The Wednesday Journal sent questionnaires to each person running for public office in 2023. The Journal’s questions are in bold and the candidate’s responses are below.
Name: Maya Ganguly
Age: 43
Previous Political Experience: Volunteer for different political campaigns
Previous/Current Community Involvement: Parent of children at Holmes Elementary School and Kindness Creators; Member, St. Christopher’s Church
Occupation: Attorney
Education: University of Chicago; University of Wisconsin Law School
1. Why are you running for the Oak Park Public Library board?
I love the Oak Park Public Library. It is a wonderful institution with great staff, which I would like to support.
2. What experience and perspectives would you bring to the position and how would they be valuable as an elected official?
For the majority of my legal career, I have worked as a civil servant, dedicated to being a thoughtful and careful steward of public trust and public funds. In my capacity as an attorney, I have acted as FOIA Officer and Purchasing Officer as well as drafted legislation. To me, knowing Illinois Statute such as Illinois Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information are important to ensuring transparency of process. This transparency is essential to ensuring that public can maintain its trust in the mechanisms of government.
3. What do you believe are some of the greatest challenges facing the library?
To me, two of greatest challenges are:
- Ensuring that our library remains an intellectually vibrant space. Across the country we are witnessing attacks on libraries and their intellectual vibrancy and freedom.
- Libraries need to ensure that they remain up to date with technological trends and how people are reading, while also ensuring that our buildings remain up to date and accessible. I love using Hoopla and while it would have been completely foreign to me as a child, but it is completely comfortable for my kids. Likewise, how my children interact on the Main Library’s first floor is notably different than how I understood the children’s section of my library growing up.
