BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
October 21, 2008

The regular meeting of the Des Plaines Public Library Board of Trustees was held in the second floor conference room on Tuesday, October 21, 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: Matthew Bogusz, Eldon Burk, Myrtle Klebe, Noreen Lake, George Magerl, Rhys Read, Jeffery Rozovics, Elaine Tejcek.

Also present: Sandra Norlin, Holly Richards Sorensen, Carol Kidd, Heather Imhoff, Karen McBride.

Absent: None.

CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA.

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

PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

Elaine Tejcek stated that in conjunction with the Des Plaines Art Guild she will display some of her artwork at the library from October 22 through November 30.

Des Plaines resident Richard Shaw met with Sandra Norlin to ask her to consider waiving late fees for seniors. Mr. Shaw stated that neighboring libraries have adopted this policy. Sandra stated that Roberta Johnson surveyed other libraries in the area and found that out of 27 libraries that answered the survey, 4 libraries do waive the fees. This item will be discussed at the next Management Committee meeting.

CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE – Alderman Martin Moylan.

Alderman Moylan was not in attendance.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT – Karen McBride

Karen McBride, Web Services Librarian, demonstrated the “Return on Investment Calculator” which is on the library’s website and provides information on the savings to patrons when they check out library materials. Karen will also demonstrate “Return on Investment” when the library presents its budget to the City Council on October 22.

CONSENT AGENDA

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

CONSENT AGENDA

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: Bogusz, Burk, Klebe, Lake, Magerl, Read, Rozovics, Tejcek. 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: Bogusz, Burk, Klebe, Lake, Magerl, Read, Rozovics, 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 September 2008 are Petya Andreeva, Technology Page (PT), Ruth Noonan, Page (PT). Separations: Elizabeth Pearl, Page (PT).

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Several staff members attended the annual conference of the Illinois Library Association at Navy Pier September 24 through 26. Some employees attended for the whole conference, others for one day. Jill Franklin, Christina Tropea, and Veronica Schwartz presented a poster session on our Sister Library activities. Bob Blanchard received an award for his work to provide and improve services for blind and visually handicapped patrons in our library and our neighboring libraries. Gail Bradley and Kathy Kyrouac attended the Book Cart Drill Team competition to scout out our competition.

The Department Heads presented the program for the quarterly All-Staff meeting on October 1. The theme for the program was getting in touch with our values. We spoke of and demonstrated our library’s vision statement, our key beliefs statement, and our goals. We introduced our values as observed and articulated by our department heads. We also practiced and evaluated our performance on a fire drill.

The Department Heads took our annual retreat to visit area special libraries, this year to the Field Museum on October 8. We took the guided tour of the museum in the morning and a tour of the library and archives in the afternoon. Past visits have been made to the Brookfield Zoo, the McCormick Freedom of Speech Museum, and to the headquarters of the American Theological Library Association.

This quarter’s Bonus Awards have been given to Ethan Jangwon Hong, Judy Reiss, and Kathleen Barnes.

Holly Sorensen and I attended the semi-annual Employment Law Update Seminar presented by the Management Association of Illinois. We attended sessions on FMLA, FLSA, Layoffs, and Workplace Bullying.

Gary Valente, Roberta Johnson and Holly Sorensen attended a discussion of worldwide trends and their impact on library services led by consultant Miriam Pollack.

PATRON SERVICES

We are holding a nice increase in circulation year to date (2.69%) and Self-Check use remains steady at 44%. Card registration is showing a 4.5% increase, but in-person visits and in-house use of computers has declined, and now we know that 36,379 visited “virtually” in September through our website. Please note the large increase in use of our online reference sources.

I want to highlight two events that are the result of partnerships with community agencies. On Saturday, October 11 we hosted, with the excellent assistance of the Des Plaines Park District, the second annual Croquet Tournament. Roberta Johnson organized the event with enthusiastic support of several staff members. On Friday, October 17 we will host a Family Night for Orchard Place School. Sara McLaughlin is organizing this special event, with assistance from her colleagues in the Youth Services Department and the Circulation Services Department. This event is the result of a meeting I had with the Principal of Orchard Place, Lauren Leitao, in August.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

