Helen M. Plum Library trustee candidate profiles

Editor’s note: There are seven candidates (vote for three) running to serve a four-year term as a trustee on the Helen M. Plum Memorial Public Library District. Here are the candidate profiles, listed in alphabetical order. Attempts by The Lombardian to reach candidate Bijal Patel were unsuccessful. The Lombardian will not be endorsing candidates in this race, or any of the other races in the April 4 election.

Kristin Aasmundstad Walsh

Office sought: Helen M. Plum Memorial Public Library District trustee

Family: Jonathan Walsh, director of bands and fine arts at Glenbard West High School;

Linaea Walsh (17), a senior at Glenbard East High School;

Aidan Walsh (14), a freshman at Glenbard East High School.

Social media address: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-aasmundstad-walsh-a552974/

Occupation: Marketing communications, founder and principal, KAW Marketing Communications.

Education: Master of Science in Health Communication from Northwestern University; Bachelor of Arts in English (Writing) from Luther College.

Community or civic involvement: 23-year resident of Lombard; Helen M. Plum Memorial Library Board: Current Trustee (Two terms: 2015-present). Public schools: Glenbard East High School Music Parents Association volunteer (2019- present, band and choir events, chaperone on the recent music trip to Orlando). Glenn Westlake Music Parents Association Board Member and Volunteer; Hammerschmidt Elementary School Talent Show Committee Chair and frequent classroom volunteer and chaperone. First Church of Lombard: Active member for 17 years; Served on Pastoral Search Committee to hire new pastor; co-chair of Lilac Auction Committee (a fundraiser supporting outreach programs and activities of the church); volunteer at Lombard Villa Park Food Pantry. West Suburban Women Entrepreneurs: Founding board member (six years). Concordia University Community Band: founding member and clarinet player (18 years).

Awards received (either professional or community related): Summa Cum Laude graduate of Luther College; Phi Beta Kappa member.

Previous elected offices held: Trustee, Helen M. Plum Memorial Library Board (Two terms: 2015-2018; 2018-2022).

Why are you running to serve on the Helen Plum Library board?

I am running to serve on the Helen Plum Library board because I am passionate about libraries and what they offer people and communities. Libraries are a resource for literature and information for people of all ages. But they are also places to learn, create and connect. I am committed to seeing a smooth transition into the new library. As a current board member, I believe I can be an asset to this process. I also feel strongly that libraries should provide open access to diverse resources, and want to ensure that is protected.

What do you see as a major challenge, or challenges, facing the board?

Oversight of a smooth transition into the new building and working out the disposition of the current building and land are the two main current challenges. I have confidence that our executive director and staff will capably handle the move and operation of the new building. With the disposition of the current building and land, decisions the board makes should be driven by the following: what will be best for the Lombard community, what aligns with the library’s mission, and what makes the library best stewards of taxpayer dollars. Throughout this process, open communication and transparency is vital.

At some Chicago area public libraries, as well as at libraries across the country, there have been efforts by groups to have books taken off the shelves that these groups deem to be obscene, pornographic or promote an LGBTQ theme. What is your position on this?

Helen Plum is a public library, and I firmly believe in our mission to maintain a diverse and inclusive collection of books. Our professional librarians (who hold master’s degrees in library science) make selections based on the value of the materials to the people of Lombard, reviews in professionally recognized periodicals, literary merit, honesty of materials, and patron requests. Libraries must be responsive to society and a resource for information on a variety of topics. By design, libraries are places where people of differing views can all come, to find books for themselves and their children.

The library, park district and the Village of Lombard recently announced that the old library building will be demolished, and the library will then transfer the deed for this parcel of land to the park district. The park district will also acquire the library-owned vacant lots to the west of the existing library building. What do you think of this agreement?

