Demographic Data

Lincoln Trail Libraries System covers 9 counties in East Central Illinois.  Minorities represented in the largely rural counties include (but are not limited to) Latino, Asian, African-American, Mexican, Ethiopian, Hmong, Indian, Pakistani, and immigrants from Thailand, Samoa, and the Dominican Republic.  People come to the area to find affordable housing and to work in farming and rural industries.  Increasingly, minority populations that had been seasonal have become year-long residents.

Lincoln Trail Population Percentages from the 2000 Census:

The following chart illustrates the dramatic increases (as a percentage of the total) in the Hispanic and Asian populations in East Central Illinois in the decade from 1990-2000.  The Hispanic population increased 69% and the Asian population increased 40%.

Below are links to some of the maps and charts used for both the FY2005 and FY2006 LSTA grant application.  Each link will take you to a pdf version of the item described.

FY2005--Diversity and Cultural Competency in Rural Libraries

• Population changes in Hispanic and Asian populations in East Central Illinois Counties between 1990-2000 [pdf]
• Maps showing ethnic make-up of East Central Illinois Counties [pdf]
  

FY2006--Diversity and Cultural Competency in Rural Libraries:  A Multi-System Initiative

Population changes in Hispanic and Asian populations in Southern Illinois between 1990-2000 by Library System [pdf]

• Explanation of population changes in Hispanic and Asian populations in Southern Illinois between 1990-2000 by county [pdf]
• Population changes in Hispanic and Asian populations in Shawnee Library System between 1990-2000 [pdf]
• Maps showing ethnic make-up of the 12th Congressional District [pdf]
• Maps showing ethnic make-up of the 19th Congressional District [pdf]