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Ben Hoyle: Candidate Profile

Bloomingdale Library Board

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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:BioQA Bio City: BloomingdaleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Bloomingdale Library Board Age: 39Family: I have been married for 10 years and I have two daughters aged 4 and 7.Occupation: Pricing AnalystEducation: Bachelor's of Science - Natural Resources and Environmental Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignCivic involvement: I have been involved in community theater, non-profit community organization, the PTO and two committees for the Village of Bloomingdale.Elected offices held: Village of Bloomingdale Library Board TrusteeQuestions 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?I was chosen to fill a vacancy on the library board of trustees in the Spring of 2014. I was very happy to become a part of the library since I use the library's resources so much. From the family-oriented events and the children's programs to the books and electronic media not a day goes by that is not enriched by the library. I grew up in a small town did not have a library and it is great to live in a town with such a welcoming and active library.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 contributions you would make.I have only been on the library board for 11 months, so it has been a period of learning for me. I do hope to use my position on the board to support and expand the library's knowledge base in terms of making of things, from woodworking and winemaking to leatherworking and electronics. I think of the knowledge base as not simply books about the subject, but also presentations by experts in the field as well contacts for people interested in learning more about the topics first-hand.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?Yes, I have had it since 2007 when I moved to Bloomingdale. I use it weekly.Space is an issue at many 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.At this time, I don't believe that space is an issue at Bloomingdale Public Library. However the collection should be regularly reviewed for relevance and demand. Further, the library building has been renovated at times to better serve the patrons and house the collection.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?The Bloomingdale Public Library has vastly expanded its electronic resources in the past 5 years. Currently, the library offers for free many of the same DVDs, ebooks, audio files and streaming media for free that people pay monthly subscriptions to multiple services. The challenge for the library is to make people aware of these items in the collection and to see the library as more than dusty books on crowded shelves.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The library is a great resource for our community and I would hope more people would come to realize this and utilize all the many assets it can offer.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Illinois Secretary of State Jesse WhiteWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Be the person you want people to think you are.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have married my wife earlier, best decision I ever made.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I always enjoyed math which is good, since I do math for a living as a pricing analyst.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Find the things and people who make you happy and keep them close to you.