James Stamoolis: 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: KildeerWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Ela Area Library Board (4-year Terms)Age: 67Family: Married to Evelyn (nee Nilsson) Stamoolis. Three grown sons, four grandsons.Occupation: Consultant for educational and non-profit organizations. Previously academic administrator at two colleges and college professor.Education: Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, Lehigh Univ.,1967 Master of Divinity, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School,1970 Master of Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School,1971 Doctor of Theology, Univ.of Stellenbosch,South Africa,1980Civic involvement: Boy Scout leader in Pennsylvania. Twenty-six years of experience on non-profit boards.Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To ensure that Ela Area Public Library patrons are well-served by maintaining a commitment to excellence and forward- thinking.Key Issue 2 To explore areas of cooperation between libraries so that limited resources can be used to develop special collections where appropriate.Key Issue 3 To demonstrate fiscal responsibility with public funds entrusted to the library, making the most of resources.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?To serve the constituencies of the Ela Area Public Library--the public, the staff, and the taxpayers.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.Candidate did not respond.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?I have had a library card since my mother took me to our local library as a child. Everywhere we have lived I have had a library card and as soon as we moved to Kildeer we got cards. That is now 6 years at Ela. We tend to have books checked out every week; I believe we have 6 or 7 out as I write this. We also check out DVDs and audio books.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.I have started attending the board meetings to ramp up my understanding of the issues. Regarding space I do not have a opinion as yet, only that there needs to be a balance between providing excellent service to patrons and handling tax revenues responsibly.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?In these economic times libraries are more relevant as they serve as centers for patrons to research jobs, develop skills, and to meet. Libraries formerly held mainly books. While I hope we never do away with books, libraries also now distribute audio, video and electronic resources. This trend will continue as libraries fulfill the function of preservers and transmitters of information and culture. The learning function, from children's story hour to digital labs, are an integral part of what the library does.