Kankakee Times

Bourbonnais Public Library District Board of Trustees met April 18.

Here are 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 7:04 p.m.

Trustees present: Mary Kay Blankestyn, Deborah Hendrick, Laurie Hofman, Judith Smead, Ellen Stringer, and David Stejkowski. Trustee Amanda Wright was absent. Also present: Library Director Kelly McCully

President’s Report: Stejkowski noted there was a quorum present. Stejkowki also expressed excitement about the upcoming Book Sale that is being totally planned and supervised by the library staff.

Secretary’s Report: The Board reviewed the minutes from the regular Board Meeting held March 21, 2022, and the Policy Committee Meeting held April 14, 2022. Smead made a motion to accept all the minutes as presented. Blankestyn seconded the motion and it passed with a vote of all ayes. Trustee Wright was absent.

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

Financial Report: Stringer reviewed the transactions and asked for any questions. Stringer made a motion to pay the monthly bills as presented. Blankestyn seconded the motion. Blankestyn, Hendrick, Hofman, Smead, Stringer, and Stejkowski voted yes. Trustee Wright was absent. Stringer reported that the balance sheet is tracking at 74% and will be submitted to the auditor.

Director’s Report: Deadlines: April 30, Last day for filing Statement of Economic Interests with the County Clerk. June 30, Last day of fiscal year.

Marketing: Currently the Library has 2,559 Facebook followers, 942 Instagram followers, and 716 followers on Tik Tok.

Over the last few months, OC Creative has been working to fully rebuild the backend of the library’s website. Most of the work has been completed. There is a new accessibility tool from UserWay in the top right corner of the site. The tool offers a variety of accessibility options and moves the library’s website further towards ADA compliance.

Beginning in May 2022, library patrons will be able to register for programs directly from the BPL website. This feature can be accessed by going into the Events page. Programs that require registration will have a ‘Register’ button next to the details of the program. When a program has reached capacity, a ‘SOLD OUT’ notice is posted next to the program.

Adult Services: 178 new titles were added to the Fiction, Large Print, Graphic Novels, and New Fiction collections. A bar graph was included showing March Circulation Statistics. The Fiction statistics were particularly impressive in March 2022! The Department continues to work on weeding items to make space for new materials. Most weeded items will be included in the upcoming Book Sale.

The Adult Services Supervisor has started the process to offer notary services to the public. Hopefully, the Library will be able to offer this popular service to library patrons again soon.

The Library offers two book clubs for adults. Read Between the Lines meets the second Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. This fiction book club has requested the addition of a social hour at 9 a.m. before the book club meeting so they can enjoy coffee, refreshments, and conversation before the book discussion. Novels at Night meetsthe third Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. This book club meets at the Barnes & Noble Café to discuss nonfiction, fiction, and graphic novel selections.

Children’s Services: In-person storytimes are back! Starting in April, the Children’s Department began to offer Family Storytime at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. A new Baby Storytime has been added at 10 a.m. on Fridays. Storytime programs have already received an enthusiastic response!

The Youth Services Team took a field trip to Arlington Heights, Skokie, and Oak Park Libraries on March 18. They had the opportunity to meet with children and teen librarians, see library collections, and marvel at the library spaces, including Arlington Heights’ stand-alone Makerplace. The YS Team discovered that even with the abundance of resources at these suburban libraries, they shared similar challenges and opportunities as staff members working with youth and their families. The field trip proved to be informative and inspirational for the entire YS Team.

Teen Services: Even with one week of Spring Break, TLC had a record setting month in March with 285 teens in attendance. The entire YS Team has worked diligently to create a welcoming and interactive space for teens. The success of TLC reflects the connections that have been made and the thoughtfulness that continues to go into this valuable program. TLC and the YS Team will celebrate the end of the school year with a farewell party in May.

Circulation Services & Technical Services: Circulation Services made 141 new library cards in March. This is up over 100% from the 56 cards that were made in March 2021.

