Sterling Public Library Board

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 Sterling Public Library Board Meeting at 7:00 PM STERLING PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD MEETING AGENDA 102 W. 3rd St., Sterling, IL Community Room 1. Meeting Opening A. Roll Call B. Communications 2. Consent Agenda A. Approval of Minutes B. Approval of Invoices C. Approval of Receipts D. Cash & Investment Report 3. Items Removed from the Consent Agenda 4. Business Items A. Librarian's Report B. Circulation Statistics / Story Hour Report C. Staff Report 5. Discussion A. Discussion Illinois Public Library Standards B. Discussion and approval of Bookmobile van design contest C. Discussion and approval of new copy machines D. Discussion and approval to close December 17, 2025 for all day staff training 6. Adjourn Page 1 of 66 The City of Sterling in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, requests that persons with disabilities who require certain accommodations to allow them to observe and/or participate in this meeting or have questions about the accessibility of this meeting or facilities, contact the ADA Coordinator at (815) 632-6630 to allow the City of Sterling to make reasonable accommodations for these persons. Page 2 of 66  Library Board of Trustees Minutes August 5, 2025 Meeting called to order at 7:05 pm. Members Present: Ronda Borgmann, Skip Lee, Patti Nice, John Kirchoff, Carol Siefken, Julia Swartley-Atilano, City Council Representative Alan Przysucha, Director Jennifer Slaney. 1. Meeting Opening A. Call to Order - 7:00 pm B. Roll Call - Ronda Borgmann, Patti Nice, Carol Siefken, Julia Swartley-Atilano, Skip Lee, John Kirchoff, Jennifer Slaney Library Director Guest - Abbigail McWilliams C. Changes/Additions to the Agenda - none D. Communication/Presentation - none 2. Consent Agenda A. Approval of Minutes B. Approval of Bills Payable C. Approval of Receipts D. Cash and Investment Report Motion to approve Consent agenda made by Carol Siefken, 2nd by Julia Atilano, Motion passed by all. 3. Business Items A. Librarian’s Report - as presented B. Circulation Statistics/ Story Hour Report - as presented 4. Discussion/ Action Items A. Discussion and approval of bookmobile. The Bookmobile committee met on July 25th to discuss the bids from TechOps and Matthews for the bookmobile. The committee recommended the Board request the City Council to waive the bid process, sign the agreement on behalf of the library purchase a 2026 Ford Transit to be built as Book cart hauler at a cost not to exceed $250,000 from TechOps Specialty Vehicles. Motion to approve the Bookmobile Committee’s recommendation to approach the City Council made by Skip Lee, Second by John Kirchoff. Motion passed. B. Discussion on remodeling of Upstairs public restroom. Director Slaney once again asked the Board if they still wanted to move forward with the remodel of the upstairs bathroom if the State Library did not offer construction grants. The consensus of the Board was to have Willett Hoffman continue moving on designing and cost figures for the bathroom. The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted Jennifer Slaney Page 3 of 66  Bookmobile Committee Meeting Tuesday, Sept 2, 2026 Community Room 6 p.m. Present: Board Members Carol Siefken, Patti Nice, Julia Atilano and Director Jennifer Slaney Discussion ensued about a contest for design ideas for the book transit van. Consensus of the group: • Open to students in grades 6th-8th grades that either attend St. Mary’s or Challand Middle school. • Colors that need to be include Teal, Blue, purple • Sterling Public Library, phone # and web address needs to be included on the van • No reference to area schools (Colors or images) • Contest will run 4 weeks • Winner will receive a cash award not to exceed $200 • Decided not to give the students a theme or ideas, wanting to see what they come up with when thinking of the library, Jenni will locate a drawing of the side