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Normal Public Library

Minutes of the Board of Trustees

Special Meeting November 4, 2009 

Members present: Joan Steinburg, President, Susan Lash, Pamela Lewis, Jess Ray, Charles Sila and Karl Sila. Brian Chase, Library director, was also present.

President Steinburg called the meeting to order at 4:30pm.

Mr. C. Sila moved that the agenda be accepted as presented.  Ms Lewis seconded.  Motion passed 6-0.

Mr. Chase explained to the board that with staffing changes at the library a need has arisen for basic cleaning.  Contract cleaning bids and references were presented.  Discussion followed.

Ms Steinburg left the room at 4:45

Mr. C. Sila moved that the board waive the formal and customary bid process, with the Library Director having completed  due diligence, to pursue a cleaning contract with company and program of choice for an initial term of 30 days with an option to extend up to an additional 60 days without board approval. Ms Lewis seconded.  The motion passed 5-0. 

Ms Steinburg returned to the room at 5:00.

Mr. C. Sila moved that the session be adjourned.  Ms Lewis seconded.  The motion passed 6-0.  The session adjourned at 5:05 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Lash

Secretary 

 

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Normal Library Board of Trustees
Minutes for Personnel Committee Meeting
October 14, 2009

Location: Normal Public Library board room.

Executive Session:  Section 2 (c) -- land acquisition – as necessary

Meeting convened at 4:30 p.m. Present: Pam Lewis, chairperson; Susan Lash, Jess Ray, committee members; Joan Steinburg, ex-officio member; Brian Chase, guest.

Agenda was approved.

Personnel Policy -- Committee members examined each section of the 12-page policy and made suggestions for updates. 

 Discussion centered on the the following issues: 

• A systemized new employee orientation
• Mandatory drug testing and physical examinations for new employees.
• Sexual harassment policy
• New sick leave guidelines

Committee members requested Brian seek guidance from the Town of Normal human resources director and attorney about these four issues.

Next action – Pam Lewis will incorporate policy changes suggested by the committee.  

 The committee recommended the personnel policy be brought up for discussion at the Oct. 28 board meeting. The committee will meet again in November to discuss other changes and hopefully will bring a final version of the policy for a vote at the November board meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m.

Minutes submitted by Pam Lewis

 

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Normal Public Library
Minutes of the Board of Trustees
September 30, 2009

Members present: Joan Steinburg, President, Amy Christensen, Susan Lash, Pamela Lewis, Jess Ray, Charles Sila, Karl Sila (arrived 6:05 pm) and Brian Chase (Library Director).  Also present were Ruth Reeves, Jeanne Moonan, Tori Melican and Lolita Netter.

President Steinburg called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm.

Ms Lewis moved to accept the agenda as presented.  Mr. C Sila seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. 

Ms Lewis moved to accept the minutes of the previous meeting as corrected.  Mr. Ray seconded and the motion carried 6-0.

President’s Report
Ms Lash will be absent from the October 28 meeting.  Ms Lewis will be substituting to take minutes.

Library Administrator’s Report

• Monthly financial report: Revenues are up 22.3% from last year.
• Expenditures
  Six electrical outlets were added to the storage area, including power for the photocopier and digital duplicator.  Additional outlets may be needed in the future.
  A continuous hinge was added to the northwest door at a cost of $398.00.
  The current folding machine is inoperable.  A replacement will cost approximately $4000.00.
  he purchase of additional security cameras is being considered to add coverage to the basement. The current system is at capacity, so a new DVR and new cameras would be required.  Estimates are being pursued for the core of an expandable system.
  The air conditioning unit is scheduled for replacement in 2011.  At that time a more efficient model will be required at a higher than budgeted cost.   
  

• Parking and Circulation:
  August 2009 circulation is up from August 2008, with an increase of 3,974 transactions, or 9.33%.  Year-to-date circulation is up 5025 transactions, or 2.03%.
  The lower two floors of the College Avenue Parking Deck are often full.  If the deck continues to add permit parking, access for Library patrons will decrease.
  Requirements in the Parking Impact Zone were recently decreased from 1 parking space per bedroom to .75.  This will allow the library the opportunity to pursue the 9 spaces in the northwest corner of the library lot.

