Randy Hopp: 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: ElginWebsite: NoneOffice sought: Gail Borden Library Board Age: 63Family: MotherOccupation: RetiredEducation: Graduated from Elgin High School 1969. Graduated from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with B.S. Metallurgical Engineering 1972. Studied Graduate School at Colorado School of Mines 1972-1974. Studied Graduate School at Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1974-1976.Civic involvement: Consistently attended the Gail Borden Public Library board of trustees meetings from December 2004 to present which is for longer than the last 10 years and for more than 120 meetings and is more meetings over that time than any of the competing trustee candidates have attended, incumbents or challengers. Big Timber Dancers 1961-Present. Song of Hiawatha Pageant 1962-1979.Elected offices held: Elected Gail Borden Public Library Trustee 2009-2013.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 offer myself as a candidate for election to the office of Gail Borden Public Library Trustee to each and every registered voter residing in the Gail Borden Public Library District to serve everyone who resides in the district, everyone who pays property taxes on property in the district either directly or indirectly through rent irrespective of whether they reside in the district or outside of it, everyone who visits the Gail Borden Public Library either in person at the main building or the branch building or online, and most of the frontline and many of the management employees of the Gail Borden Public Library by diligently preparing for, faithfully attending, and actively engaging in the board of trustee meetings to deliver the best in informational resources like Internet-enabled computers while simultaneously being vigilant about financial accountability which starts with transparency, the unobstructed and preferably proactive supply of information by the employees not only to the trustees but also to the public.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.In April 2009, I was elected to be a Gail Borden Public Library Trustee for a full 4-year term which I served from June 2009 through June 2013. During that term two of the accomplishments that I am most proud to have been a part of were: 1. Making and voting for the successful motion to replace all 60 Internet-enabled computers in the main library computer lab with new computers. 2. Posting of the monthly bills paid reports and the between board meeting bills to be paid reports on the library board link of the libraryâ#128;™s website and retaining longer all of the posted documents for each board meeting to improve transparency and financial accountability. During the time since my term as a trustee ended, I have still been a part of an accomplishment of a second improvement in transparency and financial accountability by the additional posting to the library board link of the libraryâ#128;™s website of the $10,000 or more monthly bills paid reports and the agenda packets that includes the monthly expense and revenue reports.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?I received my Gail Borden Public Library card on a field trip with my 2nd grade class from Columbia Elementary School in Elgin to the original Gail Borden Public Library building on North Spring Street in the Spring of 1959 and have had it ever since, for 56 years, and use it multiple times each 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.To my knowledge, the Gail Borden Public Library has adequate capacity at both the main library and the branch library for the collections at each. I do not support either building an addition to the branch library or a new library to warehouse more books.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?1. The economic change that impacts libraries is the increase in real estate values that in turn increase property tax revenues for libraries. At the Gail Borden Public Library the first use of the increase in revenue is to give the employees a raise in pay, which does not necessarily deliver any increase in service to the visitors either at the facilities or online. 2. The technological changes that impact libraries are the development of personal computers, the Internet, and digital content that results in visitors wanting this new equipment and materials. 3. A library remains relevant by supplying the Internet-enabled computers and digital materials the visitors want. The Gail Borden Public Library also provides useful services like voter registration, early voting, and election day voting for multiple precincts, useful programs like the current free income tax preparation for moderate income taxpayers, and useful informational resources like job searching as well as useful classes for computer use. 4. The role of a library in the community as a source of informational resources does not change but the mode of delivering those resources must change with the development of new technology like computers and digital materials.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Among the accomplishments that I would hope to be a part of if I have the opportunity to serve again as a Gail Borden Public Library Trustee would be: 1. New Internet-enabled computers for the 29 computer work stations currently without computers at the main library: 14 of 20, 70%, on the four computer work benches surrounding the staircase on the 2nd floor and 12 in the computer lab and three in the youth area on the 1st floor. 2. Posting of all the documents distributed to the trustees before or at each board meeting for agenda items to be considered in open session and all documents approved at each meeting by the trustees that are not already being posted on the library board link of the libraryâ#128;™s website for another step toward complete transparency and financial accountability.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Candidate did not respond.