of the van to give students a reference point for drawing. Need to contact TechoOps about what format the drawing needs to be submitted in. Jenni informed the committee that the drawing submitted by the student will be manipulated by the Commercial Design team to fit on the van. Respectfully Submitted Jennifer Slaney Page 4 of 66 Page 5 of 66 Page 6 of 66 Page 7 of 66 Page 8 of 66 Page 9 of 66 Page 10 of 66 Page 11 of 66 Page 12 of 66 Page 13 of 66 Page 14 of 66 Page 15 of 66 Page 16 of 66 Page 17 of 66 Page 18 of 66 Page 19 of 66 Page 20 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS EXPENSE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2241 - LIBRARY-GENERAL ACCOUNT Department 41 - LIBRARY - GENERAL EXPENSE 41100 SALARIES-REGULAR 247,926.00 .00 247,926.00 19,212.10 .00 105,046.69 142,879.31 42 98,471.91 41200 SALARIES-TEMP/PARTTIME 157,455.00 .00 157,455.00 7,427.26 .00 51,554.36 105,900.64 33 45,883.22 45100 HEALTH INSURANCE 55,000.00 .00 55,000.00 .00 .00 25,850.00 29,150.00 47 25,850.00 45600 WORKER'S COMPENSATION 1,850.00 .00 1,850.00 .00 .00 1,776.10 73.90 96 1,762.58 51100 MAINT SERVICES-BUILDING 18,000.00 .00 18,000.00 1,810.00 373.00 15,207.48 2,419.52 87 10,394.67 51200 MAINT SERVICES-EQUIPMENT 16,000.00 .00 16,000.00 1,847.47 .00 4,756.28 11,243.72 30 9,559.35 52900 MAINT SERVICES - OTHER 16,800.00 .00 16,800.00 1,200.00 .00 4,950.00 11,850.00 29 5,250.00 53100 ACOUNTING SERVICE 2,300.00 .00 2,300.00 .00 .00 1,150.00 1,150.00 50 1,150.00 54900 OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICE 11,000.00 .00 11,000.00 .00 .00 1,897.30 9,102.70 17 2,030.03 55100 POSTAGE & FREIGHT 2,000.00 .00 2,000.00 .00 .00 529.73 1,470.27 26 566.04 55200 TELEPHONE/INTERNET 10,225.00 .00 10,225.00 838.92 .00 4,179.56 6,045.44 41 4,037.54 55400 PRINTING 500.00 .00 500.00 .00 .00 .00 500.00 0 287.00 56100 DUES 900.00 .00 900.00 .00 .00 169.00 731.00 19 120.00 56200 TRAVEL & TRAINING EXPENSE 3,500.00 .00 3,500.00 1,536.24 .00 1,625.38 1,874.62 46 968.22 57100 GENERAL UTILITIES 2,000.00 .00 2,000.00 144.49 .00 573.48 1,426.52 29 343.32 58200 GENERAL INSURANCE 40,000.00 .00 40,000.00 .00 .00 36,190.38 3,809.62 90 35,918.31 59900 OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES 14,000.00 .00 14,000.00 4,082.86 .00 6,212.27 7,787.73 44 1,031.48 61100 MAINT SUPPLIES-BUILDING 3,000.00 .00 3,000.00 18.99 27.66 502.94 2,469.40 18 1,005.33 65100 OFFICE SUPPLIES 15,000.00 .00 15,000.00 79.02 616.22 6,647.11 7,736.67 48 5,535.61 65400 JANITORIAL SUPPLIES 3,000.00 .00 3,000.00 242.65 129.89 1,292.16 1,577.95 47 1,123.39 66800 BANK EXPENSE 500.00 .00 500.00 52.56 .00 249.35 250.65 50 212.64 67310 BOOKS 37,000.00 .00 37,000.00 663.54 .00 15,180.76 21,819.24 41 15,148.03 67320 PERIODICALS 4,000.00 .00 4,000.00 49.00 44.00 670.00 3,286.00 18 663.00 67330 AUDIO/VISUAL 4,000.00 .00 4,000.00 451.49 306.49 1,187.40 2,506.11 37 537.46 67340 NON-PRINT BOOKS 15,000.00 .00 15,000.00 163.96 283.94 5,019.76 9,696.30 35 623.87 67410 DONATED FUNDS/EXPENSES 27,000.00 .00 27,000.00 66.66 122,191.79 4,871.01 (100,062.80) 471 8,800.52 67420 SUMMER READING EXPENSES 2,000.00 .00 2,000.00 30.95 .00 1,804.20 195.80 90 721.34 67440 YOUNG ADULT EXPENSES 500.00 .00 500.00 140.88 .00 628.88 (128.88) 126 41.08 82000 BUILDING 20,000.00 .00 20,000.00 2,377.76 .00 6,607.89 13,392.11 33 4,010.00 83000 EQUIPMENT 20,000.00 .00 20,000.00 .00 .00 .00 20,000.00 0 .00 EXPENSE TOTALS $750,456.00 $0.00 $750,456.00 $42,436.80 $123,972.99 $306,329.47 $320,153.54 57% $282,045.94 Department 41 - LIBRARY - GENERAL Totals ($750,456.00) $0.00 ($750,456.00) ($42,436.80) ($123,972.99) ($306,329.47) ($320,153.54) 57% ($282,045.94) Fund 2241 - LIBRARY-GENERAL ACCOUNT Totals $750,456.00 $0.00 $750,456.00 $42,436.80 $123,972.99 $306,329.47 $320,153.54 $282,045.94 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:04:47 AM Page 1 of 6 Page 21 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS EXPENSE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2243 - LIBRARY-PER CAPITA GRANT ACCOUNT Department 43 - LIBRARY - PER CAPITA EXPENSE 94900 MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES 21,776.00 .00 21,776.00 879.90 344.18 12,305.49 9,126.33 58 14,924.01 EXPENSE TOTALS $21,776.00 $0.00 $21,776.00 $879.90 $344.18 $12,305.49 $9,126.33 58% $14,924.01 Department 43 - LIBRARY - PER CAPITA Totals ($21,776.00) $0.00 ($21,776.00) ($879.90) ($344.18) ($12,305.49) ($9,126.33) 58% ($14,924.01) Fund 2243 - LIBRARY-PER CAPITA GRANT ACCOUNT Totals $21,776.00 $0.00 $21,776.00 $879.90 $344.18 $12,305.49 $9,126.33 $14,924.01 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:04:47 AM Page 2 of 6 Page 22 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS EXPENSE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2247 - LIBRARY-GRAY TRUST ACCOUNT Department 47 - LIBRARY - GRAY TRUST EXPENSE 66800 BANK EXPENSE 500.00 .00 500.00 .00 .00 196.68 303.32 39 218.35 94900 MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES 20,000.00 .00 20,000.00 186.03 2,525.83 7,629.14 9,845.03 51 17,792.06 EXPENSE TOTALS $20,500.00 $0.00 $20,500.00 $186.03 $2,525.83 $7,825.82 $10,148.35 50% $18,010.41 Department 47 - LIBRARY - GRAY TRUST Totals ($20,500.00) $0.00 ($20,500.00) ($186.03) ($2,525.83) ($7,825.82) ($10,148.35) 50% ($18,010.41) Fund 2247 - LIBRARY-GRAY TRUST ACCOUNT Totals $20,500.00 $0.00 $20,500.00 $186.03 $2,525.83 $7,825.82 $10,148.35 $18,010.41 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:04:47 AM Page 3 of 6 Page 23 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS EXPENSE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2248 - LIBRARY-LSTA/OTHER STATE GRANTS Department 48 - LIBRARY - LSTA EXPENSE 83000 EQUIPMENT .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 498.99 (498.99) +++ 4,094.67 EXPENSE TOTALS $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $498.99 ($498.99) +++ $4,094.67 Department 48 - LIBRARY - LSTA Totals $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 ($498.99) $498.99 +++ ($4,094.67) Fund 2248 - LIBRARY-LSTA/OTHER STATE GRANTS Totals $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $498.99 ($498.99) $4,094.67 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:04:47 AM Page 4 of 6 Page 24 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS EXPENSE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2249 - LIBRARY-BUILDING PROJECT Department 49 - LIBRARY-BUILDING EXPENSE 99910 CAPITAL PROJECT EXPENSE 30,000.00 .00 30,000.00 .00 .00 .00 30,000.00 0 .00 EXPENSE TOTALS $30,000.00 $0.00 $30,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $30,000.00 0% $0.00 Department 49 - LIBRARY-BUILDING Totals ($30,000.00) $0.00 ($30,000.00) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 ($30,000.00) 0% $0.00 Fund 2249 - LIBRARY-BUILDING PROJECT Totals $30,000.00 $0.00 $30,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $30,000.00 $0.00 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:04:47 AM Page 5 of 6 Page 25 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS EXPENSE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2250 - LIBRARY - RRLC FUND Department 50 - LIBRARY - RRLC FUND EXPENSE 54900 OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICE 30,000.00 .00 30,000.00 20,682.69 .00 47,432.76 (17,432.76) 158 16,991.50 94920 OTHER GRANTS 59,000.00 .00 59,000.00 17,852.49 .00 23,829.49 35,170.51 40 54,569.78 EXPENSE TOTALS $89,000.00 $0.00 $89,000.00 $38,535.18 $0.00 $71,262.25 $17,737.75 80% $71,561.28 Department 50 - LIBRARY - RRLC FUND Totals ($89,000.00) $0.00 ($89,000.00) ($38,535.18) $0.00 ($71,262.25) ($17,737.75) 80% ($71,561.28) Fund 2250 - LIBRARY - RRLC FUND Totals $89,000.00 $0.00 $89,000.00 $38,535.18 $0.00 $71,262.25 $17,737.75 $71,561.28 Grand Totals $911,732.00 $0.00 $911,732.00 $82,037.91 $126,843.00 $398,222.02 $386,666.98 $390,636.31 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:04:47 AM Page 6 of 6 Page 26 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS REVENUE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2241 - LIBRARY-GENERAL ACCOUNT Department 00 - REVENUE REVENUE 31110 CORPORATE TAXES 461,618.00 .00 461,618.00 .00 .00 293,341.64 168,276.36 64 403,036.00 31120 FIRE PROTECTION/LIBRARY BLDG 41,965.00 .00 41,965.00 .00 .00 26,776.31 15,188.69 64 36,709.95 31180 TORT & LIABILITY TAX 44,135.00 .00 44,135.00 .00 .00 32,131.41 12,003.59 73 45,805.67 34200 STATE REPLACEMENT TAX 120,450.00 .00 120,450.00 .00 .00 49,197.51 71,252.49 41 64,882.38 35300 LIBRARY FINES 900.00 .00 900.00 30.00 .00 524.98 375.02 58 466.13 36710 LIBRARY CARDS 8,000.00 .00 8,000.00 250.00 .00 4,335.00 3,665.00 54 4,445.00 36720 COPY SERVICE 6,000.00 .00 6,000.00 397.87 .00 4,075.13 1,924.87 68 3,228.56 36730 PASSPORTS 3,000.00 .00 3,000.00 140.00 .00 1,295.00 1,705.00 43 875.00 38110 SV, VR & MM INTEREST 15,000.00 .00 15,000.00 .00 .00 12,411.07 2,588.93 83 10,860.20 38300 DONATIONS 30,000.00 .00 30,000.00 125,000.00 .00 154,100.00 (124,100.00) 514 34,435.00 38700 REIMBURSEMENTS 500.00 .00 500.00 .00 .00 .00 500.00 0 494.40 39200 SALE OF PROPERTY 2,500.00 .00 2,500.00 86.00 .00 665.00 1,835.00 27 723.00 REVENUE TOTALS $734,068.00 $0.00 $734,068.00 $125,903.87 $0.00 $578,853.05 $155,214.95 79% $605,961.29 Department 00 - REVENUE Totals $734,068.00 $0.00 $734,068.00 $125,903.87 $0.00 $578,853.05 $155,214.95 79% $605,961.29 Fund 2241 - LIBRARY-GENERAL ACCOUNT Totals $734,068.00 $0.00 $734,068.00 $125,903.87 $0.00 $578,853.05 $155,214.95 $605,961.29 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:05:03 AM Page 1 of 6 Page 27 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS REVENUE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2243 - LIBRARY-PER CAPITA GRANT ACCOUNT Department 00 - REVENUE REVENUE 34400 STATE GRANTS 21,776.00 .00 21,776.00 .00 .00 21,776.90 (.90) 100 21,924.54 REVENUE TOTALS $21,776.00 $0.00 $21,776.00 $0.00 $0.00 $21,776.90 ($0.90) 100% $21,924.54 Department 00 - REVENUE Totals $21,776.00 $0.00 $21,776.00 $0.00 $0.00 $21,776.90 ($0.90) 100% $21,924.54 Fund 2243 - LIBRARY-PER CAPITA GRANT ACCOUNT Totals $21,776.00 $0.00 $21,776.00 $0.00 $0.00 $21,776.90 ($0.90) $21,924.54 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:05:03 AM Page 2 of 6 Page 28 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS REVENUE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2247 - LIBRARY-GRAY TRUST ACCOUNT Department 00 - REVENUE REVENUE 38110 SV, VR & MM INTEREST 4,500.00 .00 4,500.00 .00 .00 1,572.33 2,927.67 35 2,799.89 38120 INVESTMENT INTEREST 8,000.00 .00 8,000.00 .00 .00 4,854.23 3,145.77 61 3,008.15 38140 REALIZED GAIN/LOSS ON INV 700.00 .00 700.00 .00 .00 6.10 693.90 1 117.60 38190 UNREALIZED GAIN/LOSS ON INV .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 286.04 (286.04) +++ 6,766.59 REVENUE TOTALS $13,200.00 $0.00 $13,200.00 $0.00 $0.00 $6,718.70 $6,481.30 51% $12,692.23 Department 00 - REVENUE Totals $13,200.00 $0.00 $13,200.00 $0.00 $0.00 $6,718.70 $6,481.30 51% $12,692.23 Fund 2247 - LIBRARY-GRAY TRUST ACCOUNT Totals $13,200.00 $0.00 $13,200.00 $0.00 $0.00 $6,718.70 $6,481.30 $12,692.23 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:05:03 AM Page 3 of 6 Page 29 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS REVENUE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2248 - LIBRARY-LSTA/OTHER STATE GRANTS Department 00 - REVENUE REVENUE 34400 STATE GRANTS .