News from Illinois Library Association

Valerie J. Wilford retired as executive director of the Alliance Library System after a forty-year career improving libraries and librarianship in Illinois. She was a colleague, instructor, and mentor to hundreds of librarians, noted for her leadership, creativity, and enterprise. On the state level, she served as the 1975-76 Illinois School Library Association President, 1984 ILA President, was honored as ILA's Librarian of the Year in 1992, and received the Hugh Atkinson Award for contributions to multi-type library cooperation and resource-sharing. National recognition included ALA's Margaret E. Monroe Award and ASCLA's Leadership Achievement Award for setting new standards in cooperation among all types of libraries.

She spearheaded the first national virtual conference for the American Association of School Libraries (AASL) and developed a FREENET for rural libraries. Wilford is a member of the American Library Association, the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, the Illinois Library Association, the American Association of School Librarians, and the Illinois School Library and Media Association.

Wilford has a bachelor's degree in education from Illinois State University and a master's degree in library science from the University of Illinois. Her studies included post-graduate work at the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, and Illinois State University.

Illinois Library Luminaries honor those who have made a significant contribution to Illinois libraries and whose supporters make a contribution of at least $1,000 to the Illinois Library Association Endowment on their behalf. This honor roll for Illinois libraries serves the dual purpose of recognizing outstanding voices in the library community, while creating a legacy through the ILA Endowment to continue their important work. Please click here to see all current luminaries.

Illinois General Assembly Passes Pension Reform

The Illinois House of Representatives and Illinois Senate have now both passed Senate Bill 1, state pension system reform. The vote in the House was 62 to 53 and 30 to 24 in the Senate. Please click here to determine: How the Illinois House and Senate voted on the pension reform overhaul.

The bill will now be sent to the Governor and he has pledged to sign it. The bill will not be effective until June 2014. This legislation will certainly be challenged in the courts and the final outcome may not be known until at least late 2014 or 2015.

In the News

Library-related stories appearing in local news media are reflected in this section of the ILA E-Newsletter. The intent is to alert and inform the Illinois library community about issues and events that are considered significant by the general media.

Libraries Are for Free Books, Not Free Porn

To read the story, please click here.

Obama Library Quest: University of Chicago Talks to Star Architect Gang, UIC Wants to Be Considered
To read this story, please click here.

Aurora Public Library Prom Revisited Event Makes Memories and Money for Teen Space
To read this story, please click here.

Morton Grove Library Hires Firm to Find Next Director
To read this story, please click here.

UIC Makes Bid for Obama Presidential Library and Museum
To read this story, please click here.

Carol Stream Library Rejects ManorCare Bid for Kuhn Road

To read this story, please click here.

New Forest Park Public Library Card Unveiled
To read this story, please click here.

Orland Park Library Board Looking for New Board Member
To read this story, please click here.

Gail Borden Employee Blohm Left His Mark in the Genealogy, Library, and Music Worlds
To read this story, please click here.

Schaumburg Township Librarians Publish Young Adult Novels
To read this story, please click here.

More Than Half of Rockford's Library Collection Gathers Dust
To read this story, please click here.

If your library has a newspaper story with link, send it to us at doyle@ila.org for possible inclusion in the next ILA E-Newsletter. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Robert P. Doyle
Illinois Library Association

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