Library Board of Trustees

The Woodstock Public Library Board of Trustees met on Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Robert Laurie called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Robert Laurie (President), Mary Beth Urbin (Secretary), Mary Ann Lenzen, Sarah Parisi, Susan Gullotto, Mary Sugden OTHERS PRESENT: Paul Christensen (Deputy City Manager), Nick Weber (Library Director), Tiara Thayer (Library Assistant II), Marti Shaffer (Friends of the Library Representative), Sarah Voska (Bluestem Representative (departs 8:35 p.m.)), Jen Czaja (Sebert Representative (departs 8:35 p.m.)), Laura Cullotta (Business Development Manager for the City of Woodstock (departs 8:38 p.m.)) ABSENT: Christy Johanson (Vice President), Gabi Ordóñez, Gayle Hoch. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Discussion and Vote on approving the Regular Minutes from the December 12, 2024 meeting as presented. Susan Gullotto moved to approve the minutes of the December 12, 2024 regular meeting as presented, Mary Beth Urbin seconded, and the motion passed with unanimous ayes. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS: Mary Beth Urbin and Robert Laurie spoke in memory of Gayle Hoch, who tragically and unexpectedly passed away this month. The board and Nick shared their grief over this loss, and shared memories about Gayle and all the amazing things she did at and for the library, as well as the Woodstock community in general. Gayle Hoch will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. Laura Cullotta introduced herself to the board, stating that she is present to learn more about the landscaping project and see how she may be able to assist with raising funds for this library project. PUBLIC PRESENTATION: WPL Landscape Plan Sarah Voska and Jen Czaja explained that the goal of this project will be to maximize the library’s outdoor space in ways that incorporate interactive features and prioritize sustainable practices and native plant species. The presentation for the landscaping designs included 3D rendered previews of the plants in bloom, which provided an idea of what the final result would look like. Sarah and Jen noted that the plants will not all bloom at the same time, but instead will be staggered to bloom throughout the year. A strong focus will be placed on native and nativar 1 plants, which would include nearly 50 different varieties and over 1,000 individual plants. The construction for this project would happen in phases over the next couple of years. Starting with the south side of the building on Judd Street, the landscaping would be updated through the foundational planting of native and native cultivar species. These plants would continue to the front of the children’s department, along with interactive equipment for children to engage with. The next phase of construction will focus on the remainder of the westside, including the Bayton Space, which was designed with year-round usage in mind. The entry area will feature bollards and a water feature, and the Bayton space will incorporate the use of raised beds, a moon gate, shade sails, and sound baffles. After the Bayton Space, and likely in 2026, the north side of the building will be converted into an exploratory nature walk. This nature walk would include a crushed granite path, which is fairly low maintenance and would be ADA compliant. Additionally, the nature walk would include weather-tolerant signage, which could include educational information or feature interchangeable storybook pages. The staff side of the building would include a more permanent seating area along with updated landscaping. In addition to the main landscaping plans, conceptual plans for the auxiliary parking lot were shared. Some ideas for the auxiliary lot include: adding an entrance arbor, installing raised beds, and creating a walking path with seating. This space could also be used to create a nature play park with a central focus on natural mounds with logs, stones, and minimal equipment. A cost analysis was provided to the board, which includes the first couple of years of maintenance. Landscaping work could begin as early as March 2025, with the first phase being completed as soon as the end of fall 2025. COMMUNICATIONS: None. LIBRARY EXPENDITURES Discussion and Vote on the December 2024 Building Fund and Operating Fund Expenditures Mary Beth Urbin moved to approve the December 2024 combined Warrant of operating and building expenditures, as presented, Mary Sugden seconded, and the motion carried via the following roll call: Robert Laurie Mary Sugden Mary Beth Urbin Mary Ann Lenzen Aye Aye Aye Aye Sarah Parisi Susan Gullotto Gayle Hoch Christy Johanson Aye Aye Absent Absent Gabi Ordonez Absent LIBRARIAN’S REPORT Nick Weber presented the librarian’s report, a copy of which is attached. Highlights include: • The library once again scored well on the city-wide survey from August 2024. The library was the highest-rated facility by the Woodstock residents. • Heather will be doing her first-ever Groundhog Day story time this month. • The City is holding an all-staff meeting on February 7th at the Opera House. This will be the first time the entire city workforce will be gathered together to go over the strategic plan. The library will not be open to the public until noon on the day of this meeting. 