Board Minutes

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
November 15, 2005

The regular meeting of the Des Plaines Public Library Board of Trustees was held in the second floor conference room on Tuesday, November 15, 2005. President Noreen Lake called the meeting to order at 7:08 PM.

Members Present: Jerry Mahony, Noreen Lake, Rhys Read, Elaine Tejcek, Susan Weinberg.

Members Absent: Eldon Burk, William Grice, Susan Burrows, Mary Ellicson.

Also Present: Sandra Norlin, Martha Sloan, Hector Marino, Gary Valente, Carol Kidd.

CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA.

Noreen Lake asked to amend the agenda by removing III. Presentation by VFW Post Commander Steven Schaefer.

Sandra Norlin asked to amend the agenda by adding VIII. New Business. K. Building & Grounds Committee Report and removing VIII. New Business. H. Approve CDW – Symantec Anti-Virus Software - $7,875.00.

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

PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.

None.

CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE – Alderman Carla Brookman.

Alderman Brookman was in attendance, but did not give a report.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Elaine Tejcek, to accept the Consent Agenda, as written. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Elaine Tejcek, to approve the Financial Reports for October 2005, as presented. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

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

1. Over the Counter Receipts $ 11,533.29
2. Petty Cash Expenditures $ 0.00
3. Budget Expenditures for October $ 376,338.44
4. Expenditures Year to Date $ 4,443,115.00
5. Revenue for October $ 14,830.94
6. Revenue Year to Date $ 2,933,998.78

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

October 03, 2005 $ 34,819.22
October 17, 2005 $ 36,110.12
Total $ 70,929.34

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

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

October 13, 2005 $ 113,319.66
October 27, 2005 $ 117,919.53
Total $ 231,239.19

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

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Please note: I have not received an official request for confidential information since my last report.

PERSONNEL

New employees for September/October 2005 are Melissa Gulley, Full time Circulation Services Assistant, Tamara Tomasello, Part time Circulation Assistant, Eugene Park and Naman Patel, Part time Pages, Circulation Services.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Several staff members were trained, along with members of community partner agencies and community members, to be facilitators for our community conversations to be held in 2006 as part of our grant project.

Miriam Pollack has completed her contract with the library to assist Department Heads in making our weekly meetings more productive and useful.

PATRON SERVICES

Circulation of materials overall decreased in October from the same period one year ago. Half of the decrease was in the youth services collection use and the other half was in the Mobile Library collection use. 54% of the total circulation was for print materials, 69% of the Youth Services circulation and 46% of the Adult Services circulation. Patrons used the self-check machines for 21% of all items circulated from the main library. Library holdings now total 305,521. We have 35,117 registered cardholders, which represents nearly 62% of the population of Des Plaines. Our attendance count continues to be below last year’s, with 900 fewer visits in October 2005 than in October 2004. Computer use increased in both adult and youth services. Use of our online database resources increased by nearly 50%. Attendance at meetings and programs in the library increased by nearly 10%. The overall use of our facilities, collections, and services is in keeping with regional and national trends of library use, including decreasing circulation of print materials and increasing use of computer and meeting room services.

The historic bricks will go on sale December 1. They will be available for “cash & carry” at the Security Monitor’s station in the first floor lobby area.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

I chaired the CCS Executive Committee meeting on 10/19, attended the LCN Executive Committee meeting on 10/20, met with Karen Henrikson and Joy Matthiessen to approve the 2006-2007 vehicle sticker design featuring the Kinder House and the first library building for their 100th Anniversaries on 10/24, attended the Friends of the Library meeting on 10/25, an NSLS Board retreat on 10/22 and the monthly Board meeting on 10/24, an NSLS Task Force meeting on Reciprocal Borrowing on 11/7, the Legislative Committee meeting (by telephone) on 11/8, and chaired another CCS Executive Committee meeting on 11/9.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

MOTION by Susan Weinberg, seconded by Elaine Tejcek, to approve payment to Cooperative Computer Services in the amount of $11,474.26, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. VOTE: AYES: Lake, Mahony, Read, Tejcek, Weinberg. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Jerry Mahony will attend the December 5 City Council meeting, Noreen Lake the December 19 meeting and Susan Weinberg the January 3 meeting and Elaine Tejcek the January 16 meeting.

Sandra Norlin reported that she is in the process of preparing for the first planning meeting for the “Do the Dewey” fundraiser.

MOTION by Susan Weinberg, seconded by Rhys Read, to approve payment to Proquest Information and Learning in an amount not to exceed $11,495.00, a 2006 budget expenditure, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. VOTE: AYES: Lake, Mahony, Read, Tejcek, Weinberg. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Susan Weinberg, to approve payment to Thomson Gale in the amount of $11,236.65, a 2006 budget expenditure, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. VOTE: AYES: Lake, Mahony, Read, Tejcek, Weinberg. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Elaine Tejcek, seconded by Jerry Mahony, to approve payment to NewsBank in the amount of $9,150.00, a 2006 budget expenditure, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. VOTE: AYES: Lake, Mahony, Read, Tejcek, Weinberg. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Jerry Mahony, seconded by Elaine Tejcek, to approve payment to Dell, for the purchase of two Web Servers, in the amount of $10,499.78, a 2005 budget expenditure, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. VOTE: AYES: Lake, Mahony, Read, Tejcek, Weinberg. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Susan Weinberg, to approve the regular monthly Board of Library Trustees meeting dates, every month except January 2006, which will convene at 4:00 PM, for the period January 2006 through January 2007. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

Sandra Norlin reported that requests for proposal were sent to four companies requesting proposals to vinyl wrap the Mobile Library and asked for board approval to proceed. Sandra explained that this was budgeted for in 2005 and will be paid for with Per Capita Grant funds.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Susan Weinberg, to approve Insight Marketing to apply a partial vinyl wrap to the mobile library in an amount not to exceed $9,000.00, and to use Per Capital Grant funds to pay for the work, which is in the best interest of the Des Plaines Public Library. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Burk, Lake, Mahony, Read, Tejcek, Weinberg. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Sandra Norlin reported that she was notified by Chicago Community Trust that a special meeting will be held on December 3, 2005. Sandra asked members of the Finance Committee to attend.

Sandra reported that the Office of the Attorney General released the funds from the Kenneth W. Downing Trust and that the Chicago Community Trust will receive the distribution. Sandra spoke with Terry Mazany, President & CEO of Chicago Community Trust, and he will follow through to ensure that the Des Plaines Public Library Fund is credited with the proceeds from the trust.

Sandra invited the Board to attend the staff holiday party being held on December 13 from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Sandra reported that the historic bricks will go on sale December 1, 2005.

President Lake explained that Steve Schaefer could not attend the board meeting, but wanted to thank Veronica Schwartz and her staff for their participation in the letter writing campaign for supporting the troops.

Elaine Tejcek thanked Library Director Sandra Norlin for the nicely written letters that she wrote and sent to Mark White and Tom Hebel explaining library policy and the Board’s decision not to make changes to the policy at this time.

Noreen Lake congratulated the Friends of the Library on their very successful booksale.

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

The meeting adjourned at 7:53 PM.

Minutes prepared by Carol Kidd.

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