February EPL Board Meeting 2.18.26

Transcript

Yes. Jean, would you read the language before colonization and settlement by people that go into the place we know is tribes, also known as the Council of the Three Fighters. It also served as an important crossroads of the placementality of other Indigenous tribal nations. Miami, Benati, Peoria, and South and Fox Nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of this land, as well as the indigenous people that still call this area home and support their continuum of justice, self-determination.

And so doing we honor indigenous protocol and remind ourselves and our community that land acknowledgements do not exist in the past times. Thank you. Okay. Roll call Amamuel present both here. Huggins.

Present. Kelleher here. Mills. Hirts. day.

Shire present and wallet here. All right. Thank you. Is there a citizen comment? There is one person signed with citizen comment in person. Akula Bay.

Oh, hello, everyone. Hello. It's good to see you all. This will be my 1st actual board meeting to communicate with you. And to start off, of course, my name is Aquela, A-Q-U-I-L-A, last name B-E-Y.

A couple of the consultants is my consulting agency at 1603 Orrington Avenue, 6th floor. Our headquarters is Federal Reserve Law and Government. It is community and social services. It has been around since the 25th of August 1999. something great.

Obviously, if we're still grant writing. And so a lot of the homeless and disadvantaged. Sometimes they do come in contact with us, and they do, you know, have little spurts of disagreements or and. issues with the library. So since I am a resident here, as well as someone who has business here, I wanted to bring your attention that you do have a DEI subcommittee.

Is that correct? Yes. Okay. So I was at that subcommittee, and I did give the following information, and I'll give it again during this speech so that people can kind of take hold to understand that a lot of people who are homeless or disadvantaged, they do not participate. It's just something they are going to do. And if they do find an outlet or someone to communicate with, they find even hard to even do that.

So it's been 3 months to come up with some rationale to go through parts of talking to staff members. trying to get a little general information about how the procedure has been going for a long time. So first I want to go ahead and read this standard, which is the Dp. I stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion, an organizational framework designed to promote fair treatment. and full participation of all people, particularly those of historically unrepresented or marginalized groups, and of course the homeless in Evanston is not a large group, so we'll consider it in this.

context, marginalized. It aims to foster a culture of belonging by addressing systematic barriers and ensuring diverse representation in workplace and institutions. And of course, we know that the library is that. And the core components, diversity, the who refers to the presence of differences within a group, including race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, and of course, socioeconomic status. It ensures representation, varied background and respect.

And of course, I'm talking more or less to those who. We may not necessarily have a sixth grade education or above, or are homeless. the equity, the how it involves creating fair processes, fair processes. I want you to remember that fair processes and policies that ensure all individuals with equal access to opportunities recognize and add. unequal starting points require tailored resources.

inclusion, the field. focuses on creating a welcoming, supporting environment where all individuals feel valued. respected and able to fully contribute. Now, the goals is my understanding when I was in the Dbi, and I've been a tool again for the last board member of that committee was elected. The gentleman, and I came to that board meeting on the 10th of February.

to bring this after long research on it. The improved culture encourages a sense of belonging, which can enhance employee retention and connection to work. Better decision making, leveraging diverse perspectives to improve problem solving and innovation. And then, of course, fairies remove systematic barriers and base biases in hiring, promotion, and daily operation of facilities. So, of course, the library here is a great facility, and when the churches are not.

housing the homeless for when they are time for overnight sheltering, or when they are not feeding them throughout the day. Some of them visit your libraries. A lot of them come here. And so. Uh, gentleman came to us, and he said, Hey, I want to buy the briefs on this piece of paper.

And he handed it to me and says, he's suspended for 6 months. I said, well, you can't have us appeal anything if you can't show us proof that it's even yours. Could have got the top of the garbage can. He says, no, this is the way they do it for us. They don't want us there.

They deliberately want to kick us out. So they give us this piece of paper that says we have six months. And that's it. So there's no identifying markers on the speech or not. So I said, okay, another individual outside says, you know, yeah, he's telling the truth.

The library doesn't want to sit here. All the board members don't like us, whether it's our smell, whether it's our HK, whatever it is, they don't want us here. and they choose to do this. So I got one of these pieces of paper, too, and he pulled out his book bag, and definitely there was nothing there. It was a date.

It said he had 6 months of suspension. Didn't really even tell really why. and then at the bottom for the youth. It says, well, if your mom and dad wants to come in, they can. So okay, that's the second time third time finally happened.

This is one of our mental health individuals who is with us at Federation for Law Government, and he was twirling his football. around and security said, you can't do that and you got 3 months. supposed right? I was impressed. 3 months. I… he says he got aloud, so he jumped to 6 months.

Uh, the individual gets his piece of paper for 6 months. He says he follows me outside, and I don't know what's going on with this, but yeah, like I said, board members, I'm like, well, you're talking about board members, mention a name. Everybody's on the internet mention a name. He said, no, it's this guy, this guy. So he points the guy out.

couple of weeks later I come in the library. I said, go to the library, sit out, and I'll come up there so I can finish the report. I get off the elevator. He yells out, that's my POA. That's my POA.

You say, oh, I'm gonna give you a year now. And so I said, wait a minute. What do you mean? So, well, you know, this guy, he's not even supposed to be here, and he's got a report. And I said, Okay, sir, could you go get the report? I already had a copy from the gentleman prior. I said, could you go get it? So, we don't have those on file, and I have to go look something up, and… Of course, this gentleman being homeless, and also mentally ill ever since.

No. is believing or feeling that people wouldn't believe him. But I'm walking off an elevator, and I have a security guard telling me that not only is he supposed to be here, not only does he have 6 months, but because he has representation, I'm going to make it here. I said, Okay. He doesn't know I have the 6 month.