2 NEW BUSINESS • Statement of Economic Interest Reminder o Trustees should receive an email sometime next week or the week after to complete the Statement of Economic Interest form. The deadline to submit this form is April 30th. There is a fine for each day that this form is late. • Website Update o The new website continues to pose issues for the library. Nick and Martha will be meeting with Roscoe, IT, and Marketing next week to discuss the website concerns and the best way forward. If the current website vendor is unable to meet the library’s needs, the library may explore other vendors to host the library website. UNFINISHED BUSINESS • Building Update o Parking Lot ▪ The staff and public parking lots need to be replaced, but it is not a project that requires immediate action. Replacing the parking lots will be three times more expensive than initially budgeted, which would eat into the library’s reserves. Ideally, the staff lot, which is in worse condition than the public lot, will be replaced first. o Landscaping/Bayton Space ▪ The board discussed the presentation, potential plans, and prices. Concerns were raised over the current cost estimate, and discussions ensued concerning the library’s current funds and the Bayton bequest. Nick reiterated that he will be working with Laura to promote this project and raise funds. o Pneumatic System ▪ While the pneumatic system has been replaced, the library does not have access to the controls. The final payment to Johnson Controls will be made once the library has received access to the pneumatic system controls. • Staffing Update o The vacant LA1 position has been filled by Alexandra, who will start on Monday, January 13th. o Lisa Rossi-Moser, reference librarian, is leaving for a job offer at Huntly Public Library. While the library is happy for Lisa to be advancing in her career, this will be a significant loss to WPL. The job posting for this vacancy has been posted. • Strategic Planning Update o In the interest of time, this topic was postponed until next month’s meeting. • Friends of the Woodstock Public Library Update o Marti Shaffer invited the board to the Friends’ January 28th meeting at 7:00 p.m. Food will be provided at this meeting. o Planning for this year’s Mini Links event is underway. The Friends have recruited multiple new businesses to sponsor golf holes this year. o The bookstore sales have been so high that the Friends have not yet built up enough inventory to host a big book sale. 3 ADJOURNMENT Mary Beth Urbin moved that the meeting be adjourned at 9:05 p.m., Mary Sugden seconded, and the motion passed with unanimous ayes. Respectfully submitted, Tiara Thayer 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. 4  Woodstock Public Library Administrative & Staff Reports – January 2025 DIRECTOR’S REPORT In January, we reset and restart some things as we start a new calendar year, while also beginning to wind things down for the fiscal year. This January was busier than last, with more people coming into the building and more materials being utilized. We also held more events and presentations than in past years. Staffing was again disrupted, with Lisa Rossi leaving us for a position in Huntley, and then our new Children’s Librarian leaving due to changes in her family situation, which preclude a full-time job. Outreach and collaboration with other agencies remained a focal point for the staff, with multiple connections with D200, the Rec Center, the Opera House, and MCC occurring. As in past years, the library was an active participant in the city’s annual Groundhog Day celebration. This year, Heather Butner led a Groundhog Day story time at Stage Left, and we coordinated with the Groundhog Day Committee to have memorabilia and photographs from the filming available for viewing. The Open House for the memorabilia and photos drew a crowd of over 100 people to the library since Stephen Tobolowski (Needlenose Ned) was there to talk and answer questions. Other programs included Rescue Readers at the Hooved Animal Humane Society, our annual Pre-school Fair, and the Friends of Woodstock Public Library Annual Meeting. The third annual Library Lovers Expedition kicked off on February 1, and nearly 1,500 people have already signed up. Staffing was disrupted in January, due to the departure of Lisa Rossi, one of our Librarian 2s, and then further disrupted by the unexpected resignation of Heather Butner, our new Children’s Librarian. The search for Lisa’s replacement is at the finalist stage, with four strong candidates remaining. Two of those candidates have experience in Youth Services, so we may be able to fill both vacancies with one search, which would be tremendously beneficial. The search for a Library Assistant I was successful, and the successful candidate, Alexandra Everhart, has been a quick learner and is already a valuable member of the team. Things are moving forward with the landscaping project, with an RFP for the overall project in development, and several grants being pursued. The library’s old pneumatic control system project continues to be a pain in the side for the library. Originally scheduled to be finished in October 2024, it remains unfinished. Johnson Controls (JCI) has been difficult to work with, but the latest update indicates that the final pieces of the project should happen before the end of February. The library and the city’s IT department are coordinating on a project for FY25/26 that will upgrade and expand the library’s Wi-Fi access points. This will ensure our Wi-Fi is up-to-date on the latest technology, and that we have strong coverage throughout the building and into the parking lot. CIRCULATION & BUILDING USE January 2025 Circulation was up in January compared to 2024, driven by digital downloads, though checkouts of physical items were also up compared to last year. In-person use of the building was up by 6% compared to last year. We had nearly 24,000 items, both physical and digital, checked out, compared to 21,274 in 2024, a roughly 13% increase. 