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July 10, 2019
Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Skokie Public Library held in the
Skokie Public Library Board Room, Wednesday, July 10, 2019.
CALL TO ORDER
Mark Prosperi, President, called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m.
Members present: Mark Prosperi, President; Karen Parrilli, Secretary; Mira Barbir; Susan Greer;
Eugene Griffin; Jonathan H. Maks, MD; and Richard Kong, Director.
Member absent: Diana Hunter, Vice President/President Emerita
Staff present: Blythe Trilling, Finance Manager; Laura McGrath, Deputy Director
Observers present: Lauren Fink, Jess Lifshitz, Mary Rafig
COMMENTS FROM OBSERVERS
The Board introduced themselves to the observers. There were no comments from the observers.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF JUNE 12, 2019
Mrs. Parrilli made a motion, seconded by Mr. Griffin to approve the minutes of the regular
meeting of June 12, 2019, subject to additions and/or corrections. There being no additions or
corrections, the minutes were approved unanimously and placed on file. The vote was 6 ayes and
0 nays.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Renovation Update
Andrew Berman Architect (ABA) continues to make small improvements to the design of various
areas that will be renovated, especially the “Toddler Area” within the Youth Services Room. While
taking into consideration a visit to various furniture showrooms during NeoCon, ABA will be
recommending a furniture package for each area of the library. Graphic designer Neil Donnelly will
also be providing a second look at recommendations for signage design after receiving some
feedback during his visit in June. In addition, Shales McNutt will be providing another cost estimate
for the project based on the completion of 50% of the Construction Documents.
Dr. Maks asked if Mr. Kong felt that Neil Donnelly was on target with his ideas. Mr. Kong stated
that he did. Mr. Kong invited Josh from Shales McNutt to attend the August Board meeting to
present the updated cost estimates.
CD Transfer
�One of the library’s three CDs with Byline reached its maturity date in June. Rather than reinvest the
funds (approximately $1.04 million) with Byline at a lower interest rate, the library invested the
funds in a new set of Max Safe CDs with North Shore Community Bank (NSCB). This is the
library’s second set of 4 CDs with NSCB, and we were able to secure a higher interest rate than what
Byline offered. Another Byline CD is maturing this month, so Finance Manager Blythe Trilling and
Mr. Kong are exploring options to invest those funds elsewhere at a higher interest rate.
Mr. Kong and Ms. Trilling will be meeting with David Putrus of First Bank Chicago and will look
into possibly opening a new CD with First Bank Chicago.
TIF District for Downtown Skokie Hotel
The Village of Skokie is pursuing a TIF (tax increment financing) district to help fund a new hotel
development in downtown Skokie and a major addition to the Illinois Science and Technology Park.
Mr. Kong will attend a Joint Review Board meeting on July 11, 2019 to discuss the possible creation
of the new TIF, and a public hearing will be held on August 19, 2019 at Village Hall.
Digital Lending Landscape
Recent changes announced by publisher Simon & Schuster to its eBook and eAudiobook lending
model for libraries point to worsening conditions that will make it more difficult for public libraries
to provide access to their patrons. Simon & Schuster will move from providing perpetual access to its
eAudiobooks to only selling access to two-years of use at higher prices ranging from $39.99 to
$79.99. This follows news from Macmillan (Tor imprint) last July that it would impose an embargo
on sales of new eBook titles to libraries.
Capital Funding
Mr. Kong is still learning more about what is required of the library in order to receive funds
approved in Illinois’ recently approved capital funding bill, but it has been confirmed with staff from
State Senator Ram Villivalam’s office that a total of $250,000 was allocated to the library for the
renovation. Mr. Kong will stay in close contact with staff from State Senator Ram Villivalam, State
Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, and State Representative Mark Kalish, respectively, and
take the appropriate steps to secure the funds.
Mr. Kong mentioned that the library recently purchased a book drop per Ms. Barbir’s suggestion
which will be placed at the Weber Center in the near future. It will only be used to return books and
other materials. Materials will be picked up daily if needed. The drop will hold about 200 items.
BILLS
Mr. Griffin asked about the category of other circulation desk revenue. Mr. Kong explained that
it is from items that were lost and paid for by patrons. Mr. Griffin also asked a question about
the petty cash reimbursements.
�A motion was made by Dr. Maks, seconded by Ms. Greer:
MOTION:
THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
APPROVE THE BILLS, SUBJECT TO AUDIT.
The roll call vote for approval was 6 ayes and 0 nays; the motion passed unanimously.
