Board Minutes

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
August 16, 2005

The regular meeting of the Des Plaines Public Library Board of Trustees was held in the second floor conference room on Tuesday, August 16, 2005. President Noreen Lake called the meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

Members Present: Susan Burrows, Eldon Burk, Mary Ellicson, Jerry Mahony, Noreen Lake, Elaine Tejcek, Susan Weinberg.

Members Absent: William Grice, Rhys Read.

Also Present: Sandra Norlin, Martha Sloan, Leslie Steiner, Hector Marino, Carol Kidd, Sue D’Hondt.

CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA.

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

PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.

None.

CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE – Alderman Carla Brookman.

Alderman Brookman was absent due to an emergency.

CONSENT AGENDA

MOTION by Susan Burrows, seconded by Mary Ellicson, to accept the Consent Agenda, as written. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Susan Burrows, seconded by Mary Ellicson, to approve the Financial Reports for July 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 $ 10,403.81
2. Petty Cash Expenditures $ 16.50
3. Budget Expenditures for July $ 414,928.77
4. Expenditures Year to Date $ 3,071,930.89
5. Revenue for July $ 12,431.96
6. Revenue Year to Date $ 2,787,769.32

MOTION by Susan Burrows, seconded by Mary Ellicson, to approve, subject to audit, expenditures authorized by the Library Director and Board Representatives for library Warrant Registers as follows:

July 05, 2005 $ 71,912.71
July 18, 2005 $ 40,382.57
Total $ 112,295.28

ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Burk, Burrows, Ellicson, Lake, Mahony, Tejcek, Weinberg. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Susan Burrows, seconded by Mary Ellicson, to approve, subject to audit, expenditures for salaries made by the Library Director as follows:

July 07, 2005 $ 117,904.53
July 21, 2005 $ 111,881.83
Total $ 229,786.36

ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Burk, Burrows, Ellicson, Lake, Mahony, Tejcek, Weinberg. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Note: I have received no official requests for confidential information since my last report.

PERSONNEL

New employees for June/July 2005 are Jill Franklin, fulltime Reference Librarian, and Celso Rivera, part time Security Monitor.

Resignations/Separations for the same period: Charles Watson, part time Security Monitor, Shalaiwah Neil, full time Circulation Assistant, Ronald Friedman, part time IT Assistant, Kellie Green, full time Technical Services Assistant, Taha Khan and Jasper Reyes, part time Pages in the Circulation Services Department.

We have completed the interview process for the full time Circulation Services Assistant and are awaiting the results of employment background checks, which are conducted by the City’s Human Resources Department.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Carol Kidd will begin a nine week class on the Access computer application that runs from August 23 through October 18. She is taking this class at my urging, so I have given her permission to be absent from the September and October Board meetings.

Mike Brouillette, full time Circulation Assistant, is in training to receive his CDL so that he can substitute as driver for the Mobile Library service.

PATRON SERVICES

The circulation and attendance figures are interesting to analyze. Circulation and attendance are both down, compared to 2004 at this time. However, we have had 1400 children participate in the Summer Reading Club activities and attendance at adult and youth programs has increased by 12.2%. Print now accounts for 54% of the overall circulation, with a smaller portion from the Adult Collection (31%) and a larger portion from the Youth Services Collection (67%). The circulation from the Mobile Library has increased 4.6% over last July.

Our newest format, e-audiobooks, is gaining in popularity. There are 99 registered users who have checked out 119 books from our collection of over 900 titles since this service began in June.

Please note that we are gaining cardholders, up 713 since last July to 62% of the population of Des Plaines.

The Youth Services department is partnering with the VFW Post 2992 to hold a letter-writing campaign to the troops in Iraq. This program runs from August 14th through the 31st.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

I attended the Library Cable Network Executive Committee meeting on July 21, a Library Trends discussion on July 22, and chaired the CCS Governing Board meeting on July 27. I conducted a tour of the building for the St. Charles Library trustees and staff on August 1 and served as the pronouncer at the Regional Senior Spelling Bee at Maine Township headquarters on August 2. Also on August 2 I attended the NSLS Board orientation meeting and met with the CCS Technical Group Chairs on August 4. I will be on vacation from September 1 through September 14. Martha Sloan will be librarian in charge.

OTHER

Two legislative actions at the state level will have an impact on the library. One, Senate Bill 1882, which has been signed into law by the governor, amends local library procurement statures to increase the competitive bid threshold from $10,000 to $20,000. The other was signed into law in June but does not take effect until 2006. It pertains to the Open Meetings Act and requires that government agencies with websites display meeting agendas and related information online. The other requirement is that telephone conversations, e-mail exchanges, and other types of electronic communications are subject to the meetings law.

OLD BUSINESS.

Sandra Norlin reported that Rosemont officials have indicated that they will financially help Rosemont students attending Orchard Place School who have shown an interest in obtaining a Des Plaines Public Library card. Sandra explained that currently the Village of Rosemont pays 75% toward the cost of a Des Plaines Library card and asks Rosemont residents to pay the remaining 25%.

NEW BUSINESS

Sandra Norlin and President Noreen Lake will meet with City Manager David Niemeyer on August 31 to discuss plans by the City of Des Plaines to charge the library for services for administrative, accounting and human resources. Sandra reported that the library has begun to obtain prices for outsourcing services now being provided by the City of Des Plaines. Sandra also reported that she will present the first draft of the 2006 budget to the Board at the September 20, 2005 meeting. Sandra reported that City Manager David Niemeyer will attend the October 18 Board meeting to report on proposed fees to the library for services currently being provided by the City of Des Plaines for administrative services, accounting and human resources services.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Eldon Burk, Chair of the Management Committee, reported that the Committee reviewed the library’s personnel policy. The policy will be distributed to Board members at the September meeting for their review. The personnel policy will be voted on at the October 18 Board meeting.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Sandra Norlin reported that she will be on vacation from September 1 through September 14.

OTHER

Susan Weinberg and Noreen Lake will attend trustee training on team building.

The board recessed for 5 minutes before going into Executive Session.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by Jerry Mahony, to enter into an Executive Session at 8:20PM To Discuss Probable or Imminent Litigation. Vote: Ayes: All. Nays: None. MOTION CARRIED.

The regular session reconvened at 8:46PM and was called to order by President Noreen Lake.

MOTION by Susan Burrows, seconded by Susan Weinberg, to adjourn the regular meeting. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

The meeting adjourned at 8:46PM.

Minutes prepared by Carol Kidd.

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