AGENDA - REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

HIGHWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY CENTER BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Location: Highwood City Hall Monday February 27, 2023 – 7 P.M.

1. Call to order

2. Roll call

3. Public comment from the floor

   
   

4. President’s report

   
   

5. Secretary’s report

   1. Motion to approve minutes from regular meeting January 23, 2023.

      
      

6. Communication

7. Treasurer Report

   1. Review of February Financials

   2. Motion to approve the February 2023 Invoices

      
      

8. Director’s report

   1. Public comment received via email and suggestion box

      
      

9. Committee reports

10. Old business

    1. Library construction project update

    2. Friends updates

       
       

11. New business

    1. Discussion of Policies up for review: E-reader/Kindle/Hotspot

    2. Motion to approve above policy(ies)

    3. Discussion of request to close library on April 10th from 3:30 to 8 to allow staff to attend a city of Highland Park event related to July 4th response.

    4. Motion to approve the above library closure.

    5. Discussion to move Board of Trustee Meetings to earlier time.

       
       

12. Executive Session 5 ILCS 120/Sec 2(c) 1

13. Adjournment

Next regular board meeting – please refer to the website for future meeting dates and location (Some meetings will be at Highwood City Hall).

Board of Trustees

Lucy Hospodarsky, President • Janell Cleland, Vice President • Catherine Regalado, Secretary • Nora Loredo, Treasurer Trustees: Bertha Chavez, Diana Guerrero, Paul Martinez, Jason Muelver, Lorena Victorica

Carmen Patlan, Executive Director, director@highwoodlibrary.org Laura Ramirez, Associate Director, lramirez@highwoodlibrary.org

102 Highwood Ave., Highwood, IL 60040 • www.highwoodlibrary.org • 847-432-5404

Draft only, not yet approved

Highwood Public Library Board of Trustees Regular Meeting January 23, 2023

Present—Trustees: Janell Cleland, Diana Guerrero, Lucy Hospodarsky, Nora Loredo, Paul Martinez, Catherine Regalado, Lorena Victorica; Carmen Patlan, Director; Laura Ramirez, Associate Director;

Absent: Bertha Chavez, Jason Muelver

Ms. Hospodarsky called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.

Ms. Hospodarsky moved to go out of order to allow for a tour of the construction led by Dave Olsen, Scott Larsen, and Dave Wigodner. Ms. Loredo seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

The board viewed the demolition, heard about underground work being done, and saw addition excavation and poured concrete in front of building. The Fire Department did rule that attic space could have smoke detectors instead of sprinklers, saving funds. Plumbing was roughed out and electrical was put into the floor – poles will be eliminated. It was discovered that pipe from oldest bathrooms under main floor had failed, and floor collapsed. That bathroom also had backpitch piping. Now all piping is new, and new ductwork is starting to go in. There will be shoring as new masonry walls are constructed. As a ceiling was removed, a pipe was discovered with covering being tested for asbestos. Community room now will have cabinetry and sink, which was an alternate proposal. Meeting room will go near windows. Rather than sliding partition, there will be a dry wall separation with smaller room created to be conference room. Glazing will allow light to come through although no windows.

Public Comments - None

President’s Report

Ms. Hospodarsky reported on the following:

• She received an email from Franco Aloisio, one of the original library founders, wondering about a plaque. It is currently in City Hall storage. Ms. Hospodarsky will respond. It was suggested that Mr. Aloisio be asked about a video chat/interview/podcast for the TAB kids. It would also be nice to locate and interview masons who did original building work.

• Councilman Peterson responded to the library’s forwarded report to the City, and the library plans regular updates to the City/Council.

• Director and Ms. Regalado will complete OMA training on annual basis.

  
  

  Secretary’s Report

  Ms. Hospodarsky moved to approve the minutes from the December 19, 2022 regular meeting and Ms. Guerrero seconded; the motion carried unanimously.

  
  

  Communication:

  Ms. Patlan reported a FOIA request related to construction questions has been answered.

