Stefan Tucker: 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: Arlington HeightsWebsite: skst.com, 12noon.comOffice sought: Arlington Heights Library Board Age: 51Family: Janice Krinsky (spouse) Aleksander (son) Derek (son)Occupation: Senior Software ArchitectEducation: B.A. in Computer Science from Brown University in 1985Civic involvement: Friends of the Library, AHML District 59 Education Foundation Rolling Meadows High School Music BoostersElected 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 want to join the Arlington Heights Memorial Library's Board of Trustees because I am very proud of how well our award-winning library serves the community. I plan to help strengthen and improve the extensive resources and services that our library provides. I look forward to finding out more about how the library functions so that I can make the best possible contribution. I've enjoyed learning something new at every board meeting I've attended. My willingness to listen and to explore new ideas will be a great asset to the board, to the library, and to our community.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'm a long-time resident of Arlington Heights and I've used the library as a child, an adult, a husband, and a parent. I recognize that our patrons come from an even greater variety of backgrounds, and I will endeavor to ensure our library's collections and services cover them all equally. I'm passionate about education, technology, and the environment. Given my professional background, I will advocate for the adoption of new technologies to benefit patrons. The library also provides indispensable business resources, genealogical references, fascinating programs, the bookmobile, and more. Every time I look at the AHML's Web site, I learn about a new service. Did you know you can borrow an OBD scanner for your car? Amazing! Part of our challenge is to make sure our residents know about every wonderful asset and service available to them (for free!) at our library.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?I've had an Arlington Heights Memorial Library card since my family moved here in 1972, when I was in fourth grade. The only time I didn't have an active AHML card was when I was a resident of Massachusetts for five years after college. When my wife and I moved back in 1990, one of the first things we did was get library cards. Some of my favorite memories are of bringing each of my sons to the library to get their own cards as soon as they were old enough. I use my card every week, and I encourage every Arlington Heights resident to get a library card. It opens up a universe of education, technology, research, and entertainment. If you spend enough time in the library, I guarantee you'll find something new to interest you.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 a great example of an issue that requires the board to balance the needs of the patrons and the library's resources. The Arlington Heights Memorial Library has a long history of being fiscally responsible when it has needed to expand. If space were to become an issue, it would be important for the board and the staff to consider a range of solutions, from eliminating unused resources to expanding the building. It's important to consider the less costly options before moving to the expensive ones. We might rearrange the physical collection, buy new shelving, remove unused items, or alter the interior floor plan. When eliminating items in favor of their digital counterparts, it's important to keep in mind that not everyone has access to the same technologies at home. After exhausting all other options, it might be necessary to consider increasing the physical space. It's the responsibility of the board and the staff to ensure that all alternatives are explored and that we choose the best one for the 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?When the economy slows, libraries need to be even more fiscally responsible and do more with less. At the same time, it's important for libraries to continue providing services people can use to search for a new job, to learn new skills, to plan a new career, or to borrow a DVD to watch at home. When the economy improves, people may be more likely to check out books or CDs, to bring their kids for story time, or to research their family tree. These changing needs of the community mean that libraries must adapt so that they can provide these resources as people need them. The library that consistently anticipates and meets these needs will always be relevant and loved by its patrons, just like AHML. Few things change as quickly as technology, and a library's role should evolve along with it. More and more resources are provided only in digital form. Not only are databases, forms, and entertainment increasingly available only on-line, but libraries are frequently the only place residents can get free access to computers and the Internet. As a computer professional, I'm intimately familiar with the challenges of keeping up with emerging technologies and continuing to support older ones. Libraries stay relevant by discovering and providing new digital services to its patrons--services that they might not otherwise even know existed.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The One Book One Village program showed us how the library can be a focal point of our community. My wife and I were very excited to be part of that program and more in touch with Arlington Heights through it. (I passed my copy of the book to a woman we met during a walk in Heritage Park.) I'd like to see more of that kind of innovative programming, and I want to help our library continue its tradition of being a vital part of the lives of the residents of Arlington Heights.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, have worked hard and used their tremendous wealth to fund worthy causes, such as education and medical research.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I learned the importance of humility, being able to say that you don't know something and then to work to learn about it.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would go to college again. I loved having the opportunity to learn about so many different, interesting subjects. Plus, I could sleep late!What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Computer science. I really enjoy the limitless creative power of computers. If you have an idea, you can almost certainly achieve it through a computer.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I tell them they should try things, even things that might seem scary. These kinds of these experiences help us grow.