Tommy Koo: Cook Memorial Public Library Board Candidate

Name: Tommy Koo

Age: 34

Family: Wife – Karen, 3.5 year old daughter Audrey, 14-month-old son Brendan

Education: BS in Financial Planning from Purdue University

Occupation: local small business owner

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices: none

Other community involvement: Worship Coordinator at my local church

Position sought: Trustee in the Cook Memorial Public Library Board

Campaign E-mail address: tkoo.cooklib@gmail.com

Campaign committee: none

Campaign Website: none

Campaign Facebook: none

Campaign Twitter: none

Why are you running?

A strong desire to be an active contributor in our community, and what better way than to help shape and lead the library system that my family constantly uses and loves.
 
In what ways would the library district benefit from your service?

I am constantly forward thinking and always questioning how best we can use the limited resources entrusted to us by the community to serve their needs the best. Specifically though, I feel that I can best help transition our library into the realities of an increasingly digital 21st Century. Additionally, growing up in an immigrant family myself, I recognize the need to offer resources that help celebrate our diversity in language, culture and religions represented in our diverse population. But at the same time I’d work hard to maintain the strong programs and resources to give immigrants and their families the means to succeed in our community. Lastly, I believe the library district would benefit from my experience as a local business owner but I’m proudest of my current role as a father of a young family and who would work hard to make the library a great place for both children and parents alike.
 
What is the biggest challenge the library faces and what should be done to address it?

Like all libraries nationally, even globally, it is the first challenge is not to remain stagnant but to recognize that we need to be constantly evolving to remain relevant in our digital age. We need to recognize that even as the “how” evolves, the “why” we have public libraries should never be compromised, that at we are to be a portal of knowledge and learning for the enrichment and betterment of our local community. That being said, in addressing the subsequent challenge of “how should we evolve as a Cook Memorial Public Library District,” I believe it’s not a matter of always having the newest and fastest but really canvassing what our community wants and needs from its library.

What do you think the library does well?

I feel we do a great job addressing the multitude of needs within our diverse district. Serving over 60,000 people in six communities, I think we do a great job making sure that our services are accessible to everyone. 

What should be some of the library district’s priorities over the next several years?

Definitely how to confront the uphill battle of a constantly changing technological landscape. We’ve seen computers and computing in general drastically shift in the past decade alone and the library needs to be proactive in adapting to how people take in their media but at the same time balancing the need to improve our selection of print and other traditional media.
 
What else would you like voters to know?

Since last June when I was appointed to the library board, I have seen and learned so much and I would only ask that I be allowed the privilege of continuing to serve on our board.