Daniel Russo

for

Batavia Public Library Trustee

Why I'm Running

I believe that a library is one of the most important investments a community can make to benefit all of its residents. A library informs, entertains, connects, and engages people of all ages--from birth to the senior years. A library helps to conserve natural resources because many people share its collections. Our Library is also an important economic force that draws over 250,000 visitors to the business center of the city each year. Our Library is an outstanding Library, and I want to be a part of the Library’s continued growth.

Background

As a longtime Batavia resident, I have seen the Library grow to become an essential cornerstone of our community, and I have been preparing to be a Library trustee for much of my life.

Library Director, Batavia High School, 22 years
State Board Member, Illinois School Library Association, 2 years
President, Friends of Batavia Public Library, many years
Co-chair, Batavia Public Library community engagement project: “Speak Up!”
Chair, Citizens for Batavia Public Library, advocates for the Library’s successful no tax rate change referendum

Qualifications

I bring expertise, experience, and enthusiasm to the position of Library Trustee. Having been the library director at Batavia High School for 22 years, I have worked with budgets, staffing, and policies. These experiences will help me be an effective trustee. I also have a long history of working directly with Batavia Public Library’s outstanding staff. A genuine strength in Batavia is that the school libraries and public library cooperate on popular programs, such as Summer Reading, Battle of the Books, and One Book, One Batavia. These collaborative efforts benefit everyone and are very cost efficient.

Challenges Facing the Library

Batavians recently approved a no tax rate change referendum to systematically address long-term maintenance needs. The first step in this process is to update the detailed Capital Asset Plan, which covers the next 20 years. Once completed, the Board needs to develop a timeframe for undertaking projects in a cost-efficient manner and fund the Special Reserve Fund for future repairs.

Another challenge is to attract and retain highly qualified staff in a competitive marketplace. The last issue that I will address is public awareness. The Library provides so many different services that the public has a hard time knowing all the services, programs, and collections that the Library does. Identifying additional ways to raise community awareness about the Library’s diverse offerings is a good challenge to face!

My Special Interests in the Library

Through my past work with the Library, I have developed three special interests.

First, I want to make the Library Board more visible to the community. This is important so that the Board knows what the public is thinking and can make decisions in the best interest of the community.
Second, I am very interested in exploring technology throughout the Library. For example, the Library has begun automatically renewing books that have not been requested by other users. This use of technology saves time and makes patrons happy.
Third, I want to reach out to Batavians who are not current users of the Library. I am certain everyone can discover resources, programs, and services that will enrich our lives.

Discover Something New at Batavia Public Library

Electronic databases give you access to thousands of magazines, books, and research articles. Click here to see what's available.
What's all the "Hoopla" about eBooks, eAudioBooks, and eMedia? Find out here!
Other libraries will send materials to Batavia for you to check out through interlibrary loan. Get started here.
Looking for a computer class or storytime? Check the event calendar here.
Questions? Ask a Librarian-- by phone, by text, or by e-mail. Get started here.

Watch the League of Women Voters' Candidate Forum on BATV

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