• Uptown Redevelopment: The most recent estimate of the opening of the Marriott is mid to late October.  East Beaufort between Linden and the Uptown Round-about will remain closed until the end of October.
• Master Planning Process:  The Ad Hoc Committee met on September 10.  Copies of the Master Plan Study were distributed.  The group appears to be open to the idea of a branch library and expressed interest in gathering additional details.
• RSA/ALS: The public library in Canton is a standalone, non-RSA library in the Alliance Library System.  They are currently exploring options for a new integrated library system (ILS) and are looking closely at Polaris.  Someone from the NPL staff may visit Canton when Polaris is providing a demo of their product.
• Normal-library.org Email Addresses for Board Members:  Addresses are available and if there are no problems with access by board members, they will be posted to the public on the Library website.
• FY2010 Per Capita Grant Requirements:  The 2010 Per Capita Grant application is due October 15, 2009.  The completed application was given to the Board and discussed.
• Budget:  The FY2010-2015 budget is complete and was discussed.  

Committee Reports
Finance
Ms Christensen moved that two payrolls totaling $131,608.35 and other expenditures of $57,799.44 be paid. Mr. C Sila seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
Personnel
None
Buildings and Grounds
None
Policy
None

Ms Melican, Children’s Librarian, presented to the Board the success of the summer children’s reading program

Unfinished Business
Master Planning
Ms Steinburg, Mr. Ray and Mr. Chase met with the other members of the Ad Hoc Committee.  The possibility of a branch location and the need to expand the library collection was discussed.

New Business
Adminstrative Ready Reference Review
Board members reviewed the Administrative Ready Reference.
Materials Selection Policy
Ms Lewis moved that the Materials Selection Policy be adopted as presented.  Mr. C. Sila seconded.  Motion carried 7-0.
FY 2010 Per Capita Grant Application
The FY 2010 Per Capita Grant Application was presented and discussed.  Mr. C. Sila moved to adopt the Per Capital Grant Application as presented.  Ms. Lewis seconded.  Motion carried 7-0.
FY 2010-2015 Budget
The FY 2010-2015 budget was presented.  Ms. Christensen moved that the FY 2010-2015 budget be accepted as presented.  Ms Lewis seconded.  Discussion followed.  Motion carried 7-0.
Disaster Planning Manual Review
The Disaster Planning Manual was distributed.  Discussion followed and changes recommended.  Mr. C. Sila moved to adopt the revised Disaster Planning Manual.  The motion was seconded by Ms. Christensen.  Motion carried 7-0.
Executive Session: Section 2(c)(1) Personnel
Executive Session: Section 2(c)(1) Six-Month Review of Executive Session Minutes
Mr C. Sila moved to enter an executive session for the purpose of the semi-annual review of the executive session minutes (Section 2(c)(1)) and Personnel (Section 2(c)(1)).  Mr Ray seconded.  The motion carried 7-0.  The motion was revised to include Ms. Reeves and Mr Chase.
Mr. C. Sila moved to accept the business conducted at the executive session.  Ms Lewis seconded.  The motion carried 7-0.

Board Concerns
None

The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 pm.  The next regularly scheduled meeting will be October 28, 2009 at 6pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Lash

Secretary

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Normal Public Library
Minutes of the Board of Trustees
August 26, 2009

Members present: Joan Steinburg, President, Amy Christensen, Susan Lash, Pamela Lewis, Jess Ray, Karl Sila and Brian Chase (Library Administrator).  Also present were Ruth Reeves, Jeanne Moonan, Tori Melican and Lolita Netter.

President Steinburg called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm.

Ms Lash moved to accept the agenda as presented.  Ms Lewis seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. 

Mr. Ray moved to accept the minutes of the previous meeting as corrected.  Ms Lewis seconded and the motion carried 6-0.

President’s Report
Heartland Parking will be asked to implement the policy that permit parking is only allowed on the top two floors.  This should make access to the Library easier for parents with small children.

Library Administrator’s Report

• The Town Council Budget Review Session is January 23, 2010.
• Meghan Listek, former children’s librarian has taken the position of marketing manager.  A replacement children’s librarian is being sought.
• Monthly financial report: July revenues were up 6.43 percent from last year.
• Expenditures:  The major plumbing project has been completed.  The quoted price for the project was $1,145 plus approximately $300 for the addition of a lockable bypass.

