Union argues ‘against any proposal that could result in cuts
By Bob Seidenberg
Evanston Public Library employees plan to rally in Fountain Square on Wednesday against a plan trustees are considering to separate from the city and make the library its own district.
The employees, represented by AFSCME Council 31, and their supporters plan to gather at Fountain Square at 6 p.m., then march to the main library at 1703 Orrington Ave. to speak at the Library Board’s regular meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m., the union said in a news release late Tuesday.
“Library employees have always stood against any proposal that could result in cuts to library services, hours, programs and jobs,” Anders Lindall, AFSCME Council’s 31’s public affairs director, said in a statement. “That’s why they’re unified now with their community of patrons and supporters to strongly oppose the plan to split the library away from the city of Evanston.”
For a number of months, library trustees have been exploring the feasibility of splitting from the city and forming an independent district. They are looking to gain more financial autonomy as the library faces an estimated $19 million renovation of the main library.
In February, the board approved a contract with Meristem Advisors, which counseled the Aurora Public Library in its successful transition from a city-run library to an independent library district in 2020.
Trustees heard a report on Meristem’s preliminary findings at an Aug. 6 special meeting and are still in the information-gathering phase. They directed James Rachlin, Meristem’s president, to provide a more detailed analysis of the transition costs involved in separating from the city.
Approximately 75 Evanston Public Library employees are represented by AFSCME Council 31, along with roughly 300 city workers from other departments, mostly from Public Works.
If split off, library workers would still have union representation but presumably as part of a smaller unit.
Lindall maintained that separating from the the city “could drive up costs to the library for infrastructure and services now provided by the city, open the door to privatization schemes, jeopardize library employees’ jobs and benefits, and potentially force cuts to library services that are beloved by the public.
“Particularly at a time when libraries are under politicized assault from extremists in Washington, D.C.,” he said, “it’s more important than ever to ensure stability, continuity and strong support for our own libraries here.”
https://evanstonroundtable.com/2025/08/20/library-employees-oppose-split/