Board Minutes

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
April 18, 2006

The regular meeting of the Des Plaines Public Library Board of Trustees was held in the second floor conference room on Tuesday, April 18, 2006. President Noreen Lake called the meeting to order at 7:00PM.

ROLL CALL.

Roll call indicated the following board members were present: Eldon Burk, Susan Burrows, Mary Ellicson, William Grice, Noreen Lake, Jerry Mahony, Rhys Read, Elaine Tejcek, Susan Weinberg.

Also Present: Sandra Norlin, Martha Sloan, Hector Marino, Leslie Steiner, Carol Kidd, Alderman Carla Brookman, Wayne Serbin, George Magerl, Veronica Schwartz, Andrew Bohan, Carolyn Bohan, Heather Dean, Melissa Szanati.

CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA.

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

TEEN ADVISORY BOARD REPORT.

Veronica Schwartz, Head of Youth Services, introduced representatives from the Teen Advisory Board who explained what activities their group was involved in at the library. The presenters were Andrew Bohan, Carolyn Bohan, Heather Dean and Melissa Szanati. Members from the group volunteer for many library activities including Murder Mystery Night, Santa’s Visit, Do the Dewey and Relay for Life. The group includes 7th through 12th graders.

Alderman Brookman suggested that the group advertise their activities on Channel 17, the City’s cable channel.

PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

Wayne Serbin, 835 Pearson Street, Des Plaines stated that he toured the new Central Library in Des Moines, Iowa. Mr. Serbin presented this information to President Lake.

George Magerl, 825 Pearson, Des Plaines stated that he and several other seniors from the Frisbie Senior Center were concerned about the amount of noise that is generated from the atrium up to the third floor. Mr. Magerl suggested that the tables be relocated to another location that would be quieter.

CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE – Alderman Carla Brookman.

Alderman Brookman reported that the City of Des Plaines is considering offering free city stickers for city and library volunteers. Alderman Brookman also stated that the City’s Finance Committee is looking into other ways to honor the city’s volunteers.

CONSENT AGENDA

Noreen Lake asked that VII.A. Approval of the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting – March 31, 2006 be removed from the Consent Agenda

Elaine Tejcek asked that VII.D.2. Friends of the Library Report be removed from the Consent Agenda.

Noreen Lake asked to amend the following minutes:

The regular session reconvened at 8:26 p.m. and was called to order by President Noreen Lake.

The minutes should read:

The regular session reconvened at 8:26 p.m. and was called to order by Vice President William Grice.

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

Elaine Tejcek asked to amend the Friends of the Library report to read:

The members of the Roundtable called for discussion of issues at a later date.

MOTION by Susan Weinberg, seconded by Mary Ellicson, to accept the Friends of the Library report, as modified. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by Mary Ellicson, to accept the Consent Agenda, as amended. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

MOTION by Eldon Burk, seconded by Mary Ellicson, to approve the Financial Reports for March 2006, 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 $ 12,909.08
2. Petty Cash Expenditures $ 18.46
3. Budget Expenditures for March $ 588,245.12
4. Expenditures Year to Date $ 1,154,350.46
5. Revenue for March $ 22,228.94
6. Revenue Year to Date $ 721,292.50

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

March 06, 2006 $ 58,110.21
March 20, 2006 $ 65,414.04
Total $ 123,524.25

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

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

March 02, 2006 $ 120,043.48
March 16, 2006 $ 118,795.78
March 30, 2006 $ 119,461.56
Total $ 358,300.82

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

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

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

PERSONNEL

New Employees for March/April 2006 are: Leif Rasmussen, Part-time IT Assistant, Adam Bartnik, Part-time IT Assistant, David Choi, Part-time Technology Page, Sue Roberts, Part-time Technology Page, Steve Micheas-DelHerbe, Part-time Circulation Clerk, Travis Jones, Part-time Page, and Sanjin Salkic, Part-time Page.

Resignations/Separations: Cynthia Marquis, Part-time Page, Dorothea Frisbie, Part-time Mobile Library Circulation Assistant, and Chinmay Chauhan, Part-time Technology Page.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Plans are underway for the annual Staff In-service Day to be held Thursday, May 11. The theme for this year’s program is Teens (understanding them in order to serve them better). An interdepartmental team of creative people are led by Martha Sloan. The library will be closed all day on May 11.

PATRON SERVICES

We are sustaining the increase in library use begun in the first two months of the year. We have 637 more registered borrowers than we had in March last year. The patron count is up over 8%, Interlibrary Loan is up nearly 16%, circulation of materials is up slightly over March, but is up 5.4% year to date. Youth Services print materials represent 67% of the circulation from that collection, whereas print materials circulation is 44% of the total circulation of the adult collection. The highest circulation was in DVDs from the adult collection, followed by Youth Services Fiction and Adult Non-fiction. People used Self-Check to check out 21% of the items checked out from the main library.