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 +++ 27,500.00 REVENUE TOTALS $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 +++ $27,500.00 Department 00 - REVENUE Totals $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 +++ $27,500.00 Fund 2248 - LIBRARY-LSTA/OTHER STATE GRANTS Totals $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $27,500.00 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:05:03 AM Page 4 of 6 Page 30 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS REVENUE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2249 - LIBRARY-BUILDING PROJECT Department 00 - REVENUE REVENUE 39900 INTERFUND OPERATING TRANSFERS 30,000.00 .00 30,000.00 .00 .00 .00 30,000.00 0 .00 REVENUE TOTALS $30,000.00 $0.00 $30,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $30,000.00 0% $0.00 Department 00 - REVENUE Totals $30,000.00 $0.00 $30,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $30,000.00 0% $0.00 Fund 2249 - LIBRARY-BUILDING PROJECT Totals $30,000.00 $0.00 $30,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $30,000.00 $0.00 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:05:03 AM Page 5 of 6 Page 31 of 66  LIBRARY FUNDS REVENUE PERFORMANCE Fiscal Year to Date 09/30/25 Exclude Rollup Account Adopted Budget Amended Current Month YTD YTD Budget - YTD % Used/ Account Account Description Budget Amendments Budget Transactions Encumbrances Transactions Transactions Rec'd Prior Year YTD Fund 2250 - LIBRARY - RRLC FUND Department 00 - REVENUE REVENUE 34400 STATE GRANTS 71,504.00 .00 71,504.00 .00 .00 .00 71,504.00 0 17,553.85 38110 SV, VR & MM INTEREST .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 562.90 (562.90) +++ 8.55 38700 REIMBURSEMENTS 18,000.00 .00 18,000.00 4,082.86 .00 23,038.86 (5,038.86) 128 .00 REVENUE TOTALS $89,504.00 $0.00 $89,504.00 $4,082.86 $0.00 $23,601.76 $65,902.24 26% $17,562.40 Department 00 - REVENUE Totals $89,504.00 $0.00 $89,504.00 $4,082.86 $0.00 $23,601.76 $65,902.24 26% $17,562.40 Fund 2250 - LIBRARY - RRLC FUND Totals $89,504.00 $0.00 $89,504.00 $4,082.86 $0.00 $23,601.76 $65,902.24 $17,562.40 Grand Totals $888,548.00 $0.00 $888,548.00 $129,986.73 $0.00 $630,950.41 $257,597.59 $685,640.46 Run by Christina Carr on 10/01/2025 09:05:03 AM Page 6 of 6 Page 32 of 66  STERLING PUBLIC LIBRARY REPORT OF CASH & INVESTMENTS July 31, 2025 General Building Operating Per Capita Gray Trust LSTA Grant Project RRLC Total 2241 2243 2247 2248 2249 2250 Cash 1,576,244.39 (377.99) 85,706.71 3,841.31 - 75,987.27 1,741,401.69 Investments 0.35 279,237.27 279,237.62 Current Receivables 26,668.38 - 3,847.00 - 30,515.38 Current Payables (11,593.50) - - - - - (11,593.50) Cash Available Balance 1,591,319.62 (377.99) 368,790.98 3,841.31 - 75,987.27 2,039,561.19 05/01/25 Beg Balance 1,389,287.83 4,710.04 370,904.46 4,340.30 - 90,416.66 1,859,659.29 Revenue - May 30,388.41 - 2,899.86 - - 142.22 33,430.49 Expense - May (99,764.25) - (30.06) - - - (99,794.31) 05/31/25 Cash Avail Bal 1,319,911.99 4,710.04 373,774.26 4,340.30 - 90,558.88 1,793,295.47 Adjs to Beg Bal - - - - - - Revenue - June 277,087.37 - 1,503.49 - - 136.17 278,727.03 Expense - June (40,897.26) (4,398.64) (6,769.43) - - - (52,065.33) 06/30/25 Cash Avail Bal 1,556,102.10 311.40 368,508.32 4,340.30 - 90,695.05 2,019,957.17 Adjs to Beg Bal - - - Revenue - July 94,683.84 - 1,081.29 - - 18,019.29 113,784.42 Expense - July (59,466.32) (689.39) (798.63) (498.99) - (32,727.07) (94,180.40) 07/31/25 Cash Avail Bal 1,591,319.62 (377.99) 368,790.98 3,841.31 - 75,987.27 2,039,561.19 Page 1 of 1 Page 33 of 66  STERLING PUBLIC LIBRARY REPORT OF CASH & INVESTMENTS August 31, 2025 General Building Operating Per Capita Gray Trust LSTA Grant Project RRLC Total 2241 2243 2247 2248 2249 2250 Cash 1,563,252.70 15,061.35 86,033.76 3,841.31 - 77,208.49 1,745,397.61 Investments 0.35 280,102.61 280,102.96 Current Receivables 26,668.38 - 3,847.00 - 30,515.38 Current Payables (11,577.09) - - - - - (11,577.09) Cash Available Balance 1,578,344.34 15,061.35 369,983.37 3,841.31 - 77,208.49 2,044,438.86 05/01/25 Beg Balance 1,389,287.83 4,710.04 370,904.46 4,340.30 - 90,416.66 1,859,659.29 Revenue - May 30,388.41 - 2,899.86 - - 142.22 33,430.49 Expense - May (99,764.25) - (30.06) - - - (99,794.31) 05/31/25 Cash Avail Bal 1,319,911.99 4,710.04 373,774.26 4,340.30 - 90,558.88 1,793,295.47 Adjs to Beg Bal - - - - - - Revenue - June 277,087.37 - 1,503.49 - - 136.17 278,727.03 Expense - June (40,897.26) (4,398.64) (6,769.43) - - - (52,065.33) 06/30/25 Cash Avail Bal 1,556,102.10 311.40 368,508.32 4,340.30 - 90,695.05 