Board of Directors Meeting Minutes – September 18, 2018

Attention: This post is over 2 years old and the information may be out of date.Attention: This post is over 2 years old and the information may be out of date.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

1. Approval of minutes for the June 19, 2018 meeting (action required)

2. CPL Capital Projects and Facilities Report (info only)

3. Commissioner’s Report (info only)

  • New Senior Staff Members
    • Mary Ellen Messner, 1st Deputy Commissioner
    • Brent Lipinski, South District Chief
    • Karl Guider, Assistant Commissioner, Facility Planning and Building Operations
    • Keri Cascio, Assistant Commissioner, Technology Content and Innovation Department
  • Special Report: Recap of Summer Activities and Upcoming Events
    • Chicago Innovation Summit
    • National Summer Learning Day
    • City Club Talk with Commissioner Bannon
    • 10,000 photos from the Chicago Park District Archives
    • Fall One Book, One Chicago
  • Upcoming Events
    • 2018 Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner
    • 2018 Cindy Pritzker Lecture
    • Justice Sonia Sotomayor Event
    • Cyber Security Action Day

4. Chicago Public Library Foundation Report (info only)

5. Other Business

6. Public Comment

Next Board meeting:  October 16, 2018, 9:00 a.m.
Woodson Regional Library
9525 S. Halsted Street

 

Open Session Minutes

Physically Present: Linda Johnson Rice, Christopher Valenti, Lynn Lockwood, Barbara Bowman, Jodi Block
Dominique Jordan Turner

Present by Means of Video or Audio Conference: None

Absent: Denise Gardner, Patricia Gaytan Perez, Alexi Giannoulias

 

Approval of minutes (action required)

The Board voted (6-0) to approve the minutes for the June 19, 2018 meeting.

 

CPL Capital Projects and Facilities Report (info only)

Andrea Telli, Assistant Commissioner of Neighborhood Services presented the following CPL capital projects:

Active Projects

Chicago Bee - Project Scope: full renovation and reconfiguration of first floor to include an Early Learning Play Space and YOUmedia; relocation and expansion of adult reading room and community room; repairs to envelope and parking lot; upgrades to mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; new flooring, paint, ceiling tile, lighting, and furniture, installation of additional power and data. Milestones and Current Activity: interior finishes are 90% complete; circulation and self-service desks are 95% complete; storefront is currently being installed; new north staircase is being installed; plumbing fixtures are 85% complete; new furniture has been ordered and scheduled for delivery; new materials to add to existing collection has been ordered and delivery has been scheduled; additional staff including MLS-level Children’s and Teen librarians have been hired; punch list walk-through is scheduled for the end of September; staff will return to the building next week to prepare for opening; branch will be ready to in late October or early November.

Whitney Young – Project Scope: renovation and addition to existing library. Milestones and current activity: Interior metal framing is 90% complete; curtainwall installation is complete with glazing to be finished in late September; roof installation is complete; interior renovations are in progress with startup of equipment in late September; site development is in progress and scheduled to be complete in late September; furniture order has been finalized and has been sent for order; new opening day collection has been ordered and is awaiting a date to ship; new children’s and teen librarians have been hired; expecting to have staff back in the branch in early November to prepare for a December opening.

West Loop Branch - Developer: Sterling Bay, proposed 17,000 sq. foot library in an existing office building, Design architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Milestones and current activity: construction is 55% complete; carpet and floor finishes to begin by end of September; HVAC commissioning and controls work is ongoing; lighting and security system installation is in progress; full exterior mock-up/test installation scheduled by end of September; full branch staff has been hired; collections have been ordered and are awaiting ship date; staff is awaiting substantial completion in early November for a December opening.

Independence Branch - Developer: Evergreen Real Estate Group, new construction 16,000 square foot public library building in a planned development with 44 senior housing units, Design Architect: John Ronan. Milestones and current Activity: currently 50% complete; mechanical, electrical and plumbing installation is in progress on floors 5 and 6; masonry is complete on the second floor; temporary roof on the library has been installed; full branch staff has been hired including branch manager, children’s and teen librarians; new, opening day collection has been ordered and is awaiting shipment; furniture has been finalized and has been put in for order; branch staff is awaiting substantial completion in November for a later December opening.

