Five Library Systems to Merge By July

The North Suburban Library System (NSLS), along with Alliance, Dupage, Metropolitan, and Prairie Area systems have approved the resolution for the library systems to dissolve and merge into one system, Kathy Caudill, Ela Area Public Library (EAPL) board president, said at Tuesday night's board meeting.

The merger will take place on July 1. EAPL is just one of the 640 libraries in the NSLS. Among other things, the NSLS provides a van that delivers books, DVDs, CDs, and other materials on loan between libraries for patrons who request them.

The merger between five library systems will keep the interlibrary loan service in tact. The library systems have been working on a solution for months due to shortages in state funds.

"We're looking at the first year into the merger as a planning year," said Mary Witt, NSLS acting executive director. 
"We do anticipate continuing van delivery, that is one of the reasons the NSLS approved the merger. We just don't know what that is going to look like."

Name suggestions are being accepted from members and staff of the five systems through Wednesday, Feb. 23, according to the NSLS website.  The Merger Communications Subcommittee will review all submissions and several names will be put on a ballot for voting in early March.  Results of that vote will be presented to the Merger Transition Board.

Library staff from the five merging systems are to meet from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Feb. 28, to get to know each other, network and share information.  The group will meet at  the Prairie Area Library System in Shorewood, according to the NSLS website.

In other EAPL Board business:

• The new Freegal music database has reported more than 2,500 downloads for the month of January. Patrons can download three free songs per week using the system.

• eBook downloads are up 142 percent from last year; 1003 eBooks were downloaded in January, compared to 413 last year.

“We think it’s directly related to people getting eReaders for Christmas,” said Campe.

• A new self-check kiosk will be added to the children’s department.

The kiosk cost $22,000 and will be located in the back of the department where the old self-check station was.

“It’s close to where kids can play, so the parents can keep an eye out,” said Campe.

• A proposal to replace four, nine-year-old outdated projectors, screens, remotes, and speaker systems was presented to the board.

A presentation at the March board meeting will also include the proposal of a media lab and a smart room.

The media lab would house an editing room for digital audio and visual, a green screen, video recorder, and other related equipment.

“We are in the beginning stages of even thinking about this,” said Campe.

The smart room would be a high tech conference room where the latest in presentation technology would be offered, including video conferencing and touch screen capabilities.

“We will be coming to the board with more concrete plans in March,” explained Campe.

• Plans to put a social media policy in place will be voted on at the March meeting.

EAPL has no social media policy that relates to the employee’s usage or that relates to the public’s usage on EAPL’s Facebook or Twitter accounts.

“It’s beneficial to have a policy because sooner or later there may be a problem,” said Tim Whiting, trustee.

A policy on employee usage will be voted on at the March meeting. The development of a social media strategy and an in-depth social media policy will be presented to the board in July.

• Discussed the possibility of hiring a new accounting firm for their annual audit.

McClure, Inserra & Company, Chartered has been EAPL’s auditor for over five years, according to Mary Beth Campe, executive director at EAPL.

“The only reason we are looking around is not due to disappointment, it is best practice that you do rotate (auditor’s) around,” said Paul J. Washburn, treasurer.

Three other certified public accounting firms are being considered: Wolf & Company LLP, Sikich LLP, and Kanutte.

Board members will consider price comparison, how soon each company could deliver the audit, and what kind of details each company would give in the audit.

They also requested that Campe to sit down and interview each firm, and Washburn offered to sit in on those with Campe.

“Someone may look good on paper, but it’s the interaction that really matters,” said Mimi Black, secretary.

Caudill asked that Campe get a copy of an audit each firm has completed.

EAPL is required by law to have an annual audit and it goes to the state of Illinois in October.

“I’m sure any of these companies would successfully do our audit,” said Campe.

Campe will report on her findings requested by the board at the next meeting in March.