2,019,957.17 Adjs to Beg Bal - - - Revenue - July 94,683.84 - 1,081.29 - - 18,019.29 113,784.42 Expense - July (59,466.32) (689.39) (798.63) (498.99) - (32,727.07) (94,180.40) 07/31/25 Cash Avail Bal 1,591,319.62 (377.99) 368,790.98 3,841.31 - 75,987.27 2,039,561.19 Revenue - Aug 50,789.56 21,776.90 1,234.06 - - 1,221.22 75,021.74 Expense - Aug (63,764.84) (6,337.56) (41.67) - - - (70,144.07) 08/31/25 Cash Avail Bal 1,578,344.34 15,061.35 369,983.37 3,841.31 - 77,208.49 2,044,438.86 Page 1 of 1 Page 34 of 66  Director’s Report August/September 2025 Well, let’s start off the good news for the month of August. I made a presentation to the Dillon Foundation board on Saturday, August 16th for a one-time donation to help fund the purchase of the Bookmobile van. On Monday, August 18 th I received a text from MaryEllen Wilkenson, President of Dillon Foundation, the library would be receiving a donation in the amount of $125,000 (half) of the total cost to purchase the van. Later that evening, I requested the City Council meeting waive the bid process and allow the City Manager to sign the contract with TechOps Specialty Vehicles (TechOps) to purchase a 2026 Transit van on behalf of the library. They approved the library’s request. The State Library announced construction grants would be available again this fiscal year with funding coming in FY27. I am moving forward to submitting the grant for the remodel/update of the upstairs public bathroom. I contacted Tom Houck, Willett Hoffman, and requested they move forward to the bathroom with the necessary documents for me in the first two weeks in December. I plan to submit the grant to the State Library at the end of December. The grant is based on funding available, and priority is given to those who score high and submit early. Building news seems to be the next item update. You may have noticed the bench on the north side (Juvenile entrance) has been removed. Public works will lay a cement pad and install a brand-new bench. I have also asked them to replace the bench on the south ramp, in hopes of blocking individuals coming up/down the ramp and then cutting across the plants as they head to the parking lot. Public works also installed no smoking signs around the perimeter of the library to cut down on loitering. This has made a big difference in the amount of trash the maintenance person picks up. Plus, it has been nice not to get complaints from patrons about individuals smoking and having to walk by/through it as they come into the library. It appears the plumbing issue that was occurring at the main water line in my office is officially fixed. No more brief showers happening when someone flushes the commode in the staff bathroom. Staff update for the month. I was able to hire two individuals this month, unfortunately I had to let one go after two days. They did not call or show up for work. I called once and left a message requesting they call me back. Since I was unable to locate the individual and the police were unable to locate them as well, I had to re-key the staff entrance. Since we issue keys to the employees the first day. I was able to hire another employee, and they seem to be working out. The library also entered into an agreement with Illinois Humanities to be a priority host for 2026-27 Road Scholars speakers (no cost to the library). The Road Scholars Speakers Bureau program supports local nonprofit organizations including libraries, museums, arts Page 35 of 66 councils, historical societies, civic groups, and many others — by presenting high-quality cultural programs at no cost to attendees or host organizations. Each cycle, Illinois Humanities establishes several priority partner partnerships across the state that allow for early selection of Road Scholar presentations. The library agrees to: • Schedule, promote, and host 3 Road Scholar presentations in 2026 that are free and open to the public. The library has done this in the past. Ben has already tentatively