Library Director Out After Complaints From Residents, Ex-Staff

WINNETKA, IL — The director of the Winnetka-Northfield Library District is departing following months of demands for her ouster. According to a statement released by the district Tuesday, the head of adult services has become interim director, and library trustees will launch a search for a new executive director.

Rebecca Wolf, whose leadership has faced criticism from former employees and residents, is "out of the office for an indefinite period of time," the statement said. It described her departure as "private and confidential." It was not immediately clear if Wolf was fired.

Wolf has been replaced on an interim basis by Emily Compton-Dzak, her assistant director, according to the statement. Library trustees have "full confidence" in the ability of staff to manage the leadership transition.

Sarah Quish, head of communications and marketing for the district, declined to say whether Wolf remains the library director, whether she has submitted a letter of resignation or whether she has been terminated.

By Tuesday afternoon, Wolf's name was removed from the list of staff on the district's website.

Wolf was appointed library director in 2013 after working as assistant library director for the Deerfield Public Library and circulation manager at the Lincolnwood Public Library.

During her time in the job, more than 90 employees have resigned or been terminated, a rate of turnover her critics have described as alarming. The district lost more than half of its 43 employees in 2019 alone. And less than 70 percent of employees surveyed have rated Wolf as effective in each of the past three years, according to former librarians at the district.

Wolf refused to provide the anonymous results of employee engagement surveys conducted since during her tenure in response to a public records request, suggesting it "could discourage employees from being fully candid in responding to future surveys." Several other area library districts regularly provide such surveys to the public.

According to selected survey results published on a website created by Wolf's critics, 62.5 percent of district employees would not recommend the district as a good place to work and 62.5 percent of employees do not feel there is someone they are comfortable going to with their problems. Called Save the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library, the website says the district has become a "toxic workplace" under Wolf's leadership. It accuses her of insulting, swearing at and manipulating staff, punishing open communication, misleading the board, changing responsibilities capriciously and "ruthlessly" intimidating others behind closed doors.

The July departure of Northfield branch manager Kristin Carlson brought more community members critical of Wolf's leadership out to board meetings. Carlson was given a $23,000 separation payment and allowed to stay on the district's health insurance for a year in exchange for waiving any claims against the district, records show.

In October, trustees responded to concerns from residents by creating two new committees to focus on human resources matters. In November, Wolf was selected as one of three finalists to become the director of the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library in Indiana, and some residents began taking steps to seek the secession from the district of its portions in the village of Northfield, Pioneer Press reported. The latest petition calling for Wolf's dismissal was published in December.

Amy Richmond, a Northfield resident who left the district in February after eight and a half years, said Wolf's efforts to consolidate management of the Northfield and Winnetka were not popular among patrons or staff.

"It's nice to know that the citizens and the regular people who use the library matter, and that what we want, and what we pay our taxes for, gets the results that we deserve," Richmond said, welcoming Wolf's departure.

"It's never been just a library," she added. "It's always been a community space. It's always been a center of Northfield."

Board President JP Ruiz-Funes declined to say whether or not Wolf remains the library director. A message sent to Wolf has not been returned. Library district staff have yet to respond to requests for records of Wolf's departure.

The next meeting of the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library Board of Trustees is scheduled for Jan. 20.