Laura Caplin: 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: LincolnshireWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Laura CaplinOffice sought: Vernon Area Library Board Age: 33Family: I am married to Jon Caplin and we have three children - Graham (age 4), Alice (age 2), and Molly (age 4 months).Occupation: LawyerEducation: BA from Johns Hopkins University 2005JD from Stanford University 2008Civic involvement: I have been involved in the representation of various low income clients on a pro bono basis in my work as an attorney.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 have been an avid user of the library since moving to Lincolnshire in 2012, originally as a childless adult reading for pleasure and now as the mother of three small children who use the kids' play spaces, attend performances, and participate in various mom and tot classes at the library. The library is where my oldest learned to read, where my middle child took her first steps, and where I made some of my first friends in the area. Given that it is the site of so many happy memories for my family, I wanted to give something back to the library itself and, if possible, improve upon it for all the families it serves. Of course, expanding children's programming and the early reader collections are of particular interest to me, and I am also interested in making the library's fantastic online collection more accessible and user friendly. I love physically browsing the library's books, but I know all too well that can be difficult, and the online collection is wonderful for that purpose.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.Library trustees tend to skew both older and male. As a woman, a mother of three kids, and a member of the first generation of digital natives, I will bring a different perspective to the group and hopefully represent the interests of young families, who may use the library in very different ways than the typical adult customer. I am also a practicing attorney, and am happy to lend my legal experience to the extent it is helpful.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 a small child, and I have had one at the Vernon Area Library since I moved to Lincolnshire in 2012. These days, I am at the library frequently. Usually it is to read with my kids, use the library's computers and puzzles, or attend a story hour, but I also participate in a monthly book club. I am a big fan of our library's fantastic online collection, since browsing online and downloading a book to my tablet is much easier than keeping three kids entertained long enough for me to physically pick out a book!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.The feasibility of expanding the physical library would depend on the costs and benefits of doing so. I doubt that would be an immediate goal given that our library was renovated only a few years ago in 2013. I would also argue for expansion of the library's online collection in lieu of spending more to expand the physical plant.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?I think libraries will always remain relevant in terms of research and fact checking despite the availability of e-books and online resources. They are unique resources of knowledge and intellectual exploration, available to anyone who walks through their doors. Moreover, libraries' communal aspect is a source of strength. They are an important gathering place for people in the community - for students to study, kids to play and be introduced to reading, parents to take a break while their children are safely occupied, and anyone looking for a quiet space to read. Libraries can also serve as a key space to connect people with similar interests, whether that is hosting club meetings, bringing in lecturers or authors, or just facilitating new friendships between parents of similarly-aged kids.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Because costs and space constraints are an issue for many libraries, I would like to explore the possibility of organizing with other regional libraries to divide up certain specialty fields. Theoretically, each library could then focus on building its print and digital collections on its particular specialty subjects and make those materials freely available to the other members of the regional library organization. This would enable each library to have access to the full range of specialties without each one shouldering the cost of collecting and maintaining extensive collections on each subject.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Tammy Duckworth. She has overcome so many obstacles that could have derailed her, and still seeks to serve her country.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?The value of a liberal arts education. I am grateful I had the chance to pursue one.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would choose to study abroad in college. It is an opportunity I did not appreciate at the time, and always regretted missing.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Bioethics. It taught me a lot about legal reasoning and argument, especially in emotionally charged topics.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Pursue an intellectually challenging profession - you will spend much of your waking life at work, and I think being challenged is critical to happiness.