Indian Trails has 35 candidates for director

When the July 22 deadline passed, the Indian Trails Public Library in Wheeling had 35 applicants for executive director — 15 from Illinois and 20 from around the country.

“That’s a lot because (qualified candidates are) a pretty narrow little field,” said Mike Madden, interim library director.

Applicants must have a master’s degree in library science from an American Library Association-accredited program, be technologically knowledgeable and have good “people” skills.

The successful candidate will make at least $110,000 a year.

“We want to get a librarian that’s going to be around a while, that’s good for the community,” said Walter Salganik, library board president. “Continuity affects the quality of the library.”

The previous library director, Thomas Simiele, left in early June, less than two years after he started.

Simiele had been hired as the result of a 4-3 vote by the library board. This time, they would like their choice to get as close to unanimous approval as possible.

“If there’s general consensus from the onset, then there’ll be less of a chance of issues down the road,” Salganik said.

A major part of the director’s job is to communicate with the library board, Salganik said, adding the close vote might have hampered communication between Simiele and the board members who voted for a rival candidate.

On Aug. 30 the board will have a special meeting to look at the top eight candidates. They will be selected by Miriam Pollack and Associates, a consultant hired by the library.

Pollack selects her finalists through a two step interview process. She is currently conducting the first stage, a phone interview.

Then on Sept. 6 and 7 the board will conduct interviews with at least the top four applicants.

The new director is expected to be running the library by October.