HR0705 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0705 LRB099 13701 MST 37660 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Kathy McSwain on the occasion of her retirement as Director of the Chicago Ridge Public Library on August 14, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Kathy McSwain grew up in the Village of Oak Lawn and began her library career as a page at the Oak Lawn Public Library; and

WHEREAS, Kathy McSwain earned a Master of Library Science from Rosary College in 1980, and building upon a love of children and an appreciation of children's literature, she began her professional career as Children's Librarian at the Bedford Park Public Library in 1981; and

WHEREAS, In 1987, Kathy McSwain became Head of Youth Services at the Chicago Ridge Public Library, providing creative programming - from leading story times to organizing successful community-wide summer reading programs; she was awarded the Rita A. Bert Librarianship Award in 1992 for providing exemplary library services to youth; and

WHEREAS, Kathy McSwain assumed directorship of the Chicago Ridge Public Library in 1999; under her leadership, the library expanded programs and services for the community, resulting in increased awareness of the library and an upsurge of usage; many service organizations throughout Chicago Ridge have received donations from the library's successful Quilting Program, which was recognized with the Illinois Library Association Highsmith Innovative Library Award in 2004; and

WHEREAS, Kathy McSwain was the driving force behind the planning and design of the expansion project that modernized and added over 10,000 square feet to the library; and

WHEREAS, Kathy McSwain's deep commitment to library advocacy on a local, system, and statewide level included establishing the Illinois Library Day Legislative Breakfast at the Illinois State Library; she has earned the admiration and respect of her peers, and, in 2010, she received the Robert McClarren Legislative Development Award for Library Advocacy from the Illinois Library Association; and

WHEREAS, Kathy McSwain has served on the governing boards of professional organizations such as the Library Administrators Conference of Northern Illinois (LACONI), Area Training for Library Administrators and Staff (ATLAS), and numerous others; she has mentored countless librarians and has always been generous in sharing her expertise with those new to the profession; and

WHEREAS, Over her 28 years of dedicated service to the residents of Chicago Ridge, Kathy McSwain's proudest accomplishment is seeing patrons who visited the library as children now bringing their own children to the library; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we offer our sincere and heartfelt congratulations to Kathy McSwain on her retirement as Director of the Chicago Ridge Public Library, and we wish her continued success and fulfillment in her life and with all her future plans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Kathy McSwain as an expression of our esteem and respect.