“I support the demands of the Niles Youth Community”
“Morton Grove stands with you! We demand equity and resources for our Niles Township friends. We are so proud to see the Niles Youth Community stepping up, we are thrilled to stand in solidarity with you.”
“The Niles library board has recently been taking backward steps. This action would be a positive step forward.”
“Save the library!!”
“I am saddened that the Niles Library Board refuses to take an anti racism stance and continues to attempt to hurt the people they are supposed to care about and protect.”
“Libraries are to be places where people of all backgrounds can feel safe and welcome. Racist rhetoric is unacceptable and not covered by free speech statutes”
“Libraries should serve ALL community members.”
“Niles is a diverse village and needs its community services to commit to celebrating diversity and inclusion. Our library board should be representative of the people it serves.
“This effects my daughter and all children in our community
“The library is the only safe free place children and teens can always go in the community. How dare you try to limit accessir access based on race, financial background or anything else outside of behavior.”
“I want to save the Niles Library!”
“Our libraries are great equalizers offering resources to all, regardless of race, economic status, sexual orientation and religion. Three people should not hold these principles hostage because of a misguided sense of nationalism.”
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Niles Youth Community has decided to postpone the Liberate the Library protest scheduled for Wednesday October 20th.
Liberating the library means more than a single protest. It’s an ongoing commitment of solidarity with groups of people who are impacted most. We’re not slowing down one bit!
There are still ways you can show solidarity and stand up for equity:
Leaders of social justice have emphasized the importance of solidarity. It is a crucial element for a just society. All of us are or will be subject to marginalization that dramatically affects our lives. It’s in solidarity that great strides towards justice have been made. In that spirit, here are opportunities to show support for our community.
#SaveNilesLibrary
We’re looking for a library superhero!
It took a lot of work to get us to this point, but now there is an opportunity for change. We need a trustee that loves the library and will work to sustain this community resource. We need new voices and leaders that represent the growing diversity of our community. Please apply or spread the word. The application is available on the library’s website and due by October 12: Trustee Vacancy Information
Liberate the Library!
The Niles Youth Community is advocating for the Niles-Maine District library board to commit to anti-racism and choose a new trustee that represents the diversity of our community. You can support these youth in three ways.
Share these opportunities of support with your friends and family
Events
A big thank you to everyone that showed up to our neighborhood stroll and our first volunteer event at WINGS. Our walk gave us a chance to meet library supporters and hear their concerns about the actions of the anti-library trustees.
At WINGS, we sorted donations for 20 hours and helped them clear about half their tables. Neighbors showed up with more bags of donations for the store to help them support people impacted by domestic violence.
Stay tuned for upcoming chances to meet up with like-minded neighbors and give back to the community.
Press
Understanding the underlying racist motivations of the library board takeover is crucial to #SaveNilesLibrary. This is part of a pattern that is happening across the country.
“Unfortunately, Niles-Maine Public Library isn’t the only public library seeing this kind of destruction from the inside. Not all of the tactics are identical, but following a disappointing election for members impassioned by a particular flavor of political fervor, they’re running for small boards and destroying beloved public institutions from the inside in the name of white supremacy.” – Kelly Jensen, Book Riot
“Even when conservatives take control of library boards, communities aren’t left powerless. While it may not be possible to undo every policy enacted by conservatives that can curtail library services and materials, they can still be mitigated. Advocates and supporters shouldn’t underestimate how much of a difference intense community pressure and concentrated mobilization plans can make. In Niles, a coalition of activists and community memberseventually pressed education leaders, religious groups, and elected officials to speak out against the cuts, held a Save Niles Library rally in the town, and lobbied the conservative board members to either side with the community or resign. The library staff even voted to unionize.” – Lakshmi Gandhi, Prism
“Adding diversity to the Niles-Maine District Library’s all-white elected board was sought by members of a community activist group as library trustees discussed a tentative timeline for advertising a vacancy on the board.” – Jennifer Johnson, Niles Herald-Spectator / Chicago Tribune
The Niles-Maine District Library has been taken over by hostile anti-library trustees: Carolyn Drblik, Suzanne Schoenfeldt, and Joe Makula. Join the Niles Youth Community‘s anti-racism efforts by signing the petition and showing up to the Liberate the Library protest for anti-racism!
We demand equity at the Niles-Maine District Library by updating the mission: “to equitably engage, inform, enrich, and educate.”
