Board of Directors Meeting Minutes – November 17, 2020

Attention: This post is over 2 years old and the information may be out of date.Attention: This post is over 2 years old and the information may be out of date.

Agenda

November 17, 2020, 9:00 a.m.

Virtual Meeting

  1. Approval of minutes for the September 15, 2020 meeting (action required)
  2. 2021 Board of Directors Meeting Schedule (action required)
  3. Schedule of Requisitions, Contracts and Licenses (info only)
  4. Health and Safety Commitment (info only)
  5. 2021 Budget Update (info only)  
  6. CPL Capital Projects and Facilities Report (info only)
  7. Commissioner’s Report (info only)
    • Programming Update
    • Census and Board of Elections Efforts
    • Strategy Update
    • Promotions and Retirements     
  8. Chicago Public Library Foundation Report (info only) 
  9. Other Business
  10. Public Comment 

Next Board meeting:

January 26, 2021, 9:00 a.m. (Tentative)

Virtual Meeting 

 

Open Session Minutes

Physically Present: None

Present by Means of Video or Audio Conference: Linda Johnson Rice, Christopher Valenti, Lynn Lockwood, Jodi Block, Alexi Giannoulias, Ivy Walker, Dominique Jordan Turner, Patricia Gaytan Perez

Absent: Barbara Bowman

Approval of minutes for the September 15, 2020 meeting (action required)

The Board voted (8-0) to approve the minutes for the September 15, 2020 meeting.

2021 Board of Directors Meeting Schedule

Mary Ellen Messner, Acting Commissioner, proposed the following Board of Directors meeting schedule for 2021 as follows:

  • January 26, 2021
  • May 18, 2021
  • September 21, 2021
  • November 16, 2021

The Board voted (8-0) to approve the Board of Directors meeting schedule for 2021. Meetings will be held virtually until further notice.

Schedule of Requisitions, Contracts and Licenses (info only)

Baronica Roberson, Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Finance, presented the quarterly report on contacts and purchases made for magazines, books, databases, periodicals and articles of educational and instructional nature. For this quarter (September 1 – November 1, 2020), invoices totaling $1,048,170.36 were paid to various vendors. There has been a greater focus on electronic materials, however, spending continues to be in line with what it has been in prior quarters.

Health and Safety Commitment (info only)

Mary Ellen Messner, Acting Commissioner, provided an update on CPL’s safety commitment. Staff’s health and the public’s health is of utmost importance as library locations remain open during under Mayor Lightfoot’s new advisory plan. We are eager to continue providing our services to Chicagoans and are seeing 200,000 patron visits monthly, and 60,000 items being circulated weekly. We continually communicate with staff via email regarding the importance of public safety and encouraging them to remember the significance of social distancing, wearing a mask, washing hands frequently and staying home if they are feeling ill. Signage is also displayed in all library locations as a reminder to patrons as well. We will continue to share guidance from the Mayor’s office as it becomes available. 

2021 Budget Update (info only)

Baronica Roberson, Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Finance, provided an update on CPL’s 2021 budget request. CPL presented its budget before city council on October 28th. The total budget request from the city’s corporate budget was $156,193,000. City council has yet to meet and approve this budget request, so this is currently still a recommendation. Of the corporate budget, there was a significant increase of $25,000,000 from 2020 to 2021 due to CPL’s intentions to apply for 2 state grants in Quarter 1 2021; those funds will be applied to the construction of the Back of the Yards branch and various branch rehabilitation projects. The Library has also requested $1mil for furniture and shelving. Additionally, there has been no reductions in staff, no reduction in services and no unfunded mandates.

Other sources of CPL’s budget included funding from CPLF ($1,877,410) and the Library Board ($114,800) totaling $1,992,210. We anticipate that the request from CPLF will increase to $2mil, we will follow up with more information. In regards to the Kelly fund, due to a lack of spending in 2020 as staff was unable to attend conferences or participate in staff trainings, CPL will carryover $114,000 into 2021. Because this amount is so great, the Library will not make a request from the board to allocate money from the Kelly fund for staff trainings for 2021.

CPL Capital Projects and Facilities Report (info only)

Maggie Clemons, Deputy Commissioner of Library Operations and Patron Experience (LOPE) highlighted CPL’s active capital projects.

