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MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE PARK RIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY HELD AT 7:30 P.M. ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 IN THE FIRST FLOOR MEETING ROOM OF THE LIBRARY CALL TO ORDER Mr. Schmidt called the meeting to order at 7:34 p.m. ROLL CALL TRUSTEES PRESENT: John Schmidt, President; Shlomo Crandus, Vice President; Margaret Harrison, Secretary; John Benka, Arthur Davis, Patricia Lofthouse, Richard Van Metre. TRUSTEES ABSENT: Dorothy Hynous, Treasurer; Eileen O'Neill-Burke. OTHERS PRESENT: Janet Van De Carr, Library Director; Jodi Bemis Whitney, Linda Egebrecht, Kate Hall, Gretchen Kottkamp, Vivian Mortensen, Kathy Rolsing, Library Staff; Michael Crotty, City Human Resources Director. CONSENT AGENDA Mrs. Lofthouse MOVED to approve the Consent Agenda. Mr. Crandus SECONDED the motion. Roll call vote was taken on the Motion. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. COMMENTS FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC None. SECRETARY'S REPORT Ms. Harrison circulated two folders of correspondence and information.
TREASURER'S REPORT Mrs. Van De Carr reviewed the cash report, stating that the Library had not yet received the property taxes, but she expected to see them by the end of October. She reviewed the financial reports for September, stating that the Summary by Line Item Report showed that with 33% of FY07/08 elapsed, 32% of the budget (excluding the Capital Budget) had been expended. LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S REPORT Mrs. Van De Carr reviewed the Library's statistics for the month, reporting that a table showing computer usage had been added to the Circulation Data sheet showing the number of PCs in each area of the Library, the total number of sessions, etc. Mrs. Van De Carr stated that this information will be provided monthly, with a YTD summary. Mrs. Van De Carr reported that the door counts and program attendance were both high and YTD program attendance continues to be high. Outreach statistics show more groups than last year, which include the school visits at the beginning of the fiscal year made by Children's Services and the Young Adult Librarian. Mrs. Van De Carr stated that in her monthly report she had given the Board a list of some of the activities that take place at the beginning of the school year, the information provided by the Young Adult Librarian and Children's Services Manager. Mr. Benka stated he was pleased to see that Maine East High School was being attended to by the Library staff. He reported that as a member of the Board of Directors of the Student Health Center at Maine East High School, which is one of 17 student health centers in the Midwest, and will likely become the lighthouse Student Health Center of the Midwest Area he was really appreciative for the Library's involvement with the High School. Mrs. Van De Carr reported that one of the statues had been installed on the Library grounds that afternoon near the corner of Touhy and Prospect. This first piece of art is called “Celebration” she stated that the new lighting on the grounds has been connected and everything looks very attractive at night. She invited the Board members to drive by it after the meeting to see the effect. Mrs. Van De Carr stated that the second piece of artwork this one by David Unger entitled “Storyteller” would be installed September 25 in the Reading Garden. The City will host a dedication on October 1 on the Library grounds, with refreshments following in the Library's first floor meeting room. She added that the event would be at 4:30 pm on October 1 and that the Trustees should all be getting invitations soon. A number of the Board mentioned that they had already received their invitation. Mrs. Van De Carr stated that the Library is looking forward to receiving the art and that they are a nice enhancement to the grounds. Mrs. Van De Carr mentioned that the Library had sponsored a teen concert on the front lawn of the Library; she said it was very lively and several teen bands played to a crowd of about 100 teens who enjoyed the concert. Mrs. Van De Carr added that a few patrons inside the Library complained that the noise was coming into the Library and that it was disturbing. Mr. Benka asked Mrs. Van De Carr to elaborate on the point mentioned in her report about a new collection of video games in Children's Services how many were purchased, what topics they cover, etc. Mrs. Van De Carr asked Mrs. Hall, Children's Services Manager, to explain the collection. Mrs. Hall stated that the first order of 55 video and computer games had been placed on the shelves and less than 20 had remained on the shelf. Also, games for four different console game systems will also be purchased: Game Cube, Wii, Playstation 2 and Playstation 3. Mrs. Hall explained that they have been purchasing “E for Everyone” games, and “E10+” which just means there is more reading required to navigate the games. She added that the YA Librarian, Ms. Hommel, had passed on a lot of “E” game requests that she had received to Children's Services, and then the Children's Services librarians also bought those games based on popular cartoons, racing, sports, Mario Brothers, etc. and they are all in Children's Services. Mrs. Hall stated the department will place an order of 15 -20 more games this week, and then over the next year or more, additional titles will be purchased (maybe 15-20 a month), possibly up to 215-230 games and that the new collection is being funded by the Per Capita Grant. Mrs. Van De Carr added that this new collection of video games will begin to replace the CD ROM collection in Children's Services which is old and the CDs often do not work on patrons' newer computers. Mr. Benka inquired as to the Maintenance Manager and Library Graphic Artist, how were the positions advertised and where and who is involved in the selection process. Mrs. Van De Carr explained where the ads were placed and the other details regarding the interview process for these