CONSENT AGENDA (Financial Statements, Statistics Report, Reports from Department
Heads; Gifts; Personnel)
Ms. Barbir asked a question about the recent drop in circulation on the bookmobile. Mr. Kong
said he felt it was too early to determine the reason for the decline. Ms. McGrath said that
there is an overall decline that mirrors that of the library as a whole but nothing to be
concerned about at the moment.
Ms. Barbir made a motion, seconded by Mr. Griffin:
MOTION:
THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
APPROVE THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, SUBJECT TO AUDIT,
AND THAT THE FOLLOWING CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS BE
PLACED ON FILE:
1. STATISTICS REPORT
2. REPORTS FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS
3. GIFTS: $1000 FROM 8000 NORTH, LLC. IN SUPPORT OF SUMMER
READING
4. PERSONNEL: HIRES: RACHAEL BILD, FULL-TIME YOUNG ADULT
LIBRARIAN, YOUTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT, EFFECTIVE
AUGUST 5, 2019; KIRK GARDNER, PART-TIME INFORMATION
SPECIALIST, LEARNING EXPERIENCES DEPARTMENT,
EFFECTIVE JULY 11, 2019; LY NGUYEN, PART-TIME
INFORMATION SPECIALIST, LEARNING EXPERIENCES
DEPARTMENT, EFFECTIVE JULY 15, 2019; DEPARTURE: MAX
HERMAN, PART-TIME PRODUCTION SPECIALIST:
PHOTOGRAPHER, COMMUNICATIONS AND MULTIMEDIA
ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, EFFECTIVE JULY 14, 2019
The motion passed unanimously. There were 6 ayes and 0 nays.
TAX LEVY DISTRIBUTIONS AND COLLECTIONS TAX YEARS 2013-2017,
FISCAL YEARS 2015-2019
Mr. Kong provided a brief overview of the tax levy distributions and collections chart.
QUARTERLY INVESTMENT UPDATE
�The investment policy states that the director shall prepare a quarterly report on investments and their
returns.
The library’s Reserve Fund for Sites and Buildings includes the following accounts, with their
respective balances at the end of the 2nd Quarter 2019.
• Fifth Third Reserve Fund ($1,052,705)
• IL Funds Reserve Account ($4,458,040)
• IMET Reserve Fund ($562)
• North Shore Community Bank Max Safe 4 CDs at 2.6% ($1,052,779)
• North Shore Community Bank Max Safe 4 CDs at 2.4% ($1,041,659)
• Byline Bank CDs ($1,304,015)
The Fifth Third Reserve Fund was formerly with MB Financial, and the Byline Bank CDs were
formerly with First Bank & Trust. In addition, the library closed out a Byline CD in June and moved
the funds to a new set of Max Safe CDs with North Shore Community Bank. The library anticipates
closing out the remaining Byline CDs as they reach maturity in July and October, respectively, and
moving the funds to accounts that bear more interest.
The total balance of the Reserve Fund as of June 30, 2019 is $8,909,760. This is a 1.25% increase
from the balance at the start of the calendar year. A balance transfer of $1.2 million from the
Operating Fund to the Reserve Fund, approved by the Board in June 2019, will be completed later
this month. At that point, the total balance of the Reserve Fund will be approximately $10,109,760.
Ms. Barbir asked a clarifying question regarding FDIC insurance rules.
APPROVAL FOR 2019 STAFF DAY CLOSING
In recent years, the Board approved dates in January for the library to be closed for Staff Day. Since
the library will just be starting its renovation project in January of next year, Mr. Kong recommended
that the Board approve closing the library for the entire day on Thursday, November 21, 2019 for the
next Staff Day.
Staff Day has proven to be a beneficial opportunity for staff training and team building. Given the
number of part-time staff and staggered schedules over seven days, some staff rarely see each other,
and Staff Day gives everyone the opportunity to become better acquainted.
This year, the library plans to use Staff Day to highlight one of its core values, curiosity, and prepare
staff to have a flexible and positive mindset during the renovation project.
Board members are welcome to attend, as well.
Ms. Barbir expressed interest in having Steve the Sloth return to the library for Staff Day this year.
Mr. Griffin asked if there is a theme for Staff Day this year. Mr. Kong explained that it is in the very
�.
early stages right now but the library is exploring the idea of curiosity. There will also be a
connection to the upcoming renovation to make sure staff is aware of what is going to be happening.
A motion was made by Mr. Griffin, seconded by Dr. Maks:
MOTION:
THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
APPROVE THE CLOSING OF THE LIBRARY ON THURSDAY,
NOVEMBER 21, 2019 FOR STAFF DAY.
A vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. There were 6 ayes and 0 nays.
APPROVAL OF REPLACEMENT SERVERS
Board approval is sought for the purchase of four new Dell servers to replace three aging HP servers.