10,160 people came to the library in January, compared to 9,582 in 2024. FINANCIALS Spending out of the new fiscal budget is 3/4ths complete, and things are tracking toward a small surplus, mostly due to savings from staff vacancies, and also from larger donations than budgeted. The new budget is mostly complete, and includes raises for all staff, ranging from 3-5%, with most of the other budget lines holding steady, or getting small increases. MEETING/ORGANIZATION SUMMARIES City Meetings/City News The City Council meetings in January and early February were mostly routine, though the Council did its annual Groundhog Day Proclamation and the Capital Improvement Plan was formally approved. The library was involved with the city’s Groundhog Day celebration, both as the provider of the story time and as the host of the Archives and Memorabilia open house. The latter event drew a large crowd to the upper level of the library. On Friday, February 7, instead of our normal First Friday meeting, the staff went to the Opera House to participate in the city’s Strategic Plan launch event. The event ran from 10 a.m. to noon, and it was the first all-city-staff event in over a decade. Before going to the Opera House, the staff discussed how to respond if ICE or other immigration officers come to the library looking for undocumented individuals. CIRCULATION SERVICES There were no winter doldrums this January in Circulation—things have remained busy. A ray of sunshine during the cold dark of January has been Alexandra Everhart, who joined our circulation team as a Library Assistant 1. She has picked up the basic tasks very quickly and has already moved on to more advanced training. Children’s Specialist Heather Butner and Assistant Circulation Manager Katie Bradley met with about 40 families at Olson School Literacy Night; they brought crafts, library card applications, and programming information. Katie and Sarah Jane Campbell (LA2) led a successful Disney Princess Trivia program with five teams competing. Sarah Jane also attended the People in Need Forum at McHenry County College, which showcases county service agencies; she recommended the library have a table there next year. Continuing our partnership with local schools, circulation staff secured copies of A Boy Called Bat for Olson School’s One School, One Book program. The D200 Student Art Show precluded us from having a gallery display. Katie also spent a significant amount of time in January as a member of the City Strategic Plan Launch Party Committee, a small intrepid group who planned a citywide party including scavenger hunt, trivia game, and lunch to help launch the City’s strategic plan. YOUTH SERVICES Sadly, we learned at the end of January that Heather, our new Children’s Specialist, would be leaving us do to a change in circumstances related to her family and her husband’s job. We tried to make a part-time position work for Heather, but ultimately, we were unable to find a way to keep her on staff. Outside of that, January was a fun month for youth services programming. We had our annual preschool fair and were able to add a new school to the event. We had over 60 patrons visit the fair. Our monthly Rescue Readers program had great attendance too, despite the cold. Luckily, being in the barn helped a little bit. We had many repeat visitors to this session as well, and a few said they would be back for the February session. Library Lovers Expedition officially started February 1st, and we’re almost up to 1,500 people registered countywide. Last year we had slightly over 3,000 participants, so we’re on track to pass that number this year. Visitors to the children’s department have enjoyed putting together our “quilt,” which was Heather’s idea. Heather had a lot of great ideas and was super creative. Her shoes will be difficult to fill in the coming weeks, especially with our 2nd session of storytimes and other spring programming. ADULT SERVICES January was an active month in adult services with a surge of visitors coming in during the first week of the year for the D200 All School Art Show. The Giant Jigsaw Puzzle Challenge kicked off on January 6th, with “At the Waterhole”, a new 18,000-piece puzzle. Public Works crafted a beautiful new puzzle surface that will fit the puzzle and will be able to be disassembled and stored when not in use. Reference Librarian II Austin Nord is providing regular updates on Facebook and Instagram on the progress of the puzzle. The Rotary held their January meeting at the library, and Reference Librarian II Matt Wier spoke to the group of 30+ Rotarians about library services and upcoming programs. With the resignation of Lisa Rossi-Moser, the reference and circulation staff are pitching in to fill the gaps left in the outreach and adult programs. Circulation Manager Carrie Zamorano and Assistant Manager Katie Bradley are leading Lisa's adult craft programs and outreach events at the schools are being covered by various reference and circulation staff members. With the City's new website having been live for a year, Assistant Director Martha Hansen is working with the City to collect statistics on use and is working to improve how it functions. CALENDAR (https://woodstock.librarycalendar.com/) Upcoming Events & Dates of Import: • Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.: AARP Tax Appointments • Fridays, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: AARP Tax Appointments • Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: AARP Tax Appointments • Saturday, Feb. 15, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.: Rescue Readers • Tuesday, Feb. 18, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.: Professional Head Shots • Wednesday, Feb. 19, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.: Junior Master Naturalist Program: Reptiles and Amphibians • Monday, Feb. 24, 1:30 – 6:00 p.m.: Versiti Blood Drive • Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.: Snail Party • Sunday, March 2, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.: Behind the Scenes Tour of the Opera House • Monday, March 3, 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.: MCDH Wellness Screenings • Tuesday, March 4, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.: Madam President • Friday, March 7, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Library Closed for First Friday • Friday, March 7, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.: NAMI McHenry County Outreach Event • Saturday, March 8, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Local Authors Showcase • Tuesday, March 11, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.: YA Silent Book Club • Wednesday, March 12, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.: Junior Master Naturalist Program: Mammals