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Amanda J. Garcia: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Amanda J. Garcia

City: Elgin

Office sought: Gail Borden Public Library Trustee

Age: 32

Family: Spouse, Daniel I. Garcia. Father-in-law and Mother-in-law, Jaime and Donna Garcia (Elgin)

Occupation: Founder and CEO of ColorWord Creative, Inc. in Elgin

Education: MBA - Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; BA, Communications - Judson University, Elgin; Certificate, Cook's Assistant - Elgin Community College

Civic involvement: Board member of the Gail Borden Public Library Foundation; Member of Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce; Volunteer member of the Enhancing Elgin Committee; Winner of the YWCA Leadership Award Marguerite Henry Award for Communications & Technology, 2018; Graduate of the Elgin Small Business Academy; Member of Zion Lutheran Church in Elgin; Board member of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center; Professionally works with several local clients including Food For Greater Elgin, Centro de Informacion, and the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin

Previous elected offices held: Appointed to Gail Borden Public Library board

Incumbent: If yes, when were first elected?: Yes, I was appointed to the board in May of 2017, following the resignation of a former board member.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmandaJGarcia.ElginIL

Issue questions

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

Childhood literacy continues to be a crucial challenge for our community, and Gail Borden plays an important role in getting books into the hands of children. Through our partnership with U-46, the summer reading program, our Bookmobile, and now fine-less cards for kids, Gail Borden has been a leader in the effort to increase grade school reading levels. However, there is still work to be done and literacy will remain an important topic for the board to address. I intend to support our existing education partnerships and vote to approve the adoption of new resources, programs, and technology that will inspire children to read.

In addition, the library plays a crucial role in any community as a trusted and accessible source of pertinent public information. In the Gail Borden District, that means offering programs on everything from citizenship and DACA requirements, to how to write a resume and apply for a job, to how to use the Microsoft Office suite. These and many other well-attended forums, discussions, and classes are powerful tools for members of our community who may not otherwise have access to the resources needed to take the next step in their life or career.

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

As an incumbent, I am running to continue to serve the members of the Gail Borden Library District by working collaboratively with my colleagues and library staff to ensure fiscal responsibility while delivering the highest quality resources to patrons of all ages and walks of life. I believe in the power of an educated and informed community, and am proud to help lead Gail Borden Public Library as an institution of accessible, interactive learning for all. I believe that literacy is crucial at every age, and am delighted to support the launch of the Gail Borden Bookmobile to make the library more available to readers without easy access to stationary branches. I believe in meaningful community partnerships with organizations that are invested in working together to build an even stronger Elgin, and I am running for Gail Borden Library board of trustees to add my contribution to our mutual success.

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 member of both the library board of trustees, and the Gail Borden Foundation board, I was delighted to vote to approve the addition of our Bookmobile as Gail Borden's first mobile branch, designed to bring a library on wheels to areas of the community where readers may not have easy access to one of our stationary branches. I voted to approve that the Main Library become an official Passport Acceptance Facility - a service that has provided a new and profitable income stream for the library and has already been recognized as a stellar experience by patrons who have utilized it. I was glad to vote to approve new and revised personnel policies that further solidify Gail Borden's anti-harassment stance, as well as protect anyone who might need to report harassment. And I'm pleased to have voted to approve two annual budgets that successfully maintained Gail Borden's impressively low spending per capita rate while delivering the highest quality and nationally recognized programing, exhibits, and resources.

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

I became a Gail Borden Library card carrier in 2008 and I use it a few times each month. From borrowing art for my first home in Elgin, to borrowing books about Indian Cuisine for my culinary classes at ECC, to spending hours in the River Room studying for my MBA, Gail Borden has been a well-loved and heavily used resource in my life for over a decade.

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

Ten years ago it was important for libraries to maintain large computer labs and offer an impressive CD collection, but today it's more important to have docks of mobile devices, wireless hot-spots, and downloadable media services. Gail Borden strives to curate a collection that best fit patrons' needs, and regularly tests the viability of services to gauge when it's time to upgrade to the next platform. Staff are constantly challenging the status quo by asking how Gail Borden should evolve.

Topics of workshops and events have also evolved from things like, "How to use email," to "How to code a website." Special initiatives include programs for veterans and those with Alzheimer's. Services at the Main Library include passports, IT support for personal devices, and even banking.

All of these are examples of how Gail Borden has remained relevant in the midst of change, but I would argue its role in our community should ultimately stay the same: to educate, inform, resource, and empower patrons to learn, grow, excel, and engage the world. If that remains the end goal, our library's relevance will never be in question.

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