The director of the Niles Public Library District said she’d like to see more diversity among the membership of the library’s board of trustees.
Susan Lempke told trustees at a meeting Wednesday night that she’d like the opportunity to reach out to potential candidates to fill a recently vacated seat on the board. Trustee Danette O’Donovan Matyas, who also serves on the Niles Village Board, announced her resignation from the library board at a meeting last month.
“It’s a very homogenous board. You are very much in the same demographic. I would really like to see the board become a little more diverse,” Lempke said.
Board president Linda Ryan agreed with Lempke’s suggestion. She said “it could be nice to get someone from the north end (of the district) or a different ethnicity or age or whatever.”
Lempke also expressed concern about “people putting themselves forward offering to become a trustee and then being turned down.”
“Whenever anyone is rejected for something they offered to do, they don’t feel very good,” she said.
Trustee Karen Dimond said she was fine with Lempke reaching out to potential candidates, but believes the position should be open to anyone interested in serving.
“I don’t like to see people get rejected, but frankly you can’t have a thin skin and be on the library board,” Dimond said.
There was some initial disagreement among the trustees on the process of choosing a candidate to fill the one year remaining of Matyas’ term.
Lempke suggested the board discuss the process and potential candidates for the seat in executive session following the advice she had received from the board’s attorney.
“If we’re going to talk about people, candidates, that should be done out here,” said Trustee Carolyn Drblik.
Though the board agreed not to name anyone specifically, they settled on a tentative selection process in open session. Lempke advised the board to create a nominating committee made up of herself and two board members to vet the candidates who submit letters of intent.
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Ryan suggested a committee be established only if more than five people express interest in the post.
Drblik adamantly disagreed with the nominating committee concept.
“I don’t think it’s fair for you to turn away applicants because you decided they weren’t good enough,” Drblik said. “I think they should all have an opportunity to be interviewed. The community already thinks this is a secret society.”
Trustee Tim Spadoni offered a compromise all board members accepted.
“I would say that all the applications, all the letters of intent, should go by all the board members. I would be more comfortable with the board reading all the applications and resumes and the board deciding on the top four or five candidates to interview,” he said.
Ryan said the library district would issue a notice that the board is seeking interested candidates to fill Matyas’ seat. She said the board would review the submitted letters of intent and resumes next month, interview candidates in July and appoint someone to fill the post in August.
“I personally believe any board member should be a frequent patron of the library,” Spadoni said. “That would be great to see in a letter of intent.”
Individuals interested in serving out the remainder of Matyas’ term are welcome to submit a letter to trustees detailing their past relevant experience, why they would like to serve on the board and whether or not they use the library. The letters can be sent via email to [email protected], or addressed to Lempke, Niles Public Library District, 6960 Oakton St., Niles, IL 60714. To be considered for the post, applicants must live within the Niles Public Library District, which includes the village of Niles, most of unincorporated Des Plaines and unincorporated Glenview.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.