Oak Park Public Library Executive Director Deirdre (Dee) Brennan today announced her resignation effective December 31, 2012. In January, Brennan will join Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) as the organization’s new executive director.

Oak Park Public Library’s Board of Trustees will begin the process of selecting her replacement at a special meeting in executive session on November 12.

The Board recognizes Brennan’s six years of accomplishments and the significant strides she has taken in diversifying the library’s programming, strengthening infrastructure, empowering internal teams, and engaging the Oak Park and larger library communities.

Board President Lane Hart says that Brennan “has achieved a lot in her tenure and will be missed. Thanks, in large part to her leadership, we have a lot to be proud of. We’re a four-star library, and a member of SWAN, offering more than 1 million items to our cardholders. Just last month, the library was honored for its high service ratings by the National Citizens Survey.”
 
Oak Park Public Library’s new strategic plan and 2013 annual budget are nearly complete, and the Board is committed to providing award-winning service to its community.

“We have every expectation that our plans will move forward and that our new Executive Director will provide excellent leadership moving our library into the future,” adds Hart. “We know library directors across the country have been taking note of our recent successes, and in many cases, following our example. We expect to have an impressive pool of applicants for the Executive Director position.”

Brennan adds: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being here, and being a part of this community. The library is in a great place, and is poised to continue serving Oak Park in new and exciting ways. Every day, I see and hear firsthand how we’re touching lives. Personally, this new opportunity at RAILS gives me the chance to help bring positive change to more libraries throughout Illinois, empowering more people with all that great libraries can offer them.”

About RAILS
RAILS serves more than 1500 public, private, university, and school library members, representing more than 3700 library facilities in a 27,000 square mile area in northern and western Illinois. RAILS provides delivery service to support Illinois’ vast interlibrary loan program, technology support for more than 800 libraries’ shared online catalogs, and Talking Book Services that serve persons with visual or physical disabilities who cannot read conventional print material. RAILS is governed by a Board of Directors, elected by member libraries. More about RAILS [1].

About Deirdre Brennan
Deirdre Brennan is currently Executive Director of Oak Park Public Library. She also served as Director of the Boston Regional Library System where she directed regional and statewide services for 103 libraries of different types. These services included delivery and interlibrary loan, the MetroBoston Library Network (MBLN) shared bibliographic consortium, continuing education, consulting, and a statewide electronic resources purchasing program. Brennan has been active in many system and statewide library issues in Illinois. She served as the Chair of the Illinois Library Association’s Public Policy Committee and Co-chair of the Future of Illinois Library Cooperation (FILC) planning initiative that assessed the future needs of Illinois libraries and residents. She is currently a member of the RAILS Member Advisory Group and SWAN Board.