carolyn sennett
wilmette library board
candidate video
responses to voter guide questions
1. Why are you running for library board and what are your qualifications?
When my family moved to Wilmette in 2000 with 1-year old twins, WPL was one of the first community resources we visited. I love the library and have been impressed with its many improvements and changes over time. I am running to assist in making sure that WPL continues to be such a vital asset to our community.
I was an attorney for 15 years, 11 of which were as corporate counsel for Underwriters Laboratories. One of my roles was to establish corporate entities, maintain the corporate documents for those entities and draft minutes for the meetings. I also drafted and reviewed contracts and reviewed business plans for new services.
When I left the practice of law, I poured myself into community activities, including three years of volunteering on the Community Review Committee (CRC). In the second year of my service on the CRC, in which I was Vice President, we drafted Wilmette District 39’s Strategic Plan. I have also been a volunteer in administrative roles for multiple Wilmette sports teams and a volunteer in District 39 classrooms and the school libraries of McKenzie, Highcrest and Baker Demonstration School.
As a result of volunteering in my children’s libraries, I became inspired by the roles libraries play in our community and went on to obtain my Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois.
I am intrigued and motivated by the possibilities for libraries and am ready to serve.
2. What are your priorities for Wilmette Public Library (WPL) and how will you work with the board and library staff to address them?
My priorities for WPL are inclusion, access, and the user experience. I have been impressed with the many library staff initiatives in recent years and as a board member I would continue to encourage such innovation.
3. What have you done to educate yourself on the workings of WPL, including its operations and finances?
I have watched the recordings of most of the 2022 meetings and read the accompanying documents. I began in-person attendance at the Board meetings and policy committee meetings in January 2023.
4. How well is WPL meeting its Strategic Plan goals and are there any areas you would like to address?
WPL has worked hard to meet its Strategic Plan goals. Of particular interest is the further development of the indoor and outdoor environments, providing more inclusive programming, introducing the Library of Things, and improving the user experience with emerging technologies such as the new 24/7 outdoor lockers. WPL is also connecting more frequently to other organizations in the community, for example by participating in New Trier’s Go to School Night. I believe that reaching residents who are not currently using WPL resources is a work in progress, and I look forward to being part of that effort.
5. How do you view WPL’s value to the community beyond books and other media?
As one of the few places where Wilmette residents from all demographics can come together on a regular basis, WPL provides us with a phenomenal “third space” (the first being home and the second being work or school). WPL is a vital resource that has the potential to serve every person in our community. Those who frequent the library and enjoy its resources on a regular basis know this, and I encourage anyone who has not had much contact with the library in recent years to check out all the possibilities.
When my family moved to Wilmette in 2000 with 1-year old twins, WPL was one of the first community resources we visited. I love the library and have been impressed with its many improvements and changes over time. I am running to assist in making sure that WPL continues to be such a vital asset to our community.
I was an attorney for 15 years, 11 of which were as corporate counsel for Underwriters Laboratories. One of my roles was to establish corporate entities, maintain the corporate documents for those entities and draft minutes for the meetings. I also drafted and reviewed contracts and reviewed business plans for new services.
When I left the practice of law, I poured myself into community activities, including three years of volunteering on the Community Review Committee (CRC). In the second year of my service on the CRC, in which I was Vice President, we drafted Wilmette District 39’s Strategic Plan. I have also been a volunteer in administrative roles for multiple Wilmette sports teams and a volunteer in District 39 classrooms and the school libraries of McKenzie, Highcrest and Baker Demonstration School.
As a result of volunteering in my children’s libraries, I became inspired by the roles libraries play in our community and went on to obtain my Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois.
I am intrigued and motivated by the possibilities for libraries and am ready to serve.
2. What are your priorities for Wilmette Public Library (WPL) and how will you work with the board and library staff to address them?
My priorities for WPL are inclusion, access, and the user experience. I have been impressed with the many library staff initiatives in recent years and as a board member I would continue to encourage such innovation.
3. What have you done to educate yourself on the workings of WPL, including its operations and finances?
I have watched the recordings of most of the 2022 meetings and read the accompanying documents. I began in-person attendance at the Board meetings and policy committee meetings in January 2023.
4. How well is WPL meeting its Strategic Plan goals and are there any areas you would like to address?
WPL has worked hard to meet its Strategic Plan goals. Of particular interest is the further development of the indoor and outdoor environments, providing more inclusive programming, introducing the Library of Things, and improving the user experience with emerging technologies such as the new 24/7 outdoor lockers. WPL is also connecting more frequently to other organizations in the community, for example by participating in New Trier’s Go to School Night. I believe that reaching residents who are not currently using WPL resources is a work in progress, and I look forward to being part of that effort.
5. How do you view WPL’s value to the community beyond books and other media?
As one of the few places where Wilmette residents from all demographics can come together on a regular basis, WPL provides us with a phenomenal “third space” (the first being home and the second being work or school). WPL is a vital resource that has the potential to serve every person in our community. Those who frequent the library and enjoy its resources on a regular basis know this, and I encourage anyone who has not had much contact with the library in recent years to check out all the possibilities.