Liz Sullivan: 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: LisleWebsite: https://www.facebook.com/lizsullivanforlislelibraryboardtrustee/Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizsullivanforlislelibraryboardtrustee/Office sought: Lisle Library Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Candidate did not respond.Education: Univ of IL: BS-Marketing Business AdminNorthwestern Univ - MS Marketing CommunicationsCivic involvement: Volunteer at Loaves and Fishes in Naperville and Second Chance Resale in NapervilleElected 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 lived in Lisle for over 20 years, I love the Library and I am a frequent Library patron. At this time, taxpayers are facing some difficult choices. We are paying some of the highest Library taxes when compared to surrounding communities, while our home values are declining. Library usage is also declining, yet the Library Board has approved the maximum allowable increase to the property tax levy for many years. I am committed to working to ensure that the needs of the Lisle Library District residents are met in the most economical way possible. Furthermore, I will work to increase transparency from the Lisle Library Board. By this I mean providing more information about the challenges that the Library is facing and how the Library Board plans to handle these challenges in a creative and cost-effective way. Raising taxes should always be the last resort. Increasing transparency should include broadcasting live video of Lisle Library Board Trustee meetings and posting online searchable vendor payment records. I will work to make it easier for taxpayers to find Library Budget and Net Position information and provide taxpayers with more relevant information about future library plans. I believe in the famous quote, "It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority." In a respectful way, I will pose intelligent questions in order to learn about current situations, processes and benchmarks. I believe that if we are not improving, we are declining.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.Lisle Library is one of the highest taxing libraries in Illinois and the Library should be using zero-based budgeting. Instead, they determine how much they can increase taxes and then budget to spend it all. Nearly 70% of Library expenditures are for employee salary/benefits/pensions. According to a January 2016 Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) study, Lisle Library expenditures per capita average 147% higher than surrounding communities. Staff reductions may be needed to bring the staff to resident ratio down to the levels at comparable libraries and to bring costs/taxes down to ensure Library sustainability. According to the Library's Own Independent Audit, "As of June 30, 2016, the total assets of the Library exceeded its liabilities by $16,078,590." Recent reports also warn that the Library may want to avoid accumulating "excessive funds." Although there may be a very good reason for the Library to accumulate these "excessive" funds, the Board has not publicly discussed it or disclosed it to taxpayers. As a Trustee, I will work to eliminate this lack of communication. I will also encourage cooperation across all taxpayer funded entities. As an example, the Library is evaluating whether or not it needs to increase capital expenditures to provide additional free public meeting room space. I will work to determine whether all existing public meeting room space in the Lisle Park District, Lisle Village Hall, Lisle Police Station, etc., is being fully utilized before agreeing to spend taxpayer money for additional Library meeting room space.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?I have had a Lisle Library card for so long that I can remember when there were no DVDs to check-out, as DVDs were not invented yet. I use my library card on a regular basis. I love to read physical books and ebooks and I also love to listen to audiobooks. I have attended various Library seminars, most notably about Lisle's history. In conversations with residents, however, I found that many are unaware of certain Library offerings, such as ebook and audiobook downloads. Of even greater concern, some residents are paying to download from Audible or other services, even though the Library offers many ebooks and audiobooks for downloading. And, according to a recent Pew Research Center Report, nearly nine-in-ten (88%) of all Americans are online. This makes publicizing the Library's electronic resources a pressing issue. As Library Board Trustee, I will work to publicize these electronic services.The Pew Research Center Report also states that roughly three-quarters (77%) of all Americans own a smartphone. Many people may be surprised to learn that nearly three-quarters (74%) of Americans between the ages of 50 and 64 also now own a smartphone, as do 42% of those 65 and older. As Trustee, I will work to make Library offerings more smartphone-friendly.Furthermore, there is an abundance of "fake news" on the internet. As Trustee, I will work to ensure that we educate patrons about the various news sources and how to utilize electronic databases/websites to verify news authenticity.