This honor roll for Illinois libraries serves the dual purpose of recognizing outstanding voices in the library community, while creating a legacy through the ILA Endowment to continue their important work.
2022
Diane Foote
Diane Foote served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Library Association from November of 2017 to July 2022. She had large shoes to fill after Bob Doyle’s 20 year incumbency. However, very quickly it became obvious that Diane would make her own very important mark on ILA.
During her tenure, Diane increased the number of U.S. States purchasing iREAD(R) as their summer reading program by an amazing seven states: Alaska, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington! In 2020, she also successfully won the RFP from the U.S. Department of Defense to continue supplying the iREAD(R) Summer Reading Program for the next five years. These efforts help to ensure ILA’s continuing fiscal sustainability.
Diane led the way for revising ILA’s Strategic Plan which was implemented in 2019 after a comprehensive year-long process that will carry through 2023. The Strategic Plan included strategies and goals to support ILA's mission of leadership, advocacy, partnership, and learning for the benefit of Illinois libraries.
She saw a need to evaluate ILA’s staffing levels and reorganized, adding much needed positions to make the organization more effective.
In an effort to make attendees feel safer and more comfortable at ILA events, Diane initiated a Statement of Appropriate Conduct and reporting process. She has demonstrated a commitment to advancing principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout her career, including service and leadership roles on ALA’s Coretta Scott King Book Award Committee and launching a DEI Subcommittee of the ILA Executive Board.
Along with the Fundraising Committee, Diane has launched a brand new fundraising mechanism: Illuminate Illinois. This is a program of annual recognition of donors and increasing recognition for lifetime giving that has already begun to have an impact.
Perhaps her most memorable contribution, however, was the courageous way Diane led the organization through the global pandemic of COVID-19. Immediately recognizing the potentially devastating financial impact of the pandemic, Diane successfully applied for vital PPP funding to keep the organization afloat. She had the foresight to pivot conferences in 2020 and 2021 to a virtual format. She harnessed technology to the benefit of keeping members informed and in touch with each other. Her leadership was truly inspirational!
Prior to leading ILA, Diane served as Assistant Dean and Curator of Butler Children’s Literature Center at Dominican University; Executive Director of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association; Associate Editor of ALA’s Book Links Magazine, and did extensive work in the publishing industry.
Inducted December 21, 2022
Roberta Koscielski
After 38 years of being a vibrant force for good in her community, Roberta retired as Peoria Public Library's Deputy Director in 2022. She is well-known and respected for the countless ways she has inspired and guided connections between the library and all facets of the community.
Roberta was honored as the 2020 Librarian of the Year by the Illinois Library Association. In her nomination, Roberta is described as "a passionate, dedicated champion of her community, her library's role in it, and the profession at large." Roberta was the first Peoria Public Library librarian to receive this statewide honor.
During her career, she forged connections with city leaders, area nonprofits, and other organizations. For decades, she was an adult literacy tutor and board member for first Common Place and then Neighborhood House. Her tireless volunteer efforts garnered her a Volunteer Service Award and a one-on-one meeting with then-President George W. Bush in 2007.
Her work in raising opioid addiction awareness in libraries was recognized nationally. She was dubbed "a new first responder" by U.S. News and World Report and named as one of Library Journal's Movers and Shakers in 2018.
Roberta started Peoria Reads!, a one city, one book program with Common Place in 2001 and was its main steward for 20 years, attracting additional community partners, including Bradley University, Methodist College and Neighborhood House.
Roberta graduated with distinction with a bachelor's degree in linguistics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and then immediately completed a master's degree in library science at the university. While much of her career has been in administration, Roberta always welcomed opportunities to work one-on-one with patrons. She led two book clubs through the library, which she plans to continue after retiring. Her retirement plans also include using her grant-writing skills to help our Friends of Peoria Public Library.
Inducted November 17, 2022
Jean Wilkins
Jean Wilkins served as the Illinois State Library Director from 1999-2004, capping a career at the State Library that began in 1980. Jean received her MSLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1985.
Through the course of her career, Jean Wilkins was a tremendous force for supporting statewide programs to benefit all types of Illinois libraries. Thanks to her vision and foresight, Jean started programs that continue to this day in part or whole. These programs include the Synergy Leadership Program, the Illinois Digital Archives, Project Next Generation, the Cataloging Maintenance Center, the OCLC Group Services Agreement, and Try-It! Illinois. She also expanded other significant programs such as the Illinois Center for the Book and the Talking Book & Braille Service. She pursued grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support public library technology initiatives, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support the transition to electronic from paper documents in state government.
Jean’s incredibly warm personality endeared her to many throughout the years, including Illinois State Library employees, and officials and employees across state government. Especially important is the care that she takes with each person in her life. While she was the Illinois State Library Director, she knew what was going on with every employee, taking care to pay special attention to challenging situations in peoples’ lives.
Inducted June 13, 2022
Patricia Boze, 1952-2020
Patricia Jane Boze was a renaissance librarian whose career made a significant contribution to Illinois libraries. She received her M.L.S. from the then-Graduate School of Library and Science Information in 1988 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Pat valued libraries as places where individuals and communities could come together and work toward a common goal, enriching the lives of the residents of Illinois. As an enthusiastic supporter of libraries, she spent her career working toward that goal. This was reflected in the programs she worked on at the Lincoln Trail Library System and at the Illinois State Library, from where she retired in 2018.
Pat’s professional experience was wide ranging and challenging. Her strengths included organization, negotiation, staff supervision, policy development, public relations, customer service, and interpersonal skills. She had an innate ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds.
Some highlights of her professional career include:
- Manager for SirsiDynix consortium of 108 member libraries, including management of a large-scale migration from one automation system to another, as well as the implementation of additional technology products for the consortium;
- Team manager of a public library (Charleston, Illinois) during a difficult financial crisis without a director for a 4-month period;
- Consultant for libraries in areas related to legal issues; personnel and board interaction; planning, evaluation and development of library services review; managing multiple projects – from a training project for rural public libraries to statewide testing and implementation of WorldCat Local Quick Start for 700 Illinois libraries; writing successful grants; participating in strategic planning process; designing an overall public relations and marketing plan for a large-scale project and coordination regional effort to lobby legislators on library related issues; as LTLS LLSAP Manager, planned and implemented merged automation program;
- Author of professional published articles on various library topics and frequent presenter
- Professional affiliations include founding member of the Illinois State Library Small Public Library Management Institute and committee member for 17 years (1994-2011); ILEAD U Mentor; Editorial Board Member, Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Review; OCLC Americas Regional Council Executive Committee Member; and Rethinking Resource Sharing (RUSA) Steering Committee.
During her tenure at the Illinois State Library, Pat brought her knowledge and professional skills to the statewide level, helping Illinois residents on all levels of service: individuals, librarians, library systems, and trustees.
She focused on resource sharing for all types of libraries. The enhanced services resulted in a new model for automation and resource sharing. She effectively worked to achieve her goals. Pat placed her own personal work philosophy as a high priority on library advocacy while progressively maintaining flexibility as society and technology changed.
Pat enjoyed her work and the challenges to help further the library community. She never said “no” to questions, new ideas, or opportunities. Pat was compassionate and caring in her life and this carried over to her professional career as a librarian.
Many, many librarians, libraries, residents, and patrons benefited from her expertise. She contributed greatly to the advancement of Illinois libraries.
Inducted March 17, 2022
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