Chicago City Wire

Chicago Public Library Board of Directors Met Nov. 17.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

Physically Present: None

Present by Means of Video or Audio Conference: Linda Johnson Rice, Christopher Valenti, Lynn Lockwood, Jodi Block, Alexi Giannoulias, Ivy Walker, Dominique Jordan Turner, Patricia Gaytan Perez

Absent: Barbara Bowman

Approval of minutes for the September 15, 2020 meeting (action required)

The Board voted (8-0) to approve the minutes for the September 15, 2020 meeting.

2021 Board of Directors Meeting Schedule

Mary Ellen Messner, Acting Commissioner, proposed the following Board of Directors meeting schedule for 2021 as follows:

• January 26, 2021
• May 18, 2021
• September 21, 2021
• November 16, 2021

The Board voted (8-0) to approve the Board of Directors meeting schedule for 2021. Meetings will be held virtually until further notice.

Schedule of Requisitions, Contracts and Licenses (info only)

Baronica Roberson, Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Finance, presented the quarterly report on contacts and purchases made for magazines, books, databases, periodicals and articles of educational and instructional nature. For this quarter (September 1 – November 1, 2020), invoices totaling $1,048,170.36 were paid to various vendors. There has been a greater focus on electronic materials, however, spending continues to be in line with what it has been in prior quarters.

Health and Safety Commitment (info only)

Mary Ellen Messner, Acting Commissioner, provided an update on CPL’s safety commitment. Staff’s health and the public’s health is of utmost importance as library locations remain open during under Mayor Lightfoot’s new advisory plan. We are eager to continue providing our services to Chicagoans and are seeing 200,000 patron visits monthly, and 60,000 items being circulated weekly. We continually communicate with staff via email regarding the importance of public safety and encouraging them to remember the significance of social distancing, wearing a mask, washing hands frequently and staying home if they are feeling ill. Signage is also displayed in all library locations as a reminder to patrons as well. We will continue to share guidance from the Mayor’s office as it becomes available. 

2021 Budget Update (info only)

Baronica Roberson, Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Finance, provided an update on CPL’s 2021 budget request. CPL presented its budget before city council on October 28th. The total budget request from the city’s corporate budget was $156,193,000. City council has yet to meet and approve this budget request, so this is currently still a recommendation. Of the corporate budget, there was a significant increase of $25,000,000 from 2020 to 2021 due to CPL’s intentions to apply for 2 state grants in Quarter 1 2021; those funds will be applied to the construction of the Back of the Yards branch and various branch rehabilitation projects. The Library has also requested $1mil for furniture and shelving. Additionally, there has been no reductions in staff, no reduction in services and no unfunded mandates.

Other sources of CPL’s budget included funding from CPLF ($1,877,410) and the Library Board ($114,800) totaling $1,992,210. We anticipate that the request from CPLF will increase to $2mil, we will follow up with more information. In regards to the Kelly fund, due to a lack of spending in 2020 as staff was unable to attend conferences or participate in staff trainings, CPL will carryover $114,000 into 2021. Because this amount is so great, the Library will not make a request from the board to allocate money from the Kelly fund for staff trainings for 2021.

CPL Capital Projects and Facilities Report (info only)

Maggie Clemons, Deputy Commissioner of Library Operations and Patron Experience (LOPE) highlighted CPL’s active capital projects.

Legler Regional Library – scope includes re-establishment of the Legler branch to regional library status. Renovations include the build-out of a computer lab on the second floor, upgrades to power and data, relocation of the community room and other upgrades. Legler is being designed by RATIO Architects; project managed by the Public Building Commission. The branch closed to the public in September 2019. The regional library is expected to open to the public in early December. Staff is currently at the location unpacking and re-shelving materials; artwork is also being reinstalled and cleaned. We will have a formal announcement of the branch’s grand re-opening with Mayor Lightfoot, details are forthcoming.

Manning – the branch is closed to the public currently under construction to receive a full teen space and other interior improvements.

Obama Presidential Center Branch (no changes) – Design by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects; project managed by OPC. Proposed scope includes 5,000 sq. ft. branch library on the Obama Presidential Center campus. Project is still in design development; expected completion TBD.

Merlo (re-opened earlier this year) - The branch was designed by Ross Barney Architects; project managed by the Public Building Commission. Scope included a full gut renovation with the addition of early learning and teen spaces.

Altgeld – renovations are complete. Staff celebrated a soft opening in Altgeld Gardens on November 9th. This is the 4th collaboration with CHA; the library is located on one side of the building with an early childhood center on the other side. The library is open, the daycare will open to the public at a later date. Planning a more formal announcement with the Mayor’s office in early December. The new 12,150 square foot building replaced the old Altgeld Branch Library within the Altgeld Gardens Housing complex. Scope included buildout of a combined CPL library branch with an early childhood center being offered through CHA. The library also has a meeting space, maker lab for all ages and recording studio. The branch was designed by Koo & Associates; project managed by CHA.

2FM’s CARE Program – Select CPL locations have been undergoing 2FM’s CARE program “Clean and Repair Everything” which provides in-depth seasonal and deferred maintenance, carpet replacement or cleaning, paint and a general refresh of the facility on the part of CPL and 2FM staff. Projects have required branches to be closed short term for 3 to 4 weeks. Scottsdale, King, Pullman and Logan Square have successfully completed the CARE Program; Hall is currently in progress and South Chicago, Wrightwood-Ashburn and Bezazian are up next to be completed later this year.  

