Stories indexed with the term ‘library board elections’

Four candidates have filed to run for three seats on the Ann Arbor District Library board in the Nov. 4, 2014 general election: Karen Hart, Jim Leija, and incumbents Jan Barney Newman and Ed Surovell. The filing deadline was Aug. 12.

These are non-partisan positions, with four-year terms starting Jan. 1, 2015. The seats are currently held by Newman, Surovell and Barbara Murphy, who decided not to seek re-election. Voters will be able to choose up to three of the four candidates on the ballot.

Leija is director of education and community engagement at the University Musical Society, a position he’s held since 2011. He’s worked for UMS in various roles since 2008.

Hart served as planning manager for the city of Ann … [Full Story]

The Ann Arbor District Library staff is hosting an information session for potential candidates running for election to the AADL board. The event will last from 6-7 p.m. in the fourth floor boardroom at the downtown library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.

Three spots on the board will be on the Nov. 4, 2014 ballot. These are non-partisan positions, with four-year terms starting Jan. 1, 2015. The seats are currently held by Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman and Ed Surovell.

Update: Newman and Surovell have told The Chronicle that they plan to seek re-election this year. However, Murphy has decided not to run for another term.

Depending on the outcome of the Aug. 5, 2014 primary, there might be an additional opening on … [Full Story]

Two items on the Nov. 6 ballot related to the Ann Arbor District Library: a $65 million bond proposal for construction of a new downtown library, and the election of four positions on the AADL board of trustees.

The $65 million, 30-year bond proposal was rejected, gaining support from 33,604 voters (44.83%), with 41,359 votes (55.17%) cast against it. Support inside the city of Ann Arbor was slightly stronger, with 46.4% voting for the proposal compared with 41.2% voting for it outside the city. In addition to the city of Ann Arbor, the district includes parts of the townships of Pittsfield, Scio, Ann Arbor, Lodi, Webster, Salem and Superior.

The funds would have paid for the demolition of the existing library at 343 S. Fifth and … [Full Story]

The four incumbents running for seats on the Ann Arbor District Library board are unified in their support of a new downtown library and the $65 million, 30-year bond proposal to fund it, which will be on the Nov. 6 ballot. In sharp contrast, the fifth candidate – Lyn Powrie Davidge, calling herself a “renegade” – isn’t in favor of that particular proposal at this time.

The five women presented their views at an Oct. 9 forum moderated by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area. They are vying for four non-partisan seats on the AADL board, with four-year terms. The incumbents are Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary and Prue Rosenthal. [Other board members, whose terms end in 2014, are Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman and Ed Surovell.]

All candidates expressed strong support and affection for the library system, and stressed the library’s critical role in the community. Two candidates – Davidge and Leary, the board’s current president – are former librarians. Head, Rosenthal and Kaplan highlighted their professional and volunteer experience. Several candidates cited their work on boards for other organizations.

Positions on the bond proposal for a new downtown library revealed the greatest difference between the incumbents and Davidge. All of the incumbents argued strongly in favor of the proposal, citing deficiencies in the existing building at 343 S. Fifth and a desire to accommodate growth in programs and services.

Saying she wasn’t running against anyone, Davidge felt she’d bring a fresh perspective to the board and challenge the status quo. She believes the case hasn’t been fully made for a new library at the time, and that the public hasn’t been as engaged as it should be in the decision.

For more background on the downtown library proposal, see Chronicle coverage: “Library Bond Moves Toward Nov. 6 Ballot,” “Campaign Launches for Library Bond,” and “Third Group Forms to Oppose Library Bond.” The Chronicle also covers the board’s monthly meetings.

The Oct. 9 candidate forum was held at the studios of Community Television Network, and will be available online via CTN’s video-on-demand service. Information on this and other local elections can be found on the Washtenaw County clerk’s elections division website. To see a sample ballot for your precinct, visit the Secretary of State’s website.  [Full Story]

A fifth candidate – Lyn Powrie Davidge – has filed for one of four open Ann Arbor District Library board seats in the Nov. 6 general election. All four incumbents had previously filed: Prue Rosenthal, Margaret Leary, Nancy Kaplan and Rebecca Head. The filing deadline was 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 14. The four-year terms for these non-partisan positions begin Jan. 1, 2013.

Davidge previously ran for the AADL board in 2010, but was not elected. She has attended the board’s monthly meetings over the past few months and spoken during public commentary. Some of her comments were directed at the issue of the library’s downtown building – she supported renovation rather than replacement of the structure. She also attended an … [Full Story]

Four of the seven Ann Arbor District Library board seats will be up for election on Nov. 6, and all four incumbents – Prue Rosenthal, Margaret Leary, Nancy Kaplan and Rebecca Head – have filed to run for re-election. The four-year terms begin Jan. 1, 2013. As of Aug. 9, no one else has filed for the positions, which are nonpartisan.

Library staff held an hour-long forum for potential candidates on Wednesday evening, attended by three people who are interested, or who represented others that couldn’t make the event. They included Lyn Davidge, who ran in 2010 but wasn’t elected. Also attending was Doug Jewett, who said he felt tremendously pleased with his experiences at the library. “For me, this is the center of Ann Arbor.”

Prospective AADL board candidates have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 14 to file to be placed on the ballot. To file, candidates must turn in an affidavit of identity to the Washtenaw County clerk’s office, along with a $100 non-refundable filing fee or a minimum of 40 valid signatures. [More details on the filing process are available on the clerk's website.]

