Kankakee Times

Bourbonnais Public Library District Board of Trustees met February 27.

Here is the minutes provided by the Board:

President David Stejkowski called to order the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Bourbonnais Public Library District at 7 p.m. on February 27, 2017.

Trustees present: David Stejkowski, Sandra Beaupre, Mary Kay Blankestyn, Deborah Hendrick, Natalie Netherton, Judith Smead and Ellen Stringer.

Also present: Library Director Kelly McCully and member of the public Justin Roybal.

President’s Report: Stejkowski noted that a quorum was present, in fact, the whole board was present.

Secretary’s Report: The Board reviewed the minutes from the regular Board meeting held on January 23, 2017. Hendrick made a motion to approve the Board meeting minutes as corrected. Netherton seconded the motion and it passed with a vote of all ayes.

Correspondence and Communications, and Public Comment (action items only): None.

Financial Report: Stringer reviewed the transactions and asked for any questions. McCully noted that the expenditure for the new furnace and AC unit only put the balance sheet off by two percent. Stringer made a motion to pay the bills. Beaupre seconded the motion and Stejkowski, Beaupre, Blankestyn, Hendrick, Netherton, Smead and Stringer voted yes. The balance sheet will be submittted to the auditor.

Director’s Report:

Deadlines: April 4, Consolidated Election.

Staff Intranet: The Library has launched a staff intranet page. The intranet page is used for announcements and reminders. It has proven to be an effective communication tool for both supervisors and staff. It is located through a password protected link on the home page of the Library website.

BESD 53 Strategic Planning: McCully participated in the strategic planning process for BESD 53 for their 2017-2022 plan. The planning committee helped develop the vision statement for the District which reads, “BESD 53 is committed to providing a safe, diverse, and technologically excellent environment in order to create life-long learners in partnership with families and community.”

Marketing: The Library sent out seven email blasts in January. There are currently 595 people on the Library’s email list and the library has 647 likes on Facebook.

Teen Services: In February, Library Teen Services Supervisor Samantha Young led tours and classroom talks for more than 450 7th and 8th grade students from Bourbonnais Upper Grade Center. This was a valuable way to introduce many students and teachers to the resources and programming available for tweens and teens at  the Bourbonnais Library.

The Teen Services Department hosted a Robotics Club Demonstration on Thursday, February 23. Clubs from BBCHS, St. George Grade School, Grace Baptist Academy, and Kankakee High School demonstrated their robots and described the process of planning, creating, and presenting their creations at local, state, and worldwide competitions. There were more than 100 children, teens, and adults in attendance for this event.

Committee Reports:

Personnel: None.

Finance: None.

Building and Grounds: None.

Policy Committee: None.

Long Range Planning: None.

Unfinished Business: None.

New Business:

KALA Banquet: The KALA Banquet will be held Friday, April 7 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Kankakee Public Library. This year staff or community members will be honored. Sgt. L’Ecuyer, of the Bourbonnais Police Department, who discovered the gas leak at the Library Jan. 1, was the unanimous choice for this honor.

Community Garden Project: BESD Superintendent Dan Howell talked to Board President Stejkowski about this project which will take place on BESD-owned land to the west of the Library. The Library was asked to partner with the School District by supplying water for the garden and a place for registration and explanation/ training from the University of Illinois Extension office. The straw bale garden will be open to the community. U of I will also supply plants. The library will be included in signage. An intergovernmental agreement will be needed.

Public Comment: Justin Roybal, a representative for United Energy Alliance, made a short presentation on what UEA offers in the way of providing electricity. Free services, including an audit, are available. Stejkowski explained the Library works with NIMEC for electricity and referred Roybal to Library Director McCully for any further discussion.

Adjournment: Smead made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:30 p.m. Beaupre seconded the motion and it passed with a vote of all ayes.

http://bourbonnaislibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/Minutes-2-27-17.pdf