Library Board

Wheaton Public Library Board Meeting Minutes of January 19, 2015 I. Call to Order and Roll Call: The Wheaton Public Library Board of Trustees held its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, January 19, 2015, in the Library Board Room. President Christine Fenne called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. Members present were: Mr. Cho, Mrs. Fenne, Ms. Grabowski, Mr. Harding, Mr. McDonough, Mrs. Ramp and Mrs. Wonser. Ms. Porter entered the meeting at 7:13. Absent: Mr. Kranjc. Also in attendance were Mrs. Adamowski, Library Director, and Ms. Christell-Sandri, Library Finance Manager and recording secretary for the meeting. II. Citizens to Be Heard: None CONSENT AGENDA III. Minutes of the December 15, 2014 Board Meeting IV. Financial Report for December 2014 and Bill Listing for January 2015 Payment: Ms. Ramp moved and Mrs. Wonser seconded to approve the Minutes of December 15, 2014, and the Financial Report for December 2014. Roll Call Vote Ayes: Mrs. Fenne Mrs. Wonser Mr. Harding Mr. Cho Ms. Grabowski Mrs. Ramp Nays: None Abstain: Mr. McDonough Absent: Mr. Kranjc Ms. Porter Motion Carried V. Friends of the Library Report – Ms. Grabowski: Ms. Grabowski said that the Friends will have their Board Meeting on February 3rd at 4:30 p.m. in the Library’s 3rd floor Board Room. After Mrs. Grabowski was finished, Mrs. Adamowski asked the President if she could do her Library Director’s Report after Al Schefske spoke (item A. under New Business). Mrs. Fenne agreed. VIII. New Business: A. Library Building Update: Al Schefske, City of Wheaton Facilities Manager: Mr. Schefske said that in the year and a half since the first phase of the tune-up of the HVAC system at the Library, all is going very well and that the savings is at 50%. There is ongoing preventative maintenance that will make the system last longer. Because of the savings in free therms, there may even be no heating expenses at the end of the year because fewer therms are being used. In the 3-phase project, we are at phase 2. Included in the Recommissioning was a check of all the lighting – many of the ballasts have had to be replaced and will continue, though it will be much less than what was initially replaced. Mr. Schefske stated that the arrangement of Larry Wasik as the Library’s Facilities Engineer for the last 13 month has been working well and will continue. Mr. Schefske is available if/when Larry or Mrs. Adamowski require it. He stated that the Library can and does use some of the vendors/contractors that the City has contracted. In the next year, the Library’s parking lot will be repaired and window washing will be done using those contractors. VI. Library Director’s Report for December 2014: Referring to the Friends’ book sales, Mrs. Adamowski said that she is ordering a large bin to be placed in the library for books donated by the public. The next big sale will occur in August instead of September and, in addition to that, there will be more, smaller book sales instead of the 2 large ones. She said that the last Children’s book sale went very well in the space it was in. The library’s Head of Programming, Courtney Tedrick, will be meeting with Friends’ President, Carol Honeywell to choose the concerts for FY 15/16 that the Friends sponsor. Mrs. Adamowski noted that the library’s pay phone will be removed. She received a letter from the Secretary of State awarding the library the full per capita grant amount. The money has not been received yet. She told the members that she would be attending a meeting with the snow removal company, Tovar, along with Al Schefske, to talk about some of the recent charges and about the plowing of the lot. Mrs. Adamowski encouraged the members to attend the ILA Trustee Workshop that is in February. She mentioned that the employees like wearing the shirts with the WPL logo and would now like to purchase long-sleeved ones for winter. There will also be vests available. The Board members can let her know if they want to buy any. She passed around a post card and book with a dedication to a patron’s child who completed the “1,000 Books before Kindergarten” initiative and a thank you from a parent, praising the Library and Children’s Department. 1  Wheaton Public Library Board Meeting Minutes of January 19, 2015 VII. Unfinished Business: None. VIII. New Business: B. Other Library News Communications: Mrs. Fenne announced that the Closed Session will be postponed until the February meeting. Mrs. Ramp spoke about a library that, after remodeling, sold the old furniture and suggested that could be an option for WPL in the future. Mr. Cho read an article about some library’s that have a phone app that texts patrons while they are in the library, giving them information about programs that are occurring or book suggestions. The patrons opt-in to receive this service. Mrs. Adamowski agreed that it is a great idea, but would be costly. Ms. Grabowski noted that Helen Plum Library has a new director and that her ideas for that library are much like Mrs. Adamowski’s. C. Board Member Comments (Round the Table): Ms. Grabowski commented about the number of holds on a new bestselling book and wondered if the library should purchase more books if they are very popular. Mrs. Adamowski replied that it is hard to justify purchasing a lot of one title in the library’s budget as there are so many other items that patrons need and use such as online databases, audiobooks, programming, etc. She did mention that she was able to add more to the fiction book budget due to higher-than-expected interest income. Some patrons didn’t like the look of areas of empty shelving. Mrs. Adamowski noted that the books that were on the shelves before weren’t being checked out. She also said that the number of Wheaton Public Library cardholders is extremely low. One thing she would like to initiate is to have no minimum age requirement – even babies could get library cards. Mrs. Fenne spoke about the State of the City address and how well the Library was represented and mentioned. IX. CLOSED SESSION: A. 5 ILCS 120/2(C)(1): To discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of a specific employee of the Library. Postponed until the February Board Meeting. X. Adjournment: There being no further business of the Wheaton Public Library Board of Trustees, Ms. Porter moved and Mr. McDonough seconded that the meeting be adjourned. Roll Call Vote Ayes: Mr. Harding Mr. McDonough Ms. Grabowski Mrs. Wonser Mr. Cho Mrs. Fenne Ms. Porter Mrs. Ramp Nays: None Abstain: None Absent: Mr. Kranjc Motion Carried at 8:10 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Lisa Christell-Sandri Finance Manager Wheaton Public Library 2