How a career change led new director to the Des Plaines library

Despite developing her love for reading and libraries at age of 3, Jo Bonell spent the first half of her working life as an attorney.

But after years in the legal profession, Bonell decided she needed a change. Her work as an attorney had become all-consuming and unsatisfying. She had plans to leave her job but wasn't sure where to go next.

"I was actually in the Harold Washington Library (in Chicago) and I was making a list of all the things I loved," she said. "I looked around and I thought, 'I love this, I could do this.'"

Her decision to walk a different career path eventually led Bonnell to the Des Plaines Public Library, where, as of July 9, she's serving as executive director. She replaced Holly Sorensen, who retired June 30 after 12 years as the library's executive director.

After leaving the legal profession, Bonell enrolled at the University of Illinois in 2006 and two years later received her master's in library and information science. She took her first job at the Des Plaines library later that year.

Since then, she's served the library as readers' supervisor and head of adult services. Her experiences in those positions allowed her to become more familiar with the community and take on a leadership role at the library, she says.

Vincent Rangel, vice president of the library's board, noted that Bonell already has contributed to the library's strategic plans.

"I felt that she was very confident and capable of keeping the mission of the library moving forward," Rangel said.

Bonell takes pride in being able to provide her community with a vast amount of resources and services. She has helped people apply for jobs, file for benefits or unemployment, and even draft their wills. She has watched her library, as well as the library community in general, transition from its focus on paper books.

"We're the house of information, not the house of books," she said.

Rangel said Bonell will have no problem keeping up with the latest trends while keeping in mind the library's past.

"She's bright enough to understand it now, with more and more electronics coming in and with more and more nontraditional library services needed from our patrons. She can be very cutting edge," he said.

Bonell sees the challenge as an opportunity to teach patrons how to live in an increasingly technological world.

"New technology is coming at a rate greater than people can understand it," she said.

Bonell is eager to lead the library staff to accomplish the goals listed in the 2018-21 strategic plan, which she says fosters "discovery, creativity and enjoyment with the arts." She said she is determined to provide access to a surplus of information for her community.