Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins’ partner Thomas M. Melody and associate Lily C. McKay will share insights on legal considerations for libraries during the early stages of employment at the Oak Lawn Public Library’s 2026 Library Administrative Seminar on Friday, November 6. The seminar will bring together library directors, managers, supervisors and HR administrators for a day of training focused on library management and administration.

In their session, “Navigating New Hires and the Probationary Period”  Tom and Lily will walk library administrators through the proper practices to have in place when evaluating performance and making sound decisions about a new hire’s future with the library, while avoiding common compliance pitfalls.

The session will cover these key highlights:

• How to set the library up for successful hiring through compliant job postings and structured, consistent interviews.
• How to evaluate probationary employees, with documentation and check-ins that ensure legal compliance.
• Best practices for separating employees who aren’t meeting the library’s needs.

Learn more and register here.

Tom’s practice spans the firm’s Library, Municipal, School and Corporate Law groups, with particular focus on labor and employment matters. He has negotiated many collective bargaining agreements and represents employers in all facets of labor and employment law, including contract administration and grievance arbitration, compliance with State and Federal labor and employment laws, and employment litigation in both State and Federal courts and administrative agencies.

Lily counsels clients in the firm’s Municipal and School Law groups on education, real estate, local government and litigation matters. She served as a law clerk at KTJ before joining the firm as an associate in 2024.

Presented by the Oak Lawn Public Library and sponsored in part by Area Training for Libraries and Staff (ATLAS) and the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS), the Library Administrative Seminar offers a day of training on the management and personnel issues public libraries face.