Longtime St. Charles library trustee steps down after 49 years

St. Charles Public Library Board President Victoria Haines announced the retirement of longtime board member Norman Huntley at the June 14 meeting.

First elected on April 15, 1969, Huntley retires after 49 years on the board in which he held the office of president for 39 years.

Having worked alongside 38 other board members and four library directors, Huntley is the longest standing board member in St. Charles Public Library history.

A strong commitment to community has been a hallmark of Huntley's tenure during which the Library has not just grown; it has expanded its ability to serve the community.

Significant highlights of the past four decades include: converting from a township library to a district library in 1978; relocating the children's department to the lower level making expansion of Adult Services possible; closing of Walnut Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Avenues to create a parking lot; a 35,000-square-foot addition to the building in 1988; construction of the Helen Gale Story Room in Youth Services in 1995; restoration of the Carnegie building in 1998; and creation of the St. Charles Library Foundation.

In 2009, the library board honored Huntley's 40th anniversary by naming the main Library meeting room the "Norman C. Huntley Meeting Room."

"Norm's dedication to the St. Charles Public Library is without equal. He has been my mentor and my support. We will fill a vacancy on the board, but we will never replace Norm Huntley," shared Haines.

On July 12, the board of trustees will discuss the process to fill the vacancy on the board.

For information, visit www.st.charleslibrary.org or call (630) 584-0076.