MEGAN BUTMAN

candidate for 2025 OAK PARK LIBRARY board

1. What motivates you to seek this office? What skills do you bring to the office? What sets you apart from other candidates? What does success look like for you after four years in the position?

My unique combination of professional library expertise and community connection both motivates me to run and sets me apart. Having lived in Oak Park for over 20 years and worked as a professional librarian managing diverse teams, I deeply understand both our community's needs and library operations. After witnessing the abrupt departure of our last Executive Director, I recognize the critical need for a professional librarian's perspective on the Board - someone who understands both leadership responsibilities and library values. I would bring this currently needed, but missing voice to Board decisions.

Success after four years would mean having a thriving library that makes headlines only for its achievements and positive contributions to our community. I envision a library that runs smoothly, serves all community members effectively, and stands as a model of excellence.

2. What do you see as the three biggest challenges or opportunities facing the Library  and what role do you see the Board playing to address them over the next four years?

As a candidate for the Oak Park Public Library Board, I see our specific institutional challenges are:

  • Onboarding a new Executive Director

  • Developing good governance on the Board

  • Regaining the community's confidence in our Board

As a Library Trustee, I'll address these by supporting a thorough onboarding process with clear expectations, providing leadership to improve board governance practices, and rebuilding the community's trust in our Board through active listening and consistent communication.

While our local funding isolates us from some of the national chaos affecting institutions elsewhere, we must remain vigilant about potential threats to our mission and respond proactively when necessary.

3. What is your decision making process? What are steps the Board can take to ensure transparency, clear communication, and community engagement to ensure the Board is hearing from the full range of the Library’s constituents?.

I believe in carefully gathering and considering all information and perspectives before making decisions, while recognizing the need to move forward from discussion to action. I assess whether decisions are reversible or permanent, as this affects the level of caution needed. Most importantly, I focus on what best serves the library, not personal ego or political agenda.

Strong board governance requires transparent decision-making and clear communication with our community. Board meeting recordings are available to the public, and public comments are always welcome. I would encourage community members to watch meetings and provide feedback to the Board, whether in person or via email. I particularly support carefully designed community surveys that ask specific questions, to help gather meaningful input from our diverse community to guide decision-making, rather than vague questions that produce unclear, unhelpful responses.

4. Please share your thoughts about the Library’s current financial picture.What’s your understanding of the Board role in the budgeting process and the allocation of resources? Do you have organizational finance experience?

While I'm cautiously optimistic about achieving the Library’s first balanced operational budget in years, the Board must plan thoughtfully for future capital expenses, particularly for our aging main branch. The Board’s role is to provide clear financial parameters and oversight based on established priorities, while allowing the Executive Director to manage spending within these established boundaries.

My experience advising law firm library directors on resource allocation and budget priorities has given me valuable insight into organizational finance. While public library  stakeholders are taxpayers and law firm library stakeholders are attorneys - each with different priorities - both situations require careful consideration of how to maximize resources. This background would help me contribute to thoughtful financial oversight that balances fiscal responsibility with maintaining the high-quality services our community expects.

5. What would you say to voters who are worried about Oak Park’s overall tax burden?

The library represents just 5% of Oak Park property taxes, yet provides invaluable services and access to information and resources for our community that far exceed this modest investment. I understand the Board's responsibility to ensure fiscal accountability with these tax dollars. It's important to note that this local tax contribution accounts for 96% of the library's budget, meaning OPPL maintains strong local control over its funding and services, rather than being dependent on federal funding or other external sources

6. How do you define equity? Have recent discussions in the larger community and or at the national level informed or changed your thinking? 

I believe equity is ensuring the fair and just distribution of resources and support to create meaningful opportunities for everyone. Recent discussions have not changed my belief or understanding about the importance of equity but they have reinforced my belief that 

equity must be integrated into every aspect of an organization's  mission, processes and services rather than being appended as a separate or standalone initiative. When equity is embedded in daily operations and decision-making, it becomes an enduring part of the organization's culture and practice.

7. What do you see as the role of the Library in responding to the ever-changing ways in which people find and consume information? 

The library must continuously adapt to the changing ways people access and consume information, this can vary significantly across generations, education levels, and socioeconomic backgrounds. A crucial part of this mission is teaching information literacy skills to help patrons effectively evaluate and navigate today's complex information landscape. While in the early internet era, providing computer access was a primary focus, today's needs are more complex. Though most people now carry computers in their pockets, some still require traditional access points. Similarly, while many patrons seek remote access to resources, others need in-person assistance from library staff. Meeting these varied needs requires libraries to be flexible and innovative while carefully managing budgets and resources. 

