A West suburban library that has already become a flashpoint in the national culture wars is once again under fire. This time, the battleground isn't over LGBTQ+ programming or materials, but rather a potentially controversial shift in how the library’s leadership is selected. In a move that has set the local community on edge, leaders of Downers Grove are considering replacing the appointed library board members with elected ones—a proposal that is quickly igniting strong emotions and raising concerns across the village.
This change is still just a proposal, but the debate it has sparked is anything but minor. In fact, it's the result of a larger wave of tension that has been building for years. Debbie Anderson Phillips, a resident of Downers Grove, voiced the deep concern many are feeling at a recent library board meeting. She warned that replacing the appointed board with elected members would be "ugly" and could "tear our community apart for no reason." As emotions flared, she made it clear that the fight ahead could be divisive—setting the stage for what could become a significant and contentious political battle.
For the past several years, the library board, made up of six members, has been under constant pressure, especially from conservative factions within the community, largely surrounding LGBTQ+-related programming. Two trustees were removed from the board in recent years, and the tension reached a boiling point in 2022 when a drag queen bingo event was canceled in the wake of right-wing threats. This cancellation, along with other flashpoints, contributed to an atmosphere of political polarization, further complicating the library’s efforts to provide inclusive programming.
Mayor Bob Barnett, a vocal supporter of the library's staff and its programs, is among those who are backing the idea of an elected library board. He has defended the library's actions in the past and sees the question of electing trustees as something worth exploring. “Residents have been asking for years why the library board is appointed instead of elected,” said Barnett. “There’s no harm in exploring this issue.” However, he also made it clear that the proposal is in its early stages and would not immediately result in drastic changes to how the library operates.
While Barnett has framed the referendum as a simple question for the community—should the library board be elected or appointed?—the implications of such a change are far from clear. If voters approve the referendum, the outcome itself wouldn’t carry any legal weight, as it would merely be a first step in a much longer process. Still, it would open the door to significant changes in the way the library functions and is governed.
For those opposed to the idea, the referendum feels like a step backward, undoing years of progress made in stabilizing the library after the volatile battles over LGBTQ+ programming. Trustee Barnali Khuntia, a member of the board, expressed frustration, noting that the library had worked hard to heal and move forward from those turbulent years. "We were excited to start fresh," she said, only to find that the Village Council had added the referendum question to their agenda without prior consultation with the board.
Among the most memorable and contentious moments in recent memory is the cancellation of the drag queen bingo event in September 2022. This event, which was scheduled to take place amid growing controversy over LGBTQ+ programming, was abruptly canceled following violent threats. This cancellation, which many viewed as a response to right-wing political pressure, was part of a broader pattern of political clashes that have come to dominate library and school board discussions nationwide.
Elsewhere in Illinois, libraries and school boards found themselves in the crosshairs of conservative activism, with contentious debates over LGBTQ+ materials and programming. In some cases, these issues led to protests and even police involvement. For instance, in Lincolnwood, a library board meeting was shut down after disagreements over LGBTQ+-themed books and programs. Meanwhile, suburban districts like Barrington, Oswego, and Downers Grove saw candidates running for school board positions with an agenda to shift the boards to the right on issues like race, gender, and sexuality.
At the Dec. 11 library board meeting, Laura Hois, a co-chair of Awake Illinois Downers Grove, made it clear why she supported the idea of an elected library board. She pointed to the 2022 drag queen bingo controversy, stating, “The reason I’m in favor of library board members being elected is that it has been politicized, and that’s the whole problem.” Hois’ concerns echo the sentiments of others who believe that the library’s programming has become too politicized, to the point that events like drag queen bingo for children became a flashpoint in the broader culture war.
But not everyone sees it that way. Resident Robin Tryloff expressed her fear that electing library board members could allow outside groups, like Awake Illinois, to infiltrate and influence the library's policies. "Allowing local politics and voting to influence library services could lead to a situation where the library is used as a tool for partisan agendas," she warned, fearing this could undermine the library’s role as an independent and inclusive space for all residents.
Library Director Julie Milavec echoed these concerns, lamenting that the discussion was pulling the community back into an era of conflict that she had hoped was behind them. “We had thought we’d gotten past it,” she said, highlighting the strain that constant political battles have placed on the library and its staff.
The proposal to elect library board members was first introduced in April by Village Commissioner Michael Davenport, who also voted to remove conservative trustee Bill Nienburg from the board. Davenport argued that the Village Council needed to take a more active role in supporting the library board, but he was particularly interested in the idea of making the library board elected, rather than appointed. He expressed interest in finding ways to make the board more directly accountable to the voters, but he also cautioned that the debate should remain civil and avoid unnecessary polarization.
However, as the months wore on, the debate only seemed to intensify. Davenport admitted that he might have been hasty in bringing the issue forward, acknowledging that it was still in the early stages of discussion. “If the voters want to leave the board as it is, then that settles it for me,” he said, recognizing that the referendum’s ultimate success or failure would depend on the will of the community.
Should the referendum pass and lead to an elected library board, two main possibilities exist. The library could either become a separate taxing body or remain a subsidiary of the village government. The second option would require changes to state law, and the library board has raised concerns that such a shift could lead to tax increases and administrative challenges. Matt Topic, the president of the library board, emphasized that while he and the board weren’t fundamentally opposed to the idea of elections, they were blindsided by how the issue was introduced. “No one discussed this with us,” he said at a recent meeting, expressing frustration over how the proposal was handled.
In response, Mayor Barnett dismissed the library’s concerns as "a little overblown," arguing that he didn’t support making the library its own taxing body. “I think there’s a little bit of poor me going on,” he remarked, suggesting that the board’s reaction might be more about political defensiveness than genuine concern.
The Village Council is scheduled to vote on whether to place the referendum on the ballot on January 7, with early voting for the upcoming municipal elections set to begin on February 20. As the debate continues to unfold, one thing is clear: this proposal, and the questions it raises about the future of the Downers Grove Library, are far from settled. The community’s response to this issue will undoubtedly shape the library’s future for years to come.
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