St. Charles library expansion on hold

Plans for an $8.5 million expansion of the St. Charles Public Library are on an indefinite hold. The immediate concern for library trustees is who will lead the library rather than how big it should be.

The library's most recent director, Pam Leffler, resigned at the beginning of February. Her departure came a few weeks after trustees voted to not give her a pay raise this year. Library officials have said Leffler quit to pursue other opportunities. That opportunity is as interim director of the Morton Grove Public Library. Leffler came to St. Charles from the Morton Grove library in December 2013.

St. Charles library board President Tory Haines said trustees will hire a search firm to pinpoint new director candidates.

"We definitely would like to get a director in there before we move forward with the expansion," Haines said. "But there are currently many directors retiring in the area. So we expect the search for our new director may take quite awhile."

While that search proceeds, Haines said the board will name an interim director. That person has not been chosen yet. To fill the leadership gap, trustees have put a "librarians in charge" rotation plan in place.

"You can be sure we have someone very highly qualified in charge of the library every single day," Haines said.

Prior to Leffler's resignation, trustees were deep in the process of considering four different designs for the library expansion. One option envisioned an expansion branching off the southeast side of the current library. The other option constructs the addition on the northeast side. Each plan will impact the interior of the library and parking in different ways. Either addition requires the inclusion of about 20 new parking spaces, giving the library 160 total.

Trustees plan to implement the expansion without asking voters and without raising taxes. They've set aside money from their existing property tax levy each year for several years to fund the expansion. St. Charles voters rejected a tax increase request to fund an expansion in 2010.

Potential improvements that will come with the expansion are larger study areas, upgraded technology and improved seating. Trustees also want to add a "maker space" with a 3-D printer, a larger community meeting room and a vending cafe.