WAUCONDA AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT

BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES MEETING

January 15, 2007

The meeting was held at the library at 7:30 p.m. with the following Library Trustees present: Mrs. Carr, Dr. Johnson, Mr. Jonak, Mr. Kosty, Mrs. Miller and Mr. Stevig. Trustees absent: Mrs. Whitman. Staff present: Tom Kern (Library Director), Kathy Nielsen (Circulation Manager), Jan Staudemeyer (Head of Children’s Services), and Sue Strauch (Head of Adult Services). No visitors were present.

Dr. Johnson made a motion seconded by Mr. Jonak to approve the minutes of the December 11, 2006. Voice vote. All in favor. Motion carried.

The financial and budget reports were discussed. Topics included: reporting of checking account vs. fund transfers; several specific invoices; and expenditures not yet categorized because of receipts not yet submitted by staff; and how the gas mileage rate is determined.

Mr. Jonak made a motion seconded by Dr. Johnson to pay the bills as presented and to transfer sufficient funds from the Investment Pool into the checking account.

Roll call vote

YES: Carr, Johnson, Jonak, Kosty, Miller, Stevig
NO:                       none
ABSTAIN:          none
ABSENT AND NOT VOTING:  Whitman

Library usage statistics were discussed. Mr. Kern noted that the rate of increase in total circulation has flattened out again, partly because VHS video circulation is way down, due to obsolescence of that technology and subsequent withdrawals of VHS titles from the collection.

Mr. Kern commended the staff for producing the winter newsletter during his December absence.

Library director and departmental reports were discussed. Topics included: Wauconda’s special census indicating that the population has increased by 3,700 residents; expanded and more effective video security coverage; improved lighting of the parking lot.

Suggestions from the Suggestion Box were discussed. Topics included library closings for staff training; recycling of waste; plans for constructing a sidewalk connecting the front plaza to the village sidewalk along Main Street.

Incidents reported during the month of December were discussed briefly.

There was some discussion of the snowplowing of the parking lot. Mr. Kern explained that this is the school district’s responsibility, and that there is a contract that specifies this responsibility.

The school district cannot always be depended on to clear the library parking lot promptly, because they generally plow their school lots first, particularly if one or more of the schools have events scheduled. Mr. Kern noted that he had discussed this with the school district superintendent after the heavy snow that occurred Friday, December 1, resulting in closing the library that day because of hazardous conditions resulting from lack of snowplowing. In that discussion, Superintendent Coles explained that the expansion of the high school parking lot, along with an entirely new parking lot for the new middle school, make this situation even worse, since there is that much more plowing to do, but no additional equipment or manpower.

There was some discussion of the possible need for a Committee of the Whole meeting sometime during the coming months.

Mr. Jonak made a motion seconded by Mrs. Carr that the meeting be adjourned. Voice vote. All in favor. Motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.

Approved ____________________

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President Secretary