positions. Mrs. Van De Carr explained that the current Graphic Artist is retiring in mid-November and her goal is to have the replacement person in place so that there is at least a 2 week overlap prior to Mrs. Van Diggelen's retirement so that some training can take place. Mrs. Van De Carr added that Mr. Weiland's (Maintenance Manager) last day would be September 21 and that no overlap time with the new manager would be possible. She stated that there is another full time Maintenance person in the building, as well as Mr. Tidd in Administration who worked almost a year with Mr. Weiland and he has a lot of knowledge about the building, and also Public Works has stated that they will lend their assistance should it be needed. Mrs. Van De Carr distributed a copy of an article on “Books on Demand” that Mr. Van Metre had given her to copy. The “Books on Demand” equipment allows people to purchase a book that is out of print, no longer covered under copyright, and in digital format and obtain a hard-copy of it complete with a cover. Some discussion ensued regarding the article. Mrs. Van De Carr informed the Board that the Library enters into a contractual agreement with private local schools in town to offer school-year library cards to students who don't live in Park Ridge. She stated that she had received 3 contracts for the Board President & Board Secretary to sign, and those were from St. Paul of the Cross, St. Andrews, and Mary, Seat of Wisdom. Mrs. Van De Carr added that the Library would probably be receiving the contracts from Embers Elementary, Maine East High School, and Maine South High School soon. COMMITTEE REPORTS Planning & Operations: Mr. Crandus reported that no updates were made to the Strategic Plan due to the work on the surveys. Mr. Crandus stated that the Committee discussed the Output Measures Annual Survey (OMS) questions. The Library staff intends to keep the OMS to 4 or 5 questions because people don't respond as well when there are too many questions. Discussion ensued regarding the five questions submitted by the Committee, as well as the possible phrasing of questions, etc. Mr. Crandus reported that the Board needs to approve the questions so that the OMS could start on September 24 as scheduled and added that volunteers are already scheduled to assist in the conducting of the Survey. After review, the Board agreed the Output Measures questions were appropriate for the September survey. Mr. Crandus reported that the Committee discussed the Community Survey timeline and determined that the surveying is usually a 6 to 8 week process; therefore it would be best to launch at the end of September and finish before Thanksgiving, or start in January. Mr. Crandus stated that although it was not critical to have it done before Thanksgiving, the Committee thought it would be nice to do so. Mr. Crandus asked if the Board wanted to try to finalize the questions this evening or to review the questions and discuss them at the October Committee meetings. Some discussion ensued regarding various questions and related issues, then Mr. Crandus suggested that since not all of the Trustees were aware that a review was going to take place at the Board meeting, that the Board go on with the rest of the Committee reports and then discuss this at the end of the current meeting, time permitting. More discussion ensued, and then all the Trustees agreed to postpone discussion until the end of the meeting, time permitting. Marketing & Fund-Raising: Mr. Crandus reported that the Committee discussed the Library Liaison, Alderman DiPietro's attendance at meetings, and that the Committee feels that the Board should invite him to meetings that they feel it would be important for him to attend (i.e., when the Board reviews the community survey results, budget, strategic plan, etc.) and then ask for a commitment from him. The consensus of the Committee is that Mr. Benka should act as an unofficial liaison between the Board and Alderman DiPietro; Mr. Benka replied that he would be happy to do so. Mr. Crandus stated that the Committee discussed the Buy A Brick policy and recommends the expansion of the Buy A Brick policy, but it will still be somewhat restrictive. Mrs. Lofthouse asked if there would be any outreach to those people whose order had been rejected or changed, to which Mrs. Van De Carr replied that, yes, that would occur. On behalf of the Committee, Mr. Crandus made a MOTION: To approve the revised Buy A Brick policy. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. Mr. Crandus reported that Mrs. Harrison had done some research on grants, and is concentrating on small family foundations and grants for fundraising for the Library. It was agreed that it would be helpful to be specific on what each fundraiser is raising funds for. Mrs. Harrison stated that she and Mrs. Van De Carr will create a list of potential projects and she would send an inquiry letter to several Park Ridge Foundations to see what transpires. Library Resources: Mr. Benka reported that at the Committee meeting, Mrs. Van De Carr had updated that Board on the Library Card Sign Up Month (September). He added that she had reported that seventeen businesses are participating throughout town and that there has been considerable outreach to the city and schools regarding the incentives and the Library Card Sign Up Month initiative and that it was being well received. Mr. Van Metre stated that the Illinois Per Capita Grant Application is due in Springfield by October 15, and that the Grant is funded at about $1.15 per capita; therefore, the Library is anticipating the grant to be approximately $43,000. Mr. Benka reported that the three objectives the Library staff has presented for use of the grant monies are:
MOTION: To approve the Illinois Per Capita Grant Application for FY2008 as presented. Mr. Van Metre SECONDED the motion. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. Mr. Benka reported that at the Committee meeting Mrs. Van De Carr had reviewed the replacement firewall; the purchase of such replacement was to take place within 3 to 4 years. The present firewall is no longer satisfactory. It is 4 years old and has been negatively affected by a number of things including power outages. Mr. Vollmer, Access Services Manager, has recommended purchasing a new firewall from CDWG. Mr. Vollmer stated he has used this company's firewall product in previous years and stated that it is a very secure and strong vehicle. (See attached memo of September 5, 2007 for details.) The cost of the Cisco firewall is more than $5,000; Mrs. Van De Carr purchased it at a cost of $981.99 over the $5,000 ceiling. According to policy, the Board needs to approve Mrs. Van De Carr's decision at the next regular meeting since the purchase was in excess of $5,000. On behalf of the Committee, Mr. Benka made a MOTION: To approve Mrs. Van De Carr's emergency purchase of the Cisco ASA Appliance at a cost of $5,981.99, which exceeds the $5,000 approval limit for purchases of repairs and equipment. Mr. Davis SECONDED the motion. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. Mr. Benka stated the Committee discussed the proposal by Mr. Vollmer to upgrade the Library's data transmission bandwidth. Because the Committee didn't feel that it had enough information to reach an appropriate conclusion as to how much the Library should spend, the Committee asked Mr. Vollmer to provide the Committee with more details. This matter was tabled until Mr. Vollmer and staff research what other comparable libraries are doing with regard to providing wider band width; why they are; what they have now; what they are changing to; what the costs are. He will deliver a revised report to the Committee. Building & Grounds: Mrs. Van De Carr distributed copies of the Committee minutes to the Board. Mrs. Lofthouse reported that the Committee discussed three Capital Budget recommendations made by Mrs. Van De Carr:
Mrs. Lofthouse reported that the Committee discussed the Library's Disaster Plan; the revised plan does meet the requirements of the State of Illinois. The Committee asked that Mrs. Van De Carr prepare a separate emergency procedures manual that would include such catastrophes as bomb threats, kidnappings, and disasters of a human nature. Mrs. Van De Carr and Ms. Egebrecht have agreed to do so and are looking at manuals from other NSLS (North Suburban Library System) libraries. Mrs. Lofthouse stated that she had requested at the meeting that Mrs. Van De Carr ask the City Emergency Services if she can serve on the City's Emergency Preparedness Committee. Mrs. Van De Carr stated that she had not relayed that request as yet. On behalf of the Committee, Mr. Van Metre made a MOTION: To approve the 2007 Disaster Plan for the Library. Mr. Van Metre SECONDED the motion. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. The Committee discussed the options for the wall across the Reference mezzanine as presented by Architect Mr. Mackin. Mr. Weiland estimated the cost to construct the wall would be $45,000. Mr. Weiland suggested not building a soffit so that the cost may be about $15,000 less. The consensus of the Committee was for the Library to obtain estimates for two different options (one with a soffit and one without) from Mr. Mackin. Mrs. Lofthouse reported that Mr. Weiland reviewed the monthly maintenance report (attached) for the Committee and responded to various inquiries. FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY None. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Mrs. Lofthouse reported that the Board had drafted a letter to the City regarding the bluestone beneath the horse chestnut tree in front of the Library stating concerns about the appearance and especially safety issues of the materials. Mrs. Lofthouse stated that the Board had received a reply from the City from Ms. Juliana Maller, Assistant City Manager, that they have no plans to replace the bluestone. She also said that the City would look into the maintenance of it. Mrs. Lofthouse added that the Building & Grounds Committee was still not happy with the outcome and explored the idea of paying for some type of replacement with Library funds. Some discussion ensued regarding the grillwork that the City of Chicago uses over their tree areas in the downtown area. Mrs. Van De Carr stated that the City Groundskeeper felt that sod would not be a good solution due to the wear. She added that the Board would have a few months to come up with a viable solution. NEW BUSINESS Mrs. Lofthouse stated that she wanted clarification about the City Attorney's constraints on the communication between Board and Committee members. She contacted the attorney for the Illinois Library Association, who had been the speaker at a workshop she had attended, to get clarification on the constraints. She read his reply to the Board, outlining the rules about communication between Board and Committee members. A brief discussion ensued. Mrs. Lofthouse stated she would give a copy of the letter to Mrs. Van De Carr to distribute to the Board. Mr. Schmidt asked that, due to the lateness of the hour, the discussion on the Community Survey questions be held off until the conclusion of the Executive Session. Mr. Benka MOTION: for the Board to move into Executive Session at the end of the current Board meeting to discuss a personnel matter. Mr. Crandus SECONDED the motion. Roll call vote. MOTION CARRIED. Mr. Crandus abstained. COMMENTS FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC None. EXECUTIVE SESSION The Board went into an Executive Session at 8:55 p.m. ADJOURNMENT EXECUTIVE SESSION Mr. Schmidt MOVED to come out of Executive Session. Mr. Benka SECONDED the motion. Voice vote. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Executive Session adjourned 10.09 p.m. The Board agreed to defer any additional discussion of the community survey until October. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Van Metre MOVED to adjourn the Board meeting. Mr. Lofthouse SECONDED the motion. Voice vote. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The meeting adjourned at 10:10 p.m. |
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