Lake Bluff Library Director Quits To Take Job As Assistant In Wilmette

LAKE BLUFF, IL — The director of the Lake Bluff Public Library is quitting to take a position with less responsibility in Wilmette.

Renee Grassi announced last month that Sept. 20 will be her final day on the job in Lake Bluff, after which she plans to take a job as assistant director of the Wilmette Public Library.

Grassi has been on the job just over 18 months, but she has made an impact during her relatively shore tenure, guiding the library through various initiatives aimed at enhancing services, upgrading infrastructure and improving accessibility according to library representatives.

“Lake Bluff Public Library has a long celebrated history in this town, and I am deeply honored to have been a part of it," Grassi said in a statement.

Among Grassi's accomplishments was overseeing a universal accessibility assessment to identify and resolve design challenges for disabled library patrons.

She also played a key role in executing the library's Strategic Facilities Plan to evaluate the ability of the library's 50-year-old building to meet the needs of residents.

That led to a series of upgrades to public furnishings, equipment and infrastructure, including concrete repairs, new wayfinding signage and the installation of automatic door mechanisms.

Grassi also worked to address the financial stability of the library. She worked closely with library trustees to bring salaries in line with industry standards and the cost of living, while spearheading efforts to recover over $80,000 in unallocated Personal Property Replacement Tax funds from the village.

Under Grassi's leadership, the library also obtained several notable grants. Illinois State Library awarded Lake Bluff Public Library a $45,000 “Remodeling for Accessibility” grant in 2023, aimed at ensuring the library meets compliance with the Illinois Accessibility Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“Addressing these urgent and specific facility needs will allow the Library to better serve all patrons, with a specific focus on better serving those with physical and intellectual disabilities and differences,” Grassi said at the time the grant was announced. “Libraries are for everyone, and so, their buildings need to be compliant and accessible in order to fully live out their mission.”

In a money-saving move, the outgoing library director also worked with trustees to cut operating hours.

Citing financial constraints and low attendance, library leaders put a pilot program in place to reduce hours and shutter the Scranton Avenue building every Sunday.

"While there are challenges ahead for the organization, I have every confidence in the staff, the Library Board, the Friends of the Lake Bluff Library, the Lake Bluff Public Library Foundation, and the residents of Lake Bluff," Grassi said.

At a special board meeting Thursday, library trustees agreed to hire an interim library director to take over following Grassi's resignation. The board also agreed to hire a search firm to find her replacement.

Grassi moves to the Wilmette Public Library, where Anthony Auston has been the library director for the past six years.

Wilmette's library has a budget of about $4.9 million, while Lake Bluff's operates with about $1.3 million. Both are governed by elected boards of volunteer trustees.

Grassi, a Vernon Hills resident, earned a base salary of $112,000. She will receive $117,000 a year as Auston's assistant in Wilmette.

"My sincere wish and hope," Grassi said in a statement, "is that the community can work together to ensure that Lake Bluff Public Library has a strong and permanent place in the future of this community."

Read more: Lake Forest, Lake Bluff Libraries Get $82,000 To Improve Services