Board of Directors Meeting Minutes – September 8, 2015

Attention: This post is over 2 years old and the information may be out of date.Attention: This post is over 2 years old and the information may be out of date.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

Tuesday, September 8, 2015, 9:30 a.m.

Greater Grand Crossing Branch

1000 E. 73rd Street

 

  1. Welcome and History of the Greater Grand Crossing Branch
  2. Approval of the minutes of the regular meeting on June 16, 2015 (action required)
  3. Schedule of Requisitions, Contracts and Licenses (info only)
  4. CPL Capital Projects and Facilities Report (info only)
  5. Commissioner’s Report (info only)
  6. Chicago Public Library Foundation Report (info only)
  7. Other Business
  8. Public Comment

 

Next Board meeting:

Tuesday, October 13, 2015, 9:00 a.m.

Chinatown Branch

2100 S. Wentworth Ave.

 

Open Session Minutes

Physically Present:

Christopher Valenti, Linda Johnson Rice, Josephine Gomez

Present by Means of Video or Audio Conference:

None

Absent:

Lynn Lockwood, Chaka Patterson, Barbara Bowman, Jodi Block, Denise Gardner

Welcome and History of the Greater Grand Crossing Branch

Kimberly Hagen, branch manager, opened the meeting with a history of the Greater Grand Crossing (GGC) branch library. GGC library first opened in 2011; this was made possible in part through a land donation by the Gary Comer Science and Education Foundation. The Comer Foundation has assisted with other developments in the GGC community as well. GGC is one of three CPL branches currently participating in the Internet to Go program which provides internet access to patrons that do not have access at home. This summer, over 354 patrons participated in the Summer Learning Challenge at GGC and read 198,000 minutes. Upcoming events at the branch include Minecraft Camp and a P2PU is working with the branch to provide a free online course writing fiction through means of an Adult Learning Circle.

Approval of the Minutes

Due to lack of a quorum, the minutes of the June 16, 2015 Board meeting were not approved.

Schedule of Requisitions, Contracts and Licenses

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 (June 15 - Aug 31, 2015) a total of 1782 invoices were paid totaling $2,864,092.90 to various vendors.

CPL Capital Projects and Facilities Report

Andrea Telli, Assistant Commissioner of Neighborhood Services presented the Capital Projects and Facilities report and provided new information on the projects in planning, under construction and now open:

Projects In planning

  • Legler Branch – Phase 1: Drawings for stone step restoration has been completed. Phase 2: Upgrade toilet rooms for ADA compliance; LED lighting in historic atrium laylight; roof replacement; masonry and parapet repairs.
  • Austin Branch – No changes
  • Douglass Branch – Drawings are completed for bathroom construction and stair rail; pricing for project began on Thursday.
  • Sulzer – Phase 2: Pending funding for mechanical upgrades to cooling tower, chiller, boiler, air handing unit, and chemical and water treatment system; LED applicability and lighting upgrades; rehab of electrical systems including video and communications system; fire alarm system upgrades
  • Woodson Regional– Phase 1: YOUmedia expansion is complete. Phase 2a: Upgrades to lighting and ceiling through Retrofit One Esco project are complete. Phase 2b: BID documents with completed drawings and contract requirements for the envelope replacement and interior upgrades were sent to the Department of Procurement Services in June. Law has returned their comments and 2FM is reviewing and responding. Phase 3: Upgrade and renovation of Auditorium.
  • Early Learning Spaces – Design and construct new Early Learning areas for children in the Thomas Hughes Children’s Library at HWLC, Sulzer and Woodson Regional branches, Austin-Irving, Budlong, Legler, Lozano, Little Village, Sherman Park, Toman, Kelly, South Chicago, Thurgood Marshall, West Englewood and West Pullman branches. Budget: $2.5 mil funded by Exelon through the Chicago Public Library Foundation.

Projects Under Construction

  • HWLC Center Circle redesign and Materials Handling System – 3rd floor Circulation desk has been closed and 1st floor Circulation des is up and running; the “smart bins” for the automated materials handling system have been received and are in use throughout the system; components for the materials handling system are being assembled at HWLC; CPL has increased the number of holds from 3 to 5.

Now Open

  • Chinatown Branch – The new Chinatown branch celebrated their grand opening on Sat, August 29, 2015; the branch welcomed almost 6,500 patrons on opening day that included Mayor Emanuel and the entire CPL Board of Directors.

Commissioner’s Report

Michelle Frisque gave a special report on the Internet to Go program that launched May 25, 2015 and provides internet access to patrons that do not have access at home. CPL is offering the service to increase internet participation in communities where internet access is not available. Access to the internet is provided using Hotspots that can be checked out for a 3 week period and renewed up to 15 times if no holds are pending. The program is currently being offered at the Greater Grand Crossing, Douglass and Brighton Park branches with 100 Hotspots at each location. Later this month, CPL will expand the program to 4 additional locations; Vodak-Eastside, Austin, Legler branches and Woodson Regional Library.

Commissioner Bannon also announced:

  • The National Summer Learning Association awarded the Chicago Public Library with its first ever Founder’s Award for the Rahm’s Readers Summer Learning Challenge.
  • Exelon awarded CPL a $2.5 mil grant to assist in developing Early Learning Spaces at 14 branch libraries that will focus on the 5 practices of early literacy: talk, sing, read, write and play.
  • Mayor Emanuel will release his 2016 budget recommendation on Sept 22nd; the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations will conduct budget hearings Sept 28th – Oct 9th; 2016 budget becomes effective Jan 1, 2016.
  • CPL partnered with Microsoft, Chicago Public Education Fund and others to sponsor the 2015 Ed Tech Collaborative July 23rd - 24th. This year’s event focused on Personalized Learning and brought together over 400 Chicago educators, administrators, librarians and technologists at Flashpoint Academy and HWLC.
  • On Sept 9th, CPL will announce Thomas Dyja’s “The Third Coast: When Chicago Built the American Dream” as the 2015-16 One Book, One Chicago selection.

