city had turned away previous applicants for city positions because they were not from Jerseyville. However, he later acknowledged it may be a “hassle” for the library to go without a cataloger before they can get a new one trained.
Mayor Kevin Stork suggested hiring Cook for 18 months and training a current library employee in the meantime. Miles and Steckel said they would support temporarily hiring outside help until the library can train a replacement.
Councilman Steve Pohlman questioned whether Cook would be willing to drive from his Granite City address to work 10-15 hours per week at $25 per hour in Jerseyville. Pruitt said some work could be done remotely, and while most cataloging would be done in-person, “librarians are pretty passionate about what we do.”
City Council members ultimately voted 4-1 to approve hiring a part-time library cataloger from outside Jerseyville city limits for a period of 18 months. Pohlman cast the sole vote against the temporary hire.
