Serving Our Public Committee

 

News

Member Spotlight - Betsy Adamowski
January 24, 2024
This week's member spotlight is on Betsy Adamowski, executive director of the Wheaton Public Library. Betsy has been involved in various ILA committees and served as ILA president in 2015. She is currently a member of the ILA Advocacy and Serving Our…
Member Spotlight - Jim Deiters
December 11, 2023
This week's member spotlight is on Jim Deiters. Jim is the deputy director at the Joliet Public Library and member of the ILA Serving Our Public Committee. Jim has also served on the ILA Advocacy and Public Policy Committees.  We …

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75 ILCS 10/8.1 states, to be eligible for grants under this Section [which include the Public Library Per Capita Grant], a public library must: “Provide, as determined by the State Librarian, library services which either meet or show progress toward meeting the Illinois library standards, as most recently adopted by the Illinois Library Association.” In light of this law and the Illinois State Library’s recent move to require a full review of the Serving Our Public: Standards for llinois Public Libraries every year as part of the Public Library Per Capita Grant Application, ILA has created a standing Serving Our Public: Standards for Illinois Public Libraries Committee to ensure that Serving Our Public: Standards for Illinois Public Libraries continues to be relevant and accurate for Illinois public libraries. 

Committee Charge

Completely revise Serving Our Public: Standards for Illinois Public Libraries, this would include:

  • Moving to an online format

  • Simplifying the chapters to an Overview, a Minimum Standards Checklist, and an Advanced Checklist

      Similar to Colorado (https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/standards/index)

  • Reviewing and updating all the content, including the addition of a DEI chapter/section. This could tie into the DEI toolkit that the association is working on.

  • Determining how to incorporate appendices in an online format.

Timeline

Begin in July 2023 – end in July 2025

  • July 2023 – orientation, discuss overall vision, format, how to proceed (subgroups, shared google docs, etc.)

  • September 2023 – meet to discuss intro/how-to section and chapter 1, appendix A

  • October 2023 – meet to discuss chapter 2, appendix B-D

  • November 2023 – meet to discuss chapter 3, appendix E

  • January 2024 – meet to discuss chapter 4-6, appendix F-G, J-K

  • March 2024 – meet to discuss chapter 7-8, appendix H-I

  • April 2024 – meet to discuss chapter 9-11

  • May 2024 – meet to discuss chapter 12-13

  • June 2024 – meet to discuss DEI chapter, glossary

  • July 2024 (orientation) – meet to review the whole thing

  • August 2024 – submit to web designer

  • October 2024 – listening session at ILA

  • November 2024 – review web designers work, make adjustments

  • January - February 2025 – provide completed chapters to test readers for feedback; continue working on uncompleted chapters

  • March - April 2025 - make any necessary updates to completed chapters per feedback from test readers; provide test readers the rest of the completed chapters

  • May 2025 - make any necessary updates to the rest of the completed chapters per feedback from test readers

  • June 2025 - review web designers work, make adjustments

  • July 2025 - go live

Committee Composition

Composed of seven voting members, staggered terms.

  1. Betsy Adamowski Betsy Adamowski, Chair Director at Wheaton Public Library

    Chair Term ends 06/30/2026
  2. Jennifer Cottrill Jennifer Cottrill, Co-chair Director at Midlothian Public Library

    Co-chair Term ends 06/30/2026
  3. Jim Deiters Jim Deiters, Co-chair Deputy Director at Joliet Public Library

    Co-chair Term ends 06/30/2026
  4. Kathy Parker Kathy Parker, Co-chair Consultant at kathyparker consulting

    Co-chair Term ends 06/30/2025
  5. Monica Cameron Monica Cameron, Member Director at Shelbyville Public Library

    Member Term ends 06/30/2026
  6. Veronica De Fazio Veronica De Fazio, Member Deputy Director at Peoria Public Library

    Member Term ends 06/30/2026
  7. Rachel Fuller Rachel Fuller, Member Interim Executive Director at The Urbana Free Library

    Member Term ends 06/30/2026
  8. Michaela Haberkern Michaela Haberkern, Member Aurora Public Library

    Member Term ends 06/30/2025
  9. Erin Steinsultz Erin Steinsultz, Member Crab Orchard Public Library District

    Member Term ends 06/30/2026
  10. Ashley Stewart Ashley Stewart, Member Campaign Director at EveryLibrary

    Member Term ends 06/30/2025
  11. Mary Stoner Mary Stoner, Member Director at Anne West Lindsey District Library

    Member Term ends 06/30/2026
  12. Laura Keyes Laura Keyes, Board liaison Director at Dunlap Public Library District

    Board liaison Term ends 06/30/2026
  13. Cyndi Robinson Cyndi Robinson, Staff liaison Executive Director at Illinois Library Association

    Staff liaison Term ends 06/30/2028
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