  
  

  Treasurer’s Report

  Ms. Loredo presented the December financials and January invoices. Several items were reviewed:

  Draft only, not yet approved

  
  

• The City’s audit firm has still not completed the audit review. Library cannot get any state payments or apply for any new grants until this is complete. With all materials at the auditor, hopefully audit will be complete by end of the month; process is set up for success next year.

• Grant reporting now has classifications.

• Vivo is a new foundation which has granted a new award to the library.

• Wayfarer has provided a new $50,000 grant for some of health equity work.

• NorthShore funded health equity work for another year, also providing an increase to

  $628,000.

• Insurance for construction was paid for today electronically – original check was voided.

• Finance committee met to approve a construction insurance payment of $9080.

  
  

  Ms. Hospodarsky moved to approve the January 2023 invoices as listed in the Check Detail, Ms. Cleland seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.

  
  

  Director’s Report

  Ms. Patlan and Ms. Ramirez noted a few items from the written report:

• An incident report was filed for a regular patron because of risk of insect infestation in the building. Patron would be suspended on return.

• On April 10 at 4 pm the City of Highland Park is recognizing partners who supported the July 4th response. Director would like to close the library at 3:30 pm on 4/10 – this will be on February agenda.

• Large turnout for vaccinations on Sunday.

• Health Equity partner Church of the Redeemer was very flexible with space in spite of their own sewer issues. Ms. Hospodarsky will mail to thank their vestry.

• There was a question about determining whether programming is offered in English or Spanish. It is indicated by language of program title. If there is more request for English programming it can be added but currently health equity programs are all in Spanish. The HP Library plans to hire a social worker who would do English language programming. Will work to make presenting language clearer on website/emails.

• There is a job posting for a teen services librarian.

  
  

  Committee Reports

  The Finance committee met 1/9/23 to approve the insurance bill.

  
  

  Old Business

  Library construction project was already updated. It was proposed to offer a tour of construction to city/council in February.

  
  

  New Business

  The eRead fee will increase on 7/1/23 based on operating expenditures as reported in IPLAR; budget needs to be amended.

  
  

  The Wireless Network, Public Computer Use, and eReader/Kindle/Hotspot policies were reviewed by Mr. Knutson and Ms. Wigodner to make sure they are current and relevant. There was discussion on the eReader/Hotspot policy updates. Language should include: a minimum of $50 or current replacement value if Hotspot lost; after 3rd renewal patrons must

  Draft only, not yet approved

  
  

  return the hotspot in person. E-Readers aren’t currently popular but should language stay in case other technology is circulated? Library staff are using some hotspots at remote sites so additional were purchased. Mr. Knutson has found the most affordable data plans, being paid for by grant.

  
  

  Ms. Regalado moved to approve the Wireless Network and Public Computer Use policies, Ms. Hospodarsky seconded, and the motion carried unanimously. These policies need to be visible to patrons once library construction is completed. The Hotspot Policy will be revised for February approval.

  
  

  There was discussion of a loan to meet cash flow needs for the renovation project. Because many grants are on a reimbursement basis there could be a delay of 3-4 months between payments and reimbursements. Ms. Hospodarsky roughly calculated cost of debt service. There is a possibility of a donor covering this cash flow as an alternative to loan. The bank has all the library’s materials and can start underwriting process. Closing fees would be sunk costs, paid from library funds. A resolution has been drafted and we will begin numbering and tracking as of this one.

  Ms. Hospodarsky moved to approve the resolution entering into a line of credit agreement with WinTrust Bank. Ms. Loredo seconded. The motion was approved unanimously by roll call: 7 ayes and 0 nays.

  
  

  Ms. Regalado moved and Ms. Loredo seconded to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried unanimously.

  Meeting adjourned at 8:46 pm.

  Director’s Report February 27, 2023 Library Updates

  Library Renovation

  Renovation Updates So far in February the crew have started framing walls on the addition. Demolished the front entrance wall, as well as the interior walls for new openings. Installed new structural beams in the new openings. Made new openings for a door and window in the children's area. Removed the overhang on the roof. The siding has been delivered and will begin installation towards the end of the month. The new water service has been installed and inspected. Repairs were made to the sanitary line all the way out to the street. Construction is proceeding according to the timeline

  Admin/Accounting Current Month

  • Laura, Rebecca and Janet renamed/restructured the library’s grants to more clearly align with our service areas: Adult Literacy, Health Equity, Youth Services, Sustainability, General Operating and Building Renovation. Additionally, building renovation grant expense accounts were added to separate our library programming expenses from our building renovation expenses. As a result, the library P&L shows operating vs capital expenses more clearly, and the Grant P&L shows grant revenues and expenses for each grant, with totals for each service area.

