BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
April 15, 2008

The regular meeting of the Des Plaines Public Library Board of Trustees was held in the second floor conference room on Tuesday, April 15, 2008. President Noreen Lake called the meeting to order at 7:03p.m.

ROLL CALL.

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

Also Present: Sandra Norlin, Holly Richards Sorensen, Carol Kidd, Heather Imhoff, Alderman Martin Moylan, Dan Klobnak, Don Dofolo, Stan Zimmerman.

Absent: George Magerl.

CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA.

Noreen Lake asked that X. New Business. A. Art Committee Report, be removed from the Consent Agenda.

Sandra Norlin asked to add X. New Business. L. Review and Recommendation of IT Services Proposal and Schedule Date for Special Meeting to Award Contract for IT Services Proposal.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Jerry Mahony, to accept the agenda, as amended. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

Stan Zimmerman, 408 S. Wolf Road, Des Plaines, stated that he is a volunteer with the AARP Tax Aide group who meet at the library during tax season. Mr. Zimmerman asked the Board for permission to enter the library at 8:45 a.m. to set up the meeting room. Mr. Zimmerman stated that he was told by library staff that the AARP group could not enter the library before 9:00 a.m. because of security issues. Library Director Sandra Norlin will contact Mr. Cooper to discuss the matter after conferring with staff about their conversations with him.

Mr. Zimmerman asked if there was adequate parking for library patrons because he often sees people driving around the first floor of the parking garage looking for a place to park. Sandra Norlin explained that the City of Des Plaines makes all decisions about who parks in the garage and also explained that the City has a long term contract with the owners of the 701 Lee building who provide parking to their employees.

Mr. Zimmerman asked if the City of Des Plaines uses the library as a resource tool and Sandra Norlin responded that the library would be happy to be a resource to the City of Des Plaines.

Alderman Moylan stated that it is quite exciting to see that library attendance is improving due to better weather conditions.

CONSENT AGENDA

Noreen Lake asked that Minutes from the April 15, 2008 meeting be removed from the agenda.

Noreen Lake stated that Veronica Schwartz name was listed twice in attendance and that the minutes should be changed from Alderman Thomas Christiansen to former Alderman Thomas Christiansen.

MOTION by Matthew Bogusz, seconded by Maria Bahamon, to accept the minutes, as amended. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Elaine Tejcek, seconded by Rhys Reed, to approve the Consent Agenda, as amended. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

CONSENT AGENDA

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

1. Over the Counter Receipts	$	10,373.88
2. Petty Cash Expenditures	$	1.38
3. Budget Expenditures for March	$	449,272.67
4. Expenditures Year to Date	$	1,342,634.31
5. Revenue for March	$	14,091.39
6. Revenue Year to Date	$	608,410.04

MOTION by Elaine Tejcek, seconded by Rhys Read, to approve, subject to audit, expenditures authorized by the Library Director and Board Representatives for library Warrant Registers as follows:

March 03, 2008	$	34,650.72
March 17, 2008	$	98,720.49
Total	$	133,371.21

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

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

March 12, 2008	$	119,829.70
March 26, 2008	$	116,357.55
Total	$	236,187.25

ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Bogusz, Burk, Lake, 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 March 2008: Debra Hendricks and Kishan Patel, Part-time Pages in the Circulation Services Department.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

We have had several staff attending professional conferences since the last report. Five staff, including me, attended the Bi-Annual Public Library Association Conference in Minneapolis, MN, March 26-29. Two staff attended the Computers in Libraries Conference near Washington, DC, April 6-9. Karen McBride, Web Services Librarian presented a program, by invitation. Jill Franklin is in Guadalajara, visiting and observing the staff at our Sister Library. She spent the week of April 6 through 12 there.

The Department Heads will attend a retreat on Wednesday, April 16, led by Gail Johnson. We will meet to assess our skills as organizational leaders and to create a model for our work together as an executive team.

I will award three staff members Performance Bonuses on April 11. They have been selected from nominations submitted by their colleagues. The awards reward exemplary performance and initiative.

PATRON SERVICES

Circulation is sustaining an increase over 2007, year to date. However, attendance is down by 10%. The use of Self-Check has increased to 46% of the items checked out of the main library. In-house use of our computers has increased by 2.6% on fourth floor and 17.6% on the second floor. Our wireless service is steadily used, but we have no numbers to report.

