Running for Jackson County Library Board

Thank you for visiting my site. I am running to be a member of the Jackson County (Oregon) Library District Board of Directors. In 2001 when we moved to the Rogue Valley, we had 4 kids ages 6, 5, 3, and 1 year old. My wife was able to stay at home and they spent much time at the Carnegie Library downtown, reading in the children's department and picking up books for us to read to them at home. I became pretty involved when the library was shut down in 2007 due to budget cuts. I served on the Jackson County Library Commission and the budget committee. I have also served on other Medford city commissions and budget committees, usually around fiscal responsibility and the issues I am most attached to - history, libraries, parks and recreation, and the things which increase the livability of the civic space. 

I am interested in serving on the Board now, really to continue all of the good things the previous boards have done, while making sure it adheres to the mission of the District- to connect everyone to information, ideas, and each other, while not taking sides in the political partisanship of the day.

I will do my best to make sure we make the Library accessible to families and children, to ensure that we steward our public resources properly and in a fiscally responsible way to make sure that the people are getting the best value for their tax money. 

It would be irresponsible not to mention the issue of homelessness and how it is affecting our library system. There are no quick and easy answers, but it is my goal to find a way to serve all people who want to use library services while ensuring that none are driven off by apprehension. 

More on this on my next post. 

I will be submitting my documentation today or tomorrow. I hope I can earn your vote. Feel free to comment below, especially if you see an issue that needs to be addressed by the library. 

Kevin Keating




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Why I'm running - patron safety, fiscal responsibility, and political neutrality

One of the questions asked most frequently of a candidate running for a position is why he or she is  running. Of course. In general, I think the library has been run conscientiously and competently thus far. While I might disagree with a few board decisions, they generally have been moving in a good direction. That being said, I see three main areas of ongoing concern. And these are what I'd like to bring my voice to.  1. Oregon, Jackson County, and Medford have a homelessness problem. The library has become a de-facto safe space for lots of homeless people to spend the day, both inside and outside, and sometimes overnight.  That is a fact. It is also a fact that this has made some staff and quite a few of the library's patrons feel unsafe. Many patrons have decided they would prefer not to come to the library, not unreasonably, especially with their children, because it can be unpredictable. Nevertheless, all people have a right to use the library's services and propert...
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