412 new items were added to the collection.

678 items were weeded from the collection.

Collection managers throughout the Library are reviewing the condition of materials and making space for new items. Weeding statistics are typically higher around Book Sale time.

McCully included circulation comparison statistics. BPL circulation was down 3% from 2021 but still led other area libraries with 7,167 circulated items.

Building & Grounds: Vital Landscaping performed a spring clean up of landscaping beds on Wednesday, April 6. BPL will contract with them in the spring and fall annually to perform this type of maintenance to the library’s planting beds.

Facilities Coordinator, Bill Johnson, is making drywall repairs throughout the Library. He is addressing settling cracks on walls and the ceiling, old water damage, and cracks along columns.

Johnson has installed Walker Display systems in locations throughout the Library. These art and picture hanging systems will allow staff to creatively and securely display and rearrange art in the library spaces. Marketing Coordinator, Katey Moore, suggested this system that is used in museums and art galleries. Katey plans to develop art campaigns and work towards strengthening partnership with local art and historical organizations to acquire artwork for permanent and temporary displays.

Trustee Training: Area Training for Librarians & Staff (ATLAS) will hold a Trustee Training Day on Saturday, May 21, from 9 a.m.–12 p.m. at the Alsip-Marionette Park Public Library. The Open Meetings Act, Freedom of Information Act, Closed Sessions, and Evaluating the Library Director will be discussed. Further details are included in an attached flyer. Please email McCully by May 2 to register for the event.

Safety: McCully has contacted BESD53 School Resource Officer & ALICE Instructor, Officer Garcia, regarding local incident notifications for the Library. Officer Garcia is currently out on parental leave. A follow up meeting will be scheduled upon his return. McCully will report any updates or suggestions to the Board after the meeting.

Book Sale: The Library Book Sale is planned for Thursday, April 21, from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., Friday, April 22, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., and Saturday, April 23, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Bag Sale).

Staff & Trustee Picnic: The Bourbonnais Public Library Picnic will be held at the Perry Farm Pavilion on Sunday, June 5, starting at 1 p.m. All staff, trustees, and their families are invited.

Vacation: McCully will be out of the office Wednesday, May 4, - Monday, May 16. She will return for the May Board meeting on Monday, May 16, at 7 p.m. Please contact any available supervisor during her absence.

Committee Reports: 

Personnel: A meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 28, at 1:00 p.m. with BPL Supervisory Team in preparation for Library Director’s Annual Evaluation. Finance: None.

Policy: Meeting held Thursday, April 14.

Building and Grounds: None.

Long Range Planning: None.

Unfinished Business: None.

New Business: 

Approve Policy Committee Recommendations: Blankestyn made a motion to accept the recommendations of the Policy Committee concerning the revisions to Trustee & Legal Requirements 01-09 Organizational Chart, Serving Our Public 03-15 Circulation, and

Personnel Policies 02-01 through 02-14. Hofman seconded the motion and it passed with all ayes. Trustee Wright was absent.

Discuss and Approve Outdoor Furniture Purchase: McCully presented a proposal from Barco Products for the purchase of outdoor furniture. She emphasized the need for the furniture to be sturdy and able to withstand a variety of weather conditions. The purchase will include two hexagon shaped picnic tables (one will be ADA compliant) and one bicycle rack. The merchandise should arrive 10 – 15 weeks after the order is placed. Total cost (including shipping) will be $2,941. After a brief discussion, Stejkowski made a motion to purchase the outdoor furniture. Stringer seconded the motion. Blankestyn, Hendrick, Hofman, Smead, Stringer, and Stejkowski voted yes. Trustee Wright was absent.

Public Comment: None.

Adjournment: Smead made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:34 p.m. Hofman seconded the motion and it passed with a vote of all ayes. Trustee Wright was absent.

https://bourbonnaislibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/Minutes-4-18-2022.pdf