Lisa Pappas
Lisa Pappas was an avid reader when she was a young girl.
As a result, she spent a lot of time in her local library. She fondly remembers the day her parents let ride her bike for the first time to the library by herself. That newfound freedom led to hours and hours of time in the library throughout her youth.
Fast-forward 30 years, and Pappas is still spending a good chunk of her time at the library. While she uses the library as a patron checking out favorites such as memoirs and historical fiction, Pappas has been working in libraries for more than 20 years.
Now, she is beginning the next chapter in her library career as the recently appointed director of the Plainfield Public Library District. “I am excited for the opportunity to formally lead the library I have been a part of for the last 15 years,” said Pappas. “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.”
For the past year, Pappas has been the interim director of Plainfield Library. Before that, she held other roles at the library, including assistant director for nine years and head of reference for five years. Prior to that, she worked at the Oak Brook Public Library where she was the manager of user services and at the West Chicago and Warrenville public libraries, where she was the adult services manager.
“My fellow trustees and I are pleased and excited that Lisa has accepted the permanent library director position,” said Library Board President Carl F. Gilmore. “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. We look forward to our partnership with her in developing a vision for the future of the district under her leadership.”
Pappas loves the uniqueness of the Plainfield area and plans to work hard to continue to provide the residents of the district with the services and amenities they deserve.
“Every day I marvel at how diverse this community is when I walk through the building or take a shift at one of the public service desks,” said Pappas. “We have resources, programs, events, materials, and more for every person in this community, and I look forward to leading the team that continues provides these services.”
Pappas will lead a staff of 16 full-time and 38 part-time employees.
Pappas holds Master of Library and Information Science from Rosary College and a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, Arizona State University. She belongs to numerous professional organizations including the American Library Association and the Illinois Library Association.