Election 2013: Diane Jennings

Campaign Info

• Position Sought: Orland Park Public Library Board
• Website: Reelect Catherine Morrisey-Lebert and Diane Jennings
• Email: djennings@orlandparklibrary.org
• Phone:
• Hometown: Orland Park

Personal Info

• Family: None
• Education: Northwestern University, 1969 – B.S. in Education; University of Illinois, 1975 – M.S. in Education; The John Marshall Law School, 1982 – J.D.
• Occupation: Retired attorney
• Political Party Affiliation: None

Candidate Questions

Why are you seeking office?

I have served on the Orland Park Library Board of Trustees for the past six years, and we are currently in the middle of some major changes that I would like to see through to the finish. I have enjoyed my time on the Board and look forward to serving the community for another six years.

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

For the past six years we have managed to keep levy increases for the library below four percent while continuing to offer quality service to the community. My priority is to continue that policy of fiscal responsibility.

What sets you apart from other candidates? 

I had over 10 years of business experience as a partner in a law firm that employed over 75 people. I already know how to deal with the financial, legal and personnel issues that arise in running a business, and in the past six years on the Board of Trustees, I have learned to apply that experience to the business of running a library.

What are the biggest challenges facing the library? How do you propose to solve them?

Fiscal responsibility is only half of the equation. We also need to make sure that the library keeps up with the times and remains one of the Chicago area’s most well-regarded institutions of its kind. There have been giant strides made in technology that directly impact libraries. These changes include a growing demand for e-books and updates in the way libraries handle materials and interact with patrons. We are already in the process of dealing with both issues.

What can the library do to stay relevant as technology evolves?

The library needs to build up its collection of e-books and acquire additional readers that patrons can borrow. The new gaming stations in the library’s teen area are proving popular and may need to be expanded. This is a feature that we also might consider adding to our youth area as well, as today’s children are more computer savvy than ever before.

How do you propose constructing a budget that doesn’t burden taxpayers, while keeping the library competitive and desirable?

The only way to meet the goals of fiscal responsibility and modernization is to approach updates gradually. We cannot do everything at once, so the key is to do our homework and see what innovations are ripe for adoption now, and what can wait for the future.

For example, patron self-checkout has improved greatly since our now-outdated checkout stations were added, and we need to make this major change sooner rather than later, as the current checkout stations are no longer supported technologically. Automated check in of materials is the wave of the future and promises to get materials back into circulation much more quickly then our system of hand sorting does now. This technology is still evolving, however, and the remodeling that its adoption would entail can wait until we see what further improvements are made and reserves to cover its cost are built up.

Are there other services the library could provide, and if so what are they?

We already provide so many services in addition to the traditional lending of printed material, things like downloadable e-books and audio books; outreach to the homebound; programming held at area nursing and rehabilitation facilities; and educational and entertainment programs for all ages virtually every day of the week. Some larger libraries have added facilities that patrons can use to create their own DVDs and videos, and this is surely something that the OPPL can consider in the future.

What’s you favorite book?

I am a voracious reader, and it’s hard to pick a single favorite. Most recently, I enjoyed “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett immensely, but “Sarum” by Edward Rutherfurd is still one of my favorites.

Have you ever been charged with a crime? Were you convicted? If yes, please say what the charge was, and what was the case's outcome as it stands.

No.

Are there any candidates in other races you would like to endorse here?

I have worked with Cathy Morrissey-Lebert on the Orland Park Public Library Board of Trustees for the past six years, and can attest that no one is more aware of the need for fiscal responsibility than Cathy. I heartily endorse her for re-election to her position, and hope that the community will return the two experienced candidates, Cathy Morrissey-Lebert and Diane Jennings, to the two seats currently up for election.

Read about other candidates running for the library board.