Niles Maine Library Trustees Ready for Change

04/06/2021

Dzisiaj głosujcie na Steve Folga, Olivia Hanusiak, Sue Schoenfeldt, i Joe Makula!

04/05/2021

Change in the current library board is needed for the Niles-Maine District Library. Only 1 in 4 residents of the Niles-Maine District Library currently have a library card, and the percentage of users has dropped steadily over the last few years. The library does not meet the needs of our diverse community because its virtual programs are almost exclusively available in English, without regard to residents who speak other languages such as Polish and Spanish. Recent examples of excessive spending proposals by the current library board include a $900,000 new roof and a $57,000 phone system that are inappropriate when people struggle to pay bills and the library has been closed to residents. Updates are important to the usage of our facilities but until we have a better clarification and understanding of how our taxpayer dollars are spent we should halt this process. Library spending is high while resident use is low and the opposing slate of candidates have not offered solutions to increase resident participation in our library while keeping spending low. Our slate has successfully researched and provided examples of where gaps have been in spending as well as how we can combat this issue. The opposing slate claims they are just as transparent but have yet to bring forth their own research and would rather comment on how our dedicated research is not correct.

Our slate of candidates have used the library’s own financial data to show that the property tax levy can be reduced by 10% without affecting the General Fund for current programs and staff – no staff would be terminated and funding for library programs would not be reduced. Our team pledges to bring sensible spending aligned with the current financial conditions to the Niles-Maine District Library. We also plan to work with all staff and Niles Maine residents to make informative decisions on what programs and books are brought to the library. From our slate’s community involvement we have seen first hand that individuals make more use out of services that they have a say in. Our librarian’s knowledge as well as staff are also important, and deserve the recognition in helping us choose what we will showcase at the Niles Maine Library.

Our slate of candidates would bring a wealth of experience and knowledge as well as new ideas to the operation of the Niles Maine District Library. One has a PhD in Gas Engineering and speaks two languages. Steve Folga is a senior manager at Argonne National Laboratory, which is a US Department of Energy (DOE) facility located south of Chicago. His work experience includes extensive project and program management and budget development in various projects for US DOE, Department of Homeland Security, and FEMA. He and his team have worked on sensitive projects associated with increasing the homeland and national security of our Nation. His projects help strengthen and make America’s complex electrical grid more resilient against all hazards, from natural events like hurricanes, earthquakes and winter storms, to potential cyber-attacks or other acts of terrorism. Vote for Steve Folga!

Suzanne Schoenfeldt brings forth a wealth of knowledge about our Niles community and its residents from her involvement throughout the Niles Park District, St. John Brebeuf Church, and Girl Scouts of America. She has both lived and worked in the community for 20 years. Suzanne understands that each community member should be relished for each of their important qualities, and what they bring to our community, hence why we should continue to focus on our residents' wants and needs. Her community involvement and work at Discover Card as an administrative assistant has allowed her to bring forth excellent budget management skills and the opportunity to negotiate with others for the ideas that are near and dear to her heart. Suzanne, if elected, hopes to continue to innovate and reimage what the library can offer financially to our residents both on site, and virtually. This library is a great resource for all ages to come and explore both personally, and professionally. She is extremely motivated to make sure that our library evolves with our ever changing world with the community as a whole in mind.

Joe Makula has been committed to the well being of the Niles Community since 1971 when he moved here with his wife. He has been very active within the community since then by being a den and Boy Scout Leader of Pack 175 out of St. John Brebeuf Church, served on the Niles Citizen’s Ethics committee to make sure all voices of the Niles community are heard, as well as ran the initiative to develop term limits for Niles positions. Joe holds a degree in Accounting and Marketing from Loyola University Chicago so he understands how a budget should be analyzed and correctly funded to get the most use out of our tax dollars. He is up to date on our library’s current matters as he has been attending board meetings for the past four years where he hopes to see change in how programs are chosen and how to provide the same level of service as Covid persists.

Olivia Hanusiak has been a Niles resident since birth, and continues to participate and utilize the library's resources till this day. By running for trustee she hopes to see change in the community she grew up in, and just as she would in a hospital (as a registered nurse) she hopes to ensure the best care for the Niles residents. Olivia hopes to bring her medical knowledge and understanding to the board so that the library can begin to offer special reading guides as well as meeting and lecture events on public health.

All of our candidates are upstanding members of the Niles-Maine community and want the best for its residents. We all care for the well-being and best interests of the entire community, not just the 1 in 4 residents who currently use its library services.

04/03/2021

Remember to vote everyone!! We need all your support 🤩🤩
The election ends April 6th!

03/31/2021

Remember elections are April 6th!

03/29/2021

The Niles-Maine community is paying around $500,000 extra per year to fund a future library renovation – is this really necessary and especially during a time of economic uncertainty?

