✔ Mary Bock
✔ Amy Glynn
✔ Kristin McDaniel
✔ Richard Munson
Ryan Trombly
In the race for Hinsdale Public Library Board, incumbent candidates Mary Bock, Amy Glynn, Kristin McDaniel are joined by newcomers Richard Munson and Ryan Trombly in seeking one of four open trustee seats.
We believe the three incumbents and Munson are best suited to serve on the board for the next four years.
This is first election in recent memory featuring a contested library board race, which can primarily attributed to the absence of the village caucus, which sought out candidates for local races who often ran uncontested. The organization disbanded a couple of years ago.
The result of a contested race is a higher profile for the library board, and we think that’s a good thing.
Bock has contributed to stable operations at the library, even amid the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic. As member of the facilities committee, she has helped steward library upgrades and has earned another term to implement more recommendations from the 2018 facility assessment audit.
Glynn has brought her marketing and business acumen to bear as chair of the finance/personnel committee during her first term on the board. The library is in solid shape financially, with high-quality administrators and a well-structured staffing model in place. She sees the library continuing a transition to more digital materials, thereby opening floor space for in-person meeting and programs.
McDaniel’s data-driven approach to decision making is the right approach to ensuring the library uses its resources most effectively. We are persuaded that she will be active in scrutinizing the annual levy so the library’s needs are met without overburdening taxpayers. And her desire to provide diverse programming that better reflects the community is a commendable one.
Munson knows libraries. As a published author, he has done readings in libraries around the country, affording him a unique perspective as to what makes for an inviting space. His vision for the library to host more author visits is intriguing, and we expect he will continue to both sharpen and expand on that concept if elected. His fresh voice will be welcome.
Trombly is clearly an enthusiastic library supporter who wants to see as many people as possible benefit from this community resource. We would like to see him gain a better handle on the workings of the library by watching or attending the board meetings and becoming more familiar with the issues. That way if he runs again in two years and is elected, he will be prepared to hit the ground running.