Legler Regional Library – scope includes re-establishment of the Legler branch to regional library status. Renovations include the build-out of a computer lab on the second floor, upgrades to power and data, relocation of the community room and other upgrades. Legler is being designed by RATIO Architects; project managed by the Public Building Commission. The branch closed to the public in September 2019. The regional library is expected to open to the public in early December. Staff is currently at the location unpacking and re-shelving materials; artwork is also being reinstalled and cleaned. We will have a formal announcement of the branch’s grand re-opening with Mayor Lightfoot, details are forthcoming.

Manning – the branch is closed to the public currently under construction to receive a full teen space and other interior improvements.

Obama Presidential Center Branch (no changes) – Design by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects; project managed by OPC. Proposed scope includes 5,000 sq. ft. branch library on the Obama Presidential Center campus. Project is still in design development; expected completion TBD.

Merlo (re-opened earlier this year) - The branch was designed by Ross Barney Architects; project managed by the Public Building Commission. Scope included a full gut renovation with the addition of early learning and teen spaces.

Altgeld – renovations are complete. Staff celebrated a soft opening in Altgeld Gardens on November 9th. This is the 4th collaboration with CHA; the library is located on one side of the building with an early childhood center on the other side. The library is open, the daycare will open to the public at a later date. Planning a more formal announcement with the Mayor’s office in early December. The new 12,150 square foot building replaced the old Altgeld Branch Library within the Altgeld Gardens Housing complex. Scope included buildout of a combined CPL library branch with an early childhood center being offered through CHA. The library also has a meeting space, maker lab for all ages and recording studio. The branch was designed by Koo & Associates; project managed by CHA.

2FM’s CARE Program – Select CPL locations have been undergoing 2FM’s CARE program “Clean and Repair Everything” which provides in-depth seasonal and deferred maintenance, carpet replacement or cleaning, paint and a general refresh of the facility on the part of CPL and 2FM staff. Projects have required branches to be closed short term for 3 to 4 weeks. Scottsdale, King, Pullman and Logan Square have successfully completed the CARE Program; Hall is currently in progress and South Chicago, Wrightwood-Ashburn and Bezazian are up next to be completed later this year.  

Commissioner’s Report (info only)

Programming Update: Ms. Messner highlighted several programs and events that our Children, Teen, and Adult program departments arranged for CPL patrons the fall, some of which included:

  • The Story Times Series, Voices for Chicago series from October 12 – December 14, which showcases library staff using their #ownvoices to highlight authentic and diverse voices in our city.
  • Distributing W.I.T.S., Educational Activity Guides, a program in partnership with Working In The Schools (WITS)
  • ScienceConnections gives school-aged library patrons the opportunity to take part in hands-on, STEAM–focused activities through thematic grab-and-go kits.
  • The Media Mentorship Project, in collaboration with New American, and in partnership with the Schaumburg and Skokie library systems, offers CPL staff and colleagues across the state an opportunity to participate in a multi-day workshop on media mentorship.

Some highlights that our teen patrons explored include:

  • ChiTeen Lit Fest 2020 held its first ever all-virtual fest on November 6th and 7th with a combined total of 219 Eventbrite registrants, the U.S.’ only by-teens-for-teens storytelling festival!
  • Additionally, Teen Services and YOUmedia just launched Radical Fit, an 8 month initiative that embraces craft, making, and DIY while providing a safe space for teens to discuss gender equity, and to dream and create through personal expressions of style.
  • The citywide Halloween efforts in partnership with the Mayor’s Office, other city departments and youth agencies with hands-on science activities, grab-and-go kits and activity sheets as part of 10,000 Halloween goody bags were distributed citywide; along with branch hosted events, virtual performances, story times and other activities.
  • And Operation Warm, CPL’s fifth annual event to provide families with warm coats for the winter and access to free books. Event dates TBD.

