BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
November 20, 2007

The regular meeting of the Des Plaines Public Library Board of Trustees was held in the second floor conference room on Tuesday, November 20, 2007. President Noreen Lake called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

ROLL CALL.

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

Also Present: Sandra Norlin, Carol Kidd, Holly Richards Sorensen, Karen McBride, Michael Lake, Stan Zimmerman, Susan Garland.

Absent: Elaine Tejcek.

CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA.

President Lake asked to amend the agenda by adding XIII. Executive Session to discuss Compensation, Discipline or Performance of a Specific Employee.

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

PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

Stan Zimmerman asked if library employees receive a pension. Library Director Sandra Norlin responded that library employees participate in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and contribute 4.5% of their salary toward their pension. Sandra Norlin gave Mr. Zimmerman information on the IMRF plan.

CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE – Alderman Martin Moylan.

Alderman Moylan was not in attendance.

CONSENT AGENDA

Elaine Tejcek asked that D. Acceptance of Reports 1. Director’s Report and 2. Friends of the Library Report be removed from the Consent Agenda.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by George Magerl, to approve the Consent Agenda, as modified. 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 George Magerl, 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, Bogusz, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

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

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

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by George Magerl, to accept the Director’s Report, as written. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

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

PERSONNEL

Resignations/Separations for October/November 2007: Monica Benz, Part-Time Youth Services Librarian and Hector Marino, Coordinator of Computer and Technical Services.

Interviews will begin on November 19 for the position of Head of Public Information Services. We received 78 applications for this position. Applications for the IT Manager position closed on November 12. A decision about filling this position will be made after a decision on filling the Coordinator's position. I hope to have a recommendation following my meeting with Don Sofolo of Outsource Solutions Group on November 19.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Three staff members, Christina Tropea, Jill Franklin, and Veronica Schwartz will be traveling to Guadalajara, Mexico to attend the annual book fair. They will select materials in Spanish to be added to our collection in 2008. Jill Franklin will be in touch with the personnel from our Sister Library to make arrangements for her exchange visit to the Benjamin Franklin Public Library in February.

Our annual Staff Holiday Party will be held December 13 from 8-10 AM. Library Trustees are cordially invited to join us.

PATRON SERVICES

There were several increases in public use of our facilities and services during October, as compared to October 2006. A 4.05% increase in items circulated included fiction and DVDs from the Youth Services collection and small increases in non-fiction, CDs and DVDs from the Adult Collection. Please note the low circulation of videocassettes, which will be weeded out during the coming year. The low use of the collection does not justify the large share of shelf space it requires. Overall, the print materials accounted for 52% of the circulation. AV items account for 15% of the total collection and 48% of the circulation.

The door count increased from last October by 14% and meeting room attendance significantly (60%). I find the use of our meeting rooms remarkable at 160 times in a month when we were open for 31 days. The staff time involved in planning, scheduling, setting up and cleaning the rooms is worth noting.

Patron used our online reference sources 9,895 times in October. They used our computers 10,375 in the Adult Services Department and 1,622 times in the Youth Services Department.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

I attended the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast and a meeting of the Library Production Studio Executive Committee on October 18; an NSLS Board of Directors meeting on October 22; a luncheon of North Suburban woman directors and the Oakton Area Planning Council on November 1; the Library Production Studio Advisory Committee meeting on November 6; the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors meeting on November 8, another Library Production Studio Executive Committee meeting on November 12; and a meeting with representatives of the regional United Way campaign on November 14.

I was on vacation from November 15 through November 18.

NEW BUSINESS

MOTION by George Magerl, seconded by Matthew Bogusz, to approve payment to Ebsco Information Services in the amount of $35,509.16, which is a budgeted expense and is in the best interest of the library. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Bogusz, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Jerry Mahony, seconded by George Magerl, to approve payment to Gale Literature Resource Center in the amount of $6,605.00, which is a budgeted item and is in the best interest of the library. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Bogusz, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Eldon Burk asked if the Gale Literature Resource Center usage was increasing and Sandra Norlin responded that she would look into this request and report back to the board at the December board meeting.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by William Grice, to approve Cooperative Computer Services in the amount of $5,243.99, which is a budgeted expense and in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Bogusz, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by George Magerl, seconded by Matthew Bogusz, to approve a change to the Library Board of Trustees 2008 meeting date from Tuesday, September 16, 2008 to Tuesday, September 23, 2008. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Rhys Read will attend the December 3 City Council meeting; Eldon Burk the December 17 meeting; George Magerl the January 7 meeting and Maria Bahamon the January 22 meeting.

