Jean Bednar: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Jean Bednar

City: Elgin

Office sought: Gail Borden Library District Trustee

Age: 58

Family: Husband Paul, son Wyeth (Somerville, Massachusetts), son Tanner (Chicago). Sons were both raised in Elgin, attended all U-46 schools, and spent many hours at GBPL.

Education: Bachelor of Arts, English, University of Utah

Occupation: Director of Communications for Brethren Benefit Trust, Elgin

Civic involvement: Served as Trustee for GBPL since 2005; served on the GBPL Foundation from 2001-2018, member of the committee for the successful referendum that enabled the new library to be built; former board member of Gifford Park Association; volunteered for several other groups and events, including Historic Elgin House Tour, Larkin Center, PADS of Elgin, United Way of Elgin, Illinois Historic Preservation conference, School District U-46, Children's Theater of Elgin, Fox Valley Theater Company.

Previous elected offices held: Gail Borden Public Library trustee, including five years as board president

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected?: First appointed in 2005, first elected in 2007, re-elected in 2011 and 2015

Issue questions

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

The most important issue for our library is being able to reach as many members of the district as we can. My focus is to give support to the initiatives taken by staff whenever there is the possibility to increase library awareness and usage for the people in our district. In the past this has meant that I'm voting to open a branch library (twice) or purchase a bookmobile, or move forward with a referendum. And I should add that it's easy to be energized about reaching people when there is a tangible goal that will increase library outreach, but the staff is working on this type of thing every single day, and have many less visible small victories along the way. I'm grateful that my position on the board allows me to hear the many ways we are working to reach more patrons all the time. Over the 13 years I have served I have come to realize that increasing our impact for district members is the most important thing we do.

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

I am running because I think it's important to serve my community in this way. I chose the library specifically because it is one of the exceptional, essential, and vital parts of our community - not just because it offers everyone a place for books, research, programs, access, education (and so much more there isn't room here), but also because a vibrant library such as ours definitely helps boost the entire community, its economic development, home and land values, and collective intellect. I am happy to continue to serve as a trustee if I am re-elected.

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 am an incumbent. I spent many years volunteering for the library through the Foundation. I used to design brochures for some of our fundraisers back in the day. I have attended and presented at library conferences, met with other districts to pass along tips and lessons from some of GBPL's successes, and volunteered to chair the first Book Sale Extravaganza in 2012. As a trustee, I've had the privilege of being on the board for critical decisions such as adding branch libraries, and taking on large scale remodeling projects. Over the years I've heard many great suggestions from community members regarding the library, and I bring them to the attention of the staff. I plan to keep listening to what the people in the district have to say.

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

I moved to Elgin in December 1988, and I got my first GBPL library card in early 1989. I mostly read e-books now, which I download through the cloud app or through Hoopla, on my phone. I read a lot of e-books because I travel for work, but the reading slows down whenever my husband and I are flipping a house, and we have just started on another one.

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 have been changing since before I was a trustee. When we were first exploring the future world of e-books, GBPL was right there navigating this new territory with enthusiasm. They seemed to know that soon there would be small devices with downloading capabilities that would make curling up with an e-book just as easy as with a print book. GBPL has also anticipated how important it is to have a variety of borrowable materials. Not everyone is a book worm. Thanks to our forward-thinking staff, patrons can check out hotspots, art, dolls, Rokus, and more. Library visitors enjoy hands-on exhibits highlighting dinosaurs, flight and space travel, Legos and castles. Our youth patrons can make video and audio recordings in Studio 270. We celebrated a Cubs World Series win and Downton Abbey farewell at our library. I have never worried in my entire tenure on the board that GBPL is not relevant. In many cases staff literally wrote the book on a new library initiative. As a board member, I do not claim credit for any of the amazing things the staff does. I do claim to support them fully in their endeavors to remain a vital community place.