LAKE FOREST LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MEETING
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
MINUTES
Present: President Thornburgh; Trustees Barnett, Dettling, Garrett, Hull, Miserendino, and Young; Amanda Levy, Youth Liaison; Administrative Librarian Grabbe; and Administrative Assistant Grasmick.
Absent: Trustees Pierson and Westropp.
President Thornburgh called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
In the absence of Secretary Pierson, Trustee Miserendino volunteered to serve as Secretary Pro Tem.
President Thornburgh introduced Rebecca Brezinsky, a Lake Forest College student majoring in communication. She was observing the board meeting as a coursework requirement.
There were no changes or corrections to the minutes of the January 13 meeting. The minutes were approved as mailed.
Librarian's Report:
Maintenance: Grab rails have been installed on both sides of the back landing. The ramp can get slippery and the rails will provide assistance when stepping up or down.
Services: The library is co-sponsoring a program with LEAD. It is part of their Parent University series. This program is from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 21 st and the keynote presentation is “The Pressured Child: How to Help Your Child Succeed In School and Life,” presented by Michael G. Thompson, PhD, co-author of 8 books, including the New York Times bestseller, Raising Cain.
From February 23 to March 20 the school district 67 student art exhibit will be displayed in the foyer and fine arts room. There will be no open house this year due to the Children’s Library renovation.
Miscellaneous: The December financials are all in line. Trustee Young asked about the fringes and building maintenance line items. Mrs. Grabbe stated that the City doesn’t take our fluctuating schedules into account and this can be reflected in the fringes. This usually balances out by year end. Building maintenance is higher due to unexpected maintenance needs.
Trustee Barnett stated that he was impressed by the gifts given to the library. Mrs. Grabbe said that the donation from the Buchanan Family Foundation makes up the bulk of the gift line item. She sends a thank you and also tries to let them know how we used the gift. The rest of the gifts are usually for memorials.
The December statistics are being affected by the closing of the Children’s Library. Circulation, patron visits, and programs are all down. Web hits are still high. The closing will also be reflected in the year-end statistics.
The renovation is proceeding on schedule and we still hope to open in mid-March.
Committee Reports:
Services : No report.
Long Range Planning : No report.
Finance : A meeting was held prior to tonight’s board meeting to discuss the FY10 budget. The proposed budget will be mailed in the next board packet for discussion and vote at the March meeting.
NSLS : The 2009 NSLS Legislative Breakfast is scheduled for Monday, February 16 th. Trustee Young will attend.
Friends : The Megan Wells program, Questing for King Arthur, was her best-attended program yet. Approximately 45 people attended.
Barbara Rinella’s program is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. in the Gorton Community Center. Her book selection this year is The Commoner, by John Burnham Schwartz.
A copy of the funded wish list items was distributed. It includes the new Thomas Melvin murals for the Children’s Library.
The Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Department has a new director, Mary Van Arsdale. She approached Mrs. Grabbe about using the recreation center’s gymnasium for the Friends book sale. The book sale chairs met with Ms. Van Arsdale to discuss the book sale requirements. This offer was seen as a way to help both groups. The cost will be similar to the park costs, but there will be no worries about weather and it may be possible to extend the sale hours. The Friends are close to finalizing the deal.
Old Business : None.
New Business: The next meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, 2009.
Opportunity for the public to address the Board: Ms. Brezinsky asked how long the Children’s library renovation took to plan. Mrs. Grabbe stated that it had been in our long range plan for years and the detailed planning started in 2007.
Trustee Young moved that the meeting be adjourned; Trustee Hull seconded. Motion carried.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Catherine Miserendino
Secretary Pro Tem