The Information Technology (IT) department is asking for a capital expenditure of $30,308.44 for
this purchase.
Competitive quotes were obtained from Dell, HP ($35,649.44), and Lenovo (IBM) ($86,419.79). For
the last fourteen years, based on cost and features, IT has been partial to HP server hardware,
purchasing servers from HP exclusively. Times have changed. Dell not only offered the best price,
but from a technical standpoint, there are a couple of hardware advantages the Dell servers have over
the HP offering. The Lenovo quote was easily dismissed as an extreme outlier, even after confirming
that this was the closest they could come to the configuration we were looking for.
The servers that need to be replaced are “mission-critical,” supporting the library’s virtual computing
environment. Eight years ago (June 2011), three HP servers were purchased for approximately
$30,000. At the time, they had to support thirty virtual machines and appliances. Today that number
is close to seventy. IT wants to add a fourth server to this latest hardware refresh cycle in order to
support the future virtualization of our Innovative server hardware, which, after seven years, is at its
end of life. Virtualizing the Innovative server has advantages over simply replacing its hardware, but
it will add to the total resource load that the virtual environment will have to accommodate.
Mr. Kong recommended Board approval of the purchase of four Dell servers at a cost of $30,308.44.
An additional observer, Mary Rafig, entered the meeting at 7:04 pm.
Dr. Maks asked a clarifying question about the large differences between the Dell and Lenovo
quotes.
A motion was made by Ms. Greer, seconded by Mrs. Parrilli:
MOTION:
THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF FOUR DELL SERVERS AT A COST OF
$30,308.44.
�.
A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. There were 6 ayes and 0 nays.
REACHING ACROSS ILLINOIS LIBRARY SYSTEM (RAILS)
RAILS Board of Directors Meeting
Friday, June 28, 2019
Caterpillar Distribution Center
Morton, Illinois
The following are highlights from the June 28, 2019, RAILS Board of Directors meeting’s
supporting documents and recorded videoconference.
Financial Report: Mr. Jim Kregor reported that the unassigned General Fund total cash and
investment balance ending May 31, 2019, was $13,500,000, covering the 14.4 months of operation.
RAILS received no payments from the FY2019 Area and Per Capita Grant. Revenues continue to
increase due to slightly higher interest rates in investments, with expenditures at $895,646 below
budget.
Committee Reports: The Nominating Committee announced the recently elected new Board
members. At July’s meeting, the new board will vote on the slate of recommended officers: Tom
Stagg, Treasurer; Susan Busenbark, Secretary; Gwen Gregory, Vice President; and Paul Mills,
President.
Executive Director’s Report: Ms. Deirdre Brennan reported on the meetings she attended at ALA.
Her one primary concern was to convince publishers that sale of e-books to libraries is a “good
thing” for publishers’ bottom line, since one announced an embargo on e-books to libraries for longer
than ninety days. She also came away from her ALA experience with confidence that there would be
more funding from the state and federal government.
There was a discussion regarding the proposed FY2020 fifteen goals for the executive director and
the RAILS staff. Board approval will take place at the July meeting.
The Board is looking to fill a recently opened Board position, due to the resignation of a school
library trustee, for a one-year term.
Illinois State Library: An ISL staff member assured RAILS that their grant applications were in
order and accepted. Currently, letters of notification of grant payments have been signed and await
state approval.
Next meeting: Friday, July 26, 2019, at Burr Ridge Service Center.
�Respectfully submitted,
Karen Parrilli
PRESENTATION ON LIBRARY’S HISTORY BY MR. KONG
Mr. Kong gave his presentation to the Board. This presentation was a modified version of the
one he gave to staff during Staff Day 2019.
Ms. Rafig, the observer who entered later on in the meeting, made some comments. She enjoyed
the presentation on the library’s history. She praised the programs at the library, including the
BOOMbox and 3D printing, as well as the collection.
COMMENTS FROM TRUSTEES
There were no comments from trustees.
ADJOURNMENT
At 7:45 pm a motion was made by Mrs. Parrilli, seconded by Dr. Maks to adjourn the regular
meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
Karen Parrilli, Secretary
�
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Title
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Minutes, Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Creator
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Skokie Public Library. Board of Trustees
Contributor
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Parrilli, Karen (Secretary)
Date
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2019-07-10
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PDF
Subject
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Public Libraries -- Illinois -- Skokie
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LBM20190710.pdf
Publisher
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Skokie Public Library, Skokie, IL
Language
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eng
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2010s (2010-2019)
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Serial publication, paper document
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7 pages
2000s
2010s
library board meetings
Renovation 2020