By Bob Seidenberg
A partially reconstituted Evanston Public Library Board is back to square one, filling committee positions, setting its schedule and moving forward on its budget, which typically goes to the city in October.
The former board saw a mass exodus of its senior leadership earlier this year, with members’ continued frustration at their inability to reach an intergovernmental agreement with the city — sharing costs for the city-owned libraries — a factor.
Mayor Daniel Biss’s recent appointees were in place at Wednesday’s meeting: Gustav “Gus” Granchalek, Sharef Al Najjar, Liz Kenney, Richa Bhargava and Kerry Littel. They join trustees Jean Keleher and Victoria Shire from the former board, bringing the board to seven members — exceeding the five-member minimum needed for a quorum to conduct business.
Biss appointees Granchalek and Al Najjar are the board’s new president and vice president. In his first time in the role, Granchalek led the meeting.
“I just want to acknowledge this is the first time we have been together as a board, and that is really important and special,” he said. “Thank you for volunteering your time and energy and mental prowess. It has taken us a moment to get here and I just appreciate it, and I’m excited for what we are here doing.
“We’re going to have everybody participate in these conversations, so it feels like an opportunity for us to connect and understand.”
One of his first actions had to do with filling the board’s committee spots, left open by the exit of the former members:
- Victoria Shire, the board’s treasurer, will head the Finance Committee, with Al Najjar also filling a spot. The committee was previously headed by Michelle Mills, among the trustees who left the board. Mills had played a lead role in negotiations with the city and had been slated to succeed Tracy Fulce as the library’s new president had she stayed on.
- Liz Kenney, a new member, will head the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Committee.
- Jean Keleher, secretary, will continue heading the Communications Committee.
- Richa Bhargava will head Facilities.
At the meeting, trustees directed EPL staff to move forward on a $10,350,928 budget for 2027, a 3.15% increase over 2026. Most of the increase is due to debt costs tied to a new roof on the main library building, interim Library Executive Director Heather Norborg said.
With the changes, the library’s reserve fund will stand at 49% of a year’s operating expenses — approximately six months — exceeding the four-month goal for reserves under board policy. The City of Evanston’s own “rainy day” balance policy calls for at least 16.6%, or two months, of operating expenditures.
Members of the former library board left in dramatic fashion, announcing in June they would be leaving, citing frustration with the city. In the meantime, some City Council members had announced interest in dissolving the library’s independence, making it once again a city department.
The library had previously seen the early departure of its executive director, Yolande Wilburn, who was directly involved in negotiations with the city. Wilburn had been the trustees’ choice after a nearly 15-month search.