For adult patrons:

  • One Book, One Chicago, will be wrapping up soon as we prepare for the season finale event with Mohsin Hamid, author of Exit West, interviewed by Donna Seaman on December 3rd.
  • CPL culminated a years-long project celebrating the release of Library of America's new important anthology "African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song", edited by Kevin Young, with a virtual mainstage celebration - Lift Every Voice, on November 12th. CPL also partnered with Library of America and other organizations to celebrate the publication of African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song. The event garnered over 500 live views on CPL's YouTube and Facebook, and is already over 1,700 views from on demand viewership, making it our most watched program of 2020.
  • This fall, CPL will complete the digitization and description of the Illinois Writers Project papers, these materials capture the African-American experience in Illinois from 1779-1942.
  • Patrons can also explore the From Swamps to Parks: Building Chicago’s Public Spaces exhibit this fall, which details Chicago’s commitment to building public spaces through six Chicago Park District (CPD) icons: the lakefront, the Museum of Science and Industry, the fieldhouse, Soldier Field, the Garfield Park Conservatory, and the Lincoln Park Zoo.
  • Also available is the Chicago Park District (CPD) Archive at CPL, an exhibit consisting of over 106,000 park drawings and more than 62,000 park photographs.

Census and Board of Election Efforts: In support of other citywide initiatives, the Library:

      • Collaborated with the 2020 Census in targeted low turnout communities by hosting on-site events and conducting community outreach.
      • Provided assistance during the election by hosting ballot drop boxes at 26 library locations and serving as a polling site on election day at 53 locations.

Strategy Update: Ms. Messner reiterated that CPL’s 2020-2024 Strategy officially launched on August 12th. The Library will continue to observe how the strategic objectives look in our new environment and their impact over the course of the next five years.

In connection with our strategy and in an our effort to continue providing free and open access to information during COVD’s stay-at-home order, CPL immediately began pivoting to online programming, starting with the launch of the signature Live from the Library. Another program series that was launched in response to the CPS closure, “Speak On It”, connected teens and authors virtually to have a conversation about what inspires them to create.

We look forward to reopening the newly renovated South Shore and Legler Regional libraries in the coming weeks in an effort to continue creating safe and welcoming spaces.

CPL will continue working to ensure that programs and services fit with the Library’s new strategic priorities.

Promotions and Retirements: To conclude the Commissioner’s report, Ms. Messner also announced the following promotions and retirements:

  • Shelly Hughes was promoted to the Director of Children Services and Family Engagement and will officially step into her role on December 1.
  • Shilo Jefferson was promoted to Director of Legler Regional Library on November 1.
  • Julie Morgan, previously CPL’s Director of Staff and Organization Development was promoted to Director of Human Resources on November 16.

Retirements for this quarter:

  • Mary Clark - Librarian IV, Uptown, 14 years of service
  • Joyce Colander - Librarian IV, Beverly, 35 years of service
  • John Holland - Librarian I, SSH, 26 years of service
  • Laura Jenkins - Librarian III, Uptown, 22 years of service
  • Jocelyn Simmons - Librarian I, Canaryville, 19 years of service
  • Ora Simpkins - Head Library Clerk, Chicago Bee, 29 years of service

Chicago Public Library Foundation Report

Brenda Langstraat, President of the Chicago Public Library Foundation, provided an update on behalf of the staff and Board of the Chicago Public Library Foundation. Ms. Langstraat highlighted:

  • To date, CPLF reports that they have secured a total of 1,237 gifts; some of which are $25,000 or more
  • Raised nearly $2.8M in total gifts and pledges
  • Welcomed over 200 new donors and has received several major investments
  • The Library Foundation’s annual Carl Sandburg Awards event will be held virtually this year on December 9th,
  • CPLF’s Associate Board hosted a virtual Trivia Night on October 22 and raised over $3,000

Public Comment

None

Next Board Meeting

The next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 9:00 a.m., this meeting will be held virtually.

 

Commissioner’s Report

Programming Updates

Early Learning

Children’s librarians have been offering a number of Zoom programs for all of our patrons ranging from story times, to hands on STEM and art programs to book discussions and gaming programs. CSFE has continued to schedule live Zoom programs with special programmers such as music performances, hands on science and interactive theater performances.

Story Times Series, Voices for Chicago: From October 12 – December 14, The Voices for Chicago Story Time series will showcase library staff using their #ownvoices to highlight authentic and diverse voices in our city. This weekly virtual event will be hosted using Facebook live presented by two CPL librarians.

