Saleha Samdani: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Saleha Samdani

City: Gurnee

Office sought: Trustee, Warren Newport Public Library Board

Family: Married with 3 kids: a son in college; a middle schooler and the youngest in intermediate school.

Occupation: Pysician researcher

Education: MD

Civic involvement: Active mom with involvement in schools. One of the founders of women's committee and liaison of family advocacy committee at Islamic Foundation North.

Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your library district and how do you intend to address them?

WNPL needs to have an emphasis to envision a community in which the library engages all residents of every background and embraces its diversity in reaching their aspirations with focus on:

• Youth, with early literacy programs, summer learning activities, homework help and outreach to schools

• Teen services with an emphasis on technology access and media literacy

• Enhanced STEM programs for all ages

•Helping every resident to experience the pleasure of reading and the joy of lifelong learning.

The Village of Gurnee benefits from the presence of several big corporations and small businesses. These could be potential sponsors for library events.

We must look for ways to lower the library debt and increase membership.

The 'Friends of the Library' are indispensable and I would like to explore ways to strengthen them.

We need to make sure we can stretch our tax dollars to provide top-notch services to all age groups.

Why are you running for office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what is it?

As a mom with kids, my main motivation is to make the library a fun learning center for the whole family. I come with a new approach & fresh new ideas.

Being located between East & West Gurnee, Libertyville and Waukegan, WNPL has a prime location. It needs to embrace its diversity and to be a recognized force in the community for engaging minds, expanding opportunities and elevating the quality of life.

WNPL has an amazing collection of books, I am particularly amazed by the collection of the variety of books & the constant addition of newer ones.

We need to attract more members by offering seasonal services & activities.

With the advances in technology, there is continuous room to strengthen.

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.

As a non-incumbent, I would like to see our library become a cutting-edge library; connecting all the worldwide online libraries. Technology today should be used as a tool to lower the cost and yet connect to the world virtually.

The early literacy program is an area which needs to be explored. Our kids should have reading programs with youth volunteers to read aloud to small groups and to work on a one-on-one basis. A library should be able to recruit youth volunteers.

As a research professional myself, I would like to expand the collection of online databases for research purposes in all fields. Libraries are portals to the world of knowledge. All people should have the information they need regardless of age, education, ethnicity, language, income, physical limitation or geographic barriers. Our library should be major defender of intellectual freedom. We should support equality of access.

Lake County has several scientific societies, e.g., the Lake County Astronomical Society; I would like to contact them and see how WNPL could collaborate with them and arrange some workshops & possibility of donation of telescopes, for example.

In addition, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Tackle Loaner Program can be contacted to hold fishing workshops and families can be introduced to fishing as a family hobby. And there are many other organizations which can be invited & approached to offer their services to library patrons.

Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?

I have had a library card wherever I lived. I have been a member of WNPL for the last 11 years. My kids and I have extensively explored and benefited from various library services.

What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?

Libraries are an indispensable part of our communities. These are home to active intellectual and social growth. Libraries provide families & individuals access to resources for a lifetime of learning and enhance the quality of life.