The gentleman goes into the security officer. He comes back and it says one year says, Sir, where's the snack? Well, we don't do that. No, not. Well, sir, how do I know that the 6 month? And he said 6 months? I said, Yes, sir, I have. I have the one from month ago that said 6 months.

You jumped to it. But because there's no name, I can't go to the board. I can't go to DEI subcommittee. I can't go to your boss and say that you wrote this one for him 3 months ago, and you wrote this one today. the year.

Now we leave them alone not to get anything agitated. So I come again and I speak to three other security personnel. Not only is that form the form you have been using for a long time. and it does make people feel comfortable when you show it to a parent who says, my child came home and you saw this and said, my, I got wrote up. There's no name on it.

There's no library card id number on it. There's no verification from the staff member that they asked for this information. So one staff member from security says, Well, they don't necessarily want to give us any information. That's fine. You're not necessarily, but there's identifying markers that should be on the sheet, so that if this person came to your library right now.

and a board member came in afterward. How would all three of you all be able to resolve something if his name isn't on the original complaint? How is it that I can write an appeal for a homeless individual, a mentally ill individual, disadvantaged individual, and there's no name. there's. And so I'm asking you all as a board. We get the opportunity to do what I've done.

Get this piece of paper, say, what paperwork do we use to. Uh… I sure have to make behavioral changes in an individual. so that you can put it before yourselves to see that not only is that make people feel. you know, despair, disadvantage. But it makes it feel as though there's nowhere to get any help.

Because if my name is not on it, then no lawyer, no social worker, no case manager connections, no case manager at C. 4. can help. We can't fax. with a piece of paper that says 6 months on it, and that's it.

We can't fax something that says this is his part of the story, and please check your cameras for this incident, and I'm pretty sure you're all going to write me back and say that's not enough information. And I won't go further into the testing all of it. I just know that this is Evanston. This is a great place. We cannot allow something as a small piece of paper like that in 2025, that time.

And in 2026, if it has not been changed since then, because the staff, the security staff, after. Prolong communication with the people and security, long prolonged communication with those on the 3rd floor. Those people have been removed, and we are grateful that they have been removed because of this incident. Because anytime I, who you don't know, steps off the elevator and one of my clients jumps up and says, that's my POA. And then you say.

six months, we're gonna jump to a year, not knowing that I my office is right here, not knowing who I am, that you would even say something. It made me very angry, made me very upset, and it made me feel as though everything they were saying was true. And I've shaken some of your hands, I've spoken to some of you all, and I don't believe you're that evil. I don't believe you're that mean, but if you went through what I went through over a three month period, listening to two homeless individuals show me document that has nothing, and I mean, police officers will take write you a ticket. There's some sort of identifying markers, even if there's no ID on that person, and it is a ticket that you give for jaywalking.

something is used for you as a supervisor, for you as a library board member to be able to cross reference and say, Okay, we can look at that videotape at that time. It's been marker. This is what you did. Here's the situation. Let's file a grievance.

Let's do whatever we can. None of that can be done at this point, because the piece of paper is literally that day. And I'm asking that the board. And I was at the DEA meeting on the 10th, and the board. was very clear to the DA subcommittee to try and say, hey, I would like you all to do your job and not allow us to, like, push something on you to do.

And I'm very appreciative of that. That subcommittee should take their own initiative to bring to the board these issues. But I wanted to make sure that I brought it to your attention, because before that paper existed. and it seemed to have been existed for a long time, because those 2 homeless with their their documents that I have, and the other homes that have spoken about it. That brings a lot of tension.

And we don't want that type of tension in the bill. We don't want that kind of tension when they don't know you. But because they feel you're the bosses you approve that piece of paper. Now, whether that's true or not, because I'm not. I'm not on the boards, not only subcommittees, but I'm pretty sure as me, who's an executive as executive chairman of the Board of Federation Law and Government.

As chair of the board over here in this building, they get through, we have our big board meeting. I have to sign off on everything from the board. whether that's true here or not. I'm not going to say any of that. I just want you all to take the opportunity to get that piece of paper, that write up, and I want you to see how fair it is.

and I want you to see if you'll make the changes necessary, so that people can feel comfortable knowing that if they are written up bad or good, right or wrong. that they can approach any of you and say, I want to file a grievance. They can approach any of you and file an appeal. And I thank you for your time. Thank you.

Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? No, no, sorry, sorry, I have, um, a couple changes. Some of them. Um… Yes, discussion. Yes. like no discussion.

Michelle. We have discussion after the is there a second? Oh, oh. Yes. So there was okay. So there's a second.

Is there any discussion on the item? Okay. Yes, please. Two minor items, um, the regular board packet for January says 2025, and it should say 2026. Excuse me, should say 2026. And then for the finance minutes, um, Shay was not present, and the date was 2025, and it should also say 2026.

I also… Yeah, some corrections. Yeah. For the management committee minutes on January 26th, I was not present. Okay. Everyone will move… 26… and share it.

Okay. Okay. Is there a motion to amend the consent agenda with the 2025 astronaut present on the 21st, and Shay not present on the. And. So moved.

Is there a second? Second? Sorry, it's not just to be clear, it wasn't the 10th, it's February 12th is the finance meeting. That's okay, I just want to make sure we were… that wasn't a further correction. both upside. Alright. Let's get it right.

Thank you. Okay. Great. Okay. Um… a moment.

Yes, Dadak. Yes. Both. Yes, Huggins. Yes.

calendar notes. Bells? Shane. Oh, sorry. Shire. Yes, and Walla.

Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Thank you. Uh, now the library director's report.

