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August 13, 1997
Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Skokie Public Library held
in the Skokie Public Library Board Room Wednesday, August 13, 1997.
CALL TO ORDER
Diana Hunter, President, called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.
Members present: Diana Hunter, President; Eva Weiner, Vice President; Zelda Rich,
Secretary; Leo Friedman; Marcy Goodman; John Graham; and Carolyn A. Anthony, Director.
Member absent: Susan Greer.
Observers present: Members of the Pay-for-Performance Task Force Ginny Boggs, AV
Materials Specialist and Assistant Department Head, Technical Services; Pat Groh, Coordinator
of Community Services; Barbara A. Kozlowski, Associate Director for Public Services; and Tobi
Oberman, Supervisor of Circulation Services.
Visitors present: Jerad Browdy and Dan Sundt, Executive Service Corps. to present the
recommendations of the Pay-for-Performance Task Force.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF JULY 9. 1997
Mrs. Rich made a motion, seconded by Mr. Friedman, to approve the minutes of the
regular meeting of July 9, 1997, subject to addi~ions and/or corrections.
There being no additions or corrections the minutes were unanimously approved and
placed on file.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
LIST OF BILLS
Mr. Graham made a motion seconded by Mrs. Rich:
MOTION:
THAT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE MONTH OF
JULY, 1997 AND THE LIBRARY NOTE FUND BE
ACCEPTED, AND THAT THE LIST OF BILLS BE APPROVED
FOR PAYMENT, SUBJECT TO AUDIT.
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The roll call vote for approval of the financial statements and the list of bills was
unanimous.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
CIRCULATION REPORT
LIBRARY USE STATISTICS
PROGRAM STATISTICS FIRST QUARTER FY 1997-98
REPORT(S) FROM DEPARTMENT HEAD(S) (1)
GIFT
CORRESPONDENCE
PERSONNEL
Mr. Graham made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rich:
MOTION:
THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF
TRUSTEES PLACE ON FILE THE FOLLOWING CONSENT
AGENDA ITEMS:
1. CIRCULATION REPORT
2. LIBRARY USE STATISTICS
3. PROGRAM STATISTICS FIRST QUARTER FY 1997-98
4. REPORT(S) FROM DEPARTMENT HEAD(S) (1)
5. GIFT- $5.00 from Anthony M. Sorrentino in appreciation
6. CORRESPONDENCE (3)
Letter from Governor Jim Edgar re Illinois Arts Council
grant award; two letters from Richard Howard, Summer
Youth Employment Training Program, Niles Township
High Schools - District 219
7. PERSONNEL
Promotion: Scott Sanders, part-time Page to part-time
Periodicals Desk Assistant, Adult Services Department,
effective July 28, 1997; and Teri Room, full-time Readers
Advisory/AV Librarian to Coordinator of Collection
Development, effective July 21, 1997
Reclassified: JoAnn Piontkowski, part-time Information
Assistant to full-time Information Assistant, Youth Services
Department, effective July 28, 1997.
The Consent Agenda items were unanimously approved and placed on file.
YEAR-TO-DATE BUDGETARY STATUS (Not on Consent Agenda)
The Year-to-Date Budgetary Status was reviewed and placed on file.
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DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Usage--Circulation was up 6% in July over last year, exceeding 100,000 for the month. A
contributing factor certainly may have been the reading clubs. Participation in the Youth Services
Reading Club was up 10% to a record 1251 children and circulation of juvenile books was up almost
12% for the month. An increase in reciprocal borrowing may be due in part to construction at
Lincolnwood Public Library. There was an increase of 18% in visits to the Library.
Automation--Michael Jackiw, the new Assistant LAN Manager, began work July 28. Dawne
Tortorella has completed installation of the 28-slot CD-ROM tower purchased with a grant from the
State. Illinois has approved intrastate telecommunications discounts for schools and libraries in line
with federal guidelines for universal service. Items eligible for discounts include servers, hubs,
maintenance support and ordinary telephone lines as well as data line charges. Camille Cleland is
working on a draft of our telecommunications plan, a necessary prerequisite for the discounts, which
are scheduled to begin in January, 1998.
In JCPL, we plan to implement NetConnect August 15, facilitating Internet access to our online
catalog while maintaining security. By the end of the month, we will have installed PAC for
Windows, a version of our online catalog that has a graphical user interface. Staff will familiarize
themselves with the catalog before it is made available to the public. Since all users may not be
comfortable with the "point and click" mode of using the catalog, some stations will retain keyboard
access.
Illinois State Library Teleconference--Greta Southard, Executive Director of PLA, and
Mrs. Anthony will be presenters in an Illinois State Library Teleconference September 17. They will
talk about the new PLA planning process which is going to press later this month. Planning for
Results: A Library Transformation Process will be available before the PLA National Conference in
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March. Mrs. Anthony has served on the development committee for the new products, which has met
over the past two years.
