BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
March 18, 2008

The regular meeting of the Des Plaines Public Library Board of Trustees was held in the second floor conference room on Tuesday, March 18, 2008. 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, Eldon Burk, Noreen Lake, George Magerl, Jerry Mahony, Rhys Read.

Also Present: Sandra Norlin, Carol Kidd, Heather Imhoff, Wally Meyer, Alderman Martin Moylan, Thomas Christiansen, Carol Shannon, Veronica Schwartz, Gail Bradley.

Absent: Matthew Bogusz, Elaine Tejcek.

CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA.

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

PRESENTATION TO WILLIAM GRICE.

President Noreen Lake thanked former trustee, William Grice, for serving on the library board from 1999 – 2008. The Reverend Dr. Grice expressed his appreciation.

SPECIAL EVENTS COMMISSION.

Thomas Christiansen and Carol Shannon, representatives from the Special Events Committee, presented an award to the library for participation in the City of Des Plaines 2007 Fourth of July parade for the best non-musical unit.

PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

Wally Meyer, President of Friends of the Library, invited the Board to attend the Friends booksale the weekend of April 4.

SPECIAL FAMILIES NEED SPECIAL LIBRARIES GRANT – Veronica Schwartz.

Veronica Schwartz, Head of Youth Services, reported that the library applied for and received a grant from the Illinois State Library for a project that offers services and programs to autistic children and their families. The library received a check in the amount of $13,517.00.

CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE – Alderman Martin Moylan.

Alderman Moylan stated that he is willing to work with the library board on concerns they may have about the outside maintenance of the building. Sandra Norlin said the library would like to work with the city to enhance the parking garage entrance into the library.

CONSENT AGENDA

Rhys Read asked to remove Acceptance of Financial Reports for February 2008.

MOTION by George Magerl, seconded by Rhys Read, to approve the Consent Agenda, as modified. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Rhys Read asked Sandra Norlin to request clarification from the City of Des Plaines Finance Department on how the Property Taxes for 2006 were reported in the Revenue Status Report for February 2008 and the Revenue Status Report for period 13.

CONSENT AGENDA

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

MOTION by George Magerl, seconded by Rhys Read, 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, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

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

ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Burk, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. 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 February/March 2008 are Christina Pagan, Debra Hendricks, and Kishan Patel, Circulation Services Pages and Kintu Patel, Technology Page.

Resignations/Separations for the same period: Anton Tsybulsky,
Technology Page.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

We have held two training sessions for staff on the understanding and service to children with autism. Linda Hoeck, NSSEO Autism Coordinator, conducted both sessions. This program is part of our LSTA Grant “Special Families Need Special Libraries.”

Our All-Staff meeting was held on March 6. In addition to the Autism program, staff learned about the Library’s United Way Campaign, which will be held separately this year, and viewed the premiere of the Green Team’s new video “It’s Easy Bein’ Green.”

Heather Imhoff launched a daily update of library news and events for library staff. It’s called The Morning Report and uses an enewsletter format.

PATRON SERVICES

February was an interesting month. Although attendance was down by 8% over February, 2007, circulation increased by 8.27%. The circulation from the main library increased by 8% and from the Mobile Library by 13%. Self-check was used for 44% of the items checked out of the main library. Print circulation accounted for 51% of the total circulation, 68% of the Youth Services circulation and 42% of the Adult Services circulation. Current registration for library cards represents 62.2% of the population of Des Plaines, a slight (123) decrease from 2007.

If we divide the use of the library equally among the 29 days we were open in February, we get a picture of a “typical “ day at the library. In February, that would be 249 uses of the computers in the adult services department, 53 uses of computers in the youth services department; 31 people using the group study rooms; 128 items reserved for patrons to pick up; 518 uses of our electronic databases; and 129 people attending meetings or programs; and 3208 items checked out. That’s just one day in February.

Please note the new information about programming and other services provided outside the library by library staff. In February, 1078 people had contact with the library through these services.

