THE DUPAGE LIBRARY SYSTEM
MEETING OF THE BOARD
May 20, 2004

1. ROLL CALL OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

   The regular meeting of the DLS board was held at the St. Charles Public Library,
   1 South Sixth Avenue, St. Charles, IL, and was called to order at 7:07 p.m. Pres. Plourde called the roll in the absence of Sec. Whitehead. The following board members were present to establish a quorum: Stephen Fulton, Karen Hannah, Halle Mikyska, Pattie Piotrowski, Jackie Plourde, Carolyn Roys, Mesfin Tefera, Marguerite Treest, and Robert Wagner. Board members with an excused absence were Robert Kepka and Joyce Whitehead.

   DLS staff members attending were Shirley May Byrnes, Claudia Sheets, Jane Plass, Pam Kramer, Denise Zielinski, Karen Odean, and Mary Jean McCleary. Also present was Neil Kelley, Illinois State Library consultant.

   Guests present were Stan Kosek, Trustee from Villa Park Public Library and Diana Brown, Director, St. Charles Public Library.

2. PUBLIC COMMENT
   
   Director Brown welcomed everyone to the St. Charles Public Library. Trustee Kosek, a DLS grant recipient to National Legislative Day in Washington, D.C., thanked the board for the opportunity to attend this impressive and well-organized event. There were 500 people in attendance in Washington, 55 of whom represented libraries in Illinois. Kosek was able to talk personally with several legislators, among them District 6 Representative Henry Hyde. Kosek reported he is eager to attend a future National Legislative Day.


3. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

   There were no additions. Dir. Hannah moved and Dir. Tefera seconded that:

   THE AGENDA BE ADOPTED.

   Motion carried unanimously.

4. APPROVAL OF APRIL 15, 2004 BOARD MEETING MINUTES

   Treas. Treest moved and Dir. Tefera seconded that:

   THE APRIL15, 2004 BOARD MEETING MINUTES BE APPROVED.

   Motion carried unanimously.

5. FINANCIAL REPORT

   Treas. Treest presented the financial report. She moved that:

   THE PAYMENT OF THE MAY 2004 BILLS IN THE AMOUNT OF $204,044.91 BE APPROVED FOR PAYMENT.

   Motion carried unanimously.

6. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

   Sugar Grove Friends: The Friends of the Sugar Grove Public Library District have won the Friends of Libraries USA (FOLUSA) Baker & Taylor Award for the remembrance programs that they did on September 11, 2003. The award will be presented at the FOLUSA author breakfast in Orlando on Saturday, June 26 as part of the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference. DLS has been asked if there are funds available to help defray costs so that one of the Friends members may receive this award in person. Since the request came too late to put it on the agenda for the May meeting, the board was asked to discuss it. It will appear on the June agenda for action.

   Health insurance: Sheets received additional information regarding our health insurance plan after the April Board meeting. She will explain later in tonight’s meeting.

   Strategic Plan Report: The survey is on the DLS website. We have received 14 online responses and one in print form. Kramer has suggested that the DLS managers and available Board members attend a one-day retreat with a facilitator to develop the goals and objectives for our next strategic plan. Both Pres. Plourde and Planning Committee Chair Kepka were receptive to the idea. The tentative date set for this retreat is Monday, August 16 or Tuesday, August 17.

   Area & Per Capita Grant: The executive director and managers have been working diligently on the budget and narrative portions of the grant application. The latest draft is in the handouts.

   DLS Scholarship: The application form is now available on the DLS website.

   ILA exhibit: Allen Lanham, Director of Booth Library at Eastern Illinois University and incoming Illinois Library Association (ILA) president, spoke at the ILSDO meeting on May 12. In keeping with this year’s conference theme of “Exploring
   Illinois Libraries: Rediscover the Past, Look to the Future”, he is planning an
   exhibit on libraries and librarianship. He requested that every library in the state
   provide a representative token such as a copy of the charter, early postcard of the library, picture of their first board, etc., for this exhibit. He asked that the systems be the collecting points for these tokens and that they promote the exhibit in their newsletters.

   ILA membership: A reminder to the Board that DLS pays the membership dues of its trustees. If you would like to become a member, contact Mary Jean for a form. If you are already a member and have recently renewed, let her know and you will be reimbursed.

7. COMMUNICATIONS
    
   1. Report of the President – Pres. Plourde attended both the Illinois Advocacy Day in Springfield in April and the National Legislative Day in Washington in May. She felt participation in both events was worthwhile.
   
   
   2. Report from the Illinois State Library (ISL) – Neil Kelley
      
      If no FY05 budget is approved by July 1, state employees will stop receiving paychecks. The LSTA grant offerings have been posted on the ISL website. The system rules recently had a minor word change that will go into effect May 31. The grant applications will be due “prior to July 1.” This year they are due June 15.
      
      The 11th Annual Small Public Library Management Institute will be held June 6-11 in Springfield. Bradley University is the site for the annual Institute for School and Public Librarians from June 13-18. These institutes have been very successful in increasing the quality of librarianship.
   
   
   3. Legislative Report Byrnes reported that she was notified in an ALA email message that the House of Representatives in Washington passed the FY2005 budget but that it faces an uphill battle in the Senate.
   
   
   4. Correspondence – Available upon request.
       
8. REPORT OF STANDING COMMITTEES
    
   1. Operations Committee:
      
      The committee met on May 19 to review the Area & Per Capita Grant application. After lengthy discussion at this meeting, they recommended approval of the application.
       
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
    
   1. Health insurance:
      
      Sheets reported that it is in our contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield that if DLS pays 100% of employees’ health insurance premiums, as was voted at the April Board meeting, all employees would be required to join the plan. Since not everyone is a participant, it is suggested that DLS continue to deduct $20/month from participants’ paychecks so that we’re in compliance.
      
      Treas. Treest moved the Operations Committee recommendation that:
      
      

      DLS CONTINUE TO DEDUCT $20 PER MONTH FROM THOSE EMPLOYEES ENROLLED IN THE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN.

      
      Motion passed; Dir. Hannah abstained.
   
   
   2. Strategic Plan Progress Report::
      
      Contained in the Executive Director’s Report
       
10. NEW BUSINESS
     
    1. DLS Per Capita Grant Application
       
       Treas. Treest moved the Operations Committee recommendation that:
       
       

       THE AREA AND PER CAPITA GRANT APPLICATION BE APPROVED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT COSMETIC CHANGES MAY YET BE DONE BY THE STAFF.

       
       Motion carried; Dir. Wagner abstained.
    
    
    2. Approval of FY04/05 Board Meeting Dates:
       
       Dir. Wagner moved and Dir. Fulton seconded to:
       
       

       ADOPT THE FY05 DLS BOARD MEETING DATES AS LISTED.

       
       Motion passed unanimously.
    
    
    3. Holiday Party
       
       Kramer reported that the DLS Social Committee has set December 10 from 12-3 p.m. for this year’s holiday party. It will be held at Mill Race Inn in Geneva. The committee requests that the Board again sponsor the party as they graciously have in the past.
       
       Treas. Treest moved and Dir. Hannah seconded that:
       
       

       BOARD WILL UNDERWRITE THIS YEAR’S HOLIDAY PARTY.

       
       Motion passed unanimously.
       
       Treas. Treest thanked the Board for sponsoring the trustees who attended National Legislative Day in Washington. She felt that the group made a good impression on the legislators they met with, and the trip was most
        
11. ADJOURNMENT
    
    The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted.

________________________________ Joyce Whitehead, Secretary

____Minutes approved as read

____Minutes approved as amended

____________________________________
Jackie Plourde, President