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 very complex issue which cannot be solved by utilizing a single approach. For example, the Lisle Library may need to store some of its material off-site and educate residents that there may be some delay in retrieving certain items. The portion of the budget for purchasing books and other materials is very small. As previously stated, nearly 70% of Library expenditures are for employee salary/benefits/pensions. Staff reductions may be in order to bring the staff to resident ratio down to the levels at other libraries and to bring costs/taxes down to ensure Library sustainability. Furthermore, the Library needs to acknowledge that it cannot be "all things to all people," and I will work to continue partnering with other institutions to meet resident needs. This includes working with other libraries via interlibrary loans, thereby satisfying user needs without having to house every item. I don't know whether the Lisle Library currently partners with any local district school libraries or colleges, but this is another area I will explore as Trustee. Finally, many residents are unaware of the reciprocal agreement between the Naperville Library and the Lisle Library. Lisle Library card holders in good standing are able to get a card from the Naperville Library, too. When I have not been able to readily pick-up a book from the Lisle Library, I have utilized Naperville's. This has been especially true when I have needed to get a specific book in time to read for a book club meeting.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?With proper guidance from the Board, I believe the Library can become even more relevant. According to a recent Pew Research Center report, nearly nine-in-ten (88%) of all Americans are online. Of concern is that some residents are paying to download audiobooks from services like Audible, even though the Library already provides ebook and audiobook downloading. I will work to publicize the availability of all Library-provided electronic services. As previously stated, I will also work to make library-provided electronic services more smartphone-friendly and to make the Library Website more intuitive and user-friendly. I will work to decrease newsletter production and mailing costs, too, by reducing the frequency of the paper newsletter. Additionally, I will work to ensure that the Library Guest WIFI is password protected and changed regularly to ensure that private user data remains private. Furthermore, I will work to determine whether there is a more advanced and secure way to offer guest WIFI services.Finally, I will work to offer more technology-related seminars and courses. To minimize costs, I will to explore opportunities to partner with College of DuPage for certifications and/or instructors. It also makes sense to contact local technology suppliers like Apple, Best Buy, cell phone companies, etc., to invite them to give free training classes on a specific technology or cell phone. I am certain that some of these classes would be offered at no cost to Library patrons as potential purchases from these stores would justify the store's time investment.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?At heart, I guess I am a researcher and approach decision-making from the perspective of a taxpayer, who is also a business person. I am a firm believer in benchmarking, utilizing what has worked at other libraries and involving residents in the Library's decision-making process. The Library is now struggling with rising employee costs. Nearly 70% of Library expenditures are for employee salary/benefits/pensions. Staff reductions may be in order to bring the staff to resident ratio down to the levels of comparable libraries and to reduce costs/taxes in order to ensure Library sustainability. As Trustee, I will work to make this happen.Library staff should be trained/motivated to "Walk and Talk." By this I mean that Library employees should spend more time walking around the library and offering assistance to patrons, instead of remaining stationary at a desk/counter. "Walk and Talk" would include helping patrons find physical items, providing guidance on how to use electronic databases, etc. To serve the needs of patrons requiring assistance at one of the counters, a system could be implemented to alert staff accordingly. I will also work to make sure that the Library Board utilizes previous research to guide future planning. For example, one Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) study applied cost benefit analysis to the valuing of services of mid-size and smaller public libraries. This research produced many excellent measurement tools such as "Willingness-To-Pay," "Benefits per Annual Tax Dollar" and "Return on Long-Term Investment."Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Warren Buffett because of his intelligent, workable solutions to the federal deficit, including Congress' participation in Social Security and tying Congressional raises to the CPI.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Know yourself and invest in yourself so that you can reach your full potential. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would travel more, move with job promotions more frequently, take more risks, get involved in more organizations and live life to the fullest.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?One of my favorite subjects was Critical Thinking, which I employ/employed personally and professionally, especially in decision-making.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Life is what you make it. Life is good. Live life to its fullest, be involved in the community and enjoy life!