Ryan Gilles, three year member of the Plainfield Public Library’s Board of Trustees, resigned from her position on the board. On Jan. 3 the library posted a new trustee position to fill the vacancy left by Gilles.
The Board of Trustees is responsible for instituting library policy, handling library administration, creating an annual library budget, controlling library services, and determining salaries. The board meets on the third Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the library.
According the Lisa Pappas, Library Director, the board looks for one able to support and represent the library.
“The board looks for people who have an interest in libraries and the services they provide, [are] willing to advocate for libraries, [and] understand that trustees are stewards of the finances for the library and therefore the community,” Pappas said.
Those desiring to become a trustee needed to submit their resume by Jan. 31. All library trustee positions are “nonpartisan, unpaid volunteers,” according to Plainfield Patch News.
Pappas explains the new trustee will be appointed by ranking members of the board and must meet certain criteria.
“The remaining six trustees determine who to accept and appoint. They formed an ad hoc committee and met on February 5 to review the applicants. Using a matrix of criteria, they chose to interview 5 of the 7 applicants. Those interviews will take place on February 19 at their regular monthly meeting,” Pappas said.
Gilles served the library well, according to Pappas.
“Ryan Gilles is a mother of 4, and was a wonderful advocate for the Library. As a super-user of the Library, she was identified as someone who would help the Library Board pass a tax referendum. She ran the citizen committee that fought to get the referendum passed,” Pappas said.
In order to be a trustee, candidates for the position had to be U.S. citizens who are 18 or over and currently reside in the library’s district. The new trustee should be appointed at the library’s March meeting.