Roosevelt - Developer: Related Midwest, new construction 16,000 square foot branch library in a planned development with 73 multi-family housing units, Design Architect: Skidmore Owings & Merrill. Milestones and Current Activity: construction is 40% complete; framing is up to the fifth floor.
Elevator installation is in progress; windows have arrived and are currently being installed; furniture is being finalized; opening day book collection has been ordered and is awaiting a ship date; branch has full staff currently working in existing branch; substantial completion is scheduled for late December with a branch opening currently scheduled for January.

Northtown Branch - Developer: Evergreen Real Estate Group, new construction 16,000 square foot public library building in a planned development with 44 senior housing units, Design Architect: Perkins + Will. Milestones and Current Activity: building is currently 50% complete; mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-ins are taking place in the library; exterior framing is nearly complete; developer and contractor are working on ways to improve schedule delivery, including expedited sequencing of materials shipments and increasing manpower for specific trades; branch Furniture has been finalized and put forth for order; opening day book collection has been ordered and is awaiting a ship date; branch has full staff currently working in existing branch; substantial completion is currently scheduled for January with a branch opening in February.

Douglass – Project Scope to Include: exterior masonry repairs and new energy efficient roof; build-outs of an Early Learning Play Space and teen area; new flooring and paint throughout; new Circulation Desk and installation of additional power and data; upgrades to community room and staff work areas. Milestones & Current Activity: CPL has finalized scope and design with 2FM; pricing is complete and contractor has submitted construction schedule for review; last day of public service to prepare for construction is September 21; major construction is expected to begin in November and continue until Summer 2019.
Branch is expected to reopen in early 3Q 2019.

Altgeld - CHA project management: Site to combine a CPL library branch with an early childhood center, Design Architect: Koo & Associates. Milestones and Current Activity: CHA is continuing to work with the New Mark Tax Credit consultant on securing funding for the library portion of the project with HUD approval on use of the fund in late September/October; construction mobilization on the site has initiated and a ground-breaking can be scheduled; project is scheduled to be complete in 3Q 2019.

Merlo – Project Scope: Full gut renovation with addition of Early Learning and Teen spaces. Milestones and current activity: project was approved by the PBC Board in July; kick-off design meeting with CPL, PBC and architect was held in July; weekly design meetings with schedule development is in planning; project completion anticipated in 4Q 2019.

Obama Presidential Center Branch – Project Scope: proposed 5,000 sq. foot branch library on the Obama Presidential Center campus; Design architects are Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. Milestones and Current Activity: Letter of Intent CPL has identified children’s and teen program specialists to work with the Obama Foundation as plans for the branch develop. 

Projects in Planning

Jefferson Park – Project Scope: Scope is currently in development but includes refresh and possible reconfiguration of public areas, upgraded circulation desk, installation of additional power and data, paint and flooring. Milestones and current activity: Library closure is currently planned for late this year or early 2019.

South Shore – Project Scope: Full renovation with addition of early learning and teen spaces; project scope includes envelope repairs incorporating roof, windows and doors, repairs to elevator, interior doors, replacement of interior stair case, upgraded circulation desk, new lighting, flooring and paint throughout. Milestones and Current activity: Library closure is currently planned for early 2019.

Other Projects

Austin – Project Scope: Phase II work includes complete tuck pointing, new entry doors, repair of terrazzo entry, second floor restroom upgrade, lighting retrofit, upgraded security monitor, and new fire alarm system. Milestones and current activity: work is scheduled to be complete by mid-October.

Kelly – Library is currently closed through the month of September for replacement of the elevator cab and additional electrical work; branch will reopen on October 1.

Harold Washington Library Center - we will be working on the relocation and redevelopment of a number of service areas including Circulation, Computer Commons, Newspapers & General Periodicals, Assistive Services, and Materials Movement in the coming months.

2FM’s CARE program - Bessie Coleman, Richard J. Daley, Mabel Manning, West Belmont and West Town will be undergoing 2FM’s CARE program: “Clean and Repair Everything.” These projects include 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 will require short term closures of 4 to 6 weeks and will take place between September 2018 and January 2019.