  • Janet and Diana Alvey are working together to simplify, cross-train, and document accounts payable procedures.

  • Rebecca has rebuilt journal entry workbook to eliminate redundancies and maximize efficiency.

  Records Retention	records from their current storage location at City Hall.
  Building and Grounds
  Website and Technology	Dave Wigodner in creating a workorder for cable wiring.
  Communications
  Personnel/Professional Development		Date	Attendee(s)	Description
  		1/26/23	Diana Alvey Viridiana Gonzalez Alice Dayton Monica Zohar Yenny Avila Janet Wigodner	Compassion Fatigue: Gary Pate recommended by Meridian Health facilitated a discussion about compassion fatigue and burnout. Participants completed the ProQOL: “Professional Quality of Life (proQOL) is intended for any helper - health care professionals, social service workers, teachers, attorneys, emergency response, etc. Understanding the positive and negative aspects of helping those who experience trauma and suffering can improve your ability to help them and your ability to keep your own balance.”
  Grant Update	Grant awards were received from: Grant Budgeting and Spend Down
  Patron Services—Adults Program (Updates from	GED

  • Rebecca is currently investigating the process of opening tax accounts in all states where employees reside to ensure compliance with tax and labor regulations.

  • The library has been charged 9/2022- 01/2023 for payroll services not provided. Official termination of contract sent in December, Asure claims to be in processing of issuing refunds for erroneous charges.

  • Thanks to Janet’s hard work, to date, we have disposed of 16 boxes of older library records in accordance with our Records Disposal Certificate authorized by the State of Illinois Records Commission. This work will continue on a time-available basis, removing older

  • None to report

  • In the month of January, the total number of client connections for the wireless patron network was 2588, for a daily average of 83 client connections. This was a decrease from the daily average of 85 for December. The total wireless data delivered in January (31 days) was 381.69GB, a decrease from the December (31 days) total of 397.89GB.

  • Jim Knutson installed 3 additional cameras within the interior of the library, replaced the exterior wireless access point, and assisted

  • None to report

  • Grant applications were submitted to Meridian Health, Per Capita, and to an Anonymous Foundation. Grant reporting was submitted to ALA’s digital literacy, CDBG Lake County (for the vestibule project), Illinois State Library Construction grant, Illinois State Library Project Next Generation grant, Community Catalyst, Wayfarer Foundation, and DCEO.

  • In February, Laura and Janet will be reviewing each grant service area to make sure that fiscal year spend-down is on track.

  Diana A. Janet, Yuliya, Aurora)

  ESL Basic ESL Intermediate Conversational ESL Advanced Students are practicing thinking and identifying colors via gamified learning (Booklet). We have students from Ukraine, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico. This is an intermediate level class where students enrich their vocabulary by reading and conversing in the second language.

  • This month we began studying Mathematics. We have 10 students registered in this program. The majority of my students believe that Mathematics is one of the most difficult subjects.

  • This month we had four students consistently attending class.

  • We continue to see engagement in this program. This month we registered 2 new students. Two students dropped out this month, one is working towards becoming a CNA and the other student has instead joined our citizenship classes as that is an important priority that he wants to focus on first.

  • We have a total of eight groups meeting at least once a week. Four beginners’ level, three intermediate level, two in person and one virtual, and one advanced level.

  • All of our volunteers are dedicated and come to class prepared. Three classes are currently using a book, but also use supplemental material.

  • This month we began our new cycle. ESL students were very excited to start up again!

  • To kick start the basic level, classes worked on common conversation centered around numbers, feelings, and colors. Once again students are enjoying having technology being integrated in their learning. In each class students engage in the 4 language domains: listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

  • This level focuses on developing students’ writing, reading, and speaking skills. Students are encouraged to participate in reading short stories, explaining specific situations, giving instructions and engaging in discussions with one or more people in a familiar situation to establish shared understanding about familiar topics.

