Carbondale Reporter

Carbondale Public Library Board of Trustees met Wednesday, Nov. 9.

The Carbondale Public Library board of trustees oversees all operations at the library.

Here are the minutes as provided by Carbondale Public Library:

Carbondale Public Library Board of Trustees Wednesday, November 9, 2016 Meeting Room 4:30 p.m. 405 West Main St.

MINUTES Call to order. Called to order at 4:30 p.m.

Roll call. Introductions, audience and visitors. Visitors are asked to introduce themselves at this time and present any issues they wish to discuss. Visitors wishing to address specific agenda items will be granted two to five minutes at the discretion of the President, not to exceed a total of twenty minutes. The Library Board may cut short any comments that are irrelevant, repetitious, or disruptive. (Id. at 1425-26).

Present. Philip Brown, President (2) Barbara Levine, Vice President (2) Joyce Hayes, Secretary (2) Don Prosser, Treasurer (3) Harriet Simon Sharifa Stewart (1) Susan Tulis

Absent. Julian Pei (2) Roland Person (2) The number following the Trustee’s name indicates the number of absences this fiscal year.

Staff present. Diana Brawley Sussman, Library Director Gwen Hall Grosshenrich, Finance Manager

Visitors present. None.

President’s report. None.

Secretary’s report. 

1. Approval of the October 12, 2016 minutes. Harriet Simon moved to approve the minutes. Susan Tulis seconded. MOTION passed unanimously.

Correspondence and communications. 1. Harlan Bohnsack’s bill for architectural services on the Brush building.

Financial report. 1. Approval of bills payable up to and including bills due November 16, 2016 to December 15, 2016. Large bills include paying off insurance, the Illinois Heartland Library System, and subscriptions. Susan Tulis made a motion to pay the bills. Joyce Hayes seconded. MOTION passed unanimously.2. Acceptance of the financial report for October 2016. The first property tax revenue check came, as well as an anonymous $40,000 donation. The donor has been thanked. The donation is unrestricted and will be held for projects or purposes to be determined in the future until and unless the donor comes forward with a specific interest.

Barbara Levine moved to approve the financial report. Harriet Simon seconded. MOTION passed unanimously.

Librarian’s report. 1. Building and grounds maintenance and construction. The Brush building began on schedule on October 31st, and there have been no change orders or issues so far.

 2. Medical insurance open enrollment: Option to offer HSA plan with employer contributions to employee HSA accounts, in addition to PPO plans. The library director reviewed the total cost of health insurance for full time employees in 2017, and introduced a third plan now available from our provider, LIMRiCC. The plan is an HSA high deductible PPO. The library could offer this plan, and make a $972 annual contribution to participating employees’ HSA accounts to make the plan affordable for employees. This plan would be offered as an option, and would cost the library the same amount as the high deductible PPO (including the HSA contribution). The library currently covers the entire cost of the high deductible PPO. Don Prosser made a motion for the library to pay the full $630 per month per FT employee for the high deductible PPO, and to allow HSA participation with 2 installments of $486 in January and July for employees who select the HSA plan. Philip Brown seconded. MOTION passed unanimously. 

3. Per Capita requirement: Educational Programs and Training Opportunities for Patrons: Describe current or potential collaborative efforts that have benefited or will benefit local library patrons and patrons in neighboring communities. The library shares its collection through the SHARE database and IHLS membership. The library partners with several local coalitions, participating in the Positive Youth Development Coalition, co-chairing the Sparrow Coalition and Nonviolent Carbondale. Our patrons and community benefit from the program development and problem solving initiatives of these coalitions, from monthly Family Vacation Nights, to community-wide 11 Days for Peace or Compassion programs. Our Reference Librarian provides grant workshops for area agencies applying for supplemental funds from the city. We collaborate with other libraries by providing conference presentations to share knowledge and experience with libraries, participating in ILA, and attending IHLS meetings. 

4. Per Capita requirement: Describe the library’s ability to meet the needs of the community as a provider of educational programs and training opportunities; describe the library’s ability to integrate new technologies; identify at least one activity that fosters increased resource sharing. The board feels that we far exceed any compliance issues regarding these per capita requirements. We offer about 500 programs per year, open to anyone with or without a library card. We offer a lot of humanities training as well as computer training for adults and children. We have public computers and free wi-fi. A larger building would expand our efficacy: we could use more space for seating and computers; we don’t have space for a computer lab.

Committee reports. None.

Unfinished business. None.

New business. None.

Other. None.

Adjournment. Adjourned at 5:08 p.m. Next Board Meeting for 2016 (Public Library meeting room, 4:30 p.m): December 14.

Respectfully submitted:

Joyce Hayes, Secretary 

Prepared by: Diana Brawley Sussman, Library Director