We demand resources to meet the needs of community members from ALL backgrounds (including immigrant families, families of color, families from lower socioeconomic statuses, etc) by funding library hours, programs, materials, and services.
We demand racial representation by filling the vacant library trustee position with a person of color who is against eliminating the services and resources that some board members have targeted.
We demand youth representation (including middle/high schoolers) to have our opinions be equally listened to and valued, through inclusion at board meetings.
It is time to say enough is enough, we won’t go back!
The Niles-Maine District Library is being undermined by three anti-library trustees: Carolyn Drblik, Suzanne Schoenfeldt, and Joe Makula. Their attack on our library will disproportionately impact the most marginalized people. The Niles Youth Community caucus of the Niles Coalition has the following anti-racist demands:
We demand equity at the Niles-Maine District Library by updating the mission: “to equitably engage, inform, enrich, and educate.”
We demand resources to meet the needs of community members from ALL backgrounds (including immigrant families, families of color, families from lower socioeconomic statuses, etc) by funding library hours, programs, materials, and services.
We demand racial representation by filling the vacant library trustee position with a person of color who is against eliminating the services and resources that some board members have targeted.
We demand youth representation (including middle/high schoolers) to have our opinions be equally listened to and valued, through inclusion at board meetings.
Now is the time to ensure the library serves the needs of all community members. Please sign this petition today in solidarity with this important youth-led effort.
We have some awesome news to share, with opportunities you or people you know may be interested in. Check it out and please share around!
Niles Youth Community
A group of youth organizers has joined the Niles Coalition as the Niles Youth Community! We are so excited to work with them in solidarity and help uplift their voices. You can find their page on our website here: Niles Youth Community
Website Calendar
We added a calendar to our website where we will add events we are organizing and events we’re aware of around our community. Check it out: Niles Coalition Calendar
Speaking of the calendar here are some events we are organizing this month:
Summer is drawing to a close so let’s take the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors one last time, and support our library.
Join us for a 2.7 mile stroll that will begin and end at the Niles-Maine District Library, while strolling a route throughout our wonderful Niles neighborhoods.
Organizations like WINGS that are making a positive impact in and around Niles rely on community support. The Niles Coalition is organizing a volunteer event at WINGS Resale. We will help the store with cleaning, doantation receptions, and any other tasks they may need to get completed. If you are interested in joining us please fill out this volunteer form. We hope to see you at WINGS on the 26th!
#SaveNilesLibrary
After the damage was done with the budget that was passed, Vice President Trustee Olivia Hanusiak quit. The four anti-library trustees are now three (Suzanne Schoenfeldt, Joe Makula, and Carolyn Drblik), which makes this a deadlocked even three to three split. The anti-library trustees have been stalled from their wicked plan, for now. We fought hard for months to get here. This library board deserves a trustee who actually cares to foster a library that meets the needs for EVERYbody in the community.
To that end the Niles Youth Community isalready busy contributingto our #SaveNilesLibrary campaign. They have drafted a set of demands that address the inequitable environment the anti-library trustees are cultivating.
We demand equity at the Niles-Maine District Library by updating the mission: “to equitably engage, inform, enrich, and educate.”
We demand resources to meet the needs of community members from ALL backgrounds (including immigrant families, families of color, families from lower socioeconomic statuses, etc) by funding library hours, programs, materials, and services.
We demand racial representation by filling the vacant library trustee position with a person of color who is against eliminating the services and resources that some board members have targeted.
We demand youth representation (including middle/high schoolers) to have our opinions be equally listened to and valued, through inclusion at board meetings.
The next board meeting is this Wednesday, September 15th at 6:30pm so please consider attending and making a public comment in solidarity with these demands.
Thanks for reading and we hope to see you out at some of these events!
The Niles Youth Community seeks to promote anti-racism, the diversity of the Niles community, and the voices of the youth. To make that a reality we are demanding the following actions to liberate our library!
We demand equity at the Niles-Maine District Library by updating the mission: “to equitably engage, inform, enrich, and educate.”
We demand resources to meet the needs of community members from ALL backgrounds (including immigrant families, families of color, families from lower socioeconomic statuses, etc) by funding library hours, programs, materials, and services.
We demand racial representation by filling the vacant library trustee position with a person of color who is against eliminating the services and resources that some board members have targeted.
We demand youth representation (including middle/high schoolers) to have our opinions be equally listened to and valued, through inclusion at board meetings.
Stay tuned for upcoming chances to meet up with like-minded neighbors and give back to the community.