MOTION by George Magerl, seconded by Jerry Mahony, to approve library closings for the period January 2008 through January 2009. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

PRESENTATION FROM NORTH SUBURBAN LIBRARY SYSTEM - Susan Boatman Garland and Sandra Norlin.

Susan Garland from the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library and Library Director Sandra Norlin gave a presentation on the services offered by the North Suburban Library System to the Des Plaines Public Library. Susan Garland and Sandra Norlin serve on the Board of the North Suburban Library System. Sandra presented statistical information about the ways that the Des Plaines Public Library is served by NSLS, through interlibrary loan, trustee training, staff training and the ability to advertise job postings on their website.

Rhys Read stated that he will attend the November 7, 2007 City Council meeting with President Lake and Library Director Norlin when the library budget is scheduled to be approved. The Board discussed the City Council's request to postpone purchasing RFID equipment and the consensus was to approve the library budget with the increases proposed by the City of Des Plaines Finance Department for employee benefits and property liability insurance in the amount of $8,018. The Board consensus was to ask President Lake, Library Director Norlin and Rhys Read to write a letter to the City Council explaining the budget decisions reached by the Board.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded George Magerl, to accept the 2008 library budget with benefit changes, as presented to the board. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Bogusz, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

George Magerl, Chair of the Planning Committee, reported that the Planning Committee met and discussed the new goals and objectives for the Strategic Plan for 2008 - 2010 and recommend that these goals and objectives be approved by the Board.

MOTION by Committee, to approve the goals and objectives for the Strategic Plan for 2008 - 2010, as presented. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Sandra Norlin asked that the new photocopier/print lease discussion be postponed until the December board meeting, when she will have more information about the equipment and terms of the proposed leasing agreement.

MOTION by George Magerl, seconded by Rhys Read, to table the Photocopier/Print lease agreement proposal until next month and to place the item under Unfinished Business. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Sandra Norlin reported that because there are two open positions in the Information Technology department she had asked Outsource Solutions Group to prepare a proposal to maintain the current levels of services to both patrons and staff, as well as deal with project management and implement several key objectives for a period of three months. The cost for these services will not exceed $67,600.00.

Matthew Bogusz left the meeting at 8:24 p.m.

Sandra explained that Outsource Solutions Group would provide 1 full-time person and 1 part-time person. Rhys Read asked if Outsource had provided resumes for the persons who would be working at the library and if Outsource had the appropriate insurance coverage. Rhys also asked if the results of criminal background checks were provided to the library. Sandra Norlin responded that she would ask for this information.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Jerry Mahony, to accept the proposal from Outsource IT Solutions Group in an amount not to exceed $67,600 for a 3-month period and to obtain resumes for the employees from Outsource IT Solutions Group who will work at the library confirming that they have the appropriate experience and that they have passed a criminal background check, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by William Grice, seconded by Eldon Burk, to ask President Lake and a guest to attend the Chamber of Commerce annual dinner and installation of officers on February 8, 2008 and to ask Library Director Sandra Norlin and a guest to attend the dinner and that the library pay for the tickets. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Burk, Grice, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Board members made a contribution to fund the Staff Holiday party, which will be held on December 13, 2007 beginning at 8:00 a.m. Sandra Norlin invited the Board to attend.

The 2008 annual Legislative Breakfast will be held on February 18, 2008 at the Arboretum Club. Eldon Burk, Noreen Lake and George Magerl will attend the breakfast.

President Lake reminded board members that National Library Legislative Day in Washington, D.C. will be on May 13 and 14, 2008. Sandra Norlin reported that the budget allows for two trustees to attend.

Maria Bahamon stated that she was a panelist for a Latino Summit at Harper College.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

MOTION by William Grice, seconded by George Magerl, to enter into an Executive Session at 8:40 p.m. to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body or legal counsel for the public body. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

The regular session reconvened at 8:56 p.m. and was called to order by President Noreen Lake.

MOTION by Jerry Mahony, seconded by William Grice, to adjourn the regular meeting. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Meeting adjourned at 8:58 p.m.

Minutes prepared by Carol Kidd.

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