  • This class is intended to develop and enhance students’ vocabulary. This class focuses on providing opportunities for students to engage in discussion with one or more people in a familiar situation, making relevant points and responding to what others say to reach a shared understanding about familiar topics. As well as in familiar formal exchanges connected with education, training, work and social roles.

  SSL Here is our beginner’s level. This day we had a guest. He introduced himself in Spanish and read to the students. Students had the opportunity to practice what they had learned by asking our guest questions. Sewing Basics Class/Knitters

  • The beginners level class is focusing on engaging in small conversations while they make cultural comparisons. This month we had six students in class. There are 9 students registered in this class.

  • The intermediate level class is focusing on developing conversational and reading skills. This month we read “Fiesta Fatal”. Students loved this novel and would like to read more books like this. We have five students registered in this class. This month we had an average of three students attending class consistently.

  • Here is our beginner’s level. This day we had a guest. He introduced himself in Spanish and read to the students. Students had the opportunity to practice what they had learned by asking our guest questions.

  • With the money the group made at the Fair Trade, the knitters bought more thread and the sewists bought one more sewing machine.

  • This month I reached out to the city hall to learn more about the Gourmet Market. I obtained the application and their approval to participate. We just need to complete and submit the application.

  • Both groups are working on different projects to sell at the market. Projects include cozies, hats, headbands and finger puppets.

  In Knitting class, participants are learning the basics of knitting: slip knot, casting on, knit, purl and binding off. US Citizenship Test Prep Digital Literacy This month participants learned to create their resume and find a job online

  Health Equity - Program updates from Yenny and her team)

  Counseling sessions Gil (not his real name) shared that while at first it felt uncomfortable to be approached by our community health worker to be invited to participate in the mental health services offered by the Highwood Library & Community Center. However, when he reconsidered the offer, he decided that it was necessary for him to ask for help. Gil explained that he was not fully aware of the availability of these resources, and was happily surprised to hear that they were free of charge and provided in Spanish. He further explained that he felt this outreach was "God sent" because of the needs his family was experiencing. Gil is currently engaged in counseling services on a consistent basis. He now sees therapy as a valuable tool for his entire family, in that it is helping to change generational dysfunction and create healthy family relationships moving forward. Adult Support Group

  • We currently have 12 participants in this program. Tutors continue to meet once a week for one hour. We are looking to partner with Chicago Workers Collaborative to support the applicants with their application.

  • This month we had over 116 counselling appointments. One client reported she was extremely proud of how much her confidence has increased. She used to avoid making decisions due to fear and she proudly shared that she decided to go to the DMV and take her license exam, which she successfully passed.

  • During the month of January, our adult support group focused on helping participants start the new year with a positive mindset and set

  

  

  

  

  

  

  up goals for the year. We created vision boards to aid with visualizing their goals and prioritize self-care this year. This was hugely successful with our participants, creating vision boards helped them make more concrete objectives. Some examples are home ownership, healthier eating, quality time with family, self-care and better management of finances.

  
  

  Case Management:

  • Our case managers continue to provide essential case management to our community members including translations, filling out school forms, assisting with housing requests, medical appointments, insurance coverage etc.

    
    

    Alma (not her real name) is a member of our community who, due to multiple barriers, was not able to access insurance coverage. As a single mother, keeping a roof over her family's head always took precedence over her own health needs. The lack of insurance was impacting her health and well-being in that she was forced to use glasses with a prescription that was many years old. The Health Equity team at the Highwood Library & Community Center explained that Alma was eligible to receive Medicaid. Our bilingual case manager helped Alma to gather the necessary information and complete the required paperwork. With the assistance of the Highwood Library & Community Center, Alma now has Medicaid coverage. Our case manager also helped Alma to understand her benefits and how to find vision providers. Alma has shared that this would not have been possible without the support of the Highwood Library & Community Center.

    
    

    Charlas Con Propósito: Presentations increase awareness and education on:

    
    

    This week the focus was on:

  • How diabetes relates to vision loss.

