Kristen Smith, Chair (County – until 6/30/2027)
My Favorite Book: Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry. I love the epic scope, historical period, landscape, and well-drawn characters. It's a long read, but very worthwhile.
I am proud to serve as a DCLD Trustee because: I know how important a strong public library can be for a healthy community, and I love to contribute to that.
My favorite DCLD service or feature: Audiobooks through Libby/overdrive!!
Shawn Coenen, Vice-Chair (County – until 6/30/2029)
My favorite book: Slaughterhouse Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is one of my favorite books. It was one of the first books that exposed me to nonlinear storytelling and how an author's experience as a soldier comes through in report-like episodes that felt therapeutic. 2025 also marks the 60th anniversary of Vonnegut being the writer in residence at the Iowa Writers project. Reading this book with all of the references to cities in Iowa caused me to research the author further at my library.
I am proud to serve as a DCLD Trustee because: I volunteered at my local library as a child. I was exposed to the function, organization and cataloging of materials. My early exposure and hands-on interaction has kept the library a constant in my life. For me, the library represents access, knowledge and representation. What needs to be found lives in the pages at the library and as a Trustee I get to ensure that continues.
My favorite DCLD service or feature: Libby / Bridges for Audiobooks, eBooks and magazines.
Jane Boge (Farley – until 6/30/2029)
My Favorite Book: I don't really have a favorite book. Authors yes. Someone asked me whose next book I look forward to and I immediately said C.J. Box. So I guess any of his books win as my favorite. Oh but wait. What about John Sandford? Or Robert Parker?
I am proud to serve as a DCLD Trustee because: I love libraries. My mother was a big reader and always used the library. All of my siblings and I are still big readers. And now with the situation in Farley, I'm proud to be part of what we are building.
My favorite DCLD service or feature: My favorite service is the Author Fan Club. I am strictly a "hold" person so it works great for me. I think I have chosen the entire list and love that more authors are added to the list. It's a great service.
Nellie Burk (Peosta – until 6/30/2029)
My Favorite Book: Picking a favorite book is like picking a favorite child so I will pick my favorite book of this year. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. It gives a nod to one of my childhood favorites, Little Women and was a touching read.
I am proud to serve as a DCLD Trustee because: I am proud to serve as DCLD Trustee because I believe in our goals to empower Dubuque County residents with services to learn, connect and grow. Libraries are a critical part of our community.
My favorite DCLD service or feature: My favorite service is just the good old fashion book checkouts. I love to go to the library and browse the shelves to find my next reads.
Susan Henricks (County – until 6/30/2031)
My Favorite Book: Author Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason series (82 books), Lam and Cool mysteries (29 books), and D.A. series (nine books) have remained my favorites. Erle Stanley Gardner was the first "adult" book I read and I started collecting them at age 11. Gardner retains third place as the top-selling series of all-time. Although these books could never pass muster for top fiction writing, they are good series, highly entertaining, and a snapshot of our social history. Perry Mason solves crimes with land-line telephones as the only technology at his disposal. The description of the cars, clothing, houses, restaurant meals, and social mores is highly entertaining.
I am proud to serve as a DCLD Trustee because: Libraries change lives and I have been able to see this first hand. I am proud to be in a formal position to promote and advocate for this service to everyone.
My favorite DCLD service or feature is: The staff members. They love their jobs and love the library. Patrons are greeted as friends and many are known by their first names. Service is their priority.
Sue Ross (Epworth – until 6/30/2031)
My Favorite Book: Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly, is a book that has stuck with me for many years. It follows the very different lives of three very different women during World War II. The book really opened my eyes to different aspects of brutality, hope and resilience during the war.
I am proud to serve as a DCLD Trustee because: From checking-out the maximum number of books from the bookmobile as a child to visiting the library with my children and grandchildren, libraries and books have been an important part of my life. Serving as a DCLD Trustee, I hope to support the continuation of library services for our communities.
My favorite DCLD service or feature is: The accessibility of books is the most important service for me but children’s programming is so important to introduce kids to the love of libraries.
Teresa Reuter (County – until 6/30/2027)
My Favorite Book: The Poacher's Son - part of the Mike Bowdich series by Paul Doiron. I usually don't read a whole series and I'm not usually a fan of mystery and detective novels. But this book really captured my attention and kept me interested. It's an interesting mix of his life as a Maine game warden and the investigations he's involved in solving, along with plenty of action! It's one of those books where you find yourself always reading into the next chapter to see what happens!
I am proud to serve as a DCLD Trustee because: Libraries are such an important part of every community! I'm honored to have the opportunity to give back by serving as a Trustee. I'm always impressed by the wealth of services provided by libraries and how responsive they are to community needs. Being on the board has given me such insight into the numerous ways libraries support our communities to promote learning and engagement. We are so lucky to have such a dedicated staff with a passion for libraries and library services! It's rewarding to support such a dedicated group.
My favorite DCLD service or feature is: It's hard to pick just one! I love the knowledgeable and friendly staff at the front desk, and the fun programs for kids including the DCLD Summer Reading Program. I love that I can check out books from DCLD, Carnegie Stout, or any library across the state of Iowa and still pick it up at my local Holy Cross branch. And I love that our libraries are small enough that the library staff are familiar with our preferences and suggest books we might like. Each time we visit we look forward to seeing what is new - including events and programs that are scheduled throughout the year. We always leave with a bag full of new books and adventures to read about.
Julita Schneider (Asbury – until 6/30/2027)
My Favorite Book: One thing I love about books is their ability to offer us different perspectives and challenge us to have meaningful discourse, especially regarding social issues. Why Does Everything Have to Be About Race?: 25 Arguments That Won't Go Away by Keith Boykin was especially impactful. I'd encourage anyone who has ever pondered the question in this title (Why DOES everything have to be about race?) to read (or listen! As a busy mom of 6, this is my preferred "reading" method) to this book.
I'm proud to serve as a DCLD Trustee because: I'm passionate about what libraries stand for and offer to our community--freedom of information and access to resources for everyone, no matter their economic situation. I love DCLD and I'm grateful for the opportunity to give back to the organization that has been so enriching to the lives of my family and makes our community so special.
My favorite DCLD service or feature: Aside from the books and streaming services (Libby), are the amazing staff. I love how the staff know my family and look out for my kids when they visit our local library. Inevitably, we leave things or return our own personal books, etc, and the staff are always keeping an eye out for us. If we have a hold and forget to collect it, they'll grab it for us before we leave. Or if a new book has come in that a staff member thinks one of my kids might like, they'll make recommendations. In the summer, we often visit other branches from our home library, and even the staff members at other branches that we aren't on a first name basis with are just so friendly and helpful. Many of our staff have been around for years, but even the newer staff are so welcoming and warm, they really make a big impact on the whole library experience. The staff are what really make DCLD special.
Van Waggoner (Asbury - until 6/30/2031)
My Favorite Book: Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea. I got the book in fifth grade through, I believe, Reading Scholastic, where we could buy a book every month. This would have been about 1960, before Kennedy announced the space race. I credit that book with inspiring me to study science and engineering, my lifelong interest and career.
I am proud to serve as a DCLD Trustee: Ro help in any way to let young people discover lifetime inspiration through reading.
My favorite DCLD service or feature: Jigsaw puzzle checkout and ebook availability on Libby.
