Kathryn L. Caudill: 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: Lake ZurichWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Ela Area libraryAge: 52Family: Married for 28 years to JeffTwo son (college senior and high school senior)Occupation: Director of Development for a non-profit organizationEducation: B.A., College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN 1980Major: Government, Minor: PsychologyJ.D., University of Iowa, College of Law, Iowa City, IA 1983License to practice law in Illinois - 1984 - present (Licenses in MN-1983 and IA-1984, inactive)Civic involvement: President, Board of Directors, North Suburban Library System, 2009 - presentMember, Board of Directors, North Suburban Library System, 2005 - presentCo-Chair, Trustee Training Task Force, 2005 - 2007Volunteer, various capacities, St. Francis de Sales Church, Lake ZurichAssociate member, Friends of Ela Library, 1999 - 2010Elected offices held: Trustee, Ela Area Public Library District, 2003 - 2007, 2007- 2011Director, North Suburban Library System, Board of Directors, 2005-2007, 2007-2009, 2009-2011School Board, St. Francis de Sales School, 1995 - 2001Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NO.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 I want to see the Ela Area Public Library continue to be the amazing community center that it has been since the building opened in 2002.Key Issue 2 To maintain quality services and programming even as our area experiences less growth and anticipated reductions in tax revenues in the coming years.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?There is not one specific issue that motivates me to run other than the fact that I love our library. It has been my privilege to serve on the Ela Area Public Library District Board of Trustees since 2003. I would welcome the opportunity to continue to give back to our community through service on the board of the Ela Area Public Library.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 am proud that the reorganization of the popular materials area of the library and the RFID improvement project were both completed in a timely fashion and within the budgeted amounts. EAPL Board President, 2007 - 2011.EAPL Board Vice President, 2005 - 2007. Board liaison and member representative to the regional North Suburban Library System, 2004 - present.Docent for the Anne Frank photo exhibit at the library. Completed NSLS Trustee Training Certification, 2008. Selected as the NSLS Library Trustee of the Year, 2008. Member (and OMA designee) for the Merger Design Team, 2010 - present.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?Yes! I honestly cannot remember a time when I did not have a library card. I have had an EAPL card since shortly after we moved here in the late 1980s. I am at the library at least once a week, sometimes more. Sometimes for meetings, sometimes for books, books on CD, DVDs and research.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.Thankfully, space is really not really an issue at our library. Thanks to the voters who approved the referendum, and the planning and creativity of the EAPL Board of Trustees at that time, we have a beautiful 72,000 square foot library building that opened in 2002.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?Some thought the Internet would be the death knell of libraries, but libraries have expanded and changed as technology has changed. In challenging economic times, we need libraries more than ever. Last year, over 400,000 came through the doors of the Ela Area Public Library and checked out more than 1,000,000 items. The library offers opportunities for all: ~Job seekers using library computers to apply for jobs online. ~Business owners benefiting from demographic databases and business reference materials and knowledgeable reference librarians.~Students using databases, books and computers for research papers and projects. ~Patrons of all ages downloading e-books, audio books or checking out an e-reader. ~Early readers coming in with their parents to check out picture books and chapter books.~Teens checking out video games, attending anime meetings, or downloading music.~Families selecting DVDs for family night or attending entertaining library programs. Libraries offer opportunities for all of us to become lifelong learners. Libraries have changed, and will continue to change, to best serve the needs of patrons 24/7.