The positions are elected by voters in Ann Arbor and portions of seven townships that are covered by the library’s district – Pittsfield, Scio, Ann Arbor, Lodi, Webster, Salem and Superior. Those are the same boundaries served by the Ann Arbor Public Schools, with the exception of Northfield Township, which is partly within the AAPS district but has its own library system.

Josie Parker, AADL’s director, moderated the forum. Four current board members attended: Rosenthal and Leary, whose terms end this year, as well as Barbara Murphy and Jan Barney Newman, whose terms run through 2014. Four other top AADL managers were also present.

The board will be key in making decisions about the future of the downtown library. Last month, trustees voted to place a $65 million, 30-year bond proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot for construction of a new downtown building. If the project is approved by voters, the board will be instrumental in determining the design and other factors.

Though it was mentioned, that project wasn’t the focus of the Aug. 8 discussion. Topics ranged from a summary of the AADL’s history to challenges that the library will face in the future.

Library staff had prepared packets of material for potential candidates, which included the library’s strategic plan from 2010-2015, the downtown building bond proposal, recent district statistics on circulation and other measures, a recent annual report and audit, policy manual and other information.

More details about the board are online. Chronicle coverage of the board’s monthly meetings can be found here.
[Full Story]

On Sept. 28, the League of Women Voters hosted a combined forum for candidates for Ann Arbor District Library board.

Nancy Kaplan, Lyn Powrie Davidge and incumbent Carola Stearns are running for one two-year term. Vivienne Armentrout and incumbents Ed Surovell, Jan Barney Newman and Barbara Murphy are vying for three four-year terms. Five of the seven candidates attended the forum – Stearns and Davidge were out of town and unable to participate.

Terms for the three other current board members – Rebecca Head, Margaret Leary and Prue Rosenthal – expire in 2012.

The forum took place at Community Television Network studios and was recorded – it is available online through CTN’s video-on-demand service.

The hour-long event was moderated by Nancy Schewe, and questions covered a broad range of library-related topics, from the fate of the downtown building and thoughts on the next-door Library Lot, to issues of noise, security and technology. This report is presented in the order in which candidates responded. [Full Story]

Accomplishments of the Ann Arbor District Library – and challenges the system faces in the coming years – were among the topics discussed at an informational session on Wednesday evening for library board candidates who’ll be on the ballot in November.

Four of the seven candidates attended: incumbents Ed Surovell and Jan Barney Newman, as well as former Washtenaw County commissioner Vivienne Armentrout and Nancy Kaplan, who hosts a local talk show on community issues called Other Perspectives.

Kaplan, Lyn Powrie Davidge and incumbent Carola Stearns are running for one two-year term. Armentrout and incumbents Surovell, Newman and Barbara Murphy are vying for three four-year terms.

Terms for the three other current board members – Rebecca Head, Margaret Leary and Prue Rosenthal – expire in 2012.

The session on Wednesday was informal, following the format of a similar meeting held on July 27 for people interested in running. Head, the current board president, and AADL director Josie Parker were on hand to answer questions, as were associate directors Celeste Choate, Eli Neiburger and Ken Nieman. [Full Story]

Two potential candidates showed up Tuesday evening at an information session for the Nov. 2 Ann Arbor District Library board elections.

Lyn Davidge and Greg Andrade say they haven’t yet decided whether to run, but they’re considering it. Four seats will be on the Nov. 2 ballot: three four-year terms and one two-year term. The four board members whose terms expire at the end of 2010 – Jan Barney Newman, Barbara Murphy, Carola Stearns and Ed Surovell – haven’t yet declared their intent to seek re-election.

The filing deadline for the AADL board candidates is 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 10. The positions are nonpartisan. To file, candidates must turn in an affidavit of identity to the Washtenaw County clerk’s office, along with a $100 non-refundable filing fee or a minimum of 40 valid signatures. [More details on the filing process are available on the clerk's website.]

At Tuesday’s event, board officers Rebecca Head, Prue Rosenthal and Margaret Leary spoke about the roles and responsibilities of the job. Stearns also attended, as did AADL director Josie Parker, and two associate directors – Ken Nieman and Eli Neiburger. [Full Story]

Ann Arbor District Library board meeting (Dec. 21, 2009): At its last meeting of 2009, the library board voted to move its elections to November, in response to a similar decision last week by the Ann Arbor Public Schools board.

Library board members also discussed their hopes for a development next to the downtown library. The city solicited bids for development atop an underground parking structure being built just north of the library, on land stretching between Fourth and Fifth and Division. The library has a vested interest in that project – as board members noted on Monday, the development there will affect their decision about what to do with the downtown library building.

No representative from the library is on the city’s review committee that’s currently evaluating proposals for the site. But two members of that committee did attend Monday’s board meeting, and library director Josie Parker plans to meet with city officials to convey the board’s feedback.

Bottom line: A place that’s active and that attracts a diverse group of people around the clock would be best for the library. Also needed, board members said, is some master planning for that entire area, which includes the former YMCA lot and the AATA’s Blake Transit Center. [Full Story]

Ann Arbor District Library special board meeting (Dec. 1, 2009): During a special board meeting held on Tuesday, the Ann Arbor District Library board discussed the implications of possible changes to the school board’s election date.

Bottom line: If the school board moves its May election to November, the library board will be forced to do the same.

The school board is expected to make that decision at its Dec. 16 meeting. If the school board approves the change, the library board will need to act before the end of the year, too. To prepare for that possibility, the library board voted to hold a meeting on Monday, Dec. 21, with a public hearing scheduled on the topic of the election. If the school board votes not to move its election date, it’s likely that the library board will cancel the Dec. 21 meeting. [Full Story]