Oh. Oh, go ahead. I would like to make a motion to add. on the old business to add a point of admission of session planning discussion. succession planning.

And what was the second line? Is that one item is one succession planning and discussion. Oh, discussion. Is there a second? So. Sorry, sorry, a motion to amend the agenda under old business. item called succession planning discussions.

It's moved by data. a battle between Rollin and Shire. Second bit with Shire. All right. You win.

Motions. All right. Motion to amend old business. succession planning discussion. Hello ma'am.

No. data. Yes. Both. Yes, heavens.

Yes. Yes. Bills. Sorry, I'll get on that. Shire.

Yes. Yes. Well, yes. Thank you. Now… acting interim.

Thank you. Your director's report is in the packet that was emailed to you all as copies wanted to see it. Just wanted to point out the one item in the updates at the January regular one meeting. You all had asked. us to clarify about the methodology used by the city for allocating the property tax levy funds as they are received from Cook County.

So after further discussion with the city, it was confirmed that Cook County deposits the funds allocated for each individual levy. directly into the corresponding account. The city does not determine or adjust the allocation of funds. The allocation is made directly by so wanted to clarify that for you all based on the question from January. Excellent.

Thank you. And I'm happy to answer questions about anything else for support. Are there any questions on the library director's report? Seeing none. Let's move on to staff reports. The administrative services report.

As far as the Hr. Is concerned, maintenance and safety, the facility manager. We are almost on the final round for the interview. Hopefully. Remember also, like, we might see it next month or next up who can be used as well.

Great. And then innovation and digital, we are still posting the new description, job description, and we are also working with the city Hr, because we had to provide some HR as well. So we'll be working on those, and hopefully we'll be posting that soon. Yeah. As far as we finances until 4245, we are still waiting for a lending.

That's 13% that has the error receipt yet. It's around 1.1 million that we are still getting as of yesterday, when I had talked with City, like they did. And overall, like, seriously. So they have overall is, like, 92, but as far as the library concerned, this is around, uh, 13,000. That's one bottle.

Yeah. and then important 46 are revenues were the normal lengthy donations and the other. They're granted any donations, and then the expenditures for the normal, the ones that we were expecting in class for the month of January. And if you have any questions, I'm happy to answer. Are there questions about the administrative services report? Seeing none.

Thank you. Thank you. Next is the facilities report. Yes, so as Samir mentioned, interviews for the facilities manager position are in progress. And then there were a couple items of repairs or maintenance that occurred since the last meeting.

The city workers have completed the installation of the fence for the elevator room in the basement. So that work has been completed. Um, there's a… there was a leak identified in the snow melt system. That's the system that melts the snow on the front steps of the ramp, and also on ramps down to the garage. leak in one of the pipes was identified.

So now that we have this warmer weather, the city was able to remove that pipe, and they're having it repaired. Now it should be done in a couple of days. There was another pipe leak in the garage that is repaired. So some regular maintenance items. Strategic projects.

The city has begun planning for the upcoming roof replacement project. Um, so that will be occurring. in this spring. So we'll, I believe we have more information about that in the finance committee report. and um… And I've included the safety summary and including the overall chart of 2025 incidents as was requested in last minute's statement.

So happy to answer any questions about that. And as as always have reported the. the data, the statistics from our partnership with Turning Point, the mobile living room and the. the mobile crisis response team who spend time in the library number of individuals that they interacted with here at the line. Are there any questions about the facilities report? I do have a question.

So with the elevator ventilation, do we feel like that that is totally resolved now? I believe so. And we also had the annual elevator inspection today. So. Just so you know, the timing of the elevator inspection was today, and nothing major was identified. We'll get the final report from that.

But yes, we believe that that has been. What was that? any additional questions. Seeing none. Thank you. Let's do the monthly development report.

Hello. So you have the January report in your packet, and the main item of note is the change of the reporting system this year that we are going to move from the gift date to the post date. And basically the gift date is the date of the donation. The data on the check and the post date is when we process it. So when this comes into when this takes effect, there are matters this year end giving December to January.

We might get checks postmarked December 31st, 2025, but they load our revenue in January 2026. And so this is just to align development reports with finance reports. And the only change is a reporting change. It doesn't impact donut scenes as far as tax donation or an acknowledgement or a list of the annual program. The best way to see this is with the year end campaign, which is the bottom of page 60 of your report.

There's a little chart that shows the difference between when we look at gifting versus when we look at the post. state that the overall revenue of that campaign remains the same regardless of whether it comes in at the Central. Any questions on this report? Are there questions? No. So let's move on to the exciting year in development report. Oh, the exciting report.

This starts on page 63 of your packet, and there is a lot of data in this report which I have gone through in every amount of detail that the Finance Committee. So what I'd like to focus on tonight is are the outcomes related to the strategic development advancement plan, which is at the end of that report, and it's helpful to remember that this is a 3-year plan. So this is the 1st year of those 3 years, and we did not expect that we would immediately make all of the goals of. 3 years, of course. Um, but by reviewing the data points, it helps to give us a roadmap for moving forward based on where we need to put our time in the pitch.

So let's start with where we were last year. When we started 2025, we had. Just finish the in 2025, but we just finished the fifth year of the Reimagine campaign, our year end campaign that started in 2020 when COVID turned everything upside down and we stopped doing business as usual, or we weren't doing business as usual, and after 5 years. This messaging and outreach needed a bit of a refresh. So the STAP and the replay statement, which were written by Nicole Amlin, helped to provide some of these tools.

