BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
September 18, 2007

The regular meeting of the Des Plaines Public Library Board of Trustees was held in the second floor conference room on Tuesday, September 18, 2007. President Noreen Lake called the meeting to order at 7:02p.m.

ROLL CALL.

Roll call indicated the following board members were present: Maria Bahamon, Eldon Burk, William Grice, Noreen Lake, George Magerl, Jerry Mahony, Rhys Read, Elaine Tejcek.

Also Present: Sandra Norlin, Hector Marino, Carol Kidd, Holly Richards Sorensen, Karen McBride, Alderman Martin Moylan, Matthew Bellamy, Michael Lake.

Absent: Matthew Bogusz.

CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by Jerry Mahony, to accept the agenda, as written. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

Karen McBride, Web Services Librarian, showed a video of the September 8 Croquet Tournament.

CONSENT AGENDA

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by William Grice, to accept the Consent Agenda, as written. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Following monthly reports to be reviewed and placed on file for audit:

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by William Grice, to approve, subject to audit, expenditures authorized by the Library Director and Board Representatives for library Warrant Registers as follows:

ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read, Tejcek. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by William Grice, to approve, subject to audit, expenditures for salaries made by the Library Director as follows:

ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read, Tejcek. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Please note: I have received no official requests for confidential patron information since my last report.

PERSONNEL

New employees for August/September, 2007 are Anton Tsybulsky, and Lino Vestidas, Technology Pages; and Shabana Usufishaq, Carolyn Romin, and Melissa Zulaski, Circulation Pages.

Resignations/Separations for August/September, 2007 are Travis Jones, Circulation Page, and Kathleen Konopasek, Circulation Services Clerk.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Our Fall All-Staff meeting was held on September 12. “Movement Matters”, a presentation on the physiology of everyday movements was given by Mary Albrecht, trainer and owner of the Fitness Loft in Libertyville. The second portion of the meeting included a presentation on the new salary schedule, the Green Team’s recycling suggestions, and the arrangements for the October 7 Centennial Carnival.

PATRON SERVICES

We charted a slight increase in circulation over August 2006, but remain behind in circulated items for the year, to date. Patrons used Self-Check for 46% of the items checked out of the main library. The print/non-print ratio continues to shift toward audio-visual items. This month 62% of the youth services circulation was for print materials; 43% of the items circulated from the adult collection was for print material. Overall, print materials account for 49% of the total number of items circulated in August.

Carol Kidd has added a chart indicating the use of public computers during the past two and the current years. Christina Tropea has submitted a report explaining the reasons that our database use statistics show a decline. The essence of her report is to state that we now have a more accurate and appropriate way of counting the uses of our databases, but that they will show a decline for the next year when compared with the earlier way the information was collected and reported. Her report is included in the board packet.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

I attended two Chamber of Commerce events: a fundraiser on 8/22 and the monthly board meeting on 9/13. I attended the Friends of the Library Roundtable meeting on 8/28, a Holiday Lighting Committee meeting on 9/6, an Executive Committee meeting of the Library Production Studio on 9/7, and NSLS Board meeting on 9/10, the 9/11 Commemoration at City Hall, and the Rotary Golf Outing on 9/11. On Saturday, 9/8 I attended a Board retreat for NSLS in the morning, the First Lady’s Luncheon at noon, and the Croquet Tournament during the afternoon.

NEW BUSINESS

Rhys Read, Chair of the Finance Committee, presented the first draft of the 2008 budget.

Sandra Norlin gave an overview of the 2008 budget, which included the new RFID equipment and the atrium and workroom remodeling project.

MOTION by Committee, to approve the first draft of 2008 budget, as presented. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read, Tejcek. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Sandra Norlin explained to the Board that RFID equipment that is UL certified is only offered by the 3M Company. Sandra asked Board members if they would still require a Request for Proposal. The Board consensus was to ask staff to prepare a request for proposal.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by George Magerl, to move F. Approve Des Plaines Public Library Disaster Plan 2007 to C. under VIII.New Business. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

The Board reviewed the Des Plaines Public Library Disaster Plan for 2007.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Maria Bahamon, to approve the Des Plaines Public Library Disaster Recovery Plan for 2007, as modified. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by George Magerl, to approve the Per Capita Grant, as written. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Eldon Burk will attend the October 1 City Council meeting; Noreen Lake the October 15 meeting; Jerry Mahony the November 5 meeting and Rhys Read the November 19 meeting.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by William Grice, to approve payment to Midwest Library Systems in the amount of $2,713.21 for freight charges for book returns and carts. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read, Tejcek. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Sandra Norlin introduced Karen McBride, Web Services Librarian, and explained that Karen was the project leader for the library’s Website Redesign Project. Karen reported that she prepared a Request for Proposal for the Website Redesign and made the following hiring recommendations to the Board:

Scott Pitol, an independent contractor from Roselle, IL, for the majority of the Des Plaines Public Library Web site redesign - $17,000.00.

In-Sight Marketing of Des Plaines, IL, is recommended to design the Children and Teen sections, with experience with Flash-based Web design - $2,500.00.

MOTION by George Magerl, seconded by Elaine Tejcek, to accept the Website Redesign Project recommendations of Karen McBride, Web Services Librarian, and to enter into an agreement with Scott Pitol and In-Sight Marketing for Website Redesign, in the amount of $19,500.00, which is a budgeted expense and is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read, Tejcek. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Hector Marino, Coordinator of Computer and Technical Services, proposed installation of Comcast cable for the library’s Internet service. The cost for a two-year contract is $1,187.00 per year and will increase bandwidth from 3 Mbps to 8 Mbps.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by George Magerl, to enter into a two-year agreement with Comcast at a cost of $1,187.00 per year to increase bandwidth to 8 Mbps for the library’s internet connection. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE – Alderman Martin Moylan.

Alderman Moylan stated that the City of Des Plaines will not change their current parking agreement with the 701 Lee Street tenants and therefore parking spaces in the parking garage will not be reduced for library staff.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Board will not write an article for the next library newsletter.

We will continue to send a liaison to the Friends of the Library meetings who will provide reports to the library board.

George Magerl, Chair of the Planning Committee, thanked Library Board members and Department Heads for attending an all-day Board Retreat. A new Strategic Plan will be presented to the Board for their approval at their October meeting.

Sandra Norlin introduced Holly Richards Sorensen, the new Coordinator of Public Services. Holly previously worked as the Head of Adult Services.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by Elaine Tejcek, to adjourn the regular meeting. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Meeting adjourned at 8:25p.m.

Minutes prepared by Carol Kidd

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