Karen Kaluzsa, St. Charles Public Library District Trustee election questionnaire

Full Name: Karen Kaluzsa

What office are you seeking? Trustee, St. Charles Public Library District

Political Party: N/A

What is your current age? 64

Occupation and Employer: Competitive Intelligence Analyst, Cigna

What offices, if any, have you previously held? I am running for my second term as a Trustee of the St. Charles Public Library District

City: Wayne, IL

Education: JD, Loyola University of Chicago School of Law

MA, University of Chicago Graduate Library School

BS, Biology, The College of William & Mary

Community involvement: Wayne Countryside Garden Club

Little Home Church by the Wayside

Marital status/Immediate family: N/A

Why are you running for office?

I am running for re-election to continue serving the residents of the Library District and the wonderful staff of the St. Charles Public Library. I am privileged to be able to serve. I love the Library and want to continue to help it be the best it can be.

What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?

I have been a librarian for nearly 40 years, having moved to the Chicago area to attend library school. After being a Trustee for the past six years, and currently serving as Vice President/Secretary of the Board and Board Representative on the collective bargaining team, I intimately understand the issues currently facing the St. Charles Public Library.

What is a library’s role in its community?

Public libraries play many key roles in their communities as providers of information, learning, recreation and literacy. The St. Charles Public Library, in particular, circulated nearly 800,000 materials and offered over 5,000 adult programs, over 19,000 youth programs, and over 2,000 outreach programs last year. We offer a maker space with new technology, study rooms and meeting rooms, notary services, a seed library, and so much more.

Do you support banning books from local libraries?

I oppose book banning in public libraries.

Which books would you ban from your library and why?

I oppose banning any books. The St. Charles Public Library has a Collection Management policy posted on its website that outlines how materials are chosen for the collection.

Are voters that support your district taxed at an appropriate level?

Yes.

Would you support any plans to raise taxes in the district? If so, what should the additional revenue be spent on?

The Library recently completed a building renovation and expansion, so no major projects are currently anticipated. However, we are embarking on a strategic planning project that will collect input from our community, and new expenditures may surface during that process.

Would you support lowering taxes in your library district? If so, what programs or services in the district would you cut?

I would not support cutting any programs or services.