Jan Miller: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Jan Miller

City: Barrington, IL

Age: 67

Family: Married, three adult sons, one daughter-in-law, one granddaughter

Occupation: Retired

Education: BA Ohio State University, MS University of Oregon

Civic Involvement: Member Impact 100 Chicago, volunteer Community Crisis Center

Previous elected offices held: None

Incumbent: No

Website: https://jandan2019.com/

Facebook: https:www.facebook.com/JanDan2019/

Twitter:

Issue questions

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

The most important issue facing the Barrington Library is to foster a cooperative approach with other Barrington organizations to solve community wide problems. Whenever an issue arises I will listen to the resident, staff and other library board members to determine the best solution.

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

I am running for Library Board because I feel I have a unique perspective on what makes a community library effective and valuable. I have been both a long time Barrington resident and past Barrington Library employee.

If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions? Tell us of important initiatives you led. If you are not an incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.

I am not an incumbent. Again, I feel I bring a unique perspective as both a long time patron of the library and past employee for 8 years from 2008 until 2016.

Do you have a library card?

Yes

How long have you had it?

I have had a Barrington Library card since I moved to Barrington about 30 years ago.

How often do you use it?

I use my library card weekly. I enjoy checking out both print and ebooks. I borrow picture books to read to my granddaughter, cookbooks, travel guides, fiction and an occasional non-fiction.

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

Economic and technological changes have forced libraries to reexamine their role in the community. Rather than limiting libraries I feel they have grown more relevant as a result of these changes. Libraries have remained relevant by listening to their communities and becoming not only a place to borrow a book and attend a story time but also a place for an organization to meet, for all ages to create and learn in a makers space and to check out books, magazines, music and movies online. I believe libraries will continue to change in the future but yet at the same time retain the primary goal of bringing literacy to all. I believe if libraries listen to the needs of their community and keep on top of the professional developments within the library community, libraries will remain an essential part of society.