  • Child obesity - warning signs and prevention recommendations.

  • Practical steps to start incorporating healthy nutrition in your life.

  • Alzheimer’s disease and its effects on physical health.

    
    

    Zumba

    
    

    This program continues to grow in participation. We currently have 20 participants enjoying active movement that helps with their overall well-being.

    	Vaccination Events This month in partnership with Walgreens over 125 community members Paz y Calma: Guided meditations the 2nd and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 6pm-7pm Sanando El Alma En Comunidad/ Healing the Soul in Community: focused on providing mental health awareness and fostering healing through open conversation every Wednesday. Caminando Juntos Facebook Live Coaching concerns.
    Illinois Libraries Present	None to report
    Patron Services – Elementary Children (Program updates from Alice and Diana)	On-going Children’s Programming Preschool Storytime. grooving.

    • This month's mediations focused on how this tool can help reduce feelings of anxiety due to food intake. Learning this helps to take better care of the body and practice mindfulness when eating food.

    • During this monthly Facebook Live program focused on baby blues, postpartum depression, how to tell the difference between them, what to do to feel better, and where to find emotional support.

    • During this workshop people learned the necessary actions to define, plan and achieve goals and purposes.

    • This informative talk centered on helping people plan step-by-step how to talk to their teen about alcohol and drugs.

    • During the workshop people explored the 6 pillars on which a healthy and balanced self-perception is based to help discover your true value and accept yourself.

    • NAMI guest, Miriam Smith, talked about suicide prevention & warning signs. This was imperative to bring to our community in efforts to offer support and increase awareness on such a stigmatized topic. This event reached over 214 viewers.

    • One client is receiving support to cope with a significant health diagnosis. She initially shared her goal was to “put herself first”, however, after her health diagnosis she decided to change her goal to focus more on quality of life and overall wellness. Coach introduced the client to tapping technique to help with current

    • Attendance was lower in December due to the holidays, but many of our regular families did return for at least one of the sessions! We hope to have everyone back in the same space at the same time in January, as all of our participants have been loving moving and

    

    

    

  • We’ve been working to make Preschool Storytime even more interactive, incorporating felt-boards, a learning cube, and magnet tiles. In January we will be focusing on community outreach to grow the program in the new year.

    
    

    Storytime & Craft

  • To recognize Martin Luther King Day Diana and Alice read “The Youngest Marcher” by Cynthia Levinson, which tells the story of Audrey Faye Hendricks and her important role in the American Civil Rights Movement.

  • After the story participants painted their own self-portraits. The intent is that this story empowers young people to enact social change and affect their world!

    
    

    Pajama Storytime

  • The team has been able to create engaging crafts to go along with the theme of the book being read. Crafts are modified to be relevant to each age group. Participants have shared how much they love this program. Creating a craft to go along with the story allows the participants to be fully engaged in learning.

1. Reading Buddies Nights

   We had our youngest reader to date who is four years old participate in January’s K-9 Reading Buddies! We love that our K-9 Reading Buddies nights encourage reluctant and enthusiastic readers to practice reading aloud. This confident young reader was so excited to read to the K-9 Reading Buddies

   
   

   Winter Kids Celebration

   • Winter Fest was a giant success! Alice, Diana, and Elizabeth dressed as characters from Frozen, read two Frozen storybooks, offered winter-themed crafts, and took photos with the kids attending. The Brushwood Center was also in attendance to lead kids through recycled ornaments and card-making.

   • Our Health Equity team gave out hams, presents, and gifts cards which had been donated to us to provide to the community. Because

     we are under construction and this is one of our larger community events, we rented the gym and lobby of the Rec Center, and the event location worked out really well – we look forward to utilizing that space for our next big event! Game Night with the Highland Park High School

     Patron Services—Teen (Program Updates from Elizabeth, Alice and Diana)

     Learning Partners Teen Advisory Board We had our first TAB meeting of 2023 in January! TAB members were excited to be back together after the holiday break and Diana and Alice provided them space and time to hang out and bond after the meeting. During the meeting we discussed our ideas and hopes for the new year and brainstormed ideas for volunteering opportunities with local organizations as well as new programming for teens. Teen Craft Cafe Participants in the January Teen Craft Cafe painted their own tabletop dice sets with gel paints and cured the paints using UV LED lights. This was an exciting intersection of their personal interests with STEAM related programming.