The library has been seeking a way to do what’s best for the community, while also honoring the land’s value. I believe the agreement the library, village and park district have reached achieves that. For the land, the park is paying the library $518,000 ($168,000 for the vacant lots and $350,000 contributed to the building’s demolition) —the approximate assessed value of the parcels. The library will be returning any balance after sale and demolition to taxpayers. With the village also purchasing the library-owned parking lot across Maple, it truly is a win-win-win—and most important, a win for the community.

Angel Diaz

Office sought: Helen M. Plum Memorial Public Library District trustee

Family: Father of four children

Occupation: Business administration

Education: B.A. English, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Community or civic involvement: Former member of Board of Local Improvements; former creative writing instructor at the Midtown Center for Inner City Youth

Awards received (either professional or community related): Traveling Quinn Award for Poetry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Why do you want to serve as a Helen Plum Library trustee?

I want to serve as trustee because literature is a wonderful tool to enrich and form our community. Trustees should be accountable to the people they serve. Trustees are custodians of a great responsibility – to ensure that the facility, its offerings, and its books, are curated in a way that caters to the real needs of the community. To assess this, strong partnerships must be forged with families, schools and residents. Trustees should be capable and knowledgeable enough to address those needs. I know that my qualifications will allow me to do that for our residents.

What do you see as a major challenge, or challenges, facing the library as it moves into its new building, and what do you think needs to be done to meet that challenge, or challenges?

A library is like a business in that it must adapt and improve constantly. In such situations, strong, forward-thinking leadership is needed to ensure that resident’s expectations are exceeded. A major challenge I foresee is taking a library that has been constrained by its current location and forming it to occupy a larger and more state-of-the-art facility. Our board must come up with new ideas and perspectives to meet the demands of our residents. My background in business administration, literature, and technology will ensure we make effective use out of the facility paid for by our residents.

As the son of Mexican immigrants, my ticket to escape poverty in the inner city was literature. Great literature is an effective tool to shape minds and set them on a path to success. I do not support obscene and/or pornographic themes in the children’s section because I do not see any value in such topics. My position is that all residents of Lombard deserve a library that will ensure they have the proper literary tools to improve their lives. Having pornographic and obscene images within reach of children is contrary to the library’s vision.

The library, park district, and Village of Lombard recently announced that the old library building will be demolished, and the library well then transfer the deed for this parcel of land to the park district. The park district will also require the library-owned vacant lots to the west of the existing library building. What do you think of this agreement?

I think the Park District negotiated an excellent deal for themselves. The library board gave up these land parcels for nothing in return. It took seven years of our taxes for the board to: fail negotiations with the Park District on acquiring land, buy private land at asking price ($2.295 million), and spend a whopping $27 million on the new building. These mistakes go largely unnoticed by our constituents, only to be marketed as a success during election season. Our hard-working residents deserve representatives with foresight and fiscal awareness that won’t use taxpayer funds as a blank check.

Ginger Kearney

Office sought: Helen M. Plum Memorial Public Library District trustee

Family: Husband Kevin, son Casey—currently at Suffolk University, Boston

Occupation: Former Educator

Social media addresses: ginger4lombardlibrary.com

Facebook: ginger4lombardlibrary

Instagram: ginger4lombardlibrary

Education: B.A. Education/English as a Second Language from Coe College, Cedar Rapids Iowa

Community or civic involvement: Volunteer at Lombard Food Pantry; Precinct captain for York Township

Why do you want to serve as a Helen Plum Library trustee?

Books and libraries have been an integral part of my life and one of my biggest passions. Blessed to be able to retire early, I have been looking for a way to give back to the Lombard community that has shown me and my family so much friendship in the last nine years. I am excited to share my knowledge of and affection for the Helen Plum Library with others.

What do you see as a major challenge, or challenges, facing the library as it moves into its new building, and what do you think needs to be done to meet that challenge, or challenges?

Getting people excited and in the door is a big challenge. Many people feel libraries are outdated facilities full of old books-I see a bustling community hub. The new Helen Plum building will have great new spaces for crafting, meetings, places to play games, recording room and a technology room. Communicating all of the great things that are happening at the library and all of the new programs is part of that challenge. The board and library staff have to work hard at outreach to get all of the residents of Lombard in the new building.