I want to call attention to the extraordinary generosity of the Friends of the Library. The Friends have recently agreed to fund several new initiatives and programs, including our new reusable “shopping” bag program, design services for a special home page for the teens, and an additional program through the Friends Family Sunday series.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

I attended a meeting to discuss cooperative grant potential at the Frisbie Senior Center on 2/27 and a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Library Production Studio on 2/28. I was a guest reader at Central School on 2/29. I attended the Library Cable Network Advisory Committee meeting and met (along with Heather Imhoff) with Debra Whisler, Public Information Head at Arlington Heights Memorial Library on 3/4. I attended the Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee meeting on 3/5, the NSLS Board Management Affairs Committee meeting on 3/10. I will attend the Chamber of Commerce Board meeting and (along with Heather Imhoff) travel to Elgin to meet with the Library Director and Director of Public Information at the Gail Borden Library on 3/13, the NSLS Awards Banquet on 3/14,and film a segment for “What’s New in Libraries” on the Learning Organization on 3/17.

I was not selected for jury duty for the trial that began March 5.

NEW BUSINESS

Eldon Burk reported that the Management Committee met on Tuesday, March 4 and reviewed the Emergency Exception to the Illinois Library Records Confidentiality Act and asked the Board to approve the use of this form in the event that information is requested by a law enforcement officer without a court order.

MOTION by Committee, to approve the use of the form “Officer’s Request for Confidential Library Information.” VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Sandra Norlin asked the Board to approve a request for reorganization of staff which came from a recommendation by the Department Heads. The reorganization will improve customer service to both patrons and staff.

MOTION by Committee, to approve the proposal for reorganization of staff, as presented. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Eldon Burk reported that the Management Committee met on Tuesday, March 11 and discussed and made changes to the Library Policy, Section A – General Policies and Section C – General Regulations and asked for Board approval for these changes to policy.

Rhys Read asked the Board to increase the limit the Library Director is allowed to make on single item purchases of goods or services from less than $5,000.00 to $10,000.00 to keep pace with inflation.

The Board agreed to discuss agenda item X. New Business B. Approval on Levels on Invoices in conjunction with the discussion on changes to Library Policy – Section A.

The Board discussed increasing the limit the Library Director is allowed to make on single item purchases of goods or services to more than $5,000.00, but agreed not to change the amount or the policy.

MOTION by Committee, to approve changes to Library Policy, Section A – General Policies. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Committee, to approve changes to Library Policy, Section C – General Regulations. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by George Magerl, to add the following sentence to Section A – General Policies, A-8 Policy on Library Expenditures:

If contracts are approved in the manner indicated in above items 1 or 2, approval would be for all subsequent invoices up to the total amount of the contract.

VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Eldon Burk will attend the April 7 City Council meeting, Jerry Mahony the April 21 meeting, George Magerl, the May 5 meeting and Rhys Read the May 19 meeting.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Jerry Mahony, to approve payment to Outsource Solutions Group in the amount of $18,200.00, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: Bahamon, Burk, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Jerry Mahony, seconded by Rhys Read, to approve payment to Outsource Solutions Group in the amount of $18,250.00, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: Bahamon, Burk, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by George Magerl, to approve payment to Today’s Business Solution in the amount of $5,046.99, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: Bahamon, Burk, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Jerry Mahony, seconded by Maria Bahamon, to approve payment to Cooperative Computer Services in the amount of $5,140.00, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: Bahamon, Burk, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Sandra Norlin asked for Board approval to declare two Dell computers surplus property and to donate the computers to the Frisbie Senior Center.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by Jerry Mahony, to declare the following computers surplus property and to donate these computers to the Frisbie Senior Center:

Make & Model Number    Serial Number
Dell Optiplex GX270       CKQZH31
Dell Optiplex GX270       F07HS31

VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Sandra Norlin asked for Board approval to extend the contract with Outsource Solutions Group for one additional month to cover the time between the end of the current contract and a new annual contract with the outsource IT company that Sandra will recommend to the Board at the April meeting.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by George Magerl, to extend the contract with Outsource Solutions Group for one additional month in an amount not to exceed $20,995, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: Bahamon, Burk, Lake, Magerl, Mahony, Read. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Elaine Tejcek and Noreen Lake will attend National Library Legislative Day in Washington, DC on May 13 and 14, 2008.

Elaine Tejcek stated that she will not attend the March Friends of the Library meeting.

Heather Imhoff, Head of Public Information Services, reminded the Board that the Do the Dewey fundraiser will be held on Saturday, April 26 from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at the library.

CORRESPONDENCE

George Magerl reported that he visited the Warren Newport Library with library staff to observe a working RFID system. He reported several concerns he had about the operation of the new system.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by George Magerl, to adjourn the regular meeting. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

Minutes prepared by Carol Kidd

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