Plainfield Public Library District names new director

The Plainfield Public Library District named Lisa Pappas as the new director at the board of trustees at a June 21 meeting. Pappas will lead a staff of 16 full-time and 38 part-time employees.

“I am excited for the opportunity to formally lead the library I have been a part of for the last 15 years,” said Pappas in a press release. “The previous director and I worked hard to keep up with the tremendous growth of this district as well as keeping up with the whirlwind changes in technology and library services.”

Pappas has been serving as the interim director of Plainfield Library for the past year. She’s held other roles at the library, including assistant director for nine years and head of reference for five years. She’s previously worked at the Oak Brook Public Library as the manager of user services, the West Chicago and Warrenville public libraries.

“My fellow trustees and I are pleased and excited that Lisa has accepted the permanent library director position,” Library Board President Carl F. Gilmore said in the press release. “Her work as interim director, which took place during a very challenging time for the district, demonstrated her commitment to the library and its service to its patrons, and also showed us the depth of the rapport she has with the staff and the regional library system.”

Pappas holds a Master of Library and Information Science from Rosary College and a Bachelor of Arts in humanities from Arizona State University. She also belongs to numerous professional organizations, including the American Library Association and Illinois Library Association.