Huntley library district's new director starts Monday

Frank Novak has been selected to be the fourth director of the Huntley Area Public Library District. He will begin working at the library Monday, April 21.

Novak said upon his acceptance of the director position, "I am excited about my new job as director of the Huntley Area Public Library District and I am honored to have been chosen for the position. I look forward to working closely with the trustees and staff to make the library the best it can be."

Novak comes to Huntley from the Rockford Public Library after serving more than eight years as its executive director. During that time he was responsible for operations of a seven-location library system that served more than 152,000 people. Novak also helped to establish a technology and cultural arts center complete with a 280-seat theater. He was instrumental in completing a $4.7 million project that built a 23,000 square foot branch library without a tax increase or referendum.

Before working at Rockford, Novak was the executive director for the Ela Area Public Library District, director of the Freeport Public Library, and director of the Oregon Public Library for a combined 20 years of experience.

"It was Frank's successes and ability to meet the challenges faced as a library director that led the board of trustees to select him to become the next leader of the Huntley Area Public Library District," said board President Jan Schadt. "His education and leadership experience was also very important to the board."

Novak studied accounting at Augustana College in Rock Island, law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and library science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Huntley Area Public Library District is at 11000 Ruth Road, Huntley.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the library district.

For more information about the library, visit www.huntleylibrary, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/huntleylibrary and on Twitter @huntleylibrary.