W.I.T.S., Educational Activity Guides: In partnership with Working In The Schools (WITS), CPL is promoting and distributing Educational Activity Guides in English and Spanish which include drawing prompts, make-at-home crafts, family activities like scavenger hunts, and letter-writing practice exercises. Associated bilingual videos, mini-lessons, and virtual read-alouds are also available through the witschicago.org website.

School Age and Youth

ScienceConnections: School-aged library patrons will have the opportunity to take part in hands-on, STEAM–focused activities through thematic grab-and-go kits available for pick up at the CPL locations, as well as live Zoom programs featuring special guest presenters including Mad Science Chicago and The Laboratory Chicago.

Media Mentorship Project: In collaboration with New American, an education think tank, and in partnership with the Schaumburg and Skokie library systems, CPL staff with colleagues from across the state will participate in a multi-day workshop on media mentorship.

Teen Services and YOUmedia

ChiTeen Lit Fest: (CTLF) 2020 held its first ever all-virtual fest on November 6th and 7th with a combined total of 219 Eventbrite registrants. From August until November, 16 teens planned the festival including inviting presenters across all genres, marketing and social media, connecting with their peers, teachers, and schools, and creating the U.S.’ only by-teens-for-teens storytelling festival! For individual program attendance numbers please see this document: attendance.

Radical Fit: Additionally, Teen Services and YOUmedia just launched Radical Fit, an 8 month initiative that spans from October 2020 to May 2021. This program and interview series embraces craft, making, and DIY while providing a safe space for teens to discuss gender equity, and to dream and create through personal expressions of style. Radical Fit is funded through Project Next Generation, an educational technology initiative of the Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian, Jesse White.

Children, Youth and Families

Halloween: CPL is participated in the citywide Halloween efforts in partnership with the Mayor’s Office, Chicago Parks District, Chicago Public Schools and other leading youth serving agencies. CPL created hands-on science activities with grab-and-go kits for youth (ages 0-13 years) and also created activity sheets that were part of 10,000 Halloween goody bags to be distributed citywide. Branches hosted events to create masks, and virtual performances, storytimes and other spooky activities.

Operation Warm: CPL will host its fifth annual event to provide families with warm coats for the winter and access to free books. Over the past four years, CPL distributed 4,470 coats. High-need branches will be selected for the events. Event dates have not been finalized.

Adults

One Book, One Chicago: Key Stats

  • pivoted to be 100% virtual this season
  • created over 75 different virtual programs
  • launched 4 webtv series - Snacks in the Stacks (cooking), Chicago Neighborhoods Beyond Borders (virtual walking tours), Art Beyond Borders (crafts and culture) and Beyond Borders in the Archives (CPL special collections)
  • dozens of book lists, blogs, and a guest blog series featuring local luminaries Mayor Lightfoot, Vu Tran and Jian Ping
  • estimated over 20,000 have viewed virtual programming so far - as most programming is recorded and available to watch "on demand" at CPL's YouTube channel, we expect this number to continue to increase
  • over 4,000 check outs of Exit West, so far

Please join us for a season finale event celebrating our exploration Beyond Borders, with Mohsin Hamid, author of Exit West Mohsin will be interviewed by Donna Seaman, editor of Booklist. Thursday, December 3 at 7pm - Season Finale with Mohsin Hamid, interviewed by Donna Seaman of Booklist

Lift Every Voice: African American Poetry-250 Years of Struggle and Song: Another notable event, on November 12th, CPL culminated a years-long project celebrating the release of Library of America's new important anthology "African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song", edited by Kevin Young, with a virtual mainstage celebration - Lift Every Voice! Though the event has been in the planning for several years, it was made even more important now due to the current conversations on racial equality in our country. 

Chicago Public Library partnered with Library of America, American Writers Museum and The Poetry Foundation to celebrate the publication of African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song, a definitive new anthology edited by poet and Schomburg Center Director Kevin Young. Curated by Sylvia Ewing, the evening featured readings by such luminaries as Kevin Young, Billy Branch, Pemon Rami, Roy Kinsey, Avery R. Young, Emily Hooper Lansana and Eve L. Ewing for an intimate evening of words and music. 