And the SDAP has helped us to identify gaps in our outreach, as well as the case statement, along with support from Ellen in marketing has given us new messaging this year. So, uh, some of the initiatives. But for quoted last year where the summer peer-to-peer campaign, the special campaign funded selection, and an honor and serve. So these are all the places that are showing up in pink. And going into year two, we now have a roadmap, as I said, that's data driven and everyone shows the need for new donor acquisition, reappearing lapsed donors and building major gifts, as well as using more tools and fundraising, such as events and sponsorships.

And, for example, the spring campaign, which will be starting in March, will focus on a few of these items. And you'll be learning more about that at the March. Any questions? Are there any questions on the year of report? seeing those. Thank you so much. And now the annual.

report. presentation. Sorry. Heather is going to bring up a graphic of the annual report. It's a draft design that we have created so far.

So for the bylaws, the 1st iteration of the annual report is to be brought to the board for. their initial review starting February of the year. So by the 1st of the February board meeting. So here is some of the graphical treatments that were are being applied to this or last year. So 2025 annual report.

All of the photography in this report was done and inserted from our. or stop photo day that we held a few months back. And so these are real patrons interacting with each other and within the library. The purpose of this discussion is just to share the initial draft concept. This is concept only, and the intent is to gather feedback from the board.

And, you know, you can email me any of your comments that you have designed ideas, any ideas about the coffee or the, uh. sort of the the. concept in the theme of the annual report. The theme that I went with is called Stories That Connect Us. It reflects the library's role, not only as a provider of resources, but as a civic connector in Evanston.

Positions, in my opinion, positions UPL as a place where information, relationships, culture, and opportunity intersect. And I made sure it aligns closely with the 2025 to 2027 strategic plan so that our strategic priorities are infused in the copy and the concepts in the programs that are highlighted throughout this program or throughout this report. The emphasis this year was on volunteers. I decided to take the time to showcase some of the standout volunteers that the library has, and I interviewed them and got their story, and I asked staff who, you know, really makes a difference in our library. And so the 1st few spreads focus on these stories of these outstanding individuals and the work that they've done within the library.

So I asked them to come in. We did some more stock photos. We did some, you know. I had them tell their story about the difference that not only are they hoping to make with the library, but the influence and the difference the library has made on them in their lives. So this is how I decided to open up the report this year.

And it used. I used sort of a narrative storytelling approach and really. you know, highly relied on some individual visual features and enhanced our brand look and the design throughout the bottom spreads and the top spreads. You'll see some of the logo colors are infused on the bottom borders and the bands. You know, last year we used more of like.

more of a TM brand design in the corners, and this year decided to make it a little more solid, and with the help of my graphic designer, we've laid this out. And so this is just for placement only. You'll see the watermarks on this design. These stories have been written. The photos have been taken, the numbers are correct, but there are.

Still places where that's incomplete and so I'm still working on the rest of the copy and getting some details from other staff members, but I would love for you to take a look at this and let me know if you've got opinions, if you've got ideas. A couple of things that we do need still is that in the 1st spread, you'll see that there is. We always put our mission on the inside cover, and then there's a letter from either the executive director or the board president. And so that was one thing that I would like your feedback on, and what you'd like to see in that space. And then also, if you have any real, you know, strategic goals that you want to see infused in some of the copy.

Similarly to last year, what I did was I separated the copy per department, so it kind of tells a story. It starts with early learning and literacy, and then it'll move on to innovation, you know, team law, then we go into adult programs and older adults and community engagement. So it does tell the story. And then. It is followed by what's next for the library, and it includes some strategic future goals.

And then we get into the donor list. None of those are current at this, at this iteration. This is draft only, but that is, you can see where the placement of those items will be. So I just really wanted to highlight the pictures, the people have real photos from real programs and shifted up a little bit from the focus of the programs from last year. Does anybody have any questions? I don't have any questions, but I have a comment.

Sure. I think it looks really beautiful like I I can't figure out why. That's not my area of expertise, but it it looks gorgeous, and I love the starting with the volunteers, given. How many volunteers make the library happen, and then moving through early literacy to older adults, I think is a really smart move. That's great.

Thank you. We did want to, you know, I have a wonderful designer that helps with this, and we really just wanted to make it pop a bit more than last year, so… Any other feedback? Love the photos. You know they're not posed, you know, stock purchase photos and stuff like our community. Thank you. It's great.

Thank you. Okay, now board reports are oral communications. Well, so I'm going to start. So. I want to take a few moments today.

I'll make these available after. I want to take a few moments today to honor the memory and legacy of Yvonne Davis, whose leadership continues to shape this institution and this community in ways that still matter. In July of 1974, Yvonne Davis was elected president of the Board of Trustees of the Evanston Public Library. In doing so, she became the first woman president in the library's 101-year history. That moment was not symbolic alone.

It was consequential. It represented a shift in who was seen as capable of stewarding one of Evanston's most important public institutions. Her service to this library began years earlier. She joined the board in 1969, and also served on the board of the North Suburban Library System. demonstrating that an understanding that libraries are not just buildings, but connected civic spaces, places where access, learning and democracy intersect.

Yvonne Davis also understood leadership as something deeply rooted in community. She was a charter member of the Evanston North Shore alumni chapter. of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. Grounding her work in a tradition of scholarship service and collective responsibility. Her leadership was never just positional.

It was always relational. And for me, her story is also personal. Yvonne Davis was my husband's 4th grade teacher. That matters. It reminds us that leadership institutions, yes, but they also shape people, often in ways that ripple forward long after titles change and terms end.

What I find most inspiring about Yvonne Davis is that she built a legacy in spaces that were not designed to preserve them. Oops. Legacy is especially fragile in institutions that speak the language of tradition while remaining deeply committed to long standing norms of power. Norms that often interrupt, minimize, or move past the leadership of Black women. Building legacy in such spaces requires more than excellence.

