Vernon Area library board hopefuls share their goals

Three candidates are running for two, six-year seats on the Vernon Area Library Board.

Incumbent Elizabeth Stover, 73, a former employee for Caremark and Baxter International, is facing off against newcomers Janice Hand, 55, a retired consultant from Hewitt Associates, and Ralph Cohn, 71, a retired educator.

Following are candidates' responses to questions posed by the Daily Herald.

Name the three most important goals or objectives this board should tackle in the coming term. Prioritize them, and briefly discuss why you believe each to be critical, and how the board should go about addressing them.

Cohn: The library must keep current in these difficult times. It must always continue to enrich the intrinsic values of the community. Every program should continue to serve the needs of the community.

Hand: 1. Conduct an interim public opinion study to ensure that the library is meeting the public's needs in this economy. This is critical in developing adjustments to the library's budget and programs to ensure that it is best serving the public in this challenging time. 2. Resolve the problems that are keeping the "old library building" from being reopened (and used). This building, currently closed for repair, represents a very large taxpayers' investment that is being wasted. I would like to see a firm plan to move forward with repair and use of the site. 3. More access to library governance. The trustees meet on the third Monday of each month, and that schedule is published (library's Web site), which is good. However, the last meeting minutes posted on the VAPLD Web site are dated June 2008, meaning that there is no public record of decisions for the past 7 months. I would like to see more transparency.

Stover: We are economically sound, and we will endeavor to maintain this by our budget, which the board is working on now. The maintaining of the library's success in our atmosphere for the staff and thus making a good atmosphere for the public's use and coming in for programs and finding what they need, especially at this economically stressed time when people are coming the library for resources, but also for entertainment, cultural enhancement and means to expand their world. The "old building's" use is very important and I hope to be able to continue to make the right decisions as a board in its use.

What is your philosophy on the function of a library and its role in the community during the Internet age?

Cohn: The library has to be in the center of the community as an instructional material haven for every one of its citizens.

Hand: The debate about the relevance of "paper-based" libraries in today's electronic/Internet era usually makes me chuckle. If libraries were going to be irrelevant, it would have happened by now. Instead, the function of today's library has become more complex. It must provide the materials that it historically has stocked (e.g., books and reference materials), but now also more sophisticated materials (e.g., specialized online databases). At the same time, I believe libraries must help people stay current with technology (which is why our library's computer classes are so well attended). Additionally, I think that our library needs to be a community meeting place, a location where people gather to learn and explore, and where kids can study with friends.

Stover: A library is always a necessity as a source of information (up to date), and as a means to expand one's interests and new endeavors. Children should always have the availability of a library to encourage their reading and to have the access to the many things there is to offer them in their lives.

What are your thoughts on placing age restrictions on certain materials distributed by libraries?

Cohn: It is definitely important to evaluate the readiness of age and individual before any materials are distributed.

Hand: I agree with the ALA's (American Library Association) stance that placing age (or any other restrictions) on library materials is wrong. (Of course, we must comply with federal and state laws requiring filters on Internet sites accessed via public computers at the library.)

Stover: As a board, we have tried to set policies on this situation to give our staff the guidelines needed. It is very necessary under certain situations; definitely, children should not have availability to every book in the library.

Are there certain materials currently in the library collection that you would advocate removed? If so, what? And why kind of policy change would you advocate?

Cohn: I am not aware of any at this time.

Hand: I do not advocate removal of any current materials from the library. Certainly, reasonable people will disagree on the content and type of materials appropriate for a public library, but my opinion is that freedom of speech trumps all other considerations. I believe the library's current policies are legally sound and entirely reasonable.

Stover: There are no materials currently in the library collection that I would advocate be removed.

Do you have a library card and how often do you use it?

Cohn: YES!!!!! Three or four times a week.

Hand: I got my library card in the first few months of moving to Lincolnshire 20 years ago. I am at the library almost weekly and use the card several times each month.

Stover: Yes, I have a library card and I use it several times a week. Sometimes, I need to use it more.