About Evanston Public Library
Evanston, IL, a city of 76,000, sits on the shores of Lake Michigan directly north of Chicago. Home to a diverse and engaged community, Northwestern University, and Endeavor Health, Evanston boasts an active downtown, nationally recognized school system, and an award-winning public library, Evanston Public Library (EPL). Evanston has a vision to create the most livable city in America.
Evanston Public Library “connects our diverse community through learning, discovery, and shared experiences, providing equitable access to resources, fostering personal growth, and creating inclusive spaces where everyone can belong, learn and connect.” EPL currently serves our community in two permanent physical locations, the Main Branch located in the heart of Evanston’s downtown, and Robert Crown, a branch located in a bustling community center on the city’s west side. In 2025, the library enjoyed 446,448 visits, with patrons checking out 967,993 digital and physical items. EPL’s FY 2025 budget was over $9m and the library relied on the support of over 90 employees and 200+ volunteers.
The Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees envisions a community in which the library engages all residents in reaching their aspirations. The library’s staff, collections, programs, technology and leadership help ensure that:
- All Evanston residents of every background and ability have the opportunity to enjoy an intellectually and culturally rich life
- Every child experiences the pleasure of reading, the joy of learning, enters school with the requisite developmental skills and continues to develop critical thinking skills including functional literacy
- Our community celebrates, appreciates and supports its diversity in all of its forms
- Those in need can find assistance and information with ease
- Every resident experiences the pleasure of reading and the joy of lifelong learning
The Evanston Public Library endorses and embraces the American Library Association’s Equity of Access Statement and Freedom to Read Statement.
Learn more about Evanston Public Library at https://epl.org/.
The Opportunity
The Executive Director of Evanston Public Library will guide the organization through the next chapter of its collective story, working to realize EPL’s Vision and Mission. The Evanston Public Library is governed by an engaged board of nine trustees, seeking an excellent communicator able to develop and empower staff through authentic engagement, partnership, training and support. The Executive Director must be financially astute, able to manage the budget process, and committed to building on the library’s history of fundraising and grants by creatively seeking additional sources of revenue. This visionary leader will collaborate with the community, staff, and City of Evanston, as well as engage and leverage the Board of Trustees as a valued resource, and work to fulfill Evanston Public Library’s mission and vision. The executive director will lead the organization through a strategic planning process and help foster purposeful and meaningful connections with the community, including those most in need of access to the library’s literature and technology resources.
Key Responsibilities
Setting and Implementing the EPL Strategic Plan
- Direct and participate in short-term and long-range planning for the library to facilitate growth, improve internal functions and enhance the delivery of services to the community, including overseeing the library’s marketing and development activities.
- Model innovation, creativity, and thought leadership that is inclusive, transparent, and empowering in a manner that upholds the organization’s vision and drives its mission.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement by evaluating the organization’s effectiveness using qualitative and quantitative data and refining the strategy to ensure success and sustainability.
- Ensure written and spoken communication is consistent with organizational goals and priorities, and advocate for EPL in ways that enhance our collective impact based on those goals and priorities.
- Oversee operations in alignment with the strategic plan, and with policies and procedures that ensure high-quality service to the community.
Building Strong Relationships with Transparency
- Build and maintain collaborative, trusted, engaged and effective working relationships with the community, the Board of Trustees, City of Evanston leaders, and others (i.e. donors, foundations and grantors).
- Use Asset-Based Community Development to nurture a sense of belonging among staff, volunteers, and the community as a whole.
- Work collaboratively with city leadership and representatives of the city’s labor union to address workplace priorities, maintain constructive relationships, and support a positive and productive work environment, cultivating a transparent working relationship that is aligned with library priorities and grounded in mutual respect.
- Initiate, cultivate and lead efforts to generate philanthropic support and community partnerships and support for EPL’s mission and vision, leveraging the board as needed.
- Manage strong relationship and partnership with the Board of Trustees, maintaining regular and ongoing communication to ensure effective governance of EPL.
Hiring, Managing, and Developing a Strong Team
- Build productive and trusting relationships with the library’s leadership and management teams and foster a collaborative, inclusive culture among staff across locations and roles.
- Coach, develop and support members of the senior leadership team to be effective in their roles and in their management of their teams and functional areas.
- Maintain a visible and accessible leadership presence across library locations and departments, actively seeking input from employees and fostering open communication, collaboration, and professional growth.
- Promote and foster equitable and inclusive recruiting, hiring, and onboarding practices to find, grow, and retain a diverse team.
- Ensure that there is effective and transparent internal communication, feedback, coordination, and collaboration.
- Develop and regularly update the succession plan for key positions in the organization.
Ensuring Accessibility, High-quality Programming, and Relevant Patron Experiences
- Ensure program excellence and evaluation, including documentation to meet government and grantor policies, to meet or exceed reporting requirements.
- Invest in maintaining and accumulating a robust collection that is inclusive and meets the needs and voices of Evanston’s diverse community, including our local schools and institutions of higher education.