03/29/2021

Witamy na oficjalnej stronie Facebook kandydatów do nowego zarządu Niles Public Library :
Joe Makula, Steve Folga, Olivia Hanusiak i Suzanne Schoenfeldt !
Będziemy posługiwać się tą stroną aby informować Państwa o naszych pomysłach i naszej kampanii. Nasza strona będzie również służyć jako forum kandydatów.
Prosimy o zaglądanie na stronę ,gdyż będą tam zamieszczane najświeższe informacje, oraz o zadawanie pytań !
Postaramy się odpowiedzieć na wszystkie.
Wybory odbędą się 6-go kwietnia .Do zobaczenia przy urnach !

Vote for us on April 6th!

03/26/2021

In light of the recent daunting posts and misinformation shared about our campaign, we have decided to clarify a few things regarding what our team believes in.

The following are some ideas that our team supports:
- Expand programs on contemporary health topics for Seniors

Active seniors are often regular library patrons who participate in programs and volunteer or join library Friends groups. Libraries are in a position to offer something that few other institutions are providing: intellectual stimulation and forums for sharing thoughtful ideas. Our team believes that the Niles-Maine District Library Libraries should adapt programming and outreach strategies, developing senior-friendly spaces, and implementing adaptive technologies for our senior community.

- Partner with Illinois Legal Aid Online for self-help

A legal self-help center is a place where a person can learn about the law, their legal rights, and how to go to court. Our team believes that if you have a legal issue, you should be able to go to a legal self-help center at the library to use a computer for free, search online for answers to your legal questions, find and prepare court forms, and get other help depending on your location.

- Creation of a citizen book selection committee

The selection process of books and other media is based on the type of library, the clientele, and the selection policy in place for each library. Our team envisages a selection committee involving experts in the various fields of library (children’s, non-fiction, audio, video, electronic materials, etc.) together with involved residents – to identify library materials of greatest interest to the Niles-Maine community. This action would support the cultural diversity of our community and generate enthusiasm in the library.

- Complete and detailed openness on budgeting and finance

Recent examples of excessive spending proposals by the current library board include a $443K health insurance policy, a $900K new roof, and a $57K phone system that are inappropriate when people struggle to pay bills. Our team pledges to provide sound financial oversight of library spending and cost transparency to residents. We will implement a formal bidding process for all major services with broad resident involvement.

- Programs that supplement school curriculums

Often students don’t know where to look for information about civic and history education. Public libraries can provide information, tools and a place where people can connect to fulfill the roles and responsibilities of active civic engagement. Our team’s goal is for Niles-Maine students with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints to learn together at the library and have constructive conversations about civic responsibilities.

- Consolidate the current 150-plus library programs

Within the last year, the livelihood of many residents has changed due to pandemic. People lost jobs and income. Library hours and attendance were cut by pandemic restrictions. Our team believes that library spending should follow these trends and be limited and assigned to services most needed by our community. Library services that duplicate those offered by the Niles Senior Center and the Niles Health Center will be considered for elimination.

- Provide diversity in library virtual programs

The Library moved to only virtual programs and limited patron access to the building. The virtual programs are provided only exclusively in English (and one program in Polish). This does not meet the needs of the diverse Niles-Maine community. As an example, Hispanics are about 10% of the Niles-Maine population and virtual programs have apparently not been delivered in Spanish. Other local libraries have virtual programs providing story times for children, Library Focus Group for Adults, online ESL resources, and other resources such as foreign language magazines in Spanish and other languages. Our team believes that library virtual programs should be offered in languages other than English to further involve the diverse Niles-Maine community.

- Add resources for job training lacking at the library

One issue highlighted in the Chicago Tribune on February 28, 2021 is the issue of unemployed Chicagoans rethinking careers and learning new skills through certification programs at local colleges. As candidates to the library board, we would support the Niles Maine District Library in helping residents in pursuing a technical skills upgrade to match the evolving job market. Programs for consideration would build upon those already provided by other local libraries for their patrons, such as monthly seminars and classes to help residents learn about the latest software, hardware and online applications and also providing one-on-one career help in deciding on a career direction, reviewing a resume, or practicing interviewing skills.

Please message our page with any questions you have about our team. We wish to prevent any slander and misinformation that is circulating online regarding us, and what we stand for. As always, please Punch 122 for Dr. Steve Folga, 123 for Olivia Hanusiak, 124 for Sue Schoenfeldt, an 126 for Joe Makula on April 6th.

03/24/2021

Getting to know your candidates! Please vote by April 6th #122 Dr. Steve Folga, #123 Olivia Hanusiak, #124 Suzanne Schoenfeldt, and #126 Joe Makula.

03/20/2021

During the Candidate Forum held on March 18, 2021, the issue of current library programs was discussed and whether any program could be eliminated.

The opposition candidates expressed their opinion that the Niles-Maine community residents were well served by the current library programs and they would support additional programs. However, they did not state how these additional programs would be funded and why they would better serve the public.

Instead, our candidate Steve Folga offered current library programs such as Yoga and Senior Services that are duplicative of those provided by the Niles Health Center and the Niles Senior Center, respectively, that could be considered for elimination.

In addition, our candidate Susan Schoenfeldt stated that recent library data shows only 27% of the Niles-Maine community makes use of the library. The data shows residents in other local library districts with similar annual spending make much greater use of their library programs.