Nicholas Scipione: 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: SchaumburgWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Schaumburg Township District Library BoardAge: 32Family: I have been married to my beautiful and intelligent wife, Rebecca, since 2012. My brother (Zachary) and my Mother and Father (Colleen and Nicholas) also live in Schaumburg Township.Occupation: Science Teacher/Department ChairEducation: Bachelors of Science in Biology. Masters of Education in Administrative Leadership. Both degrees are from Benedictine University.Civic involvement: Throughout my life I have been a volunteer at the Schaumburg Township District Library, Conant High School Library, and Margaret Mead Library. For the past few years I have been a judge to select the Teacher of the Year nominated by VFW Posts from around our state. As a Knight of Columbus I volunteer my time to help the community in various activities. I am a STEM advocate with the DuPage Regional Office of Education.Elected offices held: Schaumburg Township District Library Trustee since 2009. I have served as Vice-President/Secretary, and I am the current Treasurer.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?The Schaumburg Township District Library is a shinning example of an excellent public organization in our community. Year after year we are the beneficiaries of relevant, entertaining, and educational programs and services. The Patrons of the Schaumburg Township District Library are greeted and helped by the highest quality staff a Library can employ. Past Library Boards have been phenomenal stewards of taxpayer money. When other municipalities raised taxes through referendums, we decided that it wasnâ#8364;#8482;t necessary or prudent to raise taxes during a recession. With partisan politics dividing our nation and state, it is imperative we continue to promote what unites us in a non-partisan environment. I hope to continue to add my passion, many years of experience, and dedication to keep our Library the gem of our Township.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.As elected officials, it is our responsibility to make sure we offer programs and services in an inviting environment, and at a reasonable cost to taxpayers. I worked with our Executive Director and Board President Ruth Jonen to create a lease for our Cafe that is fair to both the Library and our Lessee, and creates a check and balance system to make sure the Café is working at optimal efficiency for our Patrons. Upon my suggestion, Board members became even more open to Patron suggestions by conducting â#8364;#339;Trustee in the Lobbyâ#8364;ť sessions at various points throughout the year. Since my fellow Board Members elected me Treasurer I have conducted quarterly check-ins with the Libraryâ#8364;#8482;s Director of Finance and Executive Director. We are committed to the openness of the Libraryâ#8364;#8482;s finances. I was thrilled to work with my fellow Trustees, our Student Trustees, the Administration, and our staff to build a state of the art Teen Center. This one-of-a-kind facility was built with existing dollars, which was allocated for new construction. The utilization of this space by our teenage patrons has been off the charts. The Board and I have been advocates for purchasing the latest technological tools for our Patrons. With Trustee Bob Frankel taking the lead, we are starting to conduct â#8364;#732;â#8364;ťPlan of Serviceâ#8364;ť meetings to examine what our Library should offer for our Patrons in the future.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?Yes, my library card has a prominent place in my wallet. I proudly show it to my family and friends wherever I go. My first library card was obtained when I took my first trip with my Nathan Hale elementary school classmates to the Schaumburg Township District Library. Now-a-days most of my trips to the Library include checking out non-fiction items, various audiovisual items, and using my library card to reserve meeting rooms. When my wife and I start our family, I canâ#8364;#8482;t wait to bring my children to our Kids Zone to check out their plethora of materials.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.I do not think we will be increasing the footprint of the central library or either of the branches. The construction of our Teen Space is an excellent example. To build this space for our teenage patrons we re-purposed office space. In our â#8364;#339;Plan of Serviceâ#8364;ť meetings in the future we are taking a closer look at the facility needs. An architectural plan was commissioned to determine the major capital projects that will need to be conducted in the future. These projects will be weighed in the light of what programs and services our Patrons will need. Of course it is hard to have a crystal ball but when we bring community leaders and educational experts, national library research studies, and our Patrons to the table we will make the best decisions possible.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?This question is directly related to the â#8364;#339;Plan of Serviceâ#8364;ť meetings we are conducting. In our increasing global society Libraries need to help their Patrons connect to this ever-changing world. We need to continue to build upon programs and services for our English Language Learners. Partnerships with our schools, local governments, and other community organizations have become increasingly important. These organizations utilize our meeting spaces, resources, and staff expertise. Our technology classes will help our patronsâ#8364;#8482; acquire 21st century skills that will make them marketable for the future workforce. It is important that we continue to offer a broad range of materials, with electronic formats decreasing the need for large storage spaces for materials. Our facilities need to be a safe, secure, and comfortable location for all of our Patrons.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Fiscal responsibility must be an ongoing focus of the Schaumburg Township District Library Board of Trustees. For decades the trustees have been dutiful stewards of taxpayer money. Our Library is one of a select group of public taxing bodies that is debt-free, and in no need of tax anticipation warrants. It is important that public officials realize that if our constituents are expected to live within their means, then governmental bodies must do the same. The Library Administration and Board of Trustees have been excellent partners in creating the fine organization that we have today. I hope to continue my work as an advocate for the Patrons of the Schaumburg Township District Library.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope Francis. He has genuine passion for the poor and is a servant leader.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Family is extremely important. Live by the Golden Rule, treat others as you would like to be treated.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I started serving our community as a teenager. Soon I recognized the satisfaction of helping others. I have grown to appreciate community service more.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Chemistry. My Chemistry Teacher in high school had high expectations for all his students. I now teach Chemistry and am a Science Department Chair.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Having the right mindset is the most important characteristic in life. Know that with hard work and determination you will be on the right path.