Sharmi Trivedi: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: AddisonWebsite: http://www.SharmiTrivedi.comOffice sought: Addison Library Board (6-year Terms)Age: 71Family: I am married and have two beautiful children. Both of my children went to DePaul University in Chicago. My son is working as an IT consultant at the Art Institute of Chicago and my daughter owns a small computer related business.Occupation: I worked in health industry for 15 years and had to leave job for family sickness. I am a commercial Realtor and business broker since last 8 years.. I sell hotel motel properties. I enjoy my work.Education: Went to College of DuPage where I studied Liberal Arts and earned over 100 credit hours. I got admission in Respiratory Therapy but because of health insurance problem for my children, I had to leave my dream unfulfilled.Civic involvement: Received certification for Citizen Police Academy from the Addison Police Department in 2010. Also received certification for Community Emergency Response Team Training from the Addison Police Department in 2010 to certify willingness to work in emergency situations. Coordinated Neighborhood Watch Program with the help of Police Officer Brucal of Addison Police Department in 2010. Approved for Volunteer Deputy Registrar from DuPage County Election Commission in 2013. Also member of Addison Democratic Organization and National Gardening Club.Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 I want to increase the awareness of all the great services offered by our local library, including all the information and educational classes. One of my main goals is to get parents of small children more involved at the library so that small children can be more exposed to the library facility. We have an enormous collection of books and computer facilities, and so many useful services offered by the library and beyond exposing children to these services, there is something to be enjoyed by mothers and fathers, and grandparents alike.Key Issue 2 With research methods changing dramatically with the onset of new technology, I would like to explore how the library can play a vital role for students as a tool for research or other educational purposes. Understanding that the Internet is a wealth of information now even accessible on mobile devices, I would like to explore how our public library can augment that information and be the place that students congregate for educational purposes.Key Issue 3 With technology changing so quickly, I would like to work with the Addison Public Library in order to determine how the economic affect of changing technology can be properly managed. The utmost importance to me is to produce a solution for technology equipment that becomes quickly obsolete - funding for the library needs to be revered as limited and therefore every dollar must be spent intelligently and through very informed choices. I would tap into my technology resources to guide some options that could help the library's budget go the furthest in the area of technology.Questions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?Personally, I love the library and this is why I am running as a library trustee for the first time. I have lived in Addison for 34 years and I have raised my children here through primary school, middle school and high school, right here in Addison. My personal life has gone through many ups and downs, right in this very town. I am not sure how it happened, but somehow along the way of life, I fell in love with the Village of Addison. Over the years, many things have changed in this town, however one thing remains constant. We have great schools, a wonderful park district with superb activities, such caring village administration, and what I see as the best library that I want to be a part of.If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you've led. If you are a non-incumbent, tell us what special contributions you could make.The Public Library is no longer a quiet place with a simple and massive collection of books. It is now a place for community gathering and meetings, as well as educational classes for adults with so many fun activities for children. I believe that society as a whole is based on the ability of its citizens to access information. The Public Library serves a huge role in providing this access to information. I have a unique talent of running a successful business and have the utmost desire to contribute my talents to my community and this position is where my heart guides me to channel my energy.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?My husband and I both have library cards. - I do not check out books very often as I usually enjoy going to the library and actually spending time at the library. In addition, I have attended numerous events and classes at the Addison Public Library and currently enrolled in few classes too.Space is usually an issue at libraries. If that's the case at your library, would your solution be to expand the physical plant or make room by doing away with parts of the collection that technology has made less critical? Explain.The Addison Public Library expansion in 2008 has offered enough space to survive for some years to come. There is sufficient space for book storage however I feel that space for meeting rooms and computer classes are rather limited. Currently, a waiting list system in in process for classes and many people are prompted to wait for for next class. I would be interested in producing solutions to expand this area. Space can be consolidated by utilizing new technology such as laptops and tablets instead of bulky desktop computers. There are a variety of other options to consolidate space as well, and I would work with the budgetary constraints to produce a solution that works for the people of the community.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?Technology changes so fast and to keep up with new developments and the community demand for revolutionary gadgets, it can be a challenge. WIth the surge of publishing in new electronic mediums in the form of "eBooks", it is startling that only 5% of public libraries are equipped to preloaded e-reading devices. We should be proud that the Addison Public Library is part of the 5%. With the Kindle Fire available to library patrons, residents can enjoy the newest Kindle device to read their favorite books. It only makes sense to expand the electronic library as much as possible as this is obviously the publishing trend that our world is gearing towards. Additionally, DVD circulation is 35% to 40% of current our library's circulation, however how will the library respond to the growing demand for video downloads? These are the types of questions I would like to explore in my position and I would like to work with the community to understand what our residents want as a resource in the community, and nudge our Public Library to play that role in our community.