Susan M. Diaz: 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: ElburnWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Town Country libraryAge: 46Family: Married with one daughter, a 7 year old Super-ReaderOccupation: Corporate librarian for global companyEducation: BA Spanish, Millersville Univ PennsylvaniaMasters in Library Science, Clarion Univ PennsylvaniaCivic involvement: Volunteer firefighter/EMT-B, Kaneville Fire Protection DistictSchool volunteer (classroom, library)Sunday School teacher, St. Mark Episcopal, GenevaElected offices held: n/aHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 n/aKey Issue 2 n/aKey Issue 3 n/aQuestions 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 stepped forward to be a Library Board Trustee in order to lend my time and perspective (as a taxpayer and as a career librarian) to the Town Country Library Board. I#146;m also a #147;lifelong learner#148; and I look forward to learning how a library board functions. Free, public libraries are part of what makes America great; it would be an honor to serve and help my community 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'm simply bringing my perspective as a community member to the table. I plan to listen, observe, learn, and participate in discussions and decisions. I also look forward to rolling up my sleeves and helping with library events, as needed.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?I have always had a library card, since childhood, no matter where I resided. I use it frequently at my home library, the Town Country Library in Elburn, and the Kaneville Public Library which is a little closer to home. To my daughter, an insatiable reader, the library is a magical place of limitless books for the borrowing. If only everyone in the community recognized the magic of libraries! We#146;re fortunate to have such a valuable resource in Elburn.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.In this economy, I would be extremely cautious about physical plant expansion. However, removing collections would also require much study and consideration. The solution would really depend on the circumstances and I would trust the library director and staff to bring their best plan forward for discussion.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 by nature very agile and very much in touch with communities; that#146;s the heartbeat of every public library, to stay relevant by offering needed services. As technology changes, libraries evolve to meet the information needs of communities. Town Country Library has shown that agility with its offering of eBooks, computer classes, Internet access, online catalog, and more. As the economy falls and rises, the public#146;s needs change#133; for increasing numbers of jobseekers, the library beefs up its career-related books and services#133; for people doing more with less household income, the library is a place for free books, movies, software, educational programs for children and adults. The library is a beacon and we need to keep the light burning.