Kathleen Reed: 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: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Addison Library Board (6-year Terms)Age: 57Family: Married for 27 years, 3 step-children, 11 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren. Have lived in Addison 31 years.Occupation: I work with my husband in our Farmers Insurance agency.Education: Associate's degree in Accounting, Triton College, 1983/84Civic involvement: Secretary/Treasurer of the Addison Lions Club for 18 years; Secretary of the Addison Community Council and also co-ordinator of the annual Addison parade for 4 years; volunteer at the Addison VFW; member and volunteer for the Friends of the Addison Public Library; volunteer at the Addison recycling events; member of Ardmore School PTOElected offices held: Addison Public Library Trustee 2000 to presentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Making sure our library patrons have the best service they can have, to make their visits exciting and memorable. On September 21, 2008, the library's new building opened. Spacious, modern, and inviting, the building was also designed to be ecologically sound. The library was awarded the prestigious Earth Flag by SCARCE, an environmental group that works to educate the public and build sustainable communities.Key Issue 2 Candidate did not respond.Key Issue 3 Candidate did not respond.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?The library board works well together and is a wonderful group of people to be a part. I believe a library is an important part of every community, and I want to be a part of its additional growth.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.For 2-3 years I was an active member of the building committee that worked on the new library, from building design to the interior design so we could provide Addison with a warm ,welcoming atmosphere. We are able to offer expanded collections and additional programming due to increased space. I was instrumental in hiring our current library director, who has really brought a new dynamic to APL. I work diligently to oversee our expenses to ensure we get the best product, yet stay within our budget.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?Yes. I have had a library card for approximately 20 years, and use it frequently. I am an avid reader and am proud of the large selection of books, DVDs and programsthe library is able to ofer. My family, especially our great-grandchildren, have enjoyed many of the wonderful programs hosted by the library.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.Fortunately space is not an issue at our library, since our building is only 5 years old.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?Some people do not have computers or Internet access at their homes and use the library for resume preparation, job searches, and general knowledge. People can use the library computers and obtain help and information from staff, free of charge. Technology changes almost daily and a library has to keep up with those changes. Addison library staff is well able to help with these and many other issues. A library should be a welcoming place in a community, where people come for reasons other than to check out a book or movie. Child reading programs help to develop a child's love of books and reading. Adult programs are both informative and fun. We recently added an RFID system along with an automated check in system, that now allows staff to have more face time with the public. We also strive to be very efficient at APL, and this new addition has proven to be a very effective tool for both checking out and checking in materials. We strive to provide many digital formats for our patrons, including e-readers and e-books, DVDs and gaming for teens. As a member of this Board I have been very involved in promoting all our services to our community. We promote early reading, from Moms with Tots reading hour, to various programs designed around preschool children to get them ready for school. Addison has a very diverse population and we carry a number of materials in several languages for our patrons. The Board understands the needs of our community and we strive to address them appropriately.