Commissioner’s Report (info only)

Commissioner Bannon also reported on the following:

  • Over the summer, CPL welcomed new Senior Administration, Mary Ellen Messner as the new First Deputy Commissioner; Brent Lipinski as CPL’s new South District Chief, Karl Guider was selected as the Assistant Commissioner for Facility Planning and Building Operations and Keri Cascio was chosen as the new Assistant Commissioner in the Technology Content and Innovation.
  • Event highlights next month include:
    • On Tuesday, October 9th, CPL and CPLF will present the 2018 Carl Sandburg Literary Awards ceremony and honor Judy Blume and Neil deGrasse Tyson; Erika Sánchez will receive the 2018 21st Century Award.
    • On Thursday, October 11th at 6p.m., Renée Fleming will deliver the 2018 Cindy Pritzker Lecture on Urban Life and Issues.
    • On Friday, October 12th, CPL hosts Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Justice Sonia Sotomayor to discuss her life, career and two new books for young readers.
    • Lastly, on Saturday, October 13th, CPL will participate in Cybersecurity Awareness month and offer free assistance to patrons that seek assistance with passwords, patching, and privacy settings.

Chicago Public Library Foundation Report (info only)

Darcy Evon, Chief Development Officer for the Chicago Public Library Foundation presented the Foundation report and highlighted:

  • 2018 gifts, grants and pledges to the Foundation since January 1, total more than $3.9 million
  • An anonymous foundation has funded an early learning play specialist to work with CPL branches on integrating play
  • The annual Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner will be held on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at the UIC Forum; the fundraising team has already exceeded last year’s total by 20%.

Other Business

None

Public Comment

The Board addressed comments from the Galewood community, the community is seeking a new neighborhood branch or extended hours for the current branch including the addition of weekend hours; the Friends of Woodson group are looking to partner with the Library to publish their neighborhood Woodson Wise newsletter; and the Friends of Bezazian group referenced improvements needed at the Bezazian branch and also announced that their 2nd annual book sale was a success, the Bezazian branch mural was recently restored and that the street in front of the branch was renamed Harold Bezazian way.

Next Board Meeting

The next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. at the Harold Washington Library Center located at 400 S. State Street.

 

Commissioner’s Report

 

New Senior Staff Members

Mary Ellen Messner - 1st Deputy Commissioner

I am thrilled to announce and welcome Mary Ellen Messner as the new First Deputy Commissioner of Chicago Public Library! In this role, she will lead the organization’s strategic planning and have oversite of Children, Teen, and Adult services. Mary Ellen will also work closely with the Chicago Public Library Foundation and the city’s the philanthropic community.

Mary Ellen Messner has dedicated her career to addressing the needs of Chicago’s children, youth, and families. Most recently, Mary Ellen served as Deputy Commissioner of Youth Services leading the City’s youth vision around summer employment, violence reduction initiatives, and out-of-school time. She directed a $48 million annual grant portfolio funding over 175 community-based organizations impacting over 100,000 youth annually.

Mary Ellen previously served as Director of Strategic Initiatives for Ingenuity Incorporated, where she developed strategies and advocacy efforts to support arts education in and out of schools, including co-designing the Chicago Public Schools Arts Education Plan.  Prior to that, she was an Assistant Commissioner for the City, coordinating youth workforce initiatives including the City’s signature summer jobs program employing thousands of youth each summer. She began her public sector career at the Chicago Park District.

Mary Ellen is a graduate of the Chicago Arts Leadership Initiative Institute (CAELI) and Menttium 100, a leadership and cross company mentoring program. She earned an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and a BA in Journalism from Marquette University.  Mary Ellen is a member of Thrive Chicago, is active with the Chapin Hall Collaborative and the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership Youth Committee, and has served on several boards.

Brent Lipinski - South District Chief

I am also excited to announce Brent Lipinski as CPL’s new South District Chief.  Brent began working in libraries in high school as a clerk at the Thomas Ford Memorial Library in Western Springs, Illinois, developed a passion for the profession, and received his MSIS from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Brent’s first position at CPL was as the Adult Services Librarian at the Scottsdale Branch where he co-chaired the South District Adult Cluster and developed gaming programming for teens. He became Branch Manager at Wrightwood-Ashburn in 2011, and most recently, Brent has been the Assistant Director of Sulzer Regional Library where he helped to lead the facility through a two year renovation that transformed the building inside and out.

During his tenure at CPL, Brent has also led multiple Human Centered Design projects and served on the Moving Materials Committee that developed more efficient sorting and stations procedures. He was Team Leader for the 2015 ILEAD USA project developing the maker kits that brought maker programs out of the Central Library and into the community.

