IL HR0933

Illinois House of Representatives congratulates Roberta Koscielski, Deputy Director of the Peoria Public Library, for being named the 2020 Librarian of the Year by the Illinois Library Association

Koscielski has worked for the Peoria Public Library for over 35 years, holding positions as Lakeview branch manager and grant coordinator before becoming deputy director

She earned an Associate of Science in Mathematics from Illinois Valley Community College (1979), Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (1981), and Master of Science in Library and Information Science from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (1982)

Koscielski led efforts to address community issues including gang violence prevention through book promotion and the opioid epidemic response, including training library staff on naloxone use and overdose recognition

She has received multiple recognitions including a Volunteer Service Award from President George W. Bush (2007), was named one of Library Journal's Movers and Shakers (2018), and recognized in U.S. News & World Report as a "new first responder" in the opioid epidemic (2019)