Article – Los Angeles Blade – Right-Wingers are taking over library boards to remove books on racism

Very disturbing indeed and as always, we note, Joe Makula won’t show his face anywhere either on the library website or anywhere else online

 

Most of these opposition groups purport to be homegrown & grassroots, all have access to numerous national right-wing organizations.

By Eleanor J. Bader | NILES, IL – When Joe Makula decided to run for the board of the Niles-Maine Public Library in Niles, Illinois, this spring, a community member asked him how he thought the library could better serve the area’s increasingly diverse community.

Many were stunned by his response: “Instead of stocking up on books in seven different languages, if we got people to assimilate and learn English better, I think we would do more good in that area than increasing our inventory of foreign language books.”

At the time of his candidacy, Makula was a known person in Niles, having previously led efforts to impose term limits on elected officials and stop the town mayor from filling vacant trustee positions, but his interest in the library was new. Elizabeth Lynch, an organizer with #SaveNilesLibrary, a campaign of the Niles Coalition, says that she does not know what provoked Makula’s involvement, but it quickly became apparent that his goal was “to object to the library being a community center.” He also opposed spending to repair the building’s aging roof and upgrade the facility to better bridge the digital divide separating low-income residents from their more affluent neighbors.

But despite, or perhaps because of, his political outlook, Makula — who did not respond to Truthout’s request for an interview — won the April election and now holds a seat on the library board; two other fiscal conservatives were also elected.

“Fewer than 2,000 people out of more than 57,000 who were eligible to vote, voted to fill four open slots,” Lynch told Truthout. “It was the lowest turnout ever. In addition to Makula and the other two, there was another conservative already on the board, so this gave them a four to three majority.”

Since their swearing in on May 19, the new board has wasted no time in imposing its agenda. “Their focus is to change the very nature of the library,” Lynch says. “They’ve already slashed the budget from $7.4 to $5.9 million, fired staff or reduced their hours, gone from being open 70 hours a week to being open 54, and eliminated outreach to schools and nursing homes.” In addition, she says, longtime library director Susan Dove Lempke felt she had to resign from her position after clashing with Makula and the other conservatives over the cutbacks.

Read more at  https://www.losangelesblade.com/2021/07/19/right-wingers-are-taking-over-library-boards-to-remove-books-on-racism/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_02ea9421aadca12d9079c82c8eca8c4c95302206-1626824946-0-gqNtZGzNAnijcnBszQii

Also read https://ourdailystreamnews.com/niles-public-library-being-destroyed-from-the-inside/ 

From their website

https://www.nileslibrary.org/about-us

Our Mission

The Mission of the Niles-Maine District Library (NMDL) is to engage, inform, enrich, and educate its community.

Our Core Values

  • We provide “over-the-top” customer service
  • We respect all individuals
  • We believe in intellectual freedom
  • We believe in the importance of access to information for all.
  • We operate with absolute integrity
  • We respect privacy and confidentiality
  • We provide a high-quality, current and relevant collection
  • We believe dedicated, friendly and professional staff members are integral to the library experience
  • We encourage innovation
  • We support and expect personal and organizational growth
  • We believe in the value of partnerships
  • We commit to strengthening the partnerships with schools, community and businesses

The Library is governed by an elected seven member board, who serve six-year terms. Through long-range planning, the Board of Trustees ensures that high quality services and materials are available to patrons of the District.

Regular Library Board of Trustees Meetings are held in the Commons Meeting Room of the Niles-Maine District Library at 6:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month.

Public Hearing Meeting Information: July 20, 2021

The Public Hearing on the Tentative Budget and Appropriations Ordinance 21-02 will be held on Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at the Niles-Maine District Library at 6960 Oakton St. Niles, IL. The hearing will be in the Commons Meeting Room on the First Floor. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. Meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The hearing is for this specific purpose and comments must be limited to the specific topic of the Tentative Budget and Appropriation Ordinance 21-02. Everyone will have one opportunity to speak who wishes to speak provided that the Board can and will limit repetitive and non-relevant commentary. In a public hearing the 5-minute limit per person and the 30-minute total time cap does not apply.

Attendees who want to make a public comment may sign in and will be called by name in the order of the sign-in sheet. After everyone on the sign-in sheet has given public comments, anyone who wishes to give public comment and has not signed in, will do so at this time.

The Library District is holding an in-person meeting, that provides an opportunity for members of the public to address the Board in person and make their comments. Emails or public comments submitted in writing will not be read.

Individuals addressing the Board must at all times adhere to the Library policies and other rules as may be necessary for the efficient and orderly conduct of the meeting. All public comments shall be addressed to the Board as a whole and no comments shall be addressed to individual members of the Board, Library staff or other members of the public body. (Policy 3.27).

This meeting will be streamed on Zoom here and YouTube here.

Regular Board Meeting Information: July 21, 2021

The Regular Board Meeting will be held in-person on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. in the Commons Meeting Room. View the agenda here.

This meeting will be streamed on Zoom here and YouTube here.

 

Contact Information

Email the Board

To leave a voice message for the Board, call 847-663-6650. Your message will be automatically distributed to each Board member.

Board Members

Carolyn Drblik, President

Term Expires: 2025

Email | 847-663-6654

 Training Certificate of Completion (Open Meetings Act)

 

Name three words that describe you.
Innovative, Compassionate, Trustworthy

Name three words that describe our Library.
Enlightening, Friendly, Evolving

Why did you want to be a trustee?
I became a trustee to provide a viable, sustainable library through collaboration with staff, residents and trustees.

Olivia Hanusiak, Vice President

Term Expires: 2027

Email | 847-663-6652

Suzanne Schoenfeldt, Secretary

Term Expires: 2027

Email | 847-663-6657

 

 


Name three words that describe you.

Determined, Creative, Resilient

Name three words that describe our Library.
Educational, Place to Dream, Empowering

Why did you want to be a trustee?
I feel it was my civic responsibility to advocate for a strong library community. Volunteering is a key part of my life, and the ability to connect and dedicate my time is what initially drew me to the position. Personal satisfaction comes from working for, and with people of the community. This way we are able to mutually establish goals and work together to continue to make the Niles Maine Library a great place to be.

Joe Makula, Treasurer

Term Expires: 2023

Email | 847-663-6656

Becky Keane-Adams, Trustee

Term Expires: 2023

Email | 847-663-6651

 

 

Name three words that describe you.
Compassionate, Diligent, Resilient

Name three words that describe our Library.
Safe, Indispensable, Equalizing

Why did you want to be a trustee?

I want to serve Niles by ensuring that our Library continues to be a place for all. I envision it as a welcoming place for young and old, a top-notch tech center, an educational support system, and a safe gathering place. As a trustee, it is my honor to safeguard our Library’s resources and our community’s interests.

Dianne Olson, Trustee

Term Expires: 2023

Email | 847-663-6655

Training Certificate of Completion (Open Meetings Act)

 

Name three words that describe you.
Patient, Reliable, Conscientious

Name three words that describe our Library.
Welcoming, Diversified, Powerful

Why did you want to be a trustee?
To be a trustee is to ensure that NMDL continues to offer great services that enrich our community!

Patti Rozanski, Trustee

Term Expires: 2027

Email | 847-663-6653

 Training Certficiate of Completion (Open Meetings Act)

 

Name three words that describe you.
Enthusiastic, Caring, Energetic

Name three words that describe our Library.
Empowering, Enlightening, Fantastic

Why did you want to be a trustee?
I am loyal to the Library and I care about helping it serve its residents.