Longtime Board Members Retire from Schaumburg Library
Robert Frankel and Ruth Jonen, longtime members of the Schaumburg Library Board of Trustees, will retire in May after decades of service to the library and community. Residents who want to say goodbye to the retiring board members are welcome to attend their last official board meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, May 15 in the Conference Room of the Central Library, 130 S. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg.
Frankel joined the board in 1977, and Jonen in 1985. Both served numerous times as board president, vice president/secretary and treasurer throughout the years, and both took an active role in the development of the central library site in Town Square, as well as the creation of branch libraries in Hoffman Estates and Hanover Park. In addition to serving on the library board, Frankel and Jonen were active in local and national organizations. Both say they are proud to have been part of the openings of the Central Library building in 1998, the Hoffman Estates branch in 2003, and the Hanover Park branch in 2006, as well as the Teen Place and Digital Production Studio in 2012.
"The Schaumburg Township District Library has been so fortunate to have two such dedicated, thoughtful, and long-serving board members as Trustee Frankel and Trustee Jonen" said the Library's Executive Director Monica Harris. "We are grateful for their years of guidance and service to the community."
Throughout the years, Frankel offered his financial and management expertise to keep the library solvent and operating smoothly. While on the library board, he simultaneously served as president of the North Suburban Library System and was a delegate to the 1990 White House Conference on Libraries and information Services.
"By any measure, the Schaumburg Township District Library is one of the finest public libraries in the country," Frankel said. "A very special thanks to the public who have always supported the library, to our superb directors and an unsurpassed staff. I have been proud and honored to serve the people of this library district for the past 40 years as a trustee."
Jonen's dedication to the community and passion for promoting literacy led her to leadership positions in District 54's Community Advisory Committee, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and the School Nutrition Association. Additionally, she was a founding member of the American Association of University Women, and always participated in the library's citizenship ceremonies. Jonen says her major accomplishments over the past 32 years were all due to the cooperation and support of the board, staff and community.
"Personally, I am proud of the Library's participation in Immigration Naturalization events," Jonen said. "My hope for future of STDL is continued emphasis on meeting the ever-changing needs of our community. We have been an outstanding, award-winning Library with broad community support, and I am grateful to the residents of Schaumburg Township for giving me the opportunity to serve as a Trustee. This has been a labor of love and a true blessing to me."