Karl Guider - Assistant Commissioner for Facility Planning and Building Operations

Earlier this month, we welcomed Karl Guider as CPL’s new Assistant Commissioner for Facility Planning and Building Operations.

Karl studied architecture for his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a licensed architect in the State of Illinois.  During his more than 10 years of professional experience, he has focused on health care, hospitality and residential sectors across the U.S. For the last two years, he has been our partner and colleague at the City's Department of Fleet & Facility Management, and was our project manager on the Woodson renovation and the upcoming Douglass renovation. I'd like to think it was his experience working with CPL staff on these creative projects that initially peaked his interest in this position at CPL.

Philosophically, Karl believes that great architecture explores the vast array of materials and opportunities available in the 21st century market. Designs should not necessarily be of a particular “style” but rather an amalgamation of various design strategies, creating both functional and provocative spaces.

Keri Cascio - Assistant Commissioner in the Technology Content and Innovation

Lastly, CPL welcomes Keri Cascio who joined Chicago Public Library as the Assistant Chief of Technology Content and Innovation yesterday. Before coming to CPL Keri served as the Executive Director of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), a division of the American Library Association.  She has worked in both public and academic libraries. We are so excited that she is joining our team.

Special Report: Recap of Summer Activities and Upcoming Events

Chicago Innovation Summit

For the second year, Chicago Public Library teamed up with Chicago Innovation and the Chicago Executive’s Club to present this exciting event held on Wed, July 18th. For invited guests, the day’s events kicked off in the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium at 1:30p.m., with panel discussions featuring some of Chicago’s notable tech leaders and innovators. Immediately following, there was an interactive Tech Expo from 5-6:30p.m. in the 9th floor Winter Garden, featuring demos of virtual reality, 3D printing, artificial intelligence and highlighting some of the technology available at the Chicago Public Library. The public was invited to the Interactive Tech Expo from 6:30-8:30p.m.

National Summer Learning Day Event

National Summer Learning Day highlights the importance of kids continuing to learn and stay active during the summer, and to combat the “summer slide” where children can lose up to three months of math and science learning if they do not remain engaged in learning. On July 12th, Chicago Public Library celebrated National Summer Learning Day with more than 300 children participating in learning activities and a story time with illustrator Bryan Collier, the National Summer Learning Association’s (NSLA) 2018 Summer Learning Ambassador. Each child also received a copy of Collier’s award-winning illustrated book Trombone Shorty, written by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, and toys donated by Hilco Global and Cradles to Crayons.

Commissioner Bannon Speaks at the City Club

On July 31st, Commissioner Bannon was joined by other City leaders at City Club Chicago and gave a talk about the Library’s Branching out, Building Libraries, Building Communities campaign surrounding the societal shifts of the 20th and 21st century and CPL’s response to these shifts which is focusing to build an infrastructure and programs that can improve outcomes for youth, create opportunities for adult learners, and strengthen neighborhoods through cultural investments.

There are many active library projects across the city that include creative collaborations with city partners, like Chicago Housing Authority and Chicago Public Schools, and private partners, such as the Obama Presidential Center.  By 2019, CPL will have built 11 new libraries and renovated 17 more.

10,000 photos from the Chicago Park District Archives

Chicago Public Library recently published 10,000 photographs from the Chicago Park District Archives online. These 10,000 images capture the parks’ construction, architecture, plant life, and public enjoyment. See musical concerts performed in the parks, watch parks being built from the ground up, get a birds’ eye view of parks around the city, and watch people of all ages playing sports, doing arts and crafts, and generally enjoying their local parks.

93 of Chicago’s over 500 parks are represented and cover the city’s wide geography. You can also visit the library to see more than 50,000 additional photos of Chicago’s parks!

The Chicago Park District Records: Photographs is housed in the Special Collections and Preservation Division at Harold Washington Library Center. Funding for this project was provided by the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and the Chicago Public Library Foundation. CPL will host an exhibit of the collection in fall 2019 at Harold Washington Library Center.

This sample shows Mayor Richard J. Daley riding a tandem bicycle in Ogden Park.