First Annual Page Gathering--The first annual gathering of Library pages was held the evening
of July 24. Initiated by the Staff Training Advisory Committee, the gathering brought together pages
from Adult Services, Youth Services and Circulation for a team building exercise, followed by an ice
cream social. Staff members had an opportunity to participate in a continuing education event, to get
to know each other and to be appreciated.
Bookmobile--The compressor for the air conditioning system had to be replaced at a cost of
$2,000. Otherwise, the vehicle is holding up reasonably well.
ILA Conference--The Illinois Library Association Conference has moved from spring to fall
and will be held in Springfield October 25-28. Bruce Brigell, Frances Roehm and Steve Oserman will
be presenters at programs.
Summer Youth Employment Training--Two students worked at the Library this summer as part
of the Summer Youth Employment Training program. The students took classes about the world of
work, getting a job, etc. in the morning and worked here in the afternoon, paid by the Private Industry
Council. One worked in Circulation and one assisted Bruce Brigell with reference projects.
Tours--Tobi Oberman, with support from the Staff Training Advisory Committee, has initiated
a program of hour-long tours which give staff the opportunity to see what happens in other
departments. Fifty-two staff members have participated in at least one tour of another department and,
judging from the evaluations, staff are gaining an appreciation of the challenges other staff face. Tours
to date have been offered in Circulation, Readers Services, Technical Services, Reference and
Bookmobile. Others are planned for Maintenance, Youth Services and Administration.
Baker & Taylor Suit--The City of Chicago has filed suit against Baker & Taylor, the library
materials jobber, claiming to have been overcharged by as much as $50,000. over the period from
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1990-1996. The suit alleges that some trade books, which should have been subject to a 40% discount,
were reclassified as nontrade, shortening the discount to only 10%.
NSLS Program for Trustees--Mrs. Anthony is on a planning committee for an NSLS program
for trustees on the subject of the Internet and policies related to filtering, privacy and related issues.
The intent of the program will be to identify and explore issues in these areas where "correct policy" is
not clear. The program is tentatively scheduled for three dates: Thursday evening October 16, Friday
morning October 17 and Saturday morning October 18.
Chiller Update--Paul Gilson has continued to work with John Domenz and Carrier on
resolution of the issue regarding the chiller motor. Carrier had their motor supplier run tests with both
Carrier and NorthTown representatives in attendance. They stated that "a possible problem exists."
Paul Gilson is continuing to push for a commitment to swap out the motor at the end of the cooling
season.
Architect--Paul Steinbrecher, the architect who worked with us during the latter part of
renovation, is assisting us in planning for additional shelving for audiovisual resources. We are also
investigating overhaul of the service desks because the veneer has not held up well.
Smoke Testing--Paul Gilson is planning a Sunday morning test of airflow and controls to learn
how to best handle smoke evacuation in the event of an incident in the Library. The tests should
enable us to enhance confinement and purging, to keep smoke away from people evacuating the
building and to locate supplemental fans brought in by the Fire Department. The system might also be
activated in the event of a severe odor problem. Results will be discussed with the Fire Department.
UPS Strike--The UPS strike is having somewhat of an impact on the Library in that we have
not received any new book shipments. Of course, Technical Services Department has other things to
keep them busy, but it is hoped that the strike will end before much longer.
Mrs. Hunter suggested signs be posted informing patrons in the event the strike drags on.
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PAY-FOR-PERFORMANCE
At 7:45 p.m. Mrs. Anthony introduced Executive Service Corps consultants Jerad Browdy and
Dan Sundt who addressed the concept of Pay-for-Performance and explained the nearly year long
process of developing the Skokie Public Library management group pay-for-performance considerations
to be presented this evening. Mr. Sundt and Mr. Browdy complimented the Task Force members for
their diligent efforts and forethought in developing their recommendations.
Presently the Library uses a four-page performance review form for all employees to evaluate
performance on an annual basis. Service expectations for all personnel were developed and put in place.
All employees receive a general cost-of-living increase in May. Additionally there may be a merit
increase granted on the employee's anniversary date based on a favorable performance review.
Because there are no differentials based on performance levels, some high performers feel the
current system is unfair as they receive exactly the same amount as lesser performing employees who
also receive a merit increase. It was the purpose of the Task Force, therefore, to develop an approved
performance evaluation plan and administrative guidelines that will equate the level of compensation
with the level of an employee's performance.
Mr. Browdy explained that the proposed new pay-for-performance system would initially
involve 18 management positions only, with overall evaluations falling into one of three categories "development needed", "effective" or "excels". Increases would depend on the amount budgeted by the
Board for increases.
The pay-for-performance system is meant to identify and reward high achievers. It sends a
message to low achievers regarding the need to improve performance level. Staff would no longer
receive a guaranteed annual increase.
Three different pay-for-performance options under consideration were presented by Mr. Browdy
and Mr. Sundt.
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The Board discussed their concerns.
