Donald L. Roalkvam: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Buffalo GroveWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Indian Trails libraryAge: 62Family: Married, two children, four grandchildrenOccupation: Retired in 2009: Former Business Analyst with Allstate Insurance CompanyEducation: B.A. degree in Political Science from Luther College, Decorah IA, in 1970Civic involvement: Member of Knights of Columbus, Regina Council, St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Wheeling ILElected offices held: Indian Trails Public Library District Trustee: 1995 to 2009Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Keep the Indian Trails Public Library strong and healthy financially. To remain relevant the library must continue to provide the services and programs the public wants and needsKey Issue 2 Candidate did not respond.Key Issue 3 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 am running for Library Trustee because I care what happens to the Indian Trails Public Library. I have been using the Indian Trails Public Library since my children were young. Now they are grown, married, and have children of their own. My grandchildren are avid readers who are learning the value of the library and look forward to visiting it. I want them and the whole community to feel that the library is offering services and products they want and need. That is what is needed to keep the library relevant today.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 want to be able to keep the funding levels as high as necessary to keep the library up to day with technology, books and other materials, and to provide a pleasant and pleasing place to be.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?I have a library card from the Indian Trails Public Library District that I have had and used since 1977. I use it a couple of times a week to check out materials, log onto the Indian Trails website at the library to check my e-mail, check on my library account, or to request materials from the library.Space is usually an issue at 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.Before the library expands its building it has to evaluate whether existing space can be utilized more efficiently. Libraries have done that for years. Libraries used to circulate vinyl albums, music on casettes tapes, and VHS video casettes. You would be hard pressed to find those items in a library today. At Indian Trails space is extremely tight. There is no room to display the library's complete collection unless patrons have checked out a good share of it at the same time. Right now DVDs, music CDs, and, of course, books take up much space in the library. Today downloadable e-books are an important part of the library's book collection. Netflix is moving away from DVDs and toward streaming video. In addition, iTunes and other music downloading sites are extremely busy. Sales of music CDs are decreasing as people download their music. This means that the time is coming soon when libraries will be less about loaning physical products -- books, CDs, and DVDs -- and more about downloading e-books, music, video, and providing more programs and a pleasing environment for children and adults. Reducing the size of the physical collection will provide more room for computers, conference or study rooms, and provide more room for comfortable reading areas in the library.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?Economic and technological changes have had a great impact on libraries. Libraries have always had to do more with less but now that is more important than ever. Libraries can't go back to the way they were in the 1960's. Library card holders expect that their library provides up to date computer facilities, music, and movies. The time is past when the community was satisfied if the library just loaned out books. However, the funding for new products and services is not as robust as it used to be. The assessed valuation of property in the community is down so tax revenues are down. Libraries have to prioritize what is important to their comunity to be able to keep doing what is important and stop doing what is not.