Chicago Public Library Foundation Report

Catherine Brown, Chief Operating Officer at the Chicago Public Library Foundation, presented the Foundation report and highlighted the following:

  • The Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner will be held October 21st; fundraising has reached $1.4 mil to date; new donors include Rolex which donated $50,000 and Helen and Sam Zell who has increased their gift to $50,000; Author highlights include David Axelrod, Rick Bayless, Amy Dickinson, Marv Levy, Alex Kotlowitz and Jim Peterick.
  • In partnership with El Valor and Metropolitan Family Services, PNC Bank has donated $760,000 for vocabulary building programs.
  • Smart Chicago has given $500,000 for the expansion of the Cybernavigator Program

Other Business

None

Public Comment

The Board received comments from Rev. Doyle Landry regarding mental health awareness, Nicholas Davis, Founder of the Rap Literacy Project and his the success of his program offered at the Sherman Park branch over the summer, and Williams Billy Bedford, author.

Next Board Meeting

The next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. at the Chinatown Branch, 2100 S. Wentworth Ave.

 

 

Commissioner’s Report

Guest: Michelle Frisque, Chief of Technology, Content and Innovation

National Summer Learning Association - Founder’s Award

The Chicago Public Library is proud and pleased to have our Rahm’s Readers Summer Learning Challenge acknowledged through the National Summer Learning Association’s first ever Founder’s Award.  After an eight month long process of arduous assessment including oral and written interviews, video submissions and a day long site visit to branches of CPL, we are the first library system to be recognized by NSLA.  On Mon, Aug 24th, Sarah Pitcock, President of the NSLA presented CPL with the Founder’s Award during a press conference held at the Woodson Regional Library.

Additionally, the National Summer Learning Association has just released a new infographic of their National Summer Day of Learning.  This year, the City of Chicago has shown up as the top ranking city offering events on the National Summer Day of Learning.  Eighty seven events are noted, and all eighty seven happened in Chicago Public Library Sites.  On their infographic this makes Chicago the top city and Illinois the top state recognizing National Summer Learning Day.  Congratulations to the Children’s Librarians who all created these special public awareness programs to highlight the significance of summer learning.

Early Learning Spaces

With the announcement of a 2.5 million dollar grant from Exelon recently and the opening of the new Chinatown Branch, the Chicago Public Library is pleased to be embarking on a path to engage our youngest of users in new ways.  Focusing on the 5 practices of early literacy:  talk, sing, read, write and play and with an emphasis on STEM and STEAM based learning, the Early Learning Spaces project will commence with thought partners from the field of early childhood development later this fall.

2016 Budget Hearings

  • Tuesday, September 22: The Mayor will release his 2016 Budget Recommendation. This begins the City Council’s formal review of the budget.
  • Monday, September 28 to Friday, October 9: The Committee on the Budget and Government Operations will conduct public hearings on each department’s budget from.  Chicago Public Library will have a public budget hearing with City Council during this time.
  • Wednesday, October 28: The final vote of the 2016 budget is currently planned.
  • January 1, 2016: The 2016 budget becomes effective

Ed Tech Collaborative Conference

  • Having hosted the first ever Ed Tech Collaborative conference for teachers and ed tech startups in 2013, CPL partnered again with Microsoft, the Chicago Public Education Fund and others to sponsor the 2015 Ed Tech Collaborative July 23-24. This year’s event was focused on Personalized Learning and brought together over 400 Chicago educators, administrators, librarians and technologists at Flashpoint Academy and the Harold Washington Library Center. CPL librarian teams presented our homework help (Teacher in the Library and online) and YOUmedia with the goal of building deeper relationships with teachers and engaging greater numbers of their students in these programs and services.  We will continue to engage with this innovative education community as we strengthen our community programs and services.

2015-16 One Book, One Chicago

On Wednesday, September 9th, Chicago Public Library will announce Thomas Dyja's “The Third Coast: When Chicago Built the American Dream" as the 2015-16 One Book, One Chicago selection. “The Third Coast” was highly acclaimed when published in 2013 and won the Tribune's Heartland Prize for nonfiction.

Chicago Public Library Foundation Report

Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner– 10/21/15

  • Fundraising for the dinner has surpassed $1.4 million against our goal of $1.5 million
  • We are 20% ahead of where we were at this time last year.
  • 100% of the CPLF board has pledged support.
  • Most notable new donors are Rolex, which has come in at $50,000, and Helen and Sam Zell who have increased their gift to $50,000
  • The last $100,000 is always the hardest; if you have any outstanding requests, we would appreciate your help solidifying them. The program book is going to print at the end of this week. Any gifts secured after Thursday will still be acknowledged at the event.
  • The invitation has been mailed and should be arriving in homes this week. If you would like electronic or hard copies for distribution, please let Rhona know. Special thanks to RR Donnelley for underwriting the printing and RPM for the in-kind graphic design services.
  • All of the authors have been secured, barring any last minute cancelations. Highlights include David Axelrod, Rick Bayless, Amy Dickinson, Marv Levy, Alex Kotlowitz and Jim Peterick. Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun-Times ran the announcement in late August.
  • Other Recent Major Fundraising Highlights
  • PNC Bank - $760,000 for vocabulary building programs for very young children; in partnership with El Valor and Metropolitan Family Services
  • Smart Chicago - $500,000 for expansion of CyberNavigator Program
  • Exelon - $2 million for renovations at Thomas Hughes Children’s Library and the children’s spaces at 14 branch libraries