Mr. Graham commended the consultants and task force members on their extensive study and the
resulting product. He would like a chart, not necessarily listing names, but one listing who evaluates
who. Consideration should be given to the size of the salary increase budget. He suggested we continue
with the current compensation system, but simulate implementing a "new system" for a two-year trial
period. Each year we would evaluate the outcome and get some idea of the amount that would have
been needed to be put aside in the salary increase pool accordingly.
Mrs. Rich noted that if we have hired all high achievers, and they are all in the managers group,
we would not have enough money in the salary increase budget.
Mrs. Weiner asked when an employee receives an outstanding performance review for some
major accomplishment one year, what can she/he do the next year to receive a salary increase? She, too,
is concerned about staff morale and how employees are judged and by whom. Different people have
different personalities and one employee's performance may be perceived quite differently should she/he
be reviewed by more than one person.
Mrs. Hunter expressed concern over the effect of the loss of a COLA (cost-of-living adjustment)
on staff morale. Granted there have been many societal changes and the philosophy of what a COLA is
may no longer be correct - but there remains a psychology that affects all employees.
Mrs. Hunter said it is her understanding that the current compensation system has not been used
effectively - that perhaps by taking appropriate measures to better utilize the system, those staff who feel
there are inequities would no longer feel so. Any change in the compensation system warrants careful
consideration. It must be a fair system - one that fosters an esprit de corps in the Library.
After lengthy discussion it was the consensus of the Board that the issues are too complex to
come to a decision at this meeting. There are segments of the proposed pay-for-performance system
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that need to be examined and discussed individually. The Board will consider the system in steps at
the next meeting September 10.
Mrs. Weiner suggested trustees write up their concerns and suggestions prior to the meeting.
Mrs. Hunter indicated that the minutes would address the issues discussed.
Mrs. Weiner said the minutes don't say anything except who made a motion.
Mrs. Hunter noted that the annual evaluation of the Director will also be held at the September
meeting and appointed Mrs. Weiner to initiate the procedure.
The Board thanked Mr. Browdy and Mr. Sundt for their presentation.
Mrs. Hunter called for a short recess at 9:05 p.m.
BOOKMOBILE REPLACEMENT
The meeting resumed at 9:15 p.m.
The Board discussed replacement of the Bookmobile, commending Bookmobile Librarian Phil
Carlsen for preparing the comprehensive and informative "Mobile Services Program Statement
Bookmobile Replacement Project" draft.
The Board approved the draft, concurring with recommendations. Specifications will be
prepared and presented to the Board in September.
PROPOSED FAMILY OVERNIGHT
The Youth Services Department plans for an overnight program for children and their parents,
including goals, staffing, schedule, ground rules, food and budget were reviewed by the Board.
Mr. Graham made a motion, seconded by Mr. Friedman, to approve the concept of the Family
Overnight for Saturday, October 18.
The motion was approved.
Mrs. Goodman said she is not in favor of this type of overnight program. She is concerned
with the condition of the Library after such an overnight program.
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Discussion ensued regarding the proposed fee of $12.00 per person. It was suggested that the
fee was not high enough. Mr. Graham suggested $15.00 per person, but Mrs. Rich thought $12.00 was
enough.
Mrs. Rich made a motion, seconded by Mr. Friedman:
MOTION:
THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
APPROVE THE CHARGE OF $12.00 PER PERSON AS STATED
IN '.fHE DIRECTOR'S MEMORANDUM OF AUGUST 7, 1997.
The roll was called. Mrs. Weiner--yes; Mr. Graham--abstain; Mr. Friedman--yes;
Mrs. Rich--yes; Mrs. Goodman--abstain; Mrs. Hunter--no. The motion passed.
LIBRARY CABLE NETWORK
The Board noted the August 1997 Library Cable Network Cable Guide.
COMMENTS FROM TRUSTEES
Mr. Graham said Mary Radmacher, former Skokie Public Library Chief Librarian, has
made a sculpture selection and he has committed to the $7 ,000. cost, which is more than the
amount in the Mary Radmacher Art Fund. He suggested the balance be taken from the Fine Arts
Acquisition Fund. Mrs. Hunter will talk to Bruce Taylor, Cole Taylor Bank, regarding the
possibility of a contribution.
Mrs. Hunter suggested the Board review their position regarding the recently passed
Communications Decency Act in view of the results of Representative Sidney Yates' last
questionnaire, which went out to the 9th district. It indicates that 73% of the respondents were in
favor of restricting access of some Internet sites to children. This merits some thought on our
part as to what the community expects from the Library.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 p.m~~
Zelffir'R.
c , Secretary
:\<:J>--
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Title
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Minutes, Wednesday, August 13, 1997
Creator
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Skokie Public Library. Board of Trustees
Contributor
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Rich, Zelda (Secretary)
Description
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Attachment: Director's Report
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1997-08-13
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PDF
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Public Libraries -- Illinois -- Skokie
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LBM19970813.pdf
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Skokie Public Library, Skokie, IL
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eng
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1990s (1990-1999)
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9 p.
1990s
library board meetings