River Forest Library Candidates Start Fresh

Perhaps it's fitting that on the very next morning after Tuesday's election, library board candidate-elect was headed  to the . 

The political newcomer — and library regular — said she leveraged an e-mail campaign to local condo dwellers and various "movers and shakers" to help win the seat. 

Small, Thomas Smedinghoff and triumphed in the four-person race for three seats. Jennifer Rice Epstein lost to Zobel by 80 votes. ()

Said Rice Epstein: "I am not sure if I'll run for any local offices in the future, but if I do, I will not launch my campaign less than a month after I have a baby. I wasn't able to get out and meet people as much as I could have, and I wasn't prepared for all of the interviews and campaign events—retrospectively, that was very naive of me.

"In spite of missing a couple of key events due to prior obligations, and given my position as a relative newcomer to River Forest, I managed to receive about 400 votes. I am grateful for each one."

What are the winning candidates first priorities?

"I probably will show up on Friday night, our second year of , thanking the people that supported me and the staff for this fun event," she said. "It was so much fun. That’s what I’m looking forward to. My motto is fun."

, an attorney specializing in technology and information law, said he's looking forward to getting acclimated to the board and its current issues. 

"The technology situation has been my major focus, both in terms of figuring out where the library goes from here and given the shift in the way we as a society use technology," he said. "That’s one of my priorities, to look at those issues."

Zobel, also a newcomer, said she's "looking to understand the workings of the library, to become familiar with its budget and its personnel."