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Library Board of Trustees

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The Highland Park Public Library is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the Mayor of the City of Highland Park with the approval of the City Council. The Board is composed of nine appointed Highland Park residents who share a love of the Library.  Each Trustee participates as part of the Board team to accomplish the Library’s vision and mission:

VISION:                 The Community’s trusted forum for enrichment and engagement

MISSION:            Opening doors to information and imagination

Meetings
  • Third Tuesday each month at 7 PM
  • Highland Park Public Library
    Lower Level Meeting Room
    494 Laurel Avenue
    Highland Park, IL 60035

The Library Board consists of nine voting members who are appointed by the mayor and approved with the consent of the City Council. 

For more information, please contact
Heidi Smith, Executive Director of the Highland Park Library, at 847.432.0720 or at hsmith@hplibrary.org.

 

 Membership
  • Carol Wolfe, President - Term expires 2026
  • Robert W. Biederman - Term expires 2024*
  • Richard Basofin - Term expires 2026*
  • Alicia de la Cruz - Term expires 2023*
  • Irene M. Hoffman - Term expires 2025* 
  • Ashley Lapin Olian - Term expires 2025*
  • Rebecca Nathanson - Term expires 2026*
  • Robert Olian - Term expires 2026
  • Peter M. Zotos - Term expires 2026*
  • Heidi Smith, Executive Director
  • Kim Stone, City Council Liaison
  • Yeimi (Jamie) Aragon, Student Representative through 6/2024
* May be re-appointed to an additional four-year term.

 

Library Board Trustee Job Description

The Trustee represents a community perspective and is expected to represent the Library in the community. Trustees need to understand that all authority rests with the full Board and its designees, not with individual Trustees.

Responsibilities of the Board:

  1. Prepare a job description for, hire, and provide regular periodic evaluations of the Executive Director.
  2. Determine the mission of the Library and adopt written policies, consistent with that mission, to govern the operation of the Library.
  3. Engage in a strategic planning process for the Library.
  4. Participate in the annual budgeting process and preparation of the annual levy for the Library.
  5. Be knowledgeable about and comply with applicable laws, regulations, bylaws, and policies.
  6. Advocate for legislation favorable to libraries on the local, state, and national levels, considering ALA’s Library Bill of Rights.
  7. Seek opportunities to learn more about the Highland Park Public Library and about the Library community in general.
  8. Be an advocate to the community and constituents for the Library and for Board decisions.
  9. Each Trustee shall participate fully in the Board meeting process. This includes reviewing relevant materials prior to the monthly meeting; serving on one or two Board committees and attending Board and Committee meetings. Each Trustee shall regularly self-evaluate his/her personal performance on the Board and his/her ability to support the Library’s mission.