Dave Barry: 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: BartlettWebsite: http://www.electdavebarry.comOffice sought: Bartlett Library Board (6-year Terms)Age: 63Family: Christy and I will celebrate our 24th wedding aniversary this April while we don't have any children ourselves, our many neices and nephews have been an important part of our lives.Occupation: I've operated my own practice for the past twenty years providing legal services to families and small corporations in DuPage and surrounding counties.Education: JD, Thomas Cooley Law School, 1992 BA, St. Mary's College, 1971Civic involvement: I was President of our local neighborhood association before we moved to Bartlett. Currently, I an currently active with the Bartlett Lions Club and the Bloomingdale Roselle Kiwanis Club.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 If our library is going to remain an essential part of our community, it must promote its resources not only to the current groups of users, but it much reach out to all of the various groups within our community.Key Issue 2 Tax dollars are tight so I want to guarantee our tax dollars are wisely spent, not wasting monies on underused resources, but spending funds when it most helps our community;Key Issue 3 I want to ensure that our library remains an essential community resource by reaching out to various community groups to find out what they want, not what I think is best.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?There are special skills that I can bring to our board, for example, writing bylaws, reading financial statements, negotiating and writing contracts. Plus, after a lifetime of library use, it's only right to donate my time and experience to make our library even better. We have a great library here in Bartlett, but we can make it even better with hard work and leadership. The hard-working residents of Bartlett and their families deserve no less. Our library is an essential community resource for all of us, young and old, a place where we can satisfy our curiosity or find a book to enjoy, plus there are no extra fees to use its resources.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.As a former president of a neighborhood association, I am familiar with coordinating various groups to achieve results. During my tenure, we acted as a liaison with local elected officials and law enforcement to improve patrols and to improve the flow of information between the police department and residents. As an attorney for the past twenty years, I can bring my legal experience to the board when we negotiate and approve contracts, review laws and regulations regarding libraries, and the board responsibilities to meet the open meeting laws.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 I was five years old and I receive a Bartlett library card when we moved here five years ago. I use the library frequently whether to check out books or using its resources to research an issue.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 taken pains to educate myself about the recent remodeling of the library which improves available space so I do not see any current need to expand the physical plant. Most future capital expenditures should be made to use technology to best serve the needs of our residents, for example, expanding our servers and databases of available materialWhat impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?The decrease in assessed valuation of our homes have placed libraries on a tight budget, but technology has allowed libraries to continue to serve the residents, for example: mutiple computer stations with expanded databases. Libraries will remain relevant by keeping up with technology, During the past several years, libraries have become essential to job seekers so they can write their resumes and reseach job openings. The unemployed and underemployed have cut back on the monthly expenses by doing away with cable expenses. So the library is the palce where they connect to the internet. In order for the library to remain essential, it must provide residents with up to date technology but it can not forget its traditional of the resposidorty of printed materials, especially those materials whose expense is out of reach of the average resident. Lastly, libraries need to remain the go to place when residents have a question.