It requires endurance, clarity, and a refusal to disappear. It also requires the precision of truth. Recently, I've been struck by how easily the complexities of our work can be flattened by imprecise language, where the systemic racialized realities that we navigate are often mischaracterized or reduced to simpler and louder terms. But if we cannot name a thing correctly, we cannot honor it fully. Yvonne Namis didn't just succeed in spite of difficulty.

She navigated a racialized system with clarity of purpose that we are still learning from today. As historic. I understand that my leadership here is not a coincidence, but a continuity. Honoring Yvonne Davis means not only remembering what she did, but recommitting ourselves to the responsibility. of protecting the legacies that we claim to value by noticing them, by naming them, and by allowing them to guide how we lead today.

May we do that work with the same courage and care that she demonstrated. finance committee. Hi, thank you, um, and thank you for your comments. So let me move my notes over here. Sorry, I'm a little stuffed up.

Okay, so first in the Finance Committee this month we talked about the status of the Iga and the lease with the city which has remained stalled. This matters right now because the city is contracted with 2 firms to do roof work on this building. A reminder that the roof has been leaking into the new boiler, potentially causing damage to another capital investment. Um, I've heard secondhand through city staff that their current thinking may be to pay for the roof work up front, and then explore a bonding approach so that the city and the library can repay this. the city over time for… we each will owe half of the roof work for a total of $2 million and some change.

So the library's portion is almost 1.1 million dollars. So we haven't been asked to do any bonds at this point, and again, a reminder for trustees that we don't have access to the bonds directly. The city has to bond on our behalf. Um, so I can't confirm any details right now, and I'm not presenting this as a settled plan, but it does reinforce why we need to re-engage on the bigger questions with the city on who owns the building, who's responsible for what categories of capital work, and what the long-term framework is for ongoing maintenance and modernization. So this plan for the particular project seems fine to me and fine to the finance committee.

When we raised our levy last year, we did so understanding. Excuse me, that the roof project was coming, and that the library could be expected to fund roughly 50%. So either way, Evanston residents are paying for the roof through the city levy or through the library levy. But the asset itself is still on the city's books. We do need to still pursue a durable agreement with the city that matches funding, ownership and responsibility, especially as we think about modernization and making the library a destination.

I was interested to see in the roundtable that the city's new program, investing in downtown library storefronts offers grants. to the vacant storefronts, um, to help reinvest in the downtown area. Another important way to do this is to ensure that the library remains a vibrant community anchor. The second issue I wanted to mention is that as Samir. said in his report earlier, Cook County still owes us $1.1 million, which is roughly 13% of our back-owned levy funds.

Um, I've written to Cook County our Cook County commissioner twice now. The first time we heard back, um, with a disbursement schedule that the county has not adhered to. And then I haven't heard back from my most recent inquiry. Um, I'll continue to work with library staff to see what we can do to get those funds released. Um… The third issue on development, as you heard from Jennifer, she has a number of exciting initiatives underway.

I'm eager to support her continuing to grab the reins, um, on the strategic development plan that Nicole worked with us on last year. She's doing a terrific job. We're really excited from the finance committee angle, and she's going to be reaching out to trustees for support as she reconnects with. Both longtime donors, um, and cultivates new relationships, potentially, with new donors. Um, so thank you for anything you can do to support her in that effort, also.

Um, that's the finance update. Are there any questions? Thank you. Management mini update. Okay, so management committee just met a few hours, an hour or so ago. There are 3 things that I want to bring to the full board's attention.

The 1st one was, we talked about community events. dependents, um, and the idea that there are events going on in the community that we want to make sure that there is a board presence at. Um, so to ensure this, the things that we decided was that we have encounter and making sure that we put those… put those events on the calendar, those that we are. personally invited to every trustee has the ability to put that on. So if you have an event that you feel is, um.

You feel is something that we like the board to be on, we go ahead and put that on the calendar. And also invite everyone to go. As a board, we can go ahead and decide if you're interested, you would say yes to that confident invite. Um, for those events that are… that the library as a whole has been invited to it, or that occur in the library. Heather will put those things on the on the calendar in the same fashion.

Send it out to all of us as an invite, and you will go and say if you're interested, go ahead and say yes that you're interested. With that, what we will do is also. think through… what events we go to as a whole, especially those events that there is a cost to. So for those events that there is a cost, we will, the Joint Committee between management and finance will sit through and really come through with a policy on how those, you know, how we decide on what that looks like before now. Um, what we are going to do is use the management meeting to look two months in advance and make decisions on who will attend those events.

So, the decision on who will attend those events will happen at management meeting, but everyone is. And welcome to go ahead and say, I'm interested in going to visit, you know, and we'll look 2 months out that way if there's anything like a special rate. If you will sign up early, we can make sure that we are able to do those things. The other thing that… We talked about in the meeting was. We talked about in the meeting was in particular under that was the chestnut event, and the Chessment event is coming up in March.

It is an event that the one of the people who are going to be. recognize that the city of Evanston Chief. So we would like to go ahead and participate because of our current, um, since there is no current policy, we are going to do that on a reimbursement policy, but what I would like to do at this time is make a motion. Around the financing of that. So one of the things that we talked about, um, before I make the motion was that we didn't want anyone to feel like they couldn't attend an event financially.

Um, so we wanted to just make sure that. I wanted to make sure that we make a motion that there will be funds available for reimbursement for this particular event. But moving forward, we would make sure that there's a policy. So it's not a reimbursement situation. So the motion that I'm making is to approve a reimbursement funding for up to 3 trustees to attend the Chessman.

