At the April 19th Library Board meeting, the Mount Prospect Public Library approved a proclamation recognizing Laura Luteri’s service on the Board. After 20 years of dedicated service, Laura Luteri is leaving the Mount Prospect Public Library Board. What motivates a person to make this type of commitment to a community? The answer is -- passion.
Growing up, Laura did not have access to a local library. When her daughter was young, Laura took advantage of an opportunity she never had as a young child and introduced her daughter to the Library and its storytime program. By 1979, this young mother was volunteering in Youth Services and helping with storytimes. Laura was encouraged to run for the Library board by people who recognized her enthusiasm and her desire to maintain the quality of the Library’s programs and offerings. The board at that time was facing challenging issues including the constraining nature of the building which prevented the Library from offering hands-on programs and severely limited the growth of the collection to meet the needs of the community. Laura worked through four unsuccessful referendum attempts to get the necessary funding to allow the Library to expand, an effort that succeeded on the fifth attempt while she served as the Board’s president.
Laura’s commitment extends beyond the Library to the community as a whole. In her role as a Library Trustee, she helped establish the “After Hours for Elected Officials” group. This unique group is comprised of all elected officials serving the Village of Mount Prospect, which includes nine school districts, five park districts, the Library, the Village, Cook County, Wheeling Township, Elk Grove Township and State and Regional representatives. The group’s goal is to provide coordinated programs and services that work together to ensure that all of the needs of the community are met.
While devoting her time and attention to these projects, Laura never lost her enthusiasm for books. Seventeen years ago, as a very active member of the Friends of the Library, Laura made one of her often heard remarks, “You know what would be neat…?” This statement resulted in the creation of the Friends of the Library evening book discussion. This successful program, which continues today, has been featured in all three editions of The Book Group Book by Ellen Slezak.
Laura’s passion also drove her to obtain a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council for the Oral History project, cosponsored by the Library and the Mount Prospect Historical Society. An invaluable gift to the community, this is story of the evolution of Mount Prospect as told by the people who experienced it, the people who made it happen.
The true legacy this passionate woman leaves behind is the example she has set for all of us to become active members of our community. Never content to merely remark, “You know what would be neat…?” Laura worked passionately to make these dreams happen. That’s the challenge she sets for each of us.
