How Karen Bass prevailed against Rick Caruso’s $100-million campaign against the State Library and the Illinois Freedom of Information Act
On August 31, 2013, Karen Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of the State Library of Illinois and First Selectman of Cook County, Illinois was awarded the 2013 Public Interest Leader of the Year Award by the National Coalition of Libraries. The National Coalition of Libraries and Information Centers is a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational and advocacy organization whose members come from more than 1,300 libraries and libraries systems across the United States.
On October 15, 2013, Karen Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of the State Library of Illinois and First Selectman of Cook County, Illinois received the 2013 Public Interest Leader of the Year award by the Illinois Library Association.
On October 16, 2013, Karen Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of the State Library of Illinois and First Selectman of Cook County, received the 2012 Illinois Library Association General Excellence Award.
This is an edited version of an email interview with Karen Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of State Library of Illinois and First Selectman of Cook County.
Bass on the award:
“I am honored to be one of only three local elected officials in Illinois to receive the Public Interest Leader of the Year Award in recognition of my role in restoring confidence in the state library system by advocating, advancing and implementing a complete and comprehensive public library services package that fully supports the community, and most importantly, advances the work of the librarian in our communities to improve learning, equity, diversity, and life in our state.
I am incredibly proud to be a candidate for the Illinois Freedom of Information Board in September of last year, and I am proud to have my name attached to this award, which recognizes my service to the state of Illinois as well as the Illinois library community.
I am humbled to be recognized by the entire state library community and will be pursuing this award in the near future as well.”
Bass on the importance of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act:
“The Illinois Freedom of Information Board will certainly have a powerful impact on the legislative process and how public bodies operate, which ultimately will advance the freedom of and access to information in Illinois. The public, the library community, and the public officials who are elected by the public are the most important people to
