The Search is On for a New Library Director

The search for the new director of the Downers Grove Public Library officially kicks off later this month, when a consultant from Bradbury Associates/Gossage Sager Associates meets with the library's board of trustees. 

The firm, based in Kansas City, MO, will work with the board to help identify a replacement for current director Christopher Bowen, who will retire later this year.

“Christopher has been an excellent director," said Kathleen DiCola, president of the board of trustees. "We have a great model to work from.”

Bowen joined the library in 1984 as assistant director, and has served as director since 1989.

 “We wanted to have a national search to make sure that we have the best candidates that we can get, and felt that the best way would be to use a search firm that specializes in libraries,” DiCola said. 

The search may be a bit competitive, as there are other area library directors who also are retiring this year, DiCola said. "We wanted to make sure that we have a good field of candidates to choose from."

Bowen confirmed that Elmhurst and Naperville are both conducting searches for a new director. “Elmhurst and Downers Grove, in particular, are very similar libraries and communities,” he said. “The same candidates might be interested in both.” 

Dan Bradbury of Bradbury Associates will meet with trustees on Feb. 23, to review the search process and determine a timeline. Bradbury also will discuss the search with staff.

The search process will include input from community leaders and residents, although the mechanism for gathering that hasn't been determined.

While specific qualifications for candidates are yet to be determined, there are several characteristics that are generally accepted as being important.

“First and foremost, we’ll want someone with the same type of financial acumen that Christopher has for budgeting and for long-range planning,” DiCola said.  “We also want someone who is open to moving the library forward to keeping it up to date in terms of technology.” 

With public libraries in Illinois are facing major changes due to the state budget crisis,  "the library world will be different and very challenging for the next director," DiCola said. "So we want someone who is able to adapt to that.”

The new director also will need to be able to maintain the high level of service that library patrons have come to expect, she said. “The library runs very well.  Everything goes smoothly and we’re responsive to the patrons’ needs. Everyone is happy with us right now and we’d like to keep it that way.”

Bowen said that the position is likely to be a promotion for many of the candidates. “There are 634 public libraries in Illinois. Downers Grove would be a step up for the directors of at least 550 of them," he said. "We are a bigger and a more well-funded library than most of the libraries in the state. It’s the same for much of the country.”

The director's job will be an “attractive position” for the right candidate," DiCola said. “That person will get a great library in a great community, the building is in excellent shape and we have a great staff.”

The Downers Grove library has a well-earned reputation for “doing more with less than almost any library in the area," she said. "We’re busier, have a higher circulation per capita and lower cost per capita than comparable libraries in comparably sized towns.”

The library is in a sound financial position. “We’re looking at budget issues and how to contain costs, but we’re pretty healthy,” Bowen said. “For the last couple of years, we’ve been looking hard at the future and preparing for all of the eventualities. We’ve been trying hard to plan and be able to do things in a planned and controlled manner.” 

“We’ve been able to contain the budget in trying to avoid crisis," he said. "The new director will be walking into a place that’s stable. It’s a good time for me to leave. The library is in good shape and it’s an exciting time to be in the library business.”