- Create proactive systems that garner feedback from key stakeholders to inform program success and outcomes.
Operational Effectiveness, Safety, and Financial Management
- Partner with the senior leadership team to manage the daily operations and to keep the services of the library system current with public/community needs.
- Systematize key functions in the organization to maximize efficiency, enhance productivity, and increase transparency and access to necessary information for internal stakeholders.
- Develop and advance long-term plans for library facilities, technology, and infrastructure to ensure EPL remains accessible, effective, and responsive to evolving community needs.
- Ensure the safety and security of all branches, providing the necessary support to keep staff and patrons safe at all times.
- Oversee the development and preparation of the annual library operating budget, which includes both revenue and expenditure history analysis and future projections and is clearly aligned with the library’s strategic goals and equity-driven priorities.
- Ensure maximum resource utilization, budget management, and maintenance of the organization to put the organization in a positive, productive and sustainable financial situation.
Candidate Profile
We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
Champion for Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion
- Set ambitious goals to advance equity, and cultivate a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in the library and throughout its engagement with patrons, the Evanston community, and library staff.
- Engage meaningfully with diverse stakeholders in challenging dialogue and critical self-reflection around implicit bias, systemic racism, and structural inequities.
- Address inequities with urgency in order to improve the lives of current and future patrons in Evanston.
- Demonstrate a deep commitment to core library principles, including upholding intellectual freedom, protecting patron confidentiality and privacy, and ensuring open access to information, while opposing censorship.
Authentic and Honest Communicator and Listener
- Communicate clearly, proactively, authentically and with transparency while being mindful of the audience and mode of communication.
- Be an accessible listener who actively seeks input, follows up on concerns, and keeps stakeholders informed.
- Demonstrate the ability to transition quickly from individual, detail oriented projects to collaborative, people-centered conversations.
- Navigate difficult conversations with a focus on and commitment to understanding others’ perspectives that lead to progress.
Relationship Builder and Influencer
- Cultivate a culture of trust by leading with consistency, integrity, and accountability, keeping commitments and following through.
- Maintain visibility and presence in the branches and the community and work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders at all levels.
- Build positive relationships and coalitions both within and outside of the organization, inclusive of staff, patrons, community partners, aligned union(s) and city leaders.
- Facilitate conversations that build genuine buy-in for projects, programs, and initiatives aimed at advancing EPL’s mission.
Strategic Planning, Change Management, and Effective Execution
- Solve problems strategically while weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each approach with a systems level and equity lens.
- Exhibit a strong focus on short and long-term goals, accountability, and results; establish clear metrics for success.
- Think critically and lead thoughtful, transformative action within a complex organization.
- Use data and research based practices to analyze problems and translate those insights into systemic action.
- Analyze the conditions for change and offer innovative solutions to seemingly intractable problems and adapt strategy to changing conditions.
- Assess evolving community needs and adapt services, programs and resources to serve an increasingly diverse community.
Minimum Requirements
- Three (3) or more years of library administration and supervisory experience, in addition to five (5) or more years of increasingly responsible experience in a library setting.
- Master’s degree in Library Science required.
- Demonstrated experience working effectively with an economically and ethnically diverse staff and community, and with stakeholders including municipal government, governing boards, community partners, and the public, with the acumen to build consensus and advance a shared vision.
- Experience planning, organizing, directing, and conducting the administrative and management functions of a multi-divisional department.
- Experience in organizations with collaborative management concepts and strong customer service.
- Measurable success leading complex projects and diverse teams to deliver improvements in collections, programs, services, facilities and/or staffing.
- Demonstrated skills and experience in problem solving, management, budgeting, fundraising, and financial management.
- Experience working in conjunction with the board to identify priorities, establish goals, monitor progress, and produce outcomes in service to stakeholders.
- A growth mindset and belief that continuous improvement happens through constant learning.
- Ability to travel locally and nationally.
Physical Requirements of Work
- Ability to work primarily in a stationary position, occasionally using force to lift, carry or otherwise move objects normally found in an office setting.
- The employee is primarily subject to inside environmental conditions and outdoor conditions as appropriate.
Supervision
The Library Director is a direct report to the Library Board of Trustees and receives specific library policy direction from the Library Board. Performance is reviewed through written evaluation, observation, completion of projects, status reports, conferences, and ongoing communication with the board. Work performance is formally evaluated by the board at least annually. Feedback on performance is provided on an ongoing basis.
Public Contact
The Library Director has regular and frequent contact with board members, city officials, city and library employees, members of the public, and representatives of other agencies. The Library Director serves as the city’s official representative as appropriate at meetings, presentations, conferences, and related matters directly related to the Evanston Public Library.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $155,507 to $233,261 and commensurate with prior experience. In addition, a comprehensive benefits package will be included in the ultimate offer for the identified sole finalist.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Trisha Sutrisno and Shelby Woods. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
Evanston Public Library is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. Evanston Public Library does not discriminate in any aspect of employment on the basis of race, color, ancestry or national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age.