Member Spotlight - Jim Deiters

Serving Our Public Committee

December 11, 2023

This week's member spotlight is on Jim Deiters. Jim is the deputy director at the Joliet Public Library and member of the ILA Serving Our Public Committee. Jim has also served on the ILA Advocacy and Public Policy Committees. 

We asked Jim to tell us a little about himself and answer a few professional and amusing questions. Continue reading to find out more about Jim.

A little background on Jim

I had no plans to follow in my parents’ professions (as a high school biology teacher and a public librarian), but, alas, I did. After college, I taught art at Harlan Community Academy in Chicago and worked evenings and weekends at the Palos Heights Public Library. Then, I switched over to libraries full-time, and have been working in the profession for 27 years! After Palos Heights, I spent a semester at Moraine Valley Community College, advanced to directorships at Blue Island and Oak Lawn, had a short stay at White Oak-Crest Hill, and I now serve as Deputy Director to Megan Millen at the Joliet Public Library.

Also, because we just can’t get enough of libraries, Alex Todd, Executive Director of the Prospect Heights Public Library District, and I formed Deiters & Todd Library Consulting in 2019. We help public library boards with administrative searches, and we provide assistance with trustee orientations, director reviews, and budget workshops.  

On the personal side, my beautiful wife Erika and I have been married for 24 years and we have two great girls. Anna is a sophomore in college and Caroline is a senior in high school. 

How did you get your start in libraries?

I was tricked! My mother finished her career as the Director of the Tinley Park Public Library, so my brothers and I were always wrangled into cheap labor, whether it was moving furniture, painting walls, or cleaning-out storage closets. I tried to stay away. She nudged me into a part-time, evenings and weekends position at a reference desk, and from there, my library-life just kept rolling.

Best advice you've received since starting your career in libraries?

“Sometimes done is better than perfect.” ~ Sharon Wiseman was one of my wise teachers at Dominican.

Any advice to newcomers working in libraries? 

Embrace the aspects of working in a library that excite you. We come to public service from all different backgrounds. Teaching a class, leading a discussion, or facilitating an in-service puts a smile on my face. Don’t forget what made you want to become a librarian. Your enthusiasm will inspire those around you.

When and why did you become a member of ILA?

I had to look-up my start date; my ILA account shows 2014?! I am sure that I became a member long before that, but perhaps I let it lapse. It is important to be a participant in the Illinois Library Association because it is our professional organization. Through members' active contributions our Association will continue to thrive.

How has being a member of ILA helped you professionally? 

I can’t say enough. There are just so many opportunities made available through ILA and all its connected programs. As a brand new director, I slept in the uncomfortable dorms at the University of Illinois-Springfield in order to participate in the Small Public Library Management Institute (SPLMI). I jumped at the chance to return as a facilitator and the program re-emerged as Directors University. DU now includes the advanced Directors University 2.0.

I served on the Advocacy Committee for a number of years and that led to national events in Washington, DC. I am now wrapping-up with ILA’s mentorship program and I am currently collaborating with committee members on the next edition of Serving Our Public. This year ILA is bringing back in-person legislative meet-ups and I serve as co-chair for the South Suburban Breakfast. Put yourself forward with ILA and the professional possibilities never end.  

What is your proudest professional achievement to date?

The first that comes to mind is when I discovered a young woman who worked for me as a page had become a director. While I take little credit for her professional development, it was still a cool revelation.

Hardcover, paperback, e-reader, audiobook, or all?

Hardcovers are my favorite. There is nothing so comforting as a stack of new hardcovers waiting on the end table next to my favorite chair. My wife doesn’t understand why a guy who works at a library buys books, but sometimes you just have to have a copy of your own.

Favorite authors?

  • Brian Doyle
  • Kent Haruf
  • Jhumpa Lahiri (I only read Interpreter of Maladies, but it is one of my favorites)
  • Richard Russo
  • Kevin Wilson
  • Meg Wolitzer

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what five books would you bring with you to pass the time until being rescued?

  • Peterson Field Guide to Mammals of North America
  • The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen
  • Noah’s Ark by Peter Spier
  • The Best American Short Stories of the Century
  • The Complete Calvin & Hobbes

Cat or Dog?

Dogs. Marvin and Matcha love my wife best, but Marvin sleeps with me every night.

Favorite film, podcast, or television show? 

Vision Quest, Smartless, and A Chef’s Life

One person you would like to meet, dead or alive why?

The artist Alberto Giacometti. I wrote a paper on him in college and I still stop for thoughtful reflection whenever I come across one of his creations. 

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