The event garnered over 500 live views on CPL's YouTube and Facebook, and as of this writing the next morning, is already over 1,700 views from on demand viewership, making it our most watched program of 2020.

Exhibitions

Digitization Project, Illinois Writer’s Project: This fall, CPL will complete the digitization and description of the Illinois Writers Project papers. Now part of the Midwest’s largest African-American history and literature collection, the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection, these materials capture the African-American experience in Illinois from 1779-1942. Digitization will ensure this material can reach broad and diverse audiences, not only those who can visit the collection in person.

From Swamps to Parks: Building Chicago’s Public Spaces: This fall, you can also explore Chicago’s commitment to building public spaces through six Chicago Park District (CPD) icons: the lakefront, the Museum of Science and Industry, the fieldhouse, Soldier Field, the Garfield Park Conservatory, and the Lincoln Park Zoo.

The Chicago Park District (CPD) Archive at CPL, from which this exhibit is largely drawn, consists of over 106,000 park drawings and more than 62,000 park photographs. Check out our website to view 10,000 of these images in our Chicago Park District digital collection.

Upcoming events:

Welcome Home: Nature Returns to Chicago with Robb Telfer – November 23, 2020, 2:00pm

Building Chicago’s Public Spaces with Julia Bachrach – December 2, 2020, 6:00pm

Census 2020

CPL supported the Census 2020 efforts in targeted low turnout communities throughout July, August, and September. We hosted on-site events, conducted community outreach, incentivized completion through offering contests/giveaways, promoted the census via social media and banners and signage, and included language and education around the census via virtual programming.

2020 Voting Efforts

Highlights:

  • 26 CPL locations hosted a ballot drop box during the early voting period. 
  • 53 CPL locations served as polling sites on Election Day.
  • These locations were closed for library services on Election Day and the buildings turned over to the Board of Elections to fully support voting efforts.

CPL 2020-2024 Strategy Update

The 2020-2024 Strategy was officially launched on August 12, 2020 to staff and stakeholders. We will continue to listen to staff and patrons about how the strategic objectives look in our new environment and how they will impact CPL over the course of the next five years.   A few CPL highlights to note from 2020 that are anchored within each of the six strategic focus areas include, but are not limited to:

  • Providing free and open access to information and experiences: CPL immediately began pivoting to online programming, starting with the launch of the signature Live from the Library series as COVID-19 forced a stay-at-home order in Chicago; and issuing our Virtual Program Guidelines to 1,200 staff, enabling the Library to continue providing virtual programs regularly that educate Chicagoans while preserving social distancing
  • Developing collections, designing programs and enabling staff to encourage exploration and nurture learning: By launching our daily, free story time “Live from the Library” series in response to the closure of Chicago Public Schools, and a similar program “First Chapter Friday” for middle-graders also featuring notable authors; in addition for teens, we launched the “Speak On It” program series that connects teens and authors virtually to have a conversation about what speaks to them and inspires them to create. Programming for adults focuses primarily on the One Book, One Chicago 2020 season, exploring the theme "Beyond Borders" and the book Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, along with special exhibits.
  • Creating respectful, safe and welcoming spaces: The newly converted Legler Regional Library in West Garfield Park will reopen in the coming weeks after an $11 million renovation that features Interior and exterior improvements; reopening the South Shore Branch after a $3 million renovation of the existing 10,210 square foot, two-story building.
  • Broadening the perception of what a library can be: CPL’s program teams spent much of the closure studying trends, testing ideas and creating a manual for best practices in order to shift library programs primarily to CPL’s digital platforms. We have seized this opportunity to get smarter, faster, in order to do more in the future.

CPL will continue working to ensure that programs and services fit with the Library’s new strategic priorities. These evaluations will also be informed by 10 years of institutional data, catalogued throughout 2020, on key performance indicators like collection use, holds, branch traffic, and computer use to enable long range trend analysis and power a new dashboard that will help CPL make strategic decisions and investments moving forward.

Promotions

Shelly Hughes – Director of Children Services and Family Engagement

It is with great excitement that I announce the appointment of Shelley Hughes as CPL’s new Director of Children Services and Family Engagement. Shelley brings depth and breadth of CPL experience to this position, having served as branch manager at Little Italy Branch, a children’s librarian at Austin Branch and children’s library associate at the Roosevelt Branch.