Thank you. Is that right? Yeah, the motion was for funding for 3 trustees to attend up to 3, and I see reimbursement funding to be reimbursed. But the well, I guess the agenda item was the management. Okay. I think it's okay.

We'll find out. It's not. assuming that there's enough money to pay for it. I mean, yes, absolutely. It's a reason.

Okay. Amanda. Yes, Dada. That was another question discussions. There's a discussion discussion.

like, oh, yes, it was moved and properly seconded. Yes. Now it's discussion, discussion. Sorry. Is there discussion? Aye.

Dada. Yes, false. Aye. Huggins. Aye.

However, Mills. say, I'm sorry. Cash Shire. Yeah, but I keep I I actually crossed her at home wallet. Yes.

That brain is not a function. Thank you. The other 2 things that we talked about during the meeting was a new member onboarding, thinking about making sure that there is a clear onboarding and disembarkment process for our trustees. So Tracy will start the document on that, and we'll start asking for a collection of what we think needs to be aware. So the idea is for our trustees that come on, what do they need to know? Right? What? What are the things that we feel that any trustee that is coming on needs to know about the board and what we're currently doing, and then also the disembarkment process will think about.

And one of the things we need to collect from board members as they come off. So you will be getting email information around that process and working through that process. And the last thing is actually deception planning that we talked a little bit about at our meeting, and that's why I put it in under old business, so that we would have a space to actually have a discussion and think about what does it look like when we think about the succession planning. Go to board members and leadership at the library. and that was very important.

Thank you. Are there any questions about the report? Seeing none facilities. Now I spoke about the building maintenance. Samara mentioned the interview process. Each of these are going forward.

The facilities manager. as we get through without any other major without the roof. I was about to knock on wood cave in. There's no snow. Everything's fine.

If multiple people knock, does it neutralize the initial knock? Let's not think about it. Amplifies. Amplifies. Thank you very much. All right, DEIB.

Yes. So I'd like to thank the management committee for joining us during our last meeting. That was very helpful. So thank you to Tracy to a repo and Jean for attending that meeting. I think it was really helpful to our discussion.

We did not have quorum, so we only had discussion, no actions were made. any. That's it. I don't know why that brain isn't working any questions, comments. Okay.

Communications. Thanks. Yeah. Since our last full board met meeting, Matt the transcribed and captioned videos of the board meeting in January has been uploaded thanks to governance. And onto our YouTube channel and has had as of about 4 o'clock this afternoon, 39 views.

Wow. Thanks again for everyone who helped out with that. Also, the board's FAQs page has been posted. Don't know how many use that has yet, but hopefully we can. you know, get that number up to me.

In our communication subcommittee meeting on February 3rd, coming out of that, we just want to remind the board that as President Tracy is on point to respond to or route all the emails that come in over the transom and the inquiries and that sort of thing. So just a reminder that. We need to look thanks to Tracy, she can just pose at them or dispense of them is the right word, uh, properly. Also, in the digital library and communications agenda discussion we had with the communication subcommittee. We touched on how the board might help educate about what's going on at the policy level regarding the e-book pricing.

You might have noticed there are a couple of House bills, Illinois House bills on that right now in our next communication subcommittee meeting, I'd like to propose that we have that as an agenda item so we can maybe mobilize around some kind of policy thinking. from the board about that topic. So that next meeting is March 3rd. Looking forward to that. And that's all I have.

That's a lot. Well, excellent. Thank you. All right. Let's move on to new business.

Approval of the Fy. 25 Illinois Public Library Annual Report application. Yes, thank you. So, as those of you who have been here for more than a year know, every year we are required to submit a report to the Illinois State Library. It's called the.

And so we have compiled all of the data for 2025 and included it in your packet. It requires the signature of the board president and the board secretary. So it requires you all to approve if submission on behalf of the library. Happy to answer any questions about the data. Any questions? Is there a motion to approve the Illinois Public Library Annual Report application? Is that back.

I think it's… Any discussion? Any questions motion to approve employer a moment. Yes, Dada. Yes. False. Yes, again, yes, Kelleher.

Yes, Mills. Shire. Yes, and Wald. Yes. Great.

Thank you. Next item is acceptance and approval of the executive director's resignation and approval of a separation agreement. Is there a motion? Seconded. All right. Is there a second? Is there any discussion on the item? Seeing none other question.

I'm not moved. Yes, Dada. Yes, both. Yes, Adams. Yes, Keller.

Yes, Mills. Shire. Yes, and wallet. Yes, all right. Thank you.

Thank you. Next item is the interim. slash. Executive director search Rfp. Is there a motion? I'm I move to approve.

is I second. Is there any discussion on the item? Seeing none, call the question. Right? Approval of the Rfp for the interim director, interim and executive director search among them. Yes, yes, both. Yes, Huggins.

Yes. Yes, Bills. Shire. Yes, and wallet. Yeah, all right.

Thank you. Now on to old business, which we now have a new item, a succession planning discussion. Yes, so our special planning discussion, the reason I brought this is that I wanted us to have a space to have a clear and transparent conversation about roles and responsibilities, um, positions that we have here on the board, and also really have an urgent discussion, because we do have. The nominating committee is to be flooded together in April. We sent positions coming on June, so making sure that we have space for, um.

for this discussion, and also discussion around like alignment around the needs of library leadership as a group. So. Open it up for that. Well. As we know, there are 3 trustees.

I mean, every year 3 trustees roll up or theoretically could roll up. And that the process is that you reapply for your, uh… your seat. And this year it is me, Katie, and Michelle, who's terms are up. I will. I reapplied for my seat.

