Jason Brandt: 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: LombardWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lombard Library Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Married with 3 childrenOccupation: Technology StratigestEducation: B.Sc., Computer Technology, Purdue UniversityMBA, Dayton UniversityCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Trustee, Helen Plum Library District, 2 YearsTrustee Treasurer, Helen Plum Library District, 4 YearsQuestions 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'm running for re-election because I'm still motivated by several issues concerning the Lombard library. The primary one is ensuring the new library building, that the voters of Lombard supported, meets the expectations of the village, allows the library to better serve Lombard, and can be operated within budget.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 have been a trustee on the board for the past 6 years. During that time, I have held the position of Treasurer for 4 years and served as the lead trustee for the strategic planning committee. On the strategic planning committee, we delivered an updated 5 year plan for the library with input from the community, library staff, outside console, and the library board. This plan has helped guide the library and board on the choices and direction the library took over the past several years. As treasurer, I have helped to optimize the accounts of the library and have worked with the library director and board to deliver a balanced budget every year.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?Yes. 15+ Years. Regularly.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.After reviewing the future needs of the library, the constraints and condition of the current building, and the costs of the different options, I felt that the best solution for the village was a new library. The design of the new library will offer the needed flexibility for the library as materials and services it offers change that the current building cannot support.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?The broad spectrum of information on the Internet has changed the role of the library. Instead of having encyclopedias and large numbers of reference materials, the library now provides computers, so everyone can have equal access to this information. While the choices of how copyrighted material are accessed has increased from books to audio CDs, playaways, and ebooks, the library continues to provide equal access to these materials. I believe all libraries will continue to provide access to information for years to come, while also offering new services for learning, collaborating, and sharing experiences.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I think it is important for the library to balance its budget across all the demands of staff, materials, innovative services, communications, and facilities to provide the best experience for the community.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Bill Gates because of his philanthropy and impact to so many lives.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Respect for others.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Normally, I would say not to be a Cubs fan, but I may have to rethink that now.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Physics. Understanding of how the world works.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Live a balanced life.