Board Capsules
March 18, 2003

The regular meeting of the Des Plaines Public Library Board of Trustees was held in the second floor conference room on Tuesday, March 18, 2003. John Ciborowski called the meeting to order at 7:03 PM.

CONSENT AGENDA

Inara Brubaker asked how often the on-line newspaper subscription site is used. Sandra Norlin responded that monthly usage statistics are included in the Board packet for on-line reference products. Sandra also reported that some on-line services are available for home use by library cardholders.

MOTION by Inara Brubaker, seconded by William Grice, to approve the February 3, 2003 Warrant Register. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Brubaker, Burk, Burke, Burrows, Ciborowski, Grice, Lake, Yearwood.

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

1. Over the Counter Receipts $ 13,007.27
2. Petty Cash Expenditures $ 3.50
3. Budget Expenditures for February $ 298,977.62
4. Expenditures Year to Date $ 556,020.05
5. Revenue for February $ 30,792.88
6. Revenue Year to Date $ 147,973.91

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

February 03, 2003 $ 86,183.94
February 18, 2003 $ 32,245.52
Total $ 118,429.46

ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Brubaker, Burk, Burke, Burrows, Ciborowski, Grice, Lake, Yearwood. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Ellen Yearwood, seconded by William Grice, to approve, subject to audit, expenditures for salaries made by the Library Administrator as follows:

February 06, 2003 $ 95,553.71
February 20, 2003 $ 95,302.72
Total $ 190,856.43

ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Brubaker, Burk, Burke, Burrows, Ciborowski, Grice, Lake, Yearwood. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT

PERSONNEL

New employees for February/March are Joanie Sebastian, Part-time Librarian I (Adult Services) and Laura Daniels, Part-time Assistant Clerk (Circulation Services).

Resignations/Separations: Vasumathi Srinivasan, Part-time Assistant Clerk (Circulation Services).

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Hola Amigos!, our Spanish language basics course for staff members was conducted in March. Over 75 staff members attended. Our goal was for all staff to learn a few welcoming phrases so well that we would lose our natural shyness about speaking to people who speak Spanish. This class was funded by one of the three grants we received through the State Library this year.

Our quarterly All-Staff Meeting on March 13 was planned to inform staff members about safety and security concerns and procedures in light of the national emergency warning system and recent incidents that have caught the attention of our police department. Police personnel made suggestions and answered questions. We also learned about several exciting events coming up in the next few months, including the grant program celebrating other cultures and the summer reading activities.

The Reclassification Committee has begun its work by examining all surveys and job descriptions. The goal of this project is to develop consistent job descriptions and to recommend a salary schedule that achieves both internal and external equity.

PATRON SERVICES

Our Computer Literacy project is off to a strong beginning, with 120 people attending classes in the first three weeks. Without a publicity campaign other than stories in two local newspapers, all classes fill as soon as the openings occur. Each class holds eleven students, with an average of six classes per week. Classes in Spanish and Polish are also planned. The evaluations of these classes have been uniformly positive.

Circulation, registration, and patron count all showed healthy increases over 2002 totals. Library card holders represent 76% of the population of Des Plaines. Our patron count in February averaged 1700+ per day. We introduced a computerized reservation service for internet and computer lab use on Monday, March 10. Staff reports that after working out a few bugs on the first day, the new system is working well. Not all patrons have embraced this as an improvement over the manual, clipboard system. Self-check use is holding at 22% of all circulations from the main library. We are noticing the decline in circulation of periodicals and cassette formats and the increase in DVD circulation.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Since the February Board meeting I have attended the following meetings: Library Cable Network Executive Committee, which I chair, the first year report of the Illinois Library Leadership Initiative in Springfield, IL, several Do the Dewy committee meetings, two meetings of the Planning Committee, Hola Amigos!, a lecture by Mary Minow on the USAPATRIOTACT at the Chicago Public Library, the Library Directors workgroup, the Chamber City Advisory Committee breakfast, the Socrates Rand Awards Banquet, the Library Community Foundation Fund Partners breakfast meeting, and SLURP.

OLD BUSINESS

Sandra Norlin reported on the upcoming fundraiser, "Do the Dewey". Eldon Burk asked for board approval to give fundraiser tickets to donors at no charge. The Board consensus was to offer tickets to donors at no charge.

NEW BUSINESS

John Ciborowski will attend the April 7 City Council meeting, Ellen Yearwood the April 21 meeting, Eldon Burk the May 5 meeting and John Ciborowski the May 19 meeting.

MOTION by Susan Burrows, seconded by Inara Brubaker, to approve payment to Mary Jane Kepner of Kepner Associates, in the amount of $20,000 for consulting fees for library job reclassification. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Brubaker, Burk, Burke, Burrows, Ciborowski, Grice, Lake, Yearwood. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

John Burke distributed Planning Committee minutes from the March 13, 2003 meeting. John also distributed a list of potential participants for the Community Advisory Group. John asked the Board to review the names, add names of potential participants and rate the names according to suitability to the Committee.

John Burke asked for Board approval for the Consulting Agreement from the Executive Service Corps of Chicago in the amount of $3,500.00.

MOTION by Committee, to approve the Consulting Agreement from the Executive Service Corps of Chicago in the amount of $3,500.00. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Brubaker, Burk, Burke, Burrows, Ciborowski, Grice, Lake, Read, Yearwood. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Veronica Schwartz, Head of Youth Services Department, reported that the library has entered a team in the American Cancer Society's fundraiser, Relay for Life.

Sandra Norlin reported that Rosemont has not responded to the proposal for mobile library service.

The Planning Committee will meet on Thursday, April 3, 2003 at 4:00 PM.

The Management Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 8, 2003 at 4:00 PM.

MOTION by Inara Brubaker, seconded by Ellen Yearwood, to adjourn the regular meeting. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

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