But to be totally frank, I don't know that I have another 3 years in me. I stayed on as president because the previous executive director asked me to. It is very, very difficult to find new leadership when the board itself does not appear to be stable. So and and that's that isn't specific to Ppl. That's just anything like they want continuity so that they know what to expect.

But I… I certainly wasn't planning to be president again, and if I were reappointed. Maybe I can see, but there are times after some meetings that I like I wasn't sure I was going to make it through this meeting. So, um… I think we need to have really… honest and transparent conversation around, like, how leadership works, and who's. Who's going to do this? The one last thing I'll say, and then anyone else can jump in is that. I think much of the the board.

when when I came on, there were no real systems for onboarding at all. And so that was literally my labor. And. It concerns me that I will transition off, and all of the years of effort will just, you know. Not because anyone doesn't care, but because, you know, when you don't collect that information, and someone leaves, it dies.

So it's really important to me that I collect all of everything that's in my brain, everything that I can. Remember to put down on paper. I do, and that I do this, that everyone else does the same thing, so that no new trustee starts. feeling like they're at a deficit. But this idea of who's going to transition, who's going to take the lead is really, really important, not just because the library is important to our community, but also because we'll be engaging in a search.

And so who is the leader is really, really important. So, and it will not be me. So that. you know. I guess that's 6 and 6 in one hand, half dozen of the other.

So yeah, that's that's where I'm at. Any other questions, comments. Who wants to be president? Wow. Is it helpful maybe to talk about what? the library, the community needs from the next president. So I think it's a great question.

What do you think? Are we scared to say it as bad. Part of the story now. It's hard. I mean. I've heard people say like.

you know, the the people who are most. But inclined to engage civically often don't because of the abuse you have to take. Like, it's not fun for someone to call you names and. call you a liar or like… you know, ask you questions that you legally can't answer. Like, none of that stuff feels good, especially when, like, I live in this community.

My kid goes to, like, you know, it's like. You see people in the grocery store, like, if this is very it's meaningful, but it it does come at like a personal cost. And so you have to weigh like the. the… I don't know the the I don't know what word that is. The capacity.

Yeah, I know it's use bandwidth. Yes, like the bandwidth for it. But somebody has to do it. And just imagine… what it would be like to have a search where the candidates know that nobody on the board wanted to leave it. Yeah, I think what I find increasingly difficult is.

What we know… Yeah, what everyone else can't know. Okay, and I'm not sure how much longer I can. deal with that. Yeah. So yeah, that's part of that.

I I did reapply. Um, shockingly enough, I did that after around the end of the year. But I have no idea whether yeah, if I'm going to begin again, I still have the options. Yeah, obviously. I feel like the work is here, and the work needs to be done.

and I hate walking away from something. I also feel a responsibility to. stay if I'm allowed to stay because. as I broke my application, I feel like. This is just this year of finally starting to feel like I knew what I was doing.

And not to say someone else might come in on their 1st year and feel completely confident. So maybe that was just my experience. But I feel. I also feel. bad.

leaving. when it's in such a state. Yeah. I certainly don't want you to stay. So I feel a bit of a responsibility to.

As somebody who's only shouldered. and has not had the spotlight. Yeah. So I guess I feel like Judy. I feel a responsibility.

I certainly know a heck of a lot more than I did 3 years ago. So that's where I'm at. I do not think… I would be an excellent choice for president, however. I certainly do not have a. A gift of words, and I often.

I prefer to just say things too broadly. I'm not sure that I'm the best. Me, too, actually. Yeah. I appreciate you saying that.

I think. What comes to mind for me? is… What are the things in place for us to be supporting and support each other? I feel like that's where. That's why I struggle with. Yeah, I think that's why I struggle with. I think that all of us really pour ourselves into this work, and it's.

You know, we're a member of this community. We've used the facilities here. It's. I mean, when I was a stay-at-home mom, this was part of our day. Like it was what we did on a regular basis.

You know, my kids grew up in this library. and being able to have this opportunity to be on the board and don't take lightly. It's. painful to not feel supported. in that space.

and I think that that's where. where I sit in decisions of where I, you know, what happens to me. Yeah. Oh. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah. as I'm hearing everybody, and I feel that it's important for us to remember that that and be proud of. the work that has been done by this board, and that there are a lot of amazing things have happened. And so I I think that as we are making our decisions about what our next steps are going to be. Um, you guys know I'm a career coach, so maybe you guys have.

The good old-fashioned pros and cons, but we need to… we need to really look and acknowledge the good work that has been done, and then make our decisions. I think that, um. you know, not it's not always going to be roses. And so and that's okay. And so we need to do some reflection.

and figure out how we are going to move forward. Thanks, Esther. It's a good reminder. Thank you, that also as an invitation to a conversation that is not about. Who is the next president? Therefore, on whose shoulders does all the work fall? Right.

But what are all the ways that this extraordinarily talented group of trustees and whoever the next three trustees may be, whether they're. renewed or new as I have been new to the board, but that this is a remarkable group of talented, experienced, capable, committed, all the C words, courageous, you know, um… and that. that it is not who is the next person in the line of fire. It is, what are the ways that each and every one of us. steps into more fully bringing this library to its.

potential, you know, exceeding the incredible vision that's already been laid out, continuing. are, you know, the ways in which the library is an anchor of the community is so necessary. It is so needed. We've heard from our community members over and over again how. The library is a home.

It is a place to get. resources and to help resource others and and that's why we all continue to show up. That's the work that the community asks of the library that the library is designed to serve. And so we are each individually and collectively in an incredible position to be able to provide that service. Yeah.