     • This monthly program connects members of the Highland Park High School Key Club with elementary school aged students for an exciting hour of logic games and trivia.

     • We are so excited to be able to host this year's Game Night in person! The mixed learning environment Key Club fostered made the experience both fun and challenging as we saw younger students begin to learn and understand brand new games. Parents and kids reported that our first Game Night was a success!

     • January sessions included a lot of course improvements.

     • We had some students that have improved on their recognition of site words, and their reading.

     • Another student who has been working consistently with her tutor to better her math scores was able to test into advanced math.

     • Our tutors are showing so much creativity with how they’re reviewing material with their student, such as using social media, magazines, newspapers and menus to allow the students to use real world examples that allow students to practice and master their Math, Reading and Writing skills.

     

     

     

     

     

     TAC Program: Exploding Books Diana & Alice

   • The Arts Center visits to host a monthly arts program. For January TAC showed families how to make their own “exploding books.”

   • Our TAC programs always provide us with a wonderful opportunity to reach and get to know new families! 2 new families came to this program and the Exploding Book craft, which uses folded paper techniques, was exciting and just challenging enough to grow their skills!

     
     

     Book Buffet

   • Book Buffet attendees requested a light and cozy book for January so the group read “The Tea Dragon Society.” We discussed the book while taste testing a variety of teas and eating scones, then we played the “Tea Dragon Society” card game that accompanies the book. Several of our regular members have had scheduling conflicts but went out of their way to arrive early to hang out and discuss the book (and of course to grab snacks).

     
     

     Homework Help

   • January sessions included a lot of course improvements, along with one new partnership by a tutor that is already.

   • Of note, some students have improved in their recognition of site words, and their reading.

   • We can proudly say that another student has been working with a tutor on a consistent basis has improved in math skills and has now tested into advanced math.

Teen After Hours

For the January Teen After- Hours, the teens practiced self- care! We provided the group with supplies like nail polish, hair tinsel, aromatherapy oils, temporary tattoos, and a nutritional dinner. This allowed the teens to practice self-care in whatever way was most meaningful to them.

Pop-up Makerspace

In January we partnered with the Nuestro Center twice to offer STEAM related programming to elementary and middle school aged students. We visited Northwood Middle School with YESS and introduced the students in their program to embroidery. The participants were enthusiastic about learning this new skill. One participant shared with us that he had learned to embroider from his grandmother and we were so happy to have the opportunity to reconnect him with the craft, provide him with materials, and encourage him to grow his skills!

8:46 AM Highwood Public Library & Community Center

02/22/23 Balance Sheet w/Prior Month Comparison

Accrual Basis As of January 31, 2023

Jan 31, 23 Dec 31, 22 $ Change % Change

ASSETS

Current Assets Checking/Savings

10000 ꞏ CASH & INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS

Page 1

8:49 AM Highwood Public Library & Community Center 02/22/23 Profit & Loss YTD Budget vs. Actual Accrual Basis May 2022 through January 2023

May '22 - Jan 23 Budget $ Over Budget % of Budget

Ordinary Income/Expense Income

41000 ꞏ GENERAL REVENUES

8:49 AM Highwood Public Library & Community Center 02/22/23 Profit & Loss YTD Budget vs. Actual Accrual Basis May 2022 through January 2023

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8:49 AM Highwood Public Library & Community Center 02/22/23 Profit & Loss YTD Budget vs. Actual Accrual Basis May 2022 through January 2023

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8:48 AM Highwood Public Library & Community Center

02/22/23 Profit & Loss w/Prior Month Comparison

Accrual Basis January 2023

Jan 23 Dec 22 $ Change % Change

Ordinary Income/Expense Income

41000 ꞏ GENERAL REVENUES

8:48 AM Highwood Public Library & Community Center

02/22/23 Profit & Loss w/Prior Month Comparison

Accrual Basis January 2023

Page 2

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