Eight electrical outlets will be added to the storage area opposite the staff lounge.  The cost will not exceed $750.
The Library is looking to replace the folding machine at an approximate cost of $4,000.
The purchase of additional security cameras is being considered.

• Parking and Circulation: July 2009 circulation is down from July 2008 by 1,845 transactions, or 3.15 percent.  Year-to-date circulation is up 1,051 transactions, or .51 percent.

The College Avenue Parking Deck has had an increase in the number of permits parking.  The first two levels are often full.  Patrons have been commenting on this change in parking availability.

• Uptown Redevelopment:  North Street from Fell to the roundabout is open.  Beaufort continues to be closed to vehicular traffic.
• Master Planning: The Ad Hoc Committee meeting scheduled for August  13, 2009 did not take place due to scheduling conflicts.  The next meeting will be September 10, 2009.  Public input continues to reinforce the critical task of thoroughly evaluating all options and locations.  Convenience and accessibility are main concerns.
• Mr. Chase put forward the idea of the establishment of a small branch in a vacant retail space, if a favorable location and lease could be secured.  This would allow the library to grow its collection and gauge the response to a location outside of the Uptown area.  The board discussed potential options.
• RSA/ALS: The Alliance Library System will experience a 16.5 percent reduction in their budget, a loss of $321,591.  Per capita grants will be reduced by 16 percent, which will be a loss of over $9,000 for the Normal Public Library.  LSTA grants have been suspended for the current year.
• Normal-Library.org Email Addresses for Board Members:  These are now available for all board members and will be made available to the public.
• FY2010 Per Capita Grant Requirements: The 2010 Per Capita Grant application is due October 15, 2009.  
• The Materials Selection Policy as Affecting the Public was distributed, reviewed and discussed.   Suggestions for edits will be reviewed by the policy committee.
• Semi-Annual Salary Schedule Cost of Living Adjustment:  The Normal Town Council recently approved a 2.599 percent cost of living adjustment for Normal employees, effective October 1.

 

Committee Reports
Finance
Ms Christensen moved that two payrolls totaling $131,361.25 and other expenditures of $49,823.13 be paid. Ms Lewis seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-0.
Personnel
None
Buildings and Grounds
None
Policy
The Public Use of the Internet Policy was discussed. 

Unfinished Business
Master Planning
Master Planning Status: Nearing completion.

New Business
Semi-Annual Cost of Living Adjustment for Salary Schedule
Mr. Ray moved that the Library adopt the 2.599 percent COLA, as approved by the Normal Town Council for Town employees, to be effective Oct. 1, 2009.  Ms. Lewis seconded. The motion passed 6-0.
Revised Rules of Conduct for Library Users Policy
Ms. Christensen moved that the Rules of Conduct for Library Users Policy be accepted as amended.  Mr. K. Sila seconded.  The motion passed 6-0.
Revised Public Use of the Internet Policy
Ms. Christensen moved that the Public Use of the Internet Policy be accepted as edited. Mr. Ray seconded.  The motion passed 6-0.
Board Concerns
None

The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 pm.  The next regularly scheduled meeting will be September 30, 2009 at 6pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Lash
Secretary

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Normal Public Library
Minutes of the Board of Trustees
July 29, 2009

Members present: Joan Steinburg, President, Amy Christensen, Susan Lash, Pamela Lewis, Jess Ray, Charles Sila, Karl Sila and Brian Chase (Library Administrator).  Also present were Ruth Reeves, Tori Melican and Lolita Netter.

President Steinburg called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm.

Ms Lash moved to accept the agenda as presented.  Mr. C. Sila seconded the motion and it carried 7-0. 

Ms Christensen moved to accept the policy committee meeting minutes and the minutes of the previous meeting as amended.  Mr. Ray seconded and the motion carried 7-0.

President’s Report
None

Library Administrator’s Report

• Monthly financial report: Revenues are up 83.01% from last year.
• Expenditures:

The estimated cost of plumbing repairs has decreased.  The quoted cost for the project is $1,145.00.
Addition steel wall shelving has been ordered for the Teen section at a cost of $898.28.
Billing note: Electricity is now billed through Integrys Energy whereas before it was billed through University of Illinois-Chicago.
Newsbank ($4,000) will be replacing the ProQuest ($13,000) article database.  Newsbank contains archives of the Pantagraph and Chicago Tribune, along with other papers.
World Book Web will be added in the next month, in time for the upcoming school year.