There is never a reason to ban or censor books. As a former educator, I know that not all books are suitable for every child, but all books should be available in a public library. Book bans undermine the First Amendment and cannot be tolerated. Individuals can make decisions regarding what items to check out for themselves and their families. Libraries are public institutions and should reflect the dynamics of the town. The Helen Plum Library is a community venue that I am passionate about making accessible and welcoming to everyone in the village.

I am satisfied with the agreement. While I am sad the building will be demolished, I am glad that the park district will have the land to incorporate into the park and the parking lot will go to the village. I would like full disclosure of the financial agreements to be made public as soon as possible.

Kenneth N. Marshall

Office sought: Helen M. Plum Memorial Public Library District trustee

Family: Married with two children. Wife: Mary (retired librarian); son: Steven (Head of Youth and Teen Services, Plainfield IL area Public Library); daughter: Karen (Business Support Specialist, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.)

Social media addresses: N/A

Occupation: Attorney at Law (retired)

Education: B.S.E., Northern Illinois University (graduated with high honors); J.D., University of Illinois College of Law (graduated with high honors)

Community or civic involvement: Volunteer, Yes Helen referendum committee; volunteer, Lombard AAUW book sales; treasurer, St. Charles Chess Club

Awards received (either professional or community related): Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review (Attorney) Rating: AV (highest)

Previous elected offices held: Trustee, Helen M. Plum Memorial Public Library (2019-present)

Why do you want to serve as a Helen Plum Library trustee?

I believe my experience as an HPL trustee, my legal background, and my opposition to book banning and censorship will continue to prove useful to the library as it transitions to its new building and deals with any potential issues which may involve the building, the library’s collection, community concerns, and other as-yet unforeseen questions and problems.

What do you see as a major challenge, or challenges, facing the library as it moves into its new building, and what do you think needs to be done to meet that challenge, or challenges?

I address the most critical challenge—maintaining intellectual freedom and the right to read—below. As to other challenges, the library must remain a welcoming, inclusive, and agenda free institution where all community members, regardless of their political, religious, and social views, can enjoy the benefits offered without fear of censorship or condemnation. The building will provide many new amenities—e.g., a Maker’s Space, more conference and study rooms, larger meeting areas—to better serve the community. The library must continue and increase its outreach to all residents regarding the multitude of resources, programs, and other activities available to them.

I oppose censorship, including, but not limited to, that of political, social, philosophical, religious, and moral ideas, and would never vote to ban books. A library’s collection should be diverse and inclusive and contain materials for all community members, including those who might feel excluded or marginalized. A library open to all will inevitably include information objectionable to some. Making itself a beacon of free expression does not mean a library is promoting a point of view; it means giving people intellectual freedom and the right to read, even if they choose to read what others consider abhorrent.

I preferred the new library be built on the old library’s site per Colonel Plum’s bequest of land “for purposes of a Public Park and free public library” That proved impossible. Questions concerning the library’s Maple Street property then arose. The agreement reflects community considerations as well as legal, economic, and political realities. (Those realities include, among others, the library land’s appraised value, building demolition costs, zoning issues, and potential future uses of the property.) The agreement will allow Lombard to move forward and enjoy its beautiful new library free of ongoing controversy concerning the fate of the old site.

Daniel O’Connell

Office sought: Helen M. Plum Memorial Public Library District trustee

Family: Wife (Mary), 3-year-old daughter, 1-year-old son and expecting our third child in June.

Social media address: Facebook.com/groups/helen.plum.library.election2023

Occupation: Civil engineer

Education: Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (Purdue University)

Community or civic involvement: Lombard Mutt Stut (participant), Little Lady Lilac Ball (attendee), The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (volunteer)

Awards received (either professional or community related: APWA Public Works Projects of the Year (project engineer)

Why are you running to serve on the Helen Plum Library board?