Yeah. Okay, well… Are there any additional comments or thoughts? Well, I mean, I'm… I'm struggling with, um… how to say this while I have a head full of cold medicine, and I'm online. Um, but I… I do want to make sure that we, before we go into decisions about, um. who's staying on… who makes an application to stay on, and who, um, is… Um, making a bid for officer positions this spring, which will happen pretty soon here, that we have an opportunity, and I don't know what the forum is for that, so I look for a recommendation there. to do a reconciliation of, um… why we're having, um… a problem with, um… being able to support fully, um, to Black women in leadership roles, both from the board and then a resignation from our executive director recently, who, um… We're in situations who have been in situations where they don't feel like they have full support of people around them.

And I want to make sure we have an opportunity to. Sit with that and make sure that we don't go down a path of making that more calcified in our institution. Um, so that we can make sure that we have, um… representation from the full Evanston community, and that people can take on leadership roles and feel fully supported by in this board. The rest of the board members, and you know. Anyone in the ED role also by this board.

So, um, I don't know where the forum is to have that conversation, but I do think we need to do kind of a, you know, reconciliation. might consider a minimum. Yeah. discussion, and… We had our retreat in the fall, but… Thanks for that, Shelly. I'd like to piggyback on what Michelle said.

I do think that that sort of reconciliation, or maybe it sort of ties into what you said, Esther, this idea of doing some sort of pros and cons and and looking at. What are the qualities? What are the things, attributes that we're looking for in a board president? and having some discussion, uh… And maybe we do that in a retreat, or maybe we do that individually. You've got some documents that we could use. Just to spare conversation. and I appreciate that we're having this conversation now, because we do have to seek the nominated committee very soon.

Yeah. And so I think it's really important for all of us to to do this thinking now so that we're not reaching that time and not having anything. to go with. Yeah. also like.

I know that this is, and maybe this is just part of how. some nonprofit or civic things work. But when we think about life. even. And she volunteered herself.

So I mean, we should take it. But like that's her profession. And where we would be asking her to do what she does professionally. Same with Jean, like. We ask.

We're asking a lot of labor. of each other. In a way that's almost like not reasonable. Like, it is not like I was trying to calculate the number of hours that I spent on the last search. and it was.

I had me like a meat. I have 2 meetings a week for months, and I'm like, this isn't even my job like, you know, this is my my my commitment to my community, and I'm spending more time doing this. than I am with my family. Like, that… that's not how it's supposed to work. And I think it's almost like designed to perpetuate some of this, like.

you know. And maybe I shouldn't say it, but like the unacknowledged labor of women, like library boards in particular, are often. Led by women, and so it's like, oh, that's not real work, but it's like, it is so much work. So I, you know, and I also don't like the idea of looking like a quitter. Oh, like my parents would just be… Disgusting.

You know, but I also don't want to like. burn through it like I I want to still have joy and not feel like the library is a problem for me, you know? So sorry, one more thing, and just while we are on the subject of this subject. But we need to also include representation. And so I just want to reiterate the importance of representation, not just in terms of cultural representation, but also economic representation in terms of employment. When I joined the board, I was the second person on the board to have a full-time job because historically, board members, historically board members tended to be retired or you know what I mean? And so I think it's really important to think about.

What kind of representation do we want, right? My kids utilize the library, right? I I did my I wrote my dissertation in this library. You know what I mean? And so. We just need to consider all of that. Yeah. how to attract other board members or people to be interested, because it may not be somebody who's sitting right here that's going to be the next president.

It may be somebody totally different. But how do they know that this is a place for them, especially if it looks like, you know, the last. person was suffering. That's usually not a, you know, it's like a Yelp score, right? They're like zero stars. Let's go today.

Like, that doesn't make sense. So I just… The nominating committee is seated in April. So. That, I mean, that's part of our bylaws. So decisions have to be made between now and then about who will serve on the nominating committee, and then who they will nominate.

And, you know, then we vote in June, and… We… the 3 of us may be here. We may not. So. I just wanted to raise that concern. And so thank you, repo for remembering to give that on to the agenda, because it's not really something to do right now, but something for us to be aware of, because that's really only 2 meetings.

It's 2 meetings away. Yeah. Oh, and before this gets printed, when I said the 1st, I meant in our cohorts at the time. Not ever. Yeah, I understand.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, to your point, too, I just have to say it now is that we used to have conversations about the fact that we have meetings at dinner time, and there's no food. And, like, we… and not to say that the library should provide food, but it's just a way of thinking about like, what if I were under-resourced and were able to, like, we're having a meeting at a time when most people eat right? So, or many people eat like that's a consideration, like childcare. There are people that don't participate because they don't have access to childcare.

And so, like. We should just be thinking about this more broadly than just, you know. Like, who wants to be present? It's a larger conversation about what the evidence table, who's at the table? Yes, who's at the table? Who's at the table? Okay. Let's move on to our last item. Executive session pursuant to 5 Illinois compiled statutes, 120 slash 2a.

I move that the Emerson Public Library Board convene into executive session to discuss an agenda item regarding personnel. This agenda item is a permitted subject to be considered in the executive session, and among enumerated exceptions under the Open Meetings Act. These exceptions are C1, C2, and are set forth as follows. 2c exceptions, a public body may hold closed meetings to consider the following subjects. The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body.

or legal counsel for the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee of the body, public body, or against legal counsel for the public body to determine its validity for collective negotiating matters between the public body. And it's employees or their representatives, or the liberation concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees. Is there a second? Second. We might need to discuss it. Okay, a moment.

Yes, Dada. Yes. both. Yes, seconds. Yes.

Helliver. Yes, Hills. Shire. Yes, and Wallet. Yes, all right.