School of Information Studies Alumnae Honored by Illinois Library Association

DU alumnae will receive awards from the Illinois Library Association during the ILA’s annual conference in Peoria this October.

• Lily Mayfield MLIS ’22 is the recipient of the 2026 Youth Adult Library Professional of the Year Award for her work as a teen librarian at the Thomas Ford Memorial Library in Western Springs. Lily is credited with helping to grow services for teens using the library, from creating opportunities for service projects to hosting cooking programs that teach important life skills.

• Trixie Dantis MLIS ’12 was named the 2026 Youth Services Librarian of the Year for her work as youth services manager at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. She is recognized for creating paid apprentice and internship opportunities for students, expanding opportunities for library card registration, establishing advisory boards for teens and tweens, and significantly growing outreach programming for children and teens, among many other achievements.

• Karla Alba MLIS ’19 is the recipient of the Innovative Programs and Services Award for her accomplishments as the literacy and immigration services coordinator at the Schaumburg Township District Library. Karla was honored for transformative work in English language learning, citizenship services and community engagement to meet the needs of immigrant families in the library district.

Read more about all the 2026 ILA award recipients here.