Commissioner’s Report (info only)

Programming Update: Ms. Messner highlighted several programs and events that our Children, Teen, and Adult program departments arranged for CPL patrons the fall, some of which included:

• The Story Times Series, Voices for Chicago series from October 12 – December 14, which showcases library staff using their #ownvoices to highlight authentic and diverse voices in our city.
• Distributing W.I.T.S., Educational Activity Guides, a program in partnership with Working In The Schools (WITS)
• ScienceConnections gives school-aged library patrons the opportunity to take part in hands-on, STEAM–focused activities through thematic grab-and-go kits.
• The Media Mentorship Project, in collaboration with New American, and in partnership with the Schaumburg and Skokie library systems, offers CPL staff and colleagues across the state an opportunity to participate in a multi-day workshop on media mentorship.

Some highlights that our teen patrons explored include:

• ChiTeen Lit Fest 2020 held its first ever all-virtual fest on November 6th and 7th with a combined total of 219 Eventbrite registrants, the U.S.’ only by-teens-for-teens storytelling festival!
• Additionally, Teen Services and YOUmedia just launched Radical Fit, an 8 month initiative that embraces craft, making, and DIY while providing a safe space for teens to discuss gender equity, and to dream and create through personal expressions of style.
• The citywide Halloween efforts in partnership with the Mayor’s Office, other city departments and youth agencies with hands-on science activities, grab-and-go kits and activity sheets as part of 10,000 Halloween goody bags were distributed citywide; along with branch hosted events, virtual performances, story times and other activities.
• And Operation Warm, CPL’s fifth annual event to provide families with warm coats for the winter and access to free books. Event dates TBD.

For adult patrons:

• One Book, One Chicago, will be wrapping up soon as we prepare for the season finale event with Mohsin Hamid, author of Exit West, interviewed by Donna Seaman on December 3rd.
• CPL culminated a years-long project celebrating the release of Library of America's new important anthology "African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song", edited by Kevin Young, with a virtual mainstage celebration - Lift Every Voice, on November 12th. CPL also partnered with Library of America and other organizations to celebrate the publication of African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song. The event garnered over 500 live views on CPL's YouTube and Facebook, and is already over 1,700 views from on demand viewership, making it our most watched program of 2020.
• This fall, CPL will complete the digitization and description of the Illinois Writers Project papers, these materials capture the African-American experience in Illinois from 1779-1942.
• Patrons can also explore the From Swamps to Parks: Building Chicago’s Public Spaces exhibit this fall, which details Chicago’s commitment to building public spaces through six Chicago Park District (CPD) icons: the lakefront, the Museum of Science and Industry, the fieldhouse, Soldier Field, the Garfield Park Conservatory, and the Lincoln Park Zoo.
• Also available is the Chicago Park District (CPD) Archive at CPL, an exhibit consisting of over 106,000 park drawings and more than 62,000 park photographs.

Census and Board of Election Efforts: In support of other citywide initiatives, the Library:

• Collaborated with the 2020 Census in targeted low turnout communities by hosting on-site events and conducting community outreach.
• Provided assistance during the election by hosting ballot drop boxes at 26 library locations and serving as a polling site on election day at 53 locations.

Strategy Update: Ms. Messner reiterated that CPL’s 2020-2024 Strategy officially launched on August 12th. The Library will continue to observe how the strategic objectives look in our new environment and their impact over the course of the next five years.

In connection with our strategy and in an our effort to continue providing free and open access to information during COVD’s stay-at-home order, CPL immediately began pivoting to online programming, starting with the launch of the signature Live from the Library. Another program series that was launched in response to the CPS closure, “Speak On It”, connected teens and authors virtually to have a conversation about what inspires them to create.

We look forward to reopening the newly renovated South Shore and Legler Regional libraries in the coming weeks in an effort to continue creating safe and welcoming spaces.

CPL will continue working to ensure that programs and services fit with the Library’s new strategic priorities.

Promotions and Retirements: To conclude the Commissioner’s report, Ms. Messner also announced the following promotions and retirements:

• Shelly Hughes was promoted to the Director of Children Services and Family Engagement and will officially step into her role on December 1.
• Shilo Jefferson was promoted to Director of Legler Regional Library on November 1.
• Julie Morgan, previously CPL’s Director of Staff and Organization Development was promoted to Director of Human Resources on November 16.

Retirements for this quarter:

• Mary Clark - Librarian IV, Uptown, 14 years of service
• Joyce Colander - Librarian IV, Beverly, 35 years of service
• John Holland - Librarian I, SSH, 26 years of service
• Laura Jenkins - Librarian III, Uptown, 22 years of service
• Jocelyn Simmons - Librarian I, Canaryville, 19 years of service
• Ora Simpkins - Head Library Clerk, Chicago Bee, 29 years of service

Chicago Public Library Foundation Report

Brenda Langstraat, President of the Chicago Public Library Foundation, provided an update on behalf of the staff and Board of the Chicago Public Library Foundation. Ms. Langstraat highlighted:

• To date, CPLF reports that they have secured a total of 1,237 gifts; some of which are $25,000 or more
• Raised nearly $2.8M in total gifts and pledges
• Welcomed over 200 new donors and has received several major investments
• The Library Foundation’s annual Carl Sandburg Awards event will be held virtually this year on December 9th,
• CPLF’s Associate Board hosted a virtual Trivia Night on October 22 and raised over $3,000

Public Comment

None

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