Fall One Book, One Chicago

On September 10th, Mayor Emanuel and Chicago Public Library announced Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick will be the 29th selection of CPL’s One Book, One Chicago (OBOC). From October 2018 through April 2019, Chicagoans will learn more about science fiction, technology, future societies, artificial intelligence and more as they explore the book and this year’s theme—Imagine the Future.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which was first published in 1968, introduces readers to protagonist Rick Deckard in the year 2021 as he maneuvers his way through the new world order. This iconic book was the inspiration for the blockbuster film Blade Runner.
CPL will join community partners to offer Chicagoans a variety of events and programs, including walking tours, history programs, discussions, and more, to bring people, businesses and civic agencies together to engage with the book and theme. Free citywide programs will launch in early October.
One Book, One Chicago is made possible by the Chicago Public Library Foundation, funded through generous support from The Chicago Community Trust and United Airlines.

Upcoming Events

Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner

On Tuesday, October 9th, Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Public Library Foundation are honored to present the 2018 Carl Sandburg Literary Award to beloved best-selling novelist Judy Blume and astrophysicist and Nova host Neil deGrasse Tyson. Poet and novelist Erika Sánchez will receive the 2018 21st Century Award, which honors significant recent achievements in writing by an author with ties to Chicago. In keeping with the event’s tradition, one of 80 celebrated writers with ties to Chicago will be seated at each table, giving each attendee the opportunity to discuss the author’s work and creative process over dinner. The event will be held at The Forum at UIC at 5:30p.m.

2018 Cindy Pritzker Lecture on Urban Life and Issues

On Thursday, October 11th at 6p.m., Operatic superstar Renée Fleming joins us to deliver the 2018 Cindy Pritzker Lecture on Urban Life and Issues. Music is more than entertainment. It is a powerful medium that ignites all areas of the brain simultaneously. Now, scientists and musicians are joining forces as part of the Sound Health Initiative, a partnership between the National Institutes of Health and the Kennedy Center, to study exactly how music affects the brain. This event has not yet been publicly announced. Additional details forthcoming.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor Event

On Friday, October 12th, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Justice Sonia Sotomayor will discuss her life, career and two new books for young readers, titled Turning Pages: My Life Story and The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor. Justice Sotomayor will appear in conversation with Ambassador Carolyn Curiel. This event is co-sponsored with the American Writers Museum. The conversation will begin at 6:30p.m. and will be held in the 9th Floor Winter Garden.

Cybersecurity Action Day

Lastly, on Saturday, October 13th from 11a.m. to 3p.m., CPL will participate in Cybersecurity Awareness month and offer free assistance to anyone who visits a CPL location to help with three basic issues: passwords, patching, and privacy settings. The ultimate goal is a coordinated effort with expert volunteers that will help a large number of Chicago residents better understand some basic issues of security. Our partner in presenting this opportunity to Chicagoans is THOTcon. THOTcon is an annual cybersecurity conference held in Chicago each year. It attracts more than 1,500 security experts, industry experts and enthusiasts from around the world, and is produced by THOTcon Infinity NFP, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Volunteers are being engaged for this effort and the number of volunteers will determine the number of participating branches.

Chicago Public Library Foundation Report

I’m happy to provide this update on behalf of the Board and Staff of the Chicago Public Library Foundation.

The Foundation is delighted to work with Deputy Commissioner Mary Ellen Messner on programs, funding and donor recognition.

2018 continues to be a very successful year for fundraising and we expect to deliver a balanced budget for the year.

  • 2018 gifts, grants and pledges to the Foundation since January 1, total more than $3.9 million. Among notable gifts, Wintrust became the lead corporate sponsor to the Summer Learning Challenge; Peoples Gas became a new major donor to the program, Polk Bros. Foundation renewed its important support for CyberNavigators. The Foundation team is actively working on funding for 2019 programs.
  • This year, the Library’s Early Learning Initiative got a boost from an anonymous foundation that funded an early learning play specialist to work with CPL branches on integrating play throughout program for our very youngest patrons. This foundation is currently considering a multi-year grant in support of the program.
  • The annual Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner will be held on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at the UIC Forum. This year’s honorees will be astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, beloved author and activist Judy Blume and emerging literary star Erika Sanchez. This year’s co-chairs are Marcus Wedner from CIVC Partners and Michelle Rindt and Charles Matthews from Peoples Gas.
  • The dinner is shaping up to be an outstanding success this year with a record number of attendees and record fundraising. The fundraising team has already exceeded last year’s total by 20%.
  • Anyone interested in finding out more or in supporting the event can visit https://cplfoundation.org/events/carl-sandburg-literary-awards-dinner/.