Maria Sinkule: 2023 candidate for Addison Library board

Bio

Town: Addison

Age on Election Day: 39

Occupation: School Social Worker

Employer: School District

Previous offices held: Library Trustee since 2017

Q&A

Q: Why are you running for the library board, whether for reelection or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

A: I am running for a second term as a library trustee. One of the main issues that motivates me is advocacy. Everyone has the right to access books that reflect their lives, interests, and needs. Addison is a diverse community, and our library materials should continue to reflect the diversity. Independent studies show that the vast majority voters, whether they are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, are against banning books. As a trustee, I will uphold this common value and advocate for intellectual freedom.

Q: Has your library seen a significant shift in the use of online materials? Has it adequately bolstered and promoted its online collection?

A: The Addison Public Library continues to be innovative in meeting the needs of our community. Staff continue to offer curbside pick and grab-and-go services to our community. I am amazed with everything we have to offer from hot spots, to laptops, to items that patrons can check out from the Library of Things. We continue to offer a space where physical books and DVDs coexist with e-books and online platforms. Our library continues to promote and offer many items through our online connection. We recently joined the SWAN Library system which will allow us to share resources and give our patrons access to more books, media, downloads, and research databases.

We continue to offer livestream programs such as chair yoga and cooking. Check out the Addison Public Library YouTube channel. An excellent opportunity that we offer is the Virtual Library. Through this, we can support patrons from the comfort of their home through phone, chat, and Zoom with questions they may have.

Q: What do you see as the future of role of libraries in the electronic age? How well prepared is your library for meeting that role? What new steps must the library begin taking?

A: Libraries will continue to evolve to meet the future demands in the electronic age. Through the pandemic, libraries have been able to keep up with and expand their roles. Our library offers after-school tutoring, food such as snacks through partnership with the Northern Illinois Food Bank, and pop-up vaccination clinics. The Addison Public Library is well-positioned to meet the needs of the evolving roles libraries will take on. We will continue to do this through our connections and collaboration with local organizations. This is an essential and critical step for all libraries.

Q: 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.

A: During my tenure, we continued to be fiscally responsible. I have shown fiscal responsibility by not raising taxes at all in three of the last six years and limiting increase to 3% or less in the other three. In 2021 the tax levy had an increase of 1.4%, in 2020 there was a 0% increase, in 2019 there was a 3% increase, in 2018 there was a 0% increase, and in 2017 there was a 0% increase.

We also added a Social Service Coordinator position that I advocated as an employee and continue to see the impact it has in our community. Through this position, our library has been able to connect families to needed resources within the community. Also this spring, we created Teen Limited Access cards, which allows our middle school and high school students to sign up for a library card more easily when they're using the library after school.

Lastly, we are working on Phase-2 of our renovation project which will offer and expand programs for our patrons.

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

A: I have had an active library card for as long as I can remember. I remember checking out books after school and working on my papers during high school when the library was in the old building. I visit the library regularly and use its resources nearly every day.

Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions of your library board.

A: As a trustee, it is important to work collaboratively with stakeholders. As a library board, we work together to review, update, and determine policy. Decisions are always made in collaboration with our director, staff, and essential stakeholders. It is important that we listen to each other and reach a consensus to meet the needs of our community. An effective board produces actions and decisions aligned to our vision, mission, and values. This is what makes the Addison Public Library Board effective.

Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?

A: I am a committed and ambitious person, who is willing to go above and beyond to advocate for my community. I have served on the library board for the last six years through many positions, such as library trustee, vice president, and president. During the pandemic, as the board president, we were able to meet the needs of our community, while keeping the health of our staff safe. We were able to adapt as a library, to ensure that our community received the services needed. My years of library experience and my work with local government, will help me advocate and build partnerships for the Addison Public Library.