I attended the ILA Annual Conference at Chicago’s Navy Pier from Wednesday, September 24 through Friday, September 26. On September 30 I moderated the interview with Board Presidents John Burke, Eldon Burk, and Noreen Lake about the library’s history in general and the 2007 Centennial celebration specifically. This program will be used as part of our Centennial Video as a record of our commemoration of the event. I attended the Chamber of Commerce Executive Board Meeting on 10/1, the CCS Governing Board meeting in Zion-Benton on 10/2, the Rotary District Conference in Lincolnshire on 10/3. I registered voters on Sunday 10/4 and Tuesday evening 10/7. I was interviewed on 10/10 for the regional survey of Age Options, the newly named regional agency on aging. On 10/10 I also had a business lunch with NSLS Director Sarah Long. On 10/11 I attended the annual Croquet Tournament. On 10/16 I will attend the Library Production Studio Executive Committee meeting and on 10/17 I met with Mayor Arredia, President Noreen Lake, and Pat Krochmal of the Des Plaines Times regarding an exchange program between Des Plaines and a community in Poland.

NEW BUSINESS

MOTION by George Magerl, seconded by Elaine Tejcek, to approve payment to Gale Cengage Learning for Literature Resource Center Renewal in the amount of $6,935.25, which is a budgeted expense and is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bogusz, Burk, Klebe, Lake, Magerl, Read, Rozovics, Tejcek. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by George Magerl, seconded by Eldon Burk, to approve payment to Gale Cengage Learning for Biography Resource Center and Student Resource Center Renewal in the amount of $10,222.96, which is a budgeted expense and is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bogusz, Burk, Klebe, Lake, Magerl, Read, Rozovics, Tejcek. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Elaine Tejcek, seconded by Jeffery Rozovics, to approve a 10:00 a.m. opening for All Staff Day on December 17, 2008. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

The Board discussed the purchase of 41 Dell computers and requested that Dan Klobnak, Outsource Solutions Group, be invited to the November 18 Board meeting to answer questions about the purchase.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by George Magerl, to approve payment to Library Production Studio in the amount of $8,114.74, which is a budgeted expense and is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bogusz, Burk, Klebe, Lake, Magerl, Read, Rozovics, Tejcek. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by George Magerl, seconded by Rhys Read, to approve library closings through January 2010, with the following modifications: Late Opening for All-Staff Meeting on Thursday, December 17, 2009 and Library Closed on Sunday, July 5, 2009 for the Independence Day Holiday weekend. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Sandra Norlin gave information on a new database the library is offering to patrons on language instruction. The database “TELL ME MORE” includes 2,000 hours of instruction for patrons in 6 languages.

Noreen Lake read a patron comment complimenting the library on good services.

The acquisition of the artwork held by the City of Des Plaines will be discussed at another meeting.

Noreen Lake thanked the staff for organizing and promoting the second annual croquet tournament.

George Magerl reported on his attendance at the Illinois Library Association conference.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Eldon Burk, to enter into an Executive Session at 8:17 p.m. to discuss Semi-Annual Review of Executive Session Minutes. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

The regular session reconvened at 8:29 p.m. and was called to order by President Noreen Lake.

EXECUTIVE SESSION ACTION

MOTION by Committee, to concur with the consensus in Executive Session that the following Executive Session minutes no longer require confidential treatment and are available for public inspection:
December 18, 2007 – To Discuss Semi-Annual Review of Executive Session Minutes.
August 21, 2007 – Deliberations Concerning Salary Schedules for One or More Classes of Employees.
October 17, 2006 – Compensation, Discipline or Performance of a Specific Employee.
September 20, 2005 – To Discuss Probable or Imminent Litigation.
August 16, 2005 – To Discuss Probable or Imminent Litigation.
July 16, 2002 – Purchase or lease of Real Property, Review of Executive Session Minutes.
May 21, 2002 – Purchase or Lease of Real Property, Administrator’s Evaluation.
August 21, 2001 – Purchase or Lease of Real Property.
July 17, 2001 – Purchase or Lease of Real Property, Semi-Annual Review of Executive Session Minutes.
January 16, 2001 – Purchase or Lease of Real Property.

And further concur with consensus in Executive Session that the need for confidentiality still exists as to all or part of the remaining Executive Session minutes. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Bogusz, Burk, Klebe, Lake, Magerl, Read, Rozovics, Tejcek. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

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

Meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

Minutes prepared by Carol Kidd

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