Ed Acuna: 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: Long GroveWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Vernon Area Library Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Candidate did not respond.Education: Masters in Management from Northwestern's Kellogg Graduate School of ManagementMasters and Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Champaign-UrbanaCivic involvement: Served on the Long Grove Plan CommissionElected and served as Long Grove TrusteeServed on the Board of the Long Grove Business and Community PartnersCurrently on the Board of the Vernon Area Public Library DistrictElected offices held: Served on the Long Grove Plan CommissionElected and served as Long Grove TrusteeServed on the Board of the Long Grove Business and Community PartnersCurrently on the Board of the Vernon Area Public Library DistrictQuestions 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 re-election because I love our library and the services it offers the community. I'd like to continue to do my part to help this great library be the best that it can be.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.The VAPLD board is a collaborative group, working closely with the Director and Senior staff to keep the library running smoothly and continuously trying to be the best it can be. I can take no credit for any one initiate or policy. I can say that the library has led the way in eliminating fines, reducing wait times for popular materials, increasing the scope and access to electronic materials, and has growing public educational programs to serve more and more of our patrons.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?I have a library card. I have had one since I was a child and a VAPLD card since I moved to the area in 2001. I use it just about every week, often more than once a week.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 Master librarians at VAPLD make use of sophisticated software and experience to continuously optimize the collection to meet our patrons needs and usage patterns. This has allowed the VAPLD to optimize its use of space for the collection. Libraries in the 21st century provide many services to patrons that require space. In such cases we seek to optimize existing buildings and assets to meet space demands dynamically. We are also always looking at benchmark activities in the library community such as bringing collections out to the community when it makes sense to do so in order to improve service and convenience without requiring more physical library space.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 key role of a library, in my opinion, is to provide free, unbiased access to information. This role has become more important, not less, in a technological age. Interestingly enough, libraries are also developing to be more of social center in communities, a safe place to gather and learn.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I am very pleased that there are several candidates for the two open library trustee positions. This demonstrates a presence in our community of dedicated patrons who are actively seeking to help and contribute to our library. I sincerely hope that whether as a board member, a volunteer, or simply an unofficial advocate the candidates in this election channel their love of the library into a constructive role in supporting it long after election day.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Bruce Lubin, the President of the District 125 School Board. Stevenson is an incredible high school and he is volunteering to help it remain so.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Look for the best in people.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I don't like to think about tinkering with the past. I'm happy where I am and wouldn't like to change that.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I love math. It made me unafraid to learn difficult things.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Balance. Have balance in everything you do.