Board of Directors

Here’s our agenda. As you can see, all items are informational presentations with no vote taken, except for approving previous meeting minutes https://t.co/QYq2C7W9f5

Board President Linda Johnson Rice starts by welcoming two new board members, Sandra Delgado and Michelle Boone @artscrusader

The livestream is here: https://livestream.com/accounts/28669066/events/9243422

We just finished role call. Commissioner Chris Brown notes that the Board has added features like captioning to be more accessible after feedback from previous public comments

After the May meeting minutes are approved, we move to the first item, a report on the schedule of requisitions, contracts & licenses from Mary Emmanuel, director of finance.

“We continue to purchase a lot of electronic materials as we are still in Covid,” Emmanuel says. She says as the library approaches year end, they are “in a very good spot with spending.”

The next item is presented by Maggie Clemons, deputy commissioner of library operations, who gives an overview of active projects: the Richard J Daley branch in Bridgeport is undergoing renovation

The Manning branch is now open after an interior renovation as well

Pictured on the left are updates to the Greater Grand Crossing CPL branch, including Hebru Brantley art https://t.co/xUc0RfegbF

Mary Ellen Messner now highlights some CPL programming, “which we’re really known for.”

Start with Art and the Summer Learning Challenge had 8,550 participants. They read 2,428,841 minutes. 12 field trips were hosted and 30,000+ free passes to the @artinstitutechi were given out

During back-to-school, CPL encourages kids and families to get library cards, especially pre-K kids as well as 9th graders.

“We will be bringing back our Teacher in the Library program” which is “needed now more than ever,” Messner continues. They’ll be testing Sunday hours for TILs

CPL is partnering with the Chicago Architecture Biennial with support from the Danish Arts Council to host programs for teens.

And the Teen Gamer’s Guild is supported by a state grant. Teens can apply by October 1. There will be videogames, board games, RPG, trivia & more

A YOUmedia alumni advisory council will be formed to explore what the new iteration of YOUmedia will look like https://www.chipublib.org/programs-and-partnerships/youmedia/

CPL participated in the Mayor’s Summer Kickback Series. These events were run & sponsored by teens working with community orgs. This was “hugely successful and popular with young people”

There are 10 cultural committees at CPL.

It’s Latinx History Month from Sept 15-Oct 15 at CPL. The theme is “Pa’lante Con Nuestro Poder”/ Moving Forward with Power.

Commissioner Chris Brown gives his report now. Says that CPL’s 2020-2024 Strategy is guiding their work. The strategy guidebook helps keep staff engaged, he says. It’ll be launched at the end of September

“We continue to make progress on our Sunday Hours initiative,” Brown says. Starting this month, an additional 11 libraries across the city will add Sunday hours to be open 7 days a week, including my local branch, Bessie Coleman
https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-public-library-lori-lightfoot-near-me-card/11014773/

CPL’s been working with the city to support their safety initiatives, since youth in particular use libraries as safe after-school spaces. Violence prevention work is also being supported through CPL

More programming partnerships include the Summer Kickback Series–Brown gives a shoutout to sponsor Amazon–and citywide planning initiative We Will Chicago https://wewillchicago.com

Did you know that your @chipublib card now gets you free access to LinkedIn Learning, a platform of expert-led online video tutorials on topics ranging from leadership skills to using Excel, plus 7 different languages?

Faith Humphrey Hill is the fall Maker-in-Residence at CPL https://www.saatchiart.com/dartily

Now for an update on the CPL branch that will be located at the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) in Jackson Park.

The OPC is oft-misrepresented as Obama’s “presidential library,” when in reality it won’t house his archives. But it will include a different kind of library: a 5,000-square-foot CPL branch.

This was approved by city council in 2018 and is funded in part by a $5 million grant from @MacFound

Brown says the next step is working with the OPC team to plan the operational and programming venue which will determine some of the next design steps

CPL received the 2021 John Cotton Dana Award for its “Live from the Library” virtual storytime series

The award is presented annually by @EBSCO, the HW Wilson Foundation, and @ALALibrary to recognize “outstanding library public relations.”
https://www.ebsco.com/about/scholarship-awards/john-cotton-dana

Cordiah Hayes from the Woodson Regional Library branch was awarded a Spectrum Scholarship

The Spectrum Scholarship Program is run by @ALALibrary to recruit and provide scholarships to racially diverse librarians.
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/spectrum

Budget update 💰💰💰 https://t.co/1FwMhFCYPs

That concludes Commissioner Brown’s report.

Board member Bowman asks Messner about early childhood programs–do we have a way to identify which communities aren’t taking advantage of CPL’s programs and might need special outreach?

Messner says they’re looking at family days/family nights to invite families into the spaces to see what’s offered, and they can report back on progress in a couple months

Board member Jodi Block asks if there is a plan to get Teachers in the Library into all of the branches. Messner says “that would be a long-term goal.” Says they’ll in some ways be competing w/ after-school programs @ChiPubSchools will be offering

Next is the CPL Foundation report from Brenda Langstraat.

The CPL Foundation funds CPL programs such as YOUMedia, computer skills classes, and the summer learning challenge. https://cplfoundation.org

Langstraat says near the beginning of the pandemic, they started to take an “impact-area approach” to talks with donors, to anticipate and be responsive to library users’ needs

The philanthropic sector is shifting in flexible ways, she says.

The foundation was able to fund things like the Summer Kickback series and Teacher in the Library

The CPL Foundation Awards will be held in-person on Nov 2 at the Chicago Cultural Center. It will be filmed & produced and made accessible to all to watch on Nov 9th

Artist Theaster Gates, actor J Nicole Brooks @DoctaSlick and author Amy Tan will be honored at the awards ceremony

“I have to say, the relationship between the Foundation and the CPL board has been terrific,” Board President Johnson Rice tells Langstraat

Board Member Jodie Block asks about Covid safety protocol for the awards ceremony. Langstraat says they’re in some ways taking the lead from what theater companies are doing; proof of vaccination will be required

With no new business, it’s time for public comment.

Laurie Woodley is the first speaker. She extends praise to several CPL initiatives, including increased accessibility

The next speaker is Yasmine Jones, a librarian at the George C Hall branch. “I love taking pride in providing services to the community,” she says, and thanks the Board for allowing them to do that 7 days a week now

Jacqueline Cook says she is a patron at the Harold Washington Library Center. She says she is visually impaired and uses the assistive technology center for help with her homework and appreciates that resource

The last speaker is Debbie Whitman who also praises the Technology Resource Center. She says she’s a returning student and the staff at HWLC “have been phenomenal…I could not have gotten as far as I’ve gotten” without them

She asks if CPL has tutoring available for college students. Commissioner Brown says their team can do some looking into that