Ellen Fultz-Schmid: Candidate Profile

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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: GenevaWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Geneva Library Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Daughter Freshman at Arizona State University Son 5th grade elementary school studentOccupation: Law LibrarianEducation: Bachelor of Arts / English / Arizona State University Master of Library and Information Science / Dominican UniversityCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: 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?I am running for this position as a way to give back to an organization and a community of which I have been an integral part for thirteen years. Library issues constantly change with time. That being said, my main motivation to run for this position is the library itself and the supportive community it serves. I am passionate about the core philosophy and mission of libraries, and how they protect and ensure an informed educated citizenry.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.The contributions I believe I can make to Geneva Public Library District Governance include the research and customer service expertise I bring from a career as a librarian (currently I am a law librarian) and as a retailer (past ownership of a bookstore), confidentiality and discretion in matters regarding privacy, a passion for the continued success of libraries, expertise in technology (past recipient of the American Library Association's Innovator Of Technology in Libraries Award), levelheadedness coupled with innovative thinking and a whole-library mindset.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?Yes. I have had had my card since the day we moved to Geneva 14 years ago from Arizona. I sometimes use my card as frequently as several times a week.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.This is such a crucially important question that I cannot begin to answer it without first reviewing an analysis of the current space at hand and the circulation data of the materials in question. These results would then need to be evaluated in context of the libraryâ#128;™s mission statement. The expertise of library staff and feedback from the community would also play important roles in deciding whether to, not to, or how to expand to best meet the needs of the Geneva 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?Economic and technological changes have always had their impact on libraries, it just depends on the timeframe in which the question is posed. When I first started a professional library career, a computerized database had just replaced the card catalog and it rocked some worlds. Today it's eBooks, tomorrow, who knows? As scary as change might be to some, I see change as a challenge libraries have been continuing to meet and succeed at for centuries. The key to staying relevant? Staying focused on the libraryâ#128;™s mission and listening to and acting on what the community wants from its library.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?What has driven me to run for this position is to ensure collaborative efforts with other board members, library staff, and the Geneva community to continue Geneva Public Library's crucial role in peopleâ#128;™s lives.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pam Sandlian Smith, director of Anythink Libraries, Adams County, Colorado. Her vision and leadership made Anythink one of the most recognized libraries in the world.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Keeping an open mind. Needless to say, we visited our local public library often which reinforced this lesson.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I wouldn't accept even one do-over. Every event that has happened so far has led my life to this moment.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English/Literature. It helped shape the person I am today by keeping my mind and heart open to old and new possibilities.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Embrace.