A new face is coming to the Indianapolis Public Library board.
The IPS Board of Commissioners, which appoints two members to the seven-member Indy library board, selected Lisa Riolo in a meeting June 25 to represent the school district.
She fills the post after Stephen Lane’s abrupt departure in April. Lane, a librarian who was critical of the library system’s leadership, said he felt he had no choice but to resign after he learned the IPS commissioners planned to rescind his appointment.
Riolo is a retired Indiana University professor who worked in physical therapy and neuroscience. She lives downtown, is a longtime library volunteer and frequents the Central Library branch. Mirror Indy caught up with Riolo, who will fill the open board seat, at a time of heightened tension.
Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Longtime volunteer tapped for board seat
Question: Tell me about yourself. What do you do?
Answer: I was born and raised in Queens, New York, and I’ve lived in major cities and midsize cities and ended up here almost 20 years ago. IU recruited me to the Indianapolis campus as a professor and an academic administrator, and I’ve always been committed to libraries and the value they bring to communities.
I’ve been involved with the library as a volunteer since I’ve come here. I was a volunteer docent at the art museum. I was a volunteer at Indy Reads bookstore and the literacy program and with United Way. I’m very committed to community in my volunteer service.
Q: Why did you seek an appointment to the library board?
A: I have volunteered there for 15 years. I led tours through there. I mostly help with circulation, so if someone asks for a book and puts it on hold, I’ll go and pull it off the shelves.
I was also appointed as a community member for the CEO search, so I became more involved with the administration and how that appointment would have gone at that point in time a couple years ago. I just wanted to serve the best I could for the community, and I think that the library really mirrors my own values and interests most.
Prioritizing ‘whole community’ needs
Q: What goals do you have in taking this role?
A: I don’t have a goal. I don’t have an agenda but to serve the library’s needs and IPS’ needs. I really want to have some connection with somebody on the (IPS) board so that if an issue comes up with the library board, I can go back to, “What are your values? What are your interests? How do I represent the public schools?” I am familiar enough with the library system to know who to ask throughout the library, “What would best serve you guys?”
I don’t have an agenda myself other than to make sure everyone’s represented. If I have a goal for all of the library, it is to keep it resourced and available for the whole community. I think that democracy runs on everyone being educated and some kind of equity throughout the city.
Q: There’s been public disagreements on the board for the last few years. What type of board member do you plan to be and how do you characterize your ability to work with others in a position of leadership?
A: I had a lot of experience on boards, including international professional boards as well as boards around town. My whole thing is, as a leader, I look at input from all stakeholders. I look at what everyone needs and weigh all that information and try to report to the board based on what their needs are.
I’m very action oriented. I’m very detail oriented, so I listen to different needs and get down into, with multiple perspectives, how do we serve everyone best? Even with all that discourse, I tend to go back to, “What’s the mission of the library? Who do we serve?” This isn’t inserting individual agendas but going back to the mission. What do we do? How do we analyze the impact of the organization and move it forward?
If there’s a difference of opinion, I just have to rely on the fact that I represented those sides as best I could at meetings, and I go to bat, and if things go a different way, then they go a different way.
Q: What objectives do you think the board should prioritize?
A: Part of it is the employees, but there’s also HR and there’s the administration side. I see it as a community service. I look at it as more of the patrons. What are the patrons getting out of this? It serves all kinds of people, so they are the ones that need to be represented.
I also have the objective that it remains open to all. If there is any movement around the country to limit what people can access and what materials the library can have, or diminishing funding for the library, I would hope that the library goes to the legislature to lobby for what the needs are for the community.
Getting involved with Indy PL
Q: What do you want the public to know about Indy PL?
A: It is a resource for everyone. There are all kinds of materials and movies and magazines and programs and game nights and international programs. There’s something for everyone to come and enjoy, to learn, to get entertainment, and it’s not exclusive to any one group. I want it to be a place that’s comfortable and welcoming to everyone.
Q: What are you reading?
A: Right now I am reading a book called “Veronica” by Mary Gaitskill.” It was written in 2005, and it’s a little edgy and it’s a little feminist, and she’s an amazing writer.
Q: Anything else?
A: I do want it to be a welcoming place for people to be able to contact their branches with questions. They can ask for library books that we don’t have that maybe the library would buy, or they can get from another library. If there’s any concern that they have, it’s an open communication. They can always get in touch with anyone at their library branch with questions and needs.
More about the library board
The library board’s next meeting is at 6:30 p.m. July 22 at the Glendale branch. Additional meeting dates and locations are available on the board’s website. Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.
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