Submitted by Erica Laue candidate for Library Trustee:
Hello Londonderry! My name is Erica Laue, and I am running for the Leach Library Board of Trustees. My family and I have always been big library fans, and I see this as an opportunity to give back to the entity that has offered so much to us and our community.
A library trustee has two major jobs: to facilitate the work of the library staff, and to promote the library’s services throughout the town. To those ends, a trustee needs to be skilled at managing a budget, good at developing a strong partnership with the library director, willing to engage with community feedback about the library’s services and potential, and publicly supportive of the library. I believe I am highly qualified in all of these areas.
I am a clinical social worker with a 15-year nonprofit work history. I am familiar with the complex ins and outs of navigating funding and limited resources, and I both practice and encourage creative problem-solving in restricted economies. My background also means that I have extensive experience with building and maintaining positive working relationships with key stakeholders. The library director and staff, the town’s budget committee, the Friends of the library, and members of the community are all important elements of maintaining a healthy public library. If elected, I would apply my skills in this area to benefit the library and, ultimately, all who use it.
Finally, I am a big advocate for the library, its staff, its services, and its potential. Over the last few years our library’s services have expanded to include more programming for adults and children of all ages, a vast Library of Things, and access to the GMILCS database. None of this would have been possible without the creativity and energy of the staff, funding from the town, and most importantly, community engagement. It has been wonderful to be part of this resource’s growth and to see how much benefit it has brought to our town. I would love the opportunity to serve the library as a Trustee and see what more we can do together. Thank you!