Loretta joined the Elwood Carnegie Library as Director in September 2024. She is originally from Indiana and has lived in Chrisman for the last 12 years. She is married with 5 children and 11 grandchildren. She loves to read & crochet and enjoys everything about the library. She is most looking forward to getting new programs into the library that the community can be involved in along with making the library an information hub for the community.

Kenzie Phillips is the Assistant Librarian. She is from Ridge Farm & graduated from Georgetown Ridge Farm High School. She felt she would be a good fit for the position. She loves the history of the library & is looking forward to all the programs the library provides for the community. Kenzie loves being with family, being outdoors & being a part of her daughters softball.

Sam is another volunteer at the library; she has been on the fire department and is currently working at starting her own business. Sam helps out with programs at the library and whatever else is needed.

Daniel is a volunteer at the Elwood library; he lives in Ridge Farm. Daniel spends his days at the library helping anyway he can; He loves to play on the computer and to watch movies.

Jamie is the social media chair and has been in the position since November 2024. She was looking for some way to give back to her hometown and saw a post on Facebook asking for help. She’s always enjoyed the library and spent many days riding her bike to the library to check out books. She always been an avid reader and has lived in Ridge Farm her entire life and loves her little hometown. Jamie graduated in 1995 from Georgetown-Ridge Farm High. She studied journalism at Western Illinois University & project management at DeVry. Her favorite thing about the library is the comforting feeling when walking through those front doors and being met with the smell of books. Jamie’s hobbies include crochet, diamond art paint and time spent with family & friends. She is looking forward to serving the community by helping keep our library a vibrant part of the town.

Mandie joined the board in January 2025 and heads up the Finance Committee. She believes that libraries are a vital part of the community and she wanted to volunteer her time to ensure our community has one available. She enjoys the access to books the library provides for her children and herself along with access to other libraries. Mandie is originally from Chrisman but moved to Ridge Farm as her husband and his family have farmed in the community for many years. She has attended DACC, Illinois State and Saint Mary of the Woods College. She has a BA in Mass Communication and has worked in radio for several years. She returned to school for her teaching certificate and has taught elementary school in the Georgetown-Ridge Farm School District. Her favorite thing about the library is the beautiful building itself while she brings her children to check out books and movies. Her hobbies include reading, traveling and her children’s various activities. Mandie is look forward to the many exciting updates to the building along with various activities to encourage community involvement.

Amanda Lewis is the newest board member joining in October 2025. She joined the board so she could give back to the community. She enjoys the peacefulness you get as soon as you walk through the front doors. Amanda grew up in Ohio, moved to Chicago when she was 16 finally settling in Vermilion County 14 years ago. Her husband’s family is from Ridge Farm and he wanted to return home. She says it’s the best decision they ever made. Amanda attended William Howard Taft in Chicago. Her hobbies include reading, crochet and diamond painting. She is most looking forward to the community events and being part of something bigger than herself.

Jennie has been on the board since July 2023 and is the current board president. She has also held the position of Vice President. She has volunteered in various organizations since high school. Jennie has always been passionate about libraries, having worked at the junior high library and the Georgetown library. She is originally from Georgetown but has been part of the Ridge Farm community since 2007. She graduated from Georgetown-Ridge Farm and currently owns her own house cleaning business along with being a programmer at a local radio station. She loves walking into a building that has so much history and believes that we are lucky to have such a building in Ridge Farm. Jennie loves to be outside in her yard creating spaces that are relaxing where her family and 3 dogs can unwind at the end of the day. Now that the library board is full of dedicated trustees she looks forward to the many updates and repairs that need tackled.

Becky joined the board in February 2025. She has lived in Ridge Farm all her life and has raised her family here and looks forward to being a lifetime member of the community. She graduated from Georgetown-Ridge Farm. Becky was part of the last freshman to attend Ridge Farm High School. She is a mother and grandmother who loves to spend time with her family. Her hobbies include crafting, drawing, painting and hunting with her husband. Becky has many fond memories of the library. She remembers going to the library with my classmates from elementary school at Harrison to walking there from the grade school with Mrs. Ingram. She also remembers spending time with my best friend laying on the carpet in the children’s room reading ” Are you there God, it’s me Margaret “. The memories and good times that she has had in Ridge Farm has ignited the need to help her community in any way she can. That has brought her to making sure that other children can have some of the same kind of memories that she experienced at the library and in our humble little village.

Diane has been on the board since July 2022 and is the current treasurer. She joined the board over concern of how the library was being ran. In the 2.5 years she has been on the board she has helped correct the budget and labor issues, building repairs, safety and new interior design. Diane graduated from Georgetown High School and continued her education at Bradley. She has owned and operated Pine Ridge Studio, a custom furniture and decor store. Her favorite things at the library include the continuation of improved record keeping all while continuing to keep the library here for future generations. She also loves the welcoming feeling when walking into the library. Her hobbies include gardening, landscaping and home design.