We chose not to renew our contract with NetLibrary because of low usage and an unsupportable increase in cost. Other libraries in the area have also made this decision recently. We will continue to provide PlayAways and will now be able to increase our purchase of books on CD. We have donated two surplus computers to the Frisbie Senior Center to assist them in registering cards to seniors for free transportation on Metra and CTA. They were received with gratitude.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

I attended the Executive Committee meeting of the Library Production Studio on 3/20; the NSLS Board of Directors meeting on 324, and the Friends of the Library Roundtable on 3/25. In April thus far, I have attended the CCS Governing Board meeting on 4/2, chaired the Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Committee 0n 4/3, and helped at the Friends of the Library Booksale on 4/4. I gave a tour to members of the staff and board of the Fountaindale Public Library District on 4/8 and attended the SLURP luncheon meeting on 4/11.

NEW BUSINESS

Sandra Norlin stated that the Des Plaines Public Library sent out Request for Proposals to four companies for Information Technology services. The following services were requested:

Project Management.
Implementation of objectives identified by both library and IT staff.
Advice on future upgrades.
Assistance with acquisition and deposition of hardware and software.
Planning and budget advice.
Onsite management and direction of library IT staff for day to day operations and project tasks.

Sandra Norlin recommends Outsource IT Solutions Group at a cost of $134,550.00 for the remainder of the calendar year, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. Sandra explained that this item was not on the agenda and asked the Board to set a date and time for a Special Meeting to approve this contract.

Mr. Don Sofolo, President, and Dan Klobnak, both of Outsource Solutions Group, answered questions from the Board about the services they will provide for the library if their contract is approved.

A Special Board meeting was set for Friday, April 18, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. to vote on approving the contract with Outsource Solutions Group.

MOTION by Elaine Tejcek, seconded by Maria Bahamon, to approve payment to Transworld Systems Inc. in the amount of $5,250.00, which is a budgeted expense and is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Bogusz, Lake, Mahony, Read, Tejcek. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

The Board discussed the possibility of combining a library card with a park district card. This item was referred to library staff who will explore the idea and report back to the board with their recommendations.

Eldon Burk entered meeting at 7:47 p.m.

The Board discussed using a database service to compile a list of new residents who would be sent informational packets of library materials. This item was referred to library staff who will research this idea and report back to the board with their recommendations

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by Elaine Tejcek, to authorize Library Director Sandra Norlin to purchase a wreath for the Memorial Day ceremony in an amount not to exceed $150.00 and to present the wreath at the ceremony. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

President Lake asked Jerry Mahony and Elaine Tejcek to send a letter to Mayor Arredia if interested in serving another term as Library Board Trustee.

MOTION Rhys Read, seconded Jerry Mahony, to ask Library Director Sandra Norlin to compose a letter to State Senator Mike Jacobs opposing House Bill 1727 and to send copies of the letter to elected area officials in the House and Senate. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Matthew Bogusz will attend Des Plaines Healthy Community Partnership “Day at the Races” on Saturday, June 14, 2008 as a library representative.

Eldon Burk stated that the library’s annual fundraiser Do the Dewey would be held at the library on Saturday, April 26 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

The Management Committee will discuss dates to meet after the regular meeting.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by Jerry Mahony, to approve payment to Kasco Printing for printing the library’s spring newsletter in the amount of $5,428.00, which is a budgeted expense and in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bahamon, Bogusz, Burk, Lake, Mahony, Read, Tejcek. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED

ANNOUNCEMENTS

President Lake asked that an Executive Session be added to the May agenda for the Library Director’s review.

Sandra Norlin presented bonus awards in April to Laura Adler, Raul Silvestry and Steven Giese for outstanding service to the library.

The United Way will honor Des Plaines Public Library staff on June 5, 2008 for their participation in a United Way campaign.

Library Director Sandra Norlin stated that she attended the Public Library Association conference in Minneapolis in March and gave an overview of the programs she attended.

OTHER

Sandra Norlin reported that as of April 1, 2008 the library cancelled their NetLibrary contract for downloading ebooks because of a substantial price increase and because the usage was minimal.

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

Meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m.

Minutes prepared by Carol Kidd.

back