• Parking and Circulation:  June 2009 circulation is up from June 2008, with an increase of 1028 transactions, or 1.54%.  Year-to-date circulation is up 2,896 transactions, or 4.35%.
• Uptown Redevelopment: Construction is progressing well.
• RSA/ALS:  Problems continue with corrupt data.  The RFP is in progress to determine the 5-year costs to migrate to and maintain a stand alone system.

• Normal-Library.org Email Address for Board Members:  The details are still being worked out on accessing the Normal-Library.org site.
• American Library Association 2009 Annual Conference – Chicago, July 9-15: Eight staff members spent one day attending the free exhibits at the ALA annual conference in Chicago.  Mr. Chase attended additional programs.
• Illinois Library Association: The ILA will be meeting in Peoria this year, October 6-9.
• FY 2010 Per Capita Grant Requirements:  The 2010 Per Capita Grant application is due October 15, 2009.  The materials selection policy for the library collection was discussed.
• A recommendation was made to add an adult use of the children and teens areas to the library Rules of Conduct Policy.

 

Committee Reports
Finance
Ms Christensen moved that two payrolls totaling $131,773.53 and other expenditures of $75,550.46 be paid.  Ms Lewis seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
Personnel
None
Buildings and Grounds
Parking at the Young America lot will no longer be available as of August 1, 2009.
Policy
The policy committee met July 27, 2009.  It was proposed that The Child Supervision Policy be moved to the Rules of Conduct Policy and additional changes be considered for the Rules of Conduct Policy.

Unfinished Business
Master Planning
Master Planning Process: The Committee of Adam Nielsen, Jason Chambers and Mark Peterson with meet with Mr. Chase, Ms. Steinburg and Mr. Ray on July 9, 2009.  Future meetings to discuss Normal Public Library needs are to be scheduled for August and September.  Plans are being made to visit other libraries.

New Business

Revised Child Supervision Policy – Mr. Ray moved that the Child Supervision Policy be revised and merged into the upcoming revision of Rules of Conduct for Library Users Policy, upon adoption of which, the Child Supervision Policy will be dropped.  Mr. C. Sila seconded and the motion passed 7-0.

Revised Internet Access Policy – Mr Ray moved that the revised Public Use of the Internet Policy be tabled until the August meeting. Mr. C. Sila seconded and the motion passed 7-0.

Board Concerns
Schedule of policy revisions was discussed. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:26 pm.  The next regularly scheduled meeting will be August 26, 2009 at 6pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Lash
Secretary

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Normal Library Board of Trustees
Minutes for Policy Committee Meeting
July 27, 2009

Location: Normal Public Library board room.
Executive Session:  Section2(c) -- land acquisition – as necessary

 

Meeting convened at 6:11 p.m. Present: Jess Ray, chairperson; Amy Christensen, Pam Lewis.

Agenda was approved.

Rules of Conduct Policy -- Committee members discussed the need to update the policy. The committee recommended this topic be brought up for discussion at the July 29 board meeting. Once input is gained from board members, a final version may be presented at the September board meeting.

Child Supervision Policy -- Committee members discussed the need to amend the policy and include it in the Rules of Conduct Policy. Procedures in the existing Child Supervision Policy would be moved to staff procedures. The committee recommended this topic be brought up for discussion at the July 29 board meeting.

Internet Access and Computer Usage Policy -- Proposed revisions will be shared with board members at the July 29 meeting. Once input is gained from board members, a final version may be presented at the August board meeting. 

The meeting was adjourned at 7:44 p.m.

Minutes submitted by Pam Lewis

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Normal Library Board of Trustees
Minutes for Policy Committee Meeting
June 16, 2009

Location: Normal Public Library second floor study room.
Executive Session: Section 2 (c)(5) -- land acquisition – as necessary

Meeting convened at 5:05 p.m. Present: Jess Ray, chairperson; Amy Christensen, Pam Lewis.

Agenda was approved.

Committee members discussed the Internet Access and Computer Usage Policy. Suggested revisions will be shared with Brian Chase who will provide clarifications on the library’s filtering policy and federal funding guidelines. The suggested revisions will be presented at the June 24 board meeting.

The Child Supervision Policy and Children’s Computer Center policies were discussed and revisions recommended. The suggested revisions will be presented at the June 24 board meeting.

