Susan Malohn: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Susan Malohn

City: Lake Zurich

Office sought: Ela Area Public Library District - Full Term Trustee

Age: 43

Family: Husband and 2 children

Occupation: Engineer

Education: BS in Mechanical Engineering from Bradley University

Civic involvement: N/A

Previous elected offices held: N/A

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? I was appointed in July of 2017

Website: N/A

Facebook: N/A

Twitter: N/A

Issue questions

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

The Ela Area Public Library is challenged with continuously improving the unique ways it can meet the personal, educational and even recreational needs of the community.

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

I have been and continue to be an avid patron of the Ela Area Public Library. I would like to continue to do my part to serve the community by helping to support the development of the best library services possible. I love that the library is always striving to impress and delight current and new patrons.

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 have been able to provide the perspective of a parent with children who currently attend District 95 schools. During my term, I have actively participated in the Bylaws, Finance and Policy committees. With my engineering background and attention to detail, I have a lot of experience reviewing policies/procedures and revising them appropriately.

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

Yes, I think around 2002, and I use it several times a month!

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

It is very important for the library to embrace technology to remain relevant. The Ela Area Public Library has done a fantastic job with this effort. Just a few examples of the many ways they use technology to engage the community is their growing social media presence, the Three Books podcast, the digital media lab, and the wide variety of experiential materials available for checkout.