8. In recent years, the Library has replaced security guards with social workers, increased salaries for its lower-waged workers, and eliminated late fees for borrowers. Please share your thoughts about these initiatives. Are there ways in which you would anticipate expanding or rolling back this work?  

I strongly support the progressive changes OPPL has implemented, including the elimination of fees and increased staff wages. To enhance our current security measures, I would advocate for hiring an additional social worker and providing more comprehensive security training for staff. It's also important to better communicate our existing security protocols to the community, helping them understand the measures the library has  in place for everyone's safety.

9. What approach should the Library take towards intergovernmental cooperation initiatives such as the Collaboration for Early Childhood? Are there other specific initiatives that you would like to implement or expand upon? 

While the library has its own distinct and essential mission in our community, I believe in seeking opportunities for collaboration and cooperation with other organizations whenever possible to better serve our residents. While I don't have specific initiatives to propose at this time, I plan to listen, learn, and remain open to possibilities for meaningful partnerships that could enhance library services.

10. What approach should the Library take towards intermunicipal cooperation with neighboring communities? Are there specific initiatives that you would like to implement or expand upon?

The library already participates in valuable inter-municipal collaborations that benefit our community. Through the SWAN consortium, we share resources with neighboring libraries, and through Illinois Libraries Presents (an Illinois Library Association initiative), we partner with libraries across the state to offer online events and programs at reduced costs. While these existing partnerships demonstrate the value of cooperation, I support exploring additional inter-municipal opportunities that could enhance our ability to serve the community.

11. How do you see services and supports for homeless patrons fitting within the mission of the Library?

The key word is "patron" - people experiencing homelessness are patrons, and serving them is a fundamental part of the library's mission. While this service brings unique challenges that require balancing compassion with clear policies, we must deliver it with empathy and dignity. Success comes through collaborating with community partners to connect individuals with appropriate resources while maintaining equitable library access for all community members.

12. How should the Library handle the question around the removal of books, subscriptions, and materials from the shelves if community members deem the content to be inappropriate, too controversial or objectionable? 

My views on handling challenged materials align perfectly with the OPPL’s Collection Strategy Statement and Freedom to Read Policy. Intellectual freedom must remain our guiding principle, and I am confident the library staff and library board's commitment to this value is unwavering. Maintaining diverse perspectives in our collection is essential to serving our entire community.

13. Knowing that the Board cannot share certain information related to employment matters, what measures do you believe are needed to restore confidence in the Board and the executive level management in the wake of the controversy around the executive director last year? 

As someone who has worked in professional settings for 30 years and currently manages five professionals, I rarely find employment issues that warrant immediate termination. My concern isn't as much about why this firing occurred, but how it was handled. Leaders should ensure due process, de-escalate situations, and show respect to employees - this board did the opposite.

To restore confidence, we need new trustees who prioritize the library and librarianship over personal political agendas. The board needs fresh perspectives and responsible leadership that truly values our institution, all employees and has the discipline to follow proper procedures. Rebuilding trust will require leadership that demonstrates respect for the new Executive Director, transparency in decision-making (within legal constraints), and a commitment to the library's mission rather than individual agendas.

14. The Library Board’s primary responsibility is oversight of the Executive Director. What criteria do you believe the Board should use to evaluate the performance of the Executive Director?

There are many sample evaluations and rubrics for measuring the performance of an Executive Director at a public library. Key categories of expectations usually include serving the community, meeting board expectations, and managing staff. The specific metrics may include effective use of personnel, preparing and managing budgets, implementing board priorities, maintaining community relationships and conducting community outreach. A public library Executive Director is an established professional position with widely available evaluation criteria. The challenge isn't setting criteria - it's committing to consistent governance, communication, and follow-through.

15. Last November, Oak Park voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative that proposed that voters be able to approve ordinances and policies through a direct vote. At this point, the vote on the ballot initiative was advisory or non-binding. The next step is for the Village or any other taxing body in Oak Park (as reported by the Wednesday Journal November 7, 2024) to decide whether or not to place the issue on the ballot as a binding referendum. Please share your views on this initiative. 

Still thinking about this one - check out my answer to #3 about how I make decisions. I'm in the "gathering information" stage on this issue and haven't formed my final opinion yet.

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