Amy Christensen will create a schedule for the systematic review of the remaining NPL board policies. The schedule will be presented at the June 24 board meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m.

Minutes submitted by Pam Lewis

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Normal Public Library
Minutes of the Board of Trustees
June 24, 2009

Members present: Joan Steinburg, President, Amy Christensen, Susan Lash, Pamela Lewis, Jess Ray (arrived 6:05), Charles Sila, Karl Sila and Brian Chase (Library Administrator). Also present were Jeanne Moonan and Lolita Netter.

President Steinburg called the meeting to order at 6:01 pm.

Christensen moved to accept the agenda as presented. Ms Lewis seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. Mr. K Sila moved to accept the minutes of the previous meeting as amended. Ms Christensen seconded and the motion carried 7-0.

President’s Report
None

Library Administrator’s Report
• Monthly financial report: Revenues are up 11.01 percent from last year. The Normal Public library has been named as a legatee in the estate of Maggie Parret

The Friends of the Normal Public Library have agreed to pay for custom wooden shelving near the paperback area.

Backflow testing led to the discovery of some necessary plumbing repairs. We are waiting for cost estimates.

• Parking and Circulation: 3,373 registered in Summer reading program. Parking for the summer reading program has been successful. May 2009 circulation is down slightly from May 2008, with a decline of 27 transactions, or .07%. Year to date circulation is up 1,868 transactions, or 2.35%.

• Uptown Redevelopment: Construction continues to progress quickly on Uptown and related infrastructure.

• Master Planning Process: The management team is making progress in condensing the master planning assessment into a single document that will clearly identify the Library priorities related to future library development. The Ad Hoc Committee of Adam Nielsen, Jason Chambers and Mark Peterson with meet with Mr. Chase, Ms. Steinburg and Mr. Ray on July 9, 2009. Staff continue to hear input from the public regarding the desire for greater accessibility.

• RSA/ALS: There are continued unscheduled interruptions with our circulation system and online catalog via the RSA. The system was down the entire day of June 18 due to a power outage.
The recommendation from Mr. Chase is to go through the RFP (request for proposal) process and get the 5-year costs for the migration to and maintenance of a standalone integrated library system.

• Normal-Library.org Email Address for Board Members: Forms were distributed to the members of the board as the next step in creating the normal-library.org accounts.

• Prevailing Wage: The NPL board must annually approve and ordinance establishing prevailing wage rates. The Notice will be published in the Normalite and the Certificate sent to the Secretary of State and the Department of Labor.

• SPLMI: Mr. Chase attended the Small Public Library Management Institute –“Serving Your Public” – in Springfield from May 31- June 5.

• American Library Association: Twelve library staff will spend one day at the free exhibits at the ALA annual conference in Chicago. Mr. Chase will be attending conference sessions on several topics.

• Illinois Library Association: The ILA will be meeting in Peoria this year.

Committee Reports
Finance
Ms Christensen moved that three payrolls totaling $187,730.64 and other expenditures of $45,575.37 be paid. Ms Lewis seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.

Personnel
None

Buildings and Grounds
None

Policy
The Policy committee met June 16, 2009. Child Supervision Policy and Internet Access Policy changes were suggested and discussed. The recommendation was made to allow library staff the opportunity to give input before the Policy committee meets for additional review. The board agreed by consensus. A suggested schedule for review of NPL policies was distributed.

Unfinished Business
Master Planning
Nothing more added

New Business
Prevailing Wage Ordinance
Mr. C. Sila moved that Prevailing Wage Ordinance No. 1 be approved as corrected, pending Town of Normal Legal Department approval. Ms Lewis seconded. Motion passed 7-0.

Revised Child Supervision Policy
Mr. Ray moved that actions on the Child Supervision Policy be deferred until the next meeting. Mr. C. Sila seconded. 7-0

Revised Internet Access Policy
Mr. Ray moved that actions on the Internet Access Policy be deferred until the next meeting. Ms. Lewis seconded. Motion passed 7-0.

Policy Revision: Process and Timeline
Mr. Ray moved to adopt the recommended schedule of NPL policies as proposed by the Policy Committee. Ms. Lewis seconded. Discussion followed. Motion passed 7-0.

Board Concerns
None

The meeting was adjourned at 8:11 pm. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be July 29, 2009 at 6pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Lash
Secretary