A newcomer to Rockville Centre, Paulsen said he was inspired to run when he looked around the library and saw what he felt were a lot of opportunities for improvement. “There are so many opportunities to improve what we’re doing, especially for kids,” he said.

Paulsen said he works in the digital realm, making sure sales people have the tools they need to complete their jobs. He spends a lot of time thinking about digital tools and how to improve operations and efficiency, he said.

“I think my contribution would be to offer my experience to the library and improve what they’re doing,” he said. “Leverage what they have in a more intelligent way.”

Paulsen said that libraries with similar tax bases have done more with the same amount that Rockville Centre has. He wants to see the library expand into a 21st century information hub that his kids will use and grow.

“The board mastered the balanced spreadsheet, but they weren’t thinking about profitability,” said Paulsen. “I want it to keep up with society today.”