Tim Wiles
Guilderland Public Library Director
• Residence: Guilderland
• Hometown: Peoria, Ill.
What is the best book you’ve read this year?
Probably is the “City of Women,” that was a very good book.
What is your favorite show on TV/Streaming?
My favorite show is “CBS News Sunday Morning.” I go to church at 10 a.m. every Sunday, so I will see a half hour to 45 minutes of it.
What was the last movie you saw?
I’m not a real movie expert these days, because when you have a 7-year-old you don’t get out much. The last movie I saw in the theater was “The Lego Movie.”
What would your dream vacation be?
I am not one for cruise ships generally, but I would love to be able to get on a cruise ship in Spain and stop at every coastal Mediterranean point. My back up dream trip would be to see all the places where The Beatles became The Beatles.
What are some of your hobbies?
Reading of course is one. I do like to go over to the Y and jog. I am a bit of a baseball card collector.
Is there an annual holiday tradition you look forward to the most?
I am partly of Scandinavian ancestry, and on Dec. 6 is Saint Nicholas’ Day, which is when kids will put shoes outside their bedroom door and St Nicholas fills them with candy. We always did when I was a kid, and we continued that with our son.
What would your last meal be?
My wife’s salmon recipe with a little asparagus on the side and probably some of her key lime pie for desert, along with a good Oktoberfest beer.
Who is the one person (dead or alive) that you would most like to meet?
Pope Francis. I just think he is definition of thinking outside the box. He is the most fascinating individual that has come across my radar screen in the last few years.
What is your favorite local moment?
I am a season ticket holder to Union College hockey, and watching them win the national championship on TV was a really great moment.
What is something you think most people would be surprised to learn about you?
I taught English at a college in mainland China in 1993-94, which was a really cool and informative experience.