Yolande Wilburn Named New Director Of Evanston Public Library

EVANSTON, IL — A former Evanston resident has been appointed as the new executive director of the Evanston Public Library, library trustees announced Thursday.

Yolanda Wilburn started her career as a librarian at the Chicago Public Library, where she was honored with a social innovation award with her work developing a maker lab at Harold Washington Library, according to a new release announcing her hiring.

Wilburn, a Chicago native who previously lived in South Evanston, was selected out of more than 160 applicants aiming to succeed Karen Danczak Lyons, who retired in June 2022 after nearly 10 years in the position. Wilburn's first day on the job is scheduled for Nov. 13.

"It will be nice to be back home," Wilburn said. "I am really looking forward to that."

After heading to the West Coast, Wilburn worked as city librarian in Torrance, California, county librarian in Nevada County, California, and library manager for the Los Angeles County Public Library, according to the release.

Wilburn presently serves as the director of Santa Cruz Public Libraries, overseeing 10 locations, 110 employees and a $19 million budget in the Northern California library system. (According to its annual report, the Evanston Public Library brought in about $8.4 million in revenue and spent about $7.8 million last year.)

"I am looking forward to expanding collaborations with the city, county, and nonprofits in the community. We should collaborate with partners doing great work to maximize our impact and achieve the best economic, educational, and cultural outcomes for the community," Wilburn said. "Different communities have different needs, and I'm looking forward to understanding Evanston's needs and how we can best meet them at the Library."

Evanston Public Library Board President Tracy Fulce said Wilburn's record of strategic planning, budgetary management and staff development was precisely what the library needs.

"We believe that Yolande's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion on both policy and programmatic levels and her ability to build partnerships will benefit Evanston Public Library in a number of ways," Fulce said. "I am excited about where we are headed under her leadership."