W E D N E S D A Y
May 11, 2022 Vol. 42, No. 41 ONE DOLLAR @wednesdayjournalinc
@wednesdayjournal
JOURNAL @oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
Village president signs protest letter on Roe v. Wade Page 5
Oak Park library pivots in search for new leader Switch from traditional search to emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion By MICHAEL ROMAIN and STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporters
For many community members and local experts in the trending field of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), if there’s one Oak Park institution that actually lives out its ideals of being diverse, equitable and inclusive, it’s the Oak Park Public Library (OPPL). In February, David Seleb — the man who cultivated and shepherded the library’s reputation as an institutional leader in equity — retired after nearly a decade at the helm. Lori Pulliam, the library’s director of public services and programs, has since stepped into the interim executive director role. And so far, the search for Seleb’s successor reflects the library’s longstanding penchant for the nontraditional. Earlier this year, the library board hired John Keister & Associates, a firm that specializes in recruiting library and nonprofit leaders, for $18,500 to lead the search to replace Seleb. A few months later, however, Keister was out. According to John Keister, the search firm’s principal
Graduation reflections Local college grads, including Concordia students Anthony Howard and Crystal Martillo reflect on their college years PAGE 17 ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
See LIBRARY DIRECTOR on page 14
! H S S W A E L F N You can get local news delivered right to your email in-box. Sign up for FREE at OakPark.com