Director's Report to the Board for March 2007

Two major staff changes to announce.

On April 9th Katy Opderbeck announced her resignation, effective April 30th, as Young Adult Services Librarian. Katy has performed in an exemplary manner, developing the Teen collection and Programs. Her energy and enthusiasm has had an incredible impact on the Library, local Teens and schools. While the pace of outreach to the Teen population may slow for a month or two, Katy’s work has demonstrated that there is a Teen population needing the Library’s services.

On Wednesday April 11th Eugenia Bryant, Assistant Director for Public Services, tendered her resignation effective May 7th. Eugenia has for 17 years served this library with the highest sense of responsibility, professionalism and caring. Her knowledge, experience and wisdom have served two Directors very well. I particularly benefited from her abilities and support. Much of what MGPL is today is due to her efforts. She will be missed. However the Glenview Public Library is about to gain an excellent Head of Reference – Adult Services.

MGPL prepares for National Library Week (April 15-21) with tours to show off the many changes, presentation of the new Playaway audiobook devices and a Trivia Contest in Youth Services. A schedule of events with an extensive write up was published in Books and Beyond for March-April. The new Playaway audiobooks will be prominently displayed on the main floor and in YS. Public Services staff will also be wearing them and Reference staff will be showing patrons how they work and demonstrating their features. The new Activity Room will be the venue for several events hosted through out the week. Tours lead by the Director and staff will give the public access to behind-the-scenes areas while highlighting the Library’s many services.

The annual audit has just wrapped up its on-site component. Once the review of Library financials and the Village’s information is complete a representative from Sikich Professional Services and Support will present the findings to the Board of Trustees.

The final walk through of the Adult Work Room construction has been completed by the architect. Cost estimates for the remodeling of the Board Room and typing rooms has begun. The initial estimate for engineering work (on which all other work depends) was much higher than expected and estimates from other firms are being sought.

To accommodate the increasing demand for Public Internet PCs, the Reference Department is evaluating three systems which can automate patron signup, control use of individual computers, manage and collect payments for printing and possibly allow ’for fee’ printing from the Library’s WiFi network. A decision on vendor will be made early in May. Cost for a complete system is expected to range between $6,000 and $8,000.

Reference is interviewing several candidates for part time work at the desk. This will fill the coverage gap created with the move of the Teen, now Young Adult Services Librarian to Youth Services.

The Library’s policy for Compassionate Leave, as stated in the Employee Handbook, is unbalanced in defining ‘immediate family’ relationship for whom Leave will be granted. The current policy excludes spousal siblings, grandparents and grandchildren while allowing them on the employee side. Also, and this does need to be researched further, there is no provision in the policy for domestic partner relationships.

The recently received Actuarial Valuation of the Retirement Plan shows that retirement liabilities are currently funded at 73.4%. To eliminate the unfunded liability, additional contribution will have to be made by the Library from 2008 onwards.

The career of a Library Trustee is often uncelebrated and carries little reward outside of a sense of serving the public good and helping ones community at the most fundamental level. This meeting signals the terminus of Elinor Dahmer’s and Mary Walsh’s service to Morton Grove and the Public Library. Their time on the Board has been invaluable to this library. They have guided it through times of change and worked to ensure it fulfills its mission to serve all of the Morton Grove community to the highest standard of the Library profession. Both have been an irreplaceable assistance to me in my first two years as Director. My performance and the Library’s response to changing conditions were better for their involvement. I, and the staff of Morton Grove Public Library, want to thank them both deeply for their service and wish them the best with whatever endeavors they undertake in the future.

I read a lot of blogs...

I read a lot of blogs, not that I don't have anything better to do, but I can't afford books anymore. Anyway I have noticed most blog entries start with "I". Just like this one. It makes sense. The author is writing about his or her perspective on whatever topic they feel compelled to expound upon, mostly for the pleasure of writing and maybe for some strokes. That's a problem for me. I am not writing for me in this blog. I am writing for us - that institution known as the Morton Grove Public Library. Us isn't just the staff or the Board of Trustees, but also for the patrons and residents of the Village. Even if you do not use the Library (really you should it is good for you) what happens here is about you.

Now writing for "I" can be fun. "I" writing comes with the license to let "I's" thoughts go where they may etc., etc. But writing for an Institution, while possibly fun, is constrained. I mean really, much of what I would want to write about has nothing to do with the Library at all. Most "I" stuff just doesn't belong on the Library's blog.

So what I am going to write about is your Library. Some posts will be nuts and bolts about budget and goals and services, some will be about the rather interesting and diverse group of people who work here and very occasionally (when I can protect both the innocent and myself) the writing will be about the people this Library exists for, the folks who walk or roll in off the street.

Technologies change, the help remains the same

By now probably a thousand libraries have linked to this video:




Libraries were introducing new technology long before the computer.