My family and I love the library. I understand the expectations of parents regarding literature, programs and resources provided by the library. I want to serve the community and ensure that the library provides the best service possible to Lombard families and taxpayers. Also, I was disappointed in the way the negotiations, purchase and development of the new library building was handled. Trustees are stewards of public finances and resources. As a civil engineer, I understand construction contracts & management. Taxpayers have not written a blank check for the library, and I will ensure that public money is used responsibly.

What do you see as a major challenge, or challenges, facing the board?

Building a new library means I will likely walk into budgets that aren’t perfectly matched to the new building costs. Reconciling the budget and reducing the financial burden to taxpayers will be a focus and so will bringing community voices into our decision-making process. A multitude of Lombard opinions and concerns have been pushed under the rug in the past few years. Because we are a publicly funded institution, I want to make sure that community voices are heard. Our goal should be to represent our community, as they are the ones who are funding our amazing new building.

Adults should have the freedom to choose what books they deem appropriate for themselves. Parents have the authority to choose what books are appropriate for their children. Last year, the library created a display for children which included depictions of naked adults and naked children and themes of “romantic love”. I do not believe children should have access to sexual materials without the knowledge and consent of their parents. I don’t think it’s fair to people who identify as LGBTQ to be associated with the sexualization of children. I want to work with the community to address these issues together.

I’m glad to see an agreement has finally been reached. I believe the property is in good hands with the Village and Park District. Like many Lombardians, I was very disappointed to see the library board put their personal interests above the good of the community which resulted in failed negotiations and a monumental waste of taxpayer resources. The library should have a shared mission with the Park District and put its personal interests aside to make the best deal for taxpayers. A trustee is called to serve the taxpayers not his ego, which is what I plan to do.

Allison Pinkett-Floyd

Office sought: Helen M. Plum Memorial Public Library District trustee

Family: Husband, Raleigh; daughter, Daria (Collins)

Occupation: Tutor

Education: B.A. degree, Mt Holyoke College

Community or civic involvement: On the Helen Plum Library board since 2013; served as policy committee chair, treasurer, and currently board president.

Why are you running to serve on the Helen Plum Library board?

I have been serving on the HPL board for 10 years. I have enjoyed working collaboratively with the other trustees to bring a new library to Lombard. I look forward to seeing the next chapter of HPL unfold, and I am excited to be part of bringing a first-rate library to our community and ensuring that this library continues to meet the diverse needs of Lombardians.

What do you see as a major challenge, or challenges, facing the board?

Most Lombardians support HPL as a welcoming space for all. But unfortunately, national efforts to turn local institutions into culture war battlefields brought attempts at censorship and book-banning to HPL in 2022. I’ll work to ensure HPL remains a place where anyone can explore topics of their choosing. A library’s collection should be decided by trained professionals, not those who would limit the choices of neighbors who don’t share a background or lifestyle. Lombard deserves a board who supports librarian choices, a well-run library and a diverse citizenry.

Parents decide what their children read. The library merely provides options. There’s a formal process for reviewing books in the library’s collection. That said, I trust our skilled librarians, who choose books, materials and displays that reflect the interests of a growing and diverse community. HPL must remain a welcoming place of learning, and resist backwards-looking efforts to turn libraries into culture war battlefields. Promoting the depth and breadth of our book collection is how we remain inclusive. Hiding information from those seeking answers because some disapprove of the seeker’s very existence goes against the library’s mission.

The agreement exists thanks to the diligence of HPL’s Claudia Krauspe and the village’s Scott Niehaus. It is the best possible outcome, given the many land encumbrances imposed on the library. HPL land was not given away, as recent headlines suggest. The village will purchase the parking lot for $187,500. The parcels west of 110 W. Maple will be purchased for $168,000. The ‘demolition contribution’ exactly matches the main parcel’s $350,000 appraised value. The balance from the sale of all parcels, minus actual demolition costs, will be returned to the community. That’s the library putting the community first.

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