Shelley brings a deep understanding of and passion for serving the needs of children, youth and families as she has successfully designed programs and services and supports for Chicago’s children for the past 10+ years. She has a strategic mindset, strong leadership and management skills, and demonstrated ability to drive high performing teams like yours.

As a children’s librarian working in the Austin community, Shelley spearheaded creative and high-impact redesign of the children’s department to improve the accessibility of materials to children and led the creation of an early learning space. In her role as a children’s library associate, Shelley created partnerships to support vulnerable children and teens by partnering with Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative School, located in the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, and the Moses B. Montefiore Special School for Boys with behavioral and emotional disabilities, to register every child and teen for the library’s Summer Reading Program and library cards.

Then, as a branch manager at Little Italy Branch, Shelley cultivated stakeholder and community connections as the vision was created for the relocation and inauguration of the new Little Branch Location co-located with CHA’s Taylor Street Apartments.

Shelley will officially step into her new role on December 1.

Shilo Jefferson – Director of Legler Regional Library

We would also like to welcome Shilo Jefferson as the new Director of Legler Regional. Shilo has served in a number of roles at Chicago Public Library and her organizational skills, experience in program development, and leadership abilities make her well suited for this role.  

Shilo received her MLIS degree from the University of Wisconsin -Madison in 1999 and started her career with CPL as the children’s librarian at the Blackstone Branch. She then moved to the Archer Heights branch in 2005. A year later she moved downtown to work under Andrew Medlar in the Youth Materials division of Children’s and Young Adult Services. There she worked with a fabulous team to create collections across the system as well as working on the Kids and Teen pages of the CPL websites. She was part of the team that reimagined the Summer Reading Program into the Summer Learning Challenge and helped hire and mentor many children’s staff.

In 2019, she left Children’s Services to return to public service as the Children’s Manager of the “new” Legler Regional Library. She has served on the Teen Volume committee, the Best of the Best committee, the 2015 Caldecott committee and the 2017 Geisel committee. When not at work, she enjoys knitting/sewing, reading and spending time with her husband and four children.

Shilo began in her new role on November 1, 2020. The Legler team and the greater East and West Garfield Park communities are lucky to have Ms. Jefferson as a vital stakeholder and an ally working with the great residents of the West Side.  

Julie Morgan – Director of Human Resources

We are also pleased to announce the appointment of Julie Morgan as the new Director of Human Resources. Julie has served as Chicago Public Library’s Director of Staff and Organization Development for the past three years. In her role she has led an expansion of professional development and staff training options, transitioned the department to a new registration system, and implemented a uniformed onboarding process for new hires. Julie looks forward to continuing to work with workforce development as head of the Human Resources Department.

Prior to joining CPL, Julie was a Training Manager for five years at the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, where she developed staff training for State of Illinois Judicial Branch stakeholders. She is a native of Chicago, earning her B.A. from the University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign, and her J.D. from the University of Iowa. 

Julie started in her new role on November 16, 2020.

Retirements

  • Mary Clark - Librarian IV, Uptown, 14 years of service
  • Joyce Colander - Librarian IV, Beverly, 35 years of service
  • John Holland - Librarian I, SSH, 26 years of service
  • Laura Jenkins - Librarian III, Uptown, 22 years of service
  • Jocelyn Simmons - Librarian I, Canaryville, 19 years of service
  • Ora Simpkins - Head Library Clerk, Chicago Bee, 29 years of service

Chicago Public Library Foundation Report

Brenda Langstraat, President of the Chicago Public Library Foundation, provided an update on behalf of the staff and Board of the Chicago Public Library Foundation. Ms. Langstraat highlighted:

  • To date, CPLF has secured a total of 1,237 gifts; some of which are $25,000 or more
  • Raised nearly $2.8M in total gifts and pledges
  • Welcomed over 200 new donors and has received several major investments
  • The Library Foundation’s annual Carl Sandburg Awards event will be held virtually this year on December 9th,
  • CPLF’s Associate Board hosted a virtual Trivia Night on October 22 and raised over $3,000