Library Board of Trustees

The Woodstock Public Library Board of Trustees met on Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Robert Laurie called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Robert Laurie (President), Mary Beth Urbin (Secretary), Jim Hurley (Treasurer), Gayle Hoch, Teresa Flores, Sarah Parisi, Susan Gullotto OTHERS PRESENT: Paul Christensen (Deputy City Manager), Nick Weber (Library Director), Tiara Thayer (Library Assistant II), Jessica Campbell (Friends of the Library President) ABSENT: Christy Johanson (Vice President), Mary Ann Lenzen APPROVAL OF MINUTES Discussion and Vote on approving the Regular Minutes from the December 2022 meeting as presented or corrected. Jim Hurley moved to approve the minutes of the December 2022 regular meeting as presented, Gayle Hoch seconded, and the motion passed with unanimous ayes. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS: Robert Laurie noted that Nick Weber will be celebrating his 10-year anniversary as the Director of the Woodstock Public Library, and offered his congratulations and well wishes as they continue working together for the library and the community. COMMUNICATIONS: None. LIBRARY EXPENDITURES Discussion and Vote on the December 2022 Building Fund and Operating Fund Expenditures. Mary Beth Urbin moved to approve the December 2022 combined Warrant of operating and building expenditures, as presented, Susan Gullotto seconded, and the motion carried with unanimous ayes. LIBRARIAN’S REPORT Nick Weber presented the librarian’s report, a copy of which is attached. Highlights include: • The library generally closes more often in December due to the holidays; this December the library closed a few more days than usual because of the holidays falling on the weekends. • Staffing was a little thin due to holiday and sick leave. • Library events continue to be well attended by the patrons.  • The library is roughly 2/3rds of the way through the fiscal year, and is on pace with budget spending. • The D200 art show started December 6th and ended January 9th. The event drew a crowd of 943 people over the first two nights, and continued bringing in visitors throughout its duration. • The Christmas movie trivia was a successful and well attended program. • The Friends book sale will be on the weekend of January 21st and 22nd. • The Library Lovers Expedition will be returning this February to encourage patronage among all of the McHenry County libraries. Participants will visit all 13 libraries for the chance to win a prize basket, which will include gift cards from various local businesses. NEW BUSINESS • Friends of the Library o Trustee representative ▪ Jessica Campbell was reviewing the bylaws for the Friends of the Library, and discovered that there is an established position open for a library trustee to act as a representative at the Friends’ meetings. ▪ Gayle Hoch is already a member of the Friends and volunteered to also step into the role of trustee representative. ▪ Jessica invited any interested parties to attend their upcoming meeting on January 24th. o Better communication and cooperation ▪ The Friends’ goal is to focus more on outreach within the community to articulate the value of the library and the services they provide to the community. The Friends’ will also continue to prioritize fundraising efforts for the library. • Discussion and possible vote on Design Services Proposal for the Bayton Outdoor Space o Nevin Hedlund Architecture Inc. came out to assess the space and consider how the library would like to best utilize the space. Nevin submitted a proposal to create some concept plans; this does not include actual building plans. o Gayle asked about comparable facilities that have outdoor spaces. ▪ Nick stated that the Algonquin Library and Wauconda Library have outdoor spaces, and are most comparable to the Woodstock Library in terms of community and facility size. o Susan Gullotto asked about financing and how the project would be funded. ▪ Nick explained that the library will use the Bayton donation as seed money to obtain extra grant money to complete the project, as well as employing fundraising efforts to secure additional funds. o Nick stated that the goal will be to get a Request for Proposals by March or April 2023. o Jim Hurley moved to accept the proposal made by Nevin Hedlund Architecture Inc., with the stipulation that the total price should not exceed $6,000. Gayle Hoch seconded and the motion passed with unanimous ayes. UNFINISHED BUSINESS • Building Update o Painting ▪ The painting has been fully completed, including the drywall repairs in the rotunda.  o Office Creation ▪ Public works has received concept ideas for the additional office space, and is working on developing a Request for Proposals for the construction work. o Art for the Marchi Reading Room ▪ Nick Weber and Martha Hansen are forming an art committee to determine the parameters for choosing an art piece to add to the Marchi Reading Room. o Pendant lamp failure ▪ Towards the middle of December, a pendant light fell and broke; fortunately, no one was injured. Upon further inspection, it appears that the anchor into the ceiling was faulty. This prompted the inspection of the remaining light fixtures to ensure the safety of everyone who enters the library. ▪ These light fixtures are 20 years old, which may make replacing the exact style a little difficult. However, with how the light fixtures are grouped together, it would not look aesthetically jarring to replace the affected set of light fixtures with a similar style. • Staffing Update o The library’s newest part-time staff member, Marilyn, is settling in well and proves to be a great addition to the library. o The internal search for Lisa’s replacement is still underway. • Strategic Planning Update o The committee put together a survey which has since been delivered throughout the community. Roughly 120 surveys have been returned since the survey went out at the beginning of January 2023. o The committee should still be on track to complete the plan by April 2023. • Update on IT Support situation o Bret is the new IT staff member primarily dedicated to the library, and has been settling in well. o Nick is confident that the library is receiving better IT support now compared to the last company. o Nick would like to look into expanding camera coverage around the outside of the building. “BEHIND THE SCENES” TOUR OF THE LIBRARY The board toured the library building to see the recent updates made to the building and refamiliarize themselves with the entire facility. ADJOURNMENT Gayle Hoch moved that the meeting be adjourned at 8:46 p.m., Teresa Flores seconded, and the motion passed with unanimous ayes. All meetings of the Library Board are open to the public. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), they are fully accessible, and if any further accommodations are needed, please contact the Library Director 48 hours prior to the meeting.