Meeting Room use increased by 33.5%, thanks, no doubt, to the Friends of the Library Book sale. Computer use is up 17.3% in the Adult Department and 86.5% in the Youth Services Department.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

I attended the PLA Biennial Conference in Boston, MA, April 22 through 25. This year’s Conference was successful in several ways. First, it had the largest number of attendees (11,600) in its 22 year history. The location also was conducive to attending meetings and programs, because the convention center is connected to two large hotels by an indoor mall and covered walkway. And, finally, the programs were outstanding. I was able to attend eight different programs during the two and a half days that I was in Boston. Of these, three stand out for their interest and pertinence. One program was presented by the Director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, Lee Rainie. He shared the information that his organization has collected and analyzed since 1999 about how people use the internet and how the use affects our social, political, and work lives. He described what he called the “8 Realities of the Millennials” and commented on how libraries are and will be affected by the distinct habits and characteristics of this cohort. For pure pleasure I attended “The Mysterious South” which was an interview of four current southern authors whose settings are all in the south. Margaret Maron, May Kay Andrews, Carolyn Haines, and Emyl Jenkins shared secrets of their craft and were thoroughly entertaining. I attended an update on the current status of Intellectual Freedom in libraries, post CIPA and learned that 42% of public libraries use internet filters and 37% use filters for all patrons, regardless of age. “Overcoming Silent Barriers” was a program that described what one new library director did to turn around a library’s philosophy of service and image from rule- and staff-centered to user-focused. I appreciated the candor of her remarks and the ideas for getting to the layers of negativity that are not easily revealed. Finally, the closing general session was informative and entertaining. Paco Underhill, the founder of Envirosell, the marketing research firm known for its analysis of shopping behavior, demonstrated how research findings of customer behavior can/should be used to help design spaces in libraries.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Rhys Read explained that two line items, 918070 Workers Compensation and 918085 RHS Plan Payout, were omitted from the 2006 library budget, in the amount of $8,500.00. The Board consensus at the March 21, 2006 Board meeting was to overspend the line items and adjust other library expenditures to cover these expenses.

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Susan Burrows, to authorize Library Director Norlin to expend library budget funds, as necessary, in line items 918070, Workers Compensation and 918085, RHS Plan Payout, which gives permission to overspend the line item amounts. ROLL CALL VOTE: Burk, Burrows, Ellicson, Grice, Lake, Mahony, Read, Tejcek, Weinberg. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

President Lake reported that the September Foreword column will be written by Elaine Tejcek. Leslie Steiner, Head of Public Information Services, explained the issue following the September issue is the January issue. The Board will discuss topics for their January column later in the year.

NEW BUSINESS

The Board will discuss the Director’s Review in Executive Session at their May 16, 2006 Board of Trustees meeting.

Sandra Norlin reported that the sculpture commissioned by artist Joe Walters was installed in the Administration office and that the plants and animals are authentic to the Des Plaines prairie area. Sandra Norlin asked the Board to authorize payment from the Des Plaines Public Library Donation account to Solomon Projects for the sculpture in the amount of $5,000.00, for Patti Gilford Fine Arts for art consulting, delivery and installation in the amount of $1,777.50 and Bob Hotstettler for his expertise in establishing the plants and animals authentic to the Des Plaines prairie area in the amount of $150.00.

MOTION by Susan Burrows, seconded by Jerry Mahony, to authorize two members of the Finance Committee to sign checks made payable to Solomon Projects for the sculpture in the amount of $5,000.00, for Patti Gilford Fine Arts for art consulting, delivery and installation in the amount of $1,777.50 and Bob Hotstettler for his expertise in establishing the plants and animals authentic to the Des Plaines prairie area in the amount of $150.00 from the Des Plaines Public Library Donation Account. VOTE: AYES: Burk, Burrows, Ellicson, Grice, Lake, Mahony, Read, Tejcek, Weinberg. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Sandra Norlin reported that the Des Plaines Public Library and Rotary Club of Des Plaines will host the “Do the Dewey” fundraiser on April 22, 2006. Sandra thanked Eldon Burk for procuring the food and cash donations and Susan Burrows for acquiring raffles prizes and volunteers to work at the “Dewey”.

Sandra Norlin reported that students in Oakton Community College’s ESL (English as a Second Language) classes who live in unincorporated Rosemont were able to obtain Des Plaines Public Library cards because Oakton Community College received grant funds from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to pay 25% of the annual non-resident fee for 28 families.

CORRESPONDENCE

Noreen Lake reported that the Des Plaines Healthy Community Partnership is sponsoring their fundraiser “Day at the Races” on June 24, 2006. President Lake also reported that the VFW will sponsor “Operation Uplink” on May 20, 2006.

Eldon Burk reported that the Arts Council will host their second annual “Des Jazz” on April 22, 2006.

William Grice reported that on May 13 the Des Plaines postal carriers will collect food to help the Self Help Closet and Pantry of Des Plaines.

OTHER

Sandra Norlin reported that on March 1, 2006 she, Hector Marino, Bob Blanchard and Corky Mayo participated in activities for Illinois Library Day which was held in Springfield, Illinois. The day’s activities were videotaped and the Board was shown a short clip.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Susan Weinberg, to enter into an Executive Session after a 10 minute break at 7:59 p.m. to discuss Probable or Imminent Litigation. Vote: Ayes: All. Nays: None. MOTION CARRIED.

The regular session reconvened at 8:45 p.m. and was called to order by President Noreen Lake.

EXECUTIVE SESSION ACTION

MOTION by Rhys Read, seconded by Eldon Burk, to affirm the decision made in Executive Session to direct Sandra Norlin to proceed as directed by the Board. VOTE: AYES: All. NAYS: None. MOTION CARRIED.

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

The meeting adjourned at 8:47PM.

Minutes prepared by Carol Kidd.

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