Evanston Public Library Seeks Racial Equity Task Force Applicants

EVANSTON, IL — The city is accepting applications until the end of the month from residents interested as serving on the new Evanston Public Library Racial Equity Task Force. The task force will make recommendations for how equity, diversity and inclusion are integrated into the work of the library, help the library work with diverse communities and staff and find ways to improve, according to a notice on the city's website.

Up to six applicants may be picked for one or two-year appointments to serve alongside up to four Evanston Public Library staff members, while no more than two members of the library board will also sit on the task force, it said. The group will be co-chaired by one appointee from the community and one library staffer.

"We are specifically seeking people who have a passion for seeing greater equity, diversity, and inclusion in public service and for those who have deep ties to people, groups, or organizations who have been historically underserved," according to an announcement from the library. It said motivated community members could help "test our systems, acknowledge our gaps, and take action against inequity."

For three months, the group will meet twice a month for the first three months before meeting monthly for up to two hours. Task force members may also take on tasks outside of scheduled meetings, and the total time commitment is estimated to range from four to 10 hours a month. The library task force is sponsored by Director Karen Danczak Lyons and will report to the board, providing it quarterly progress reports, according to the call for applicants. It said the library, an independent public body whose budget is provided by the Evanston City Council, is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion for the community.

Apply Online To Evanston Public Library Racial Equity Task Force »

"This work requires persistent and vigilant efforts to identify, speak out and take action against oppression in public libraries, in society, and within the library profession," according to the notice on the city's website. "To fully meet these goals, we must authentically engage others, understand our work and its impact, act when we fall short of our aspirations, acknowledge gaps and shortcomings, and carefully and intentionally find ways to do better."

Following calls for an equity audit of the library and paying a $110,00 settlement to the city's only black librarian in 2017, the library last year engaged consultant DeEtta Jones and Associates to conduct an equity report, which was released in September 2018.

“While the study validated some of our strategies and activities, it also pointed to new ways for connecting with all of our communities,” said Danczak Lyons, director of the EPL, in a release announcing the report. "A priority for us now is exploring how to more effectively engage and support the African-American community. We recognize that a history of racism and ongoing racial disparities in our country, in our community, and in our institutions creates real trust issues that require a longstanding commitment, thoughtful action, constant work and honest dialogue to overcome." She said the library is also committed toward engaging more effectively with Evanston's Latino community was also a focus, noting it had hired "new Latinx Community Engagement Librarian" last August after a lengthy search.

Apply online to the Evanston Public Library Racial Equity Task Force before June 1 for consideration. Anyone with questions or concerns was asked to contact Karen Danczak Lyons at kdanczaklyons@cityofevanston.org or 847-448-8650.