scheduled the Illinois Poet Laureate for 2026. Well, August came and went and now September is continuing the fun. Let’s start with the good news, I received the check from the Dillon Foundation for the bookmobile. I managed to get Scott to sign the contract with TechOps and submitted it to them. They in turn issued the invoice for half and the City will issue the check on October 6 th. TechOps plans to order the van in December and place it in their schedule for delivery in May 2026. TechOps stated they could have the van delivered in February, but I decided it wasn’t enough time to get things ready, nor did I wish the staff to learn to drive the van in the winter. As a requirement for the construction grant I must submit a letter to the Illinois Preservation Agency to verify that we are not doing anything to a historically registered building. Hopefully in the next 8 weeks I will receive a confirmation letter back saying our project is approved. According to the State Library, the Preservation Agency only has two workers due to budget cuts and that is why there is a long turnaround time. Update on building issues. The water heater had to be replaced this month. I found it was slowly leaking. You may have noticed the tree was cut down to the stump that is located behind the June Shearer appreciation garden. They will remove the stump in the spring and level out the bricks thus removing the low spots where water tends to collect. Hope you all notice the new bench on the north side when you come to the meeting. It looks really nice. If you happen to go by the library at night and look in, you may notice a glow. Ogle County Health Department has granted a giant rack of microgreens that we’re going to be growing. There are at least four different kinds of microgreens hydroponically (meaning just with water, not in soil) on paper towels and mesh trays with a little bit of liquid nutrients. The individual trays will be labeled once they’re planted so folks can see them during the stages of their growth. Currently, we’re planning kale, broccoli, radish, and kohlrabi to start. Once the microgreens are at harvesting stage, Staff member Jolee will bag them up and place them in a container for patrons to take home with them free of charge. They’re packed full of nutrients and are wonderful in soups, salads, sandwiches, and even smoothies! I’m sure folks will ask – they're not organic, but they are tasty! And since you only grow them to a certain stage, there’s no pesticides involved. The microgreens take about 8-12 days to be ready for harvest, so we’ll have new batches often. They’re different from sprouts as microgreens tend to be a little more mature of a plant and you don’t eat the seed / roots, only the shoot and leaves. The grow lights are made locally in Oregon, and Page 36 of 66 specifically with color wavelengths for growing plants. They’re LED lights set on a timer of 16hrs a day. Over the past couple of weeks, the library book jobber Baker & Taylor was in the process of being acquired by another company, but it was terminated, not sure why. One action that was required by Baker & Taylor prior to the acquisition was to cancel all orders with publishers during the transition period. What does this mean to the library? Well, all the books we had on order will not be fulfilled by Baker & Taylor. So, I must order them from Ingram (which is a competitor of Baker & Taylor) or through Amazon. Currently, we have over 100 books on backorder. Currently, there is no timeline for if or when Baker & Taylor will come back. In the coming months, you will see in the bills payable report Ingram and Amazon invoices. Rock River Library Consortium met this month. Here are the highlights: invoices for the coming fiscal year were distributed to members. Chadwick Public Library is slowly being entered into the currently they have 2300 titles entered, the consortium approved hiring a company to clean up the database (subjects, punctuation, subjects). Other things, I have committed time to is a succession plan so when I retire the person who comes in after me will be able locate items. Beth has graciously agreed to help with this document. It will also come to the Board for approval when completed. I was also approached by TLC to join The Library Corporation Users group conference committee; they caught me at a week moment and I agreed. This committee meets once a month via Zoom to plan next year's conference, which is also virtual. I will be out of the office to attend the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach conference in St. Louis Wednesday Oct 8 th-Friday, Oct 10th. Page 37 of 66  August 2025 Children’s Statistics Scavenger Hunt – 15 kids 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Storytime – August 1 – 18 kids, 15 adults - As of August 27, 29 kids are signed up for the reading program ARKS Book Club (Adult Program) -- August 26 – 6 adults Bookworm Bags – 27 kids Page 38 of 66  September 2025 Children’s Statistics Scavenger Hunt – 44 kids Toddler Time - September 5 – 5 kids, 8 adults - September 12 – 5 kids, 8 adults - September 19 – Cancelled - September 26 – 10 kids, 9 adults Preschool Storytime - September 5 – 6 kids, 4 adults - September 12 – 4 kids, 5 adults - September 19 – Cancelled - September 26 – 10 kids, 8 adults Pokémon Club – September 16 – Cancelled Drawing Club - September 6 – 6 kids - September 8 – 2 kids, 3 adults Lego Club - September 6 – 9 kids, 4 adults - September 20 – 10 kids, 10 adults Kids Advisory Board (KAB) -- September 29 – 9 kids ARKS Book Club (Adult Program) – September 30 – 5 adults Bookworm Bags – 25 kids Taste of Fiesta – September 13 – 30 children’s books given away, 70 people Page 39 of 66 Page 40 of 66 Page 41 of 66 Page 42 of 66 To: SPL Board From: Beth Dettman On Thursday, Sept 11, I went to a RAILs seminar at Helen Plum Library in Lombard, IL called Reimagining Library Spaces on a Budget. It was presented by David Vinjamuri from Third Way Space. They do space audits and consult on renovations in libraries. Basically, I was riveted the whole time he spoke. He comes from a retail background so he focused on the way the library appears to the patrons as they move through the space. Also on how best to present our ‘product’ to get what people want into their hands. Here are some of the ideas I got: 1. More displays of books that would normally be in the stacks. This would boost circulation of these books. I would like to purchase one or two free standing display carts. We could put these near the new book displays. Some of the chairs there are in bad shape and need to go. We could remove half of them and put the displays there. We could also get displays that hang off the end of the Large Type shelves. 2. I would like to have a staff member sitting at the adult circ desk more often than just sitting in the office. It would be more welcoming, and we would see the patrons come to the desk. 3. The signage should be more uniform throughout the building. I know colorful signs are pretty, but it works better when all the display signs are the same and all the directional signs are the same and all the shelf label signs are the same. Colorful signs on bookshelves look like book covers and can be overlooked easily. We need to think more about how patrons understand the signs. (eg the dewey numbers on signs in the nonfiction don’t mean much to the average patron). Signs could be put up on the catalog computer saying “Search for a book here”, or “Get a copy made here” at the adult desk. 4. Some of the patron seating tables are larger. People don’t like to share tables with strangers, so getting more smaller tables would be more patron friendly. 5. For the nonfiction sections, we could display books using a technique called ‘windowing.’ We would clear a shelf at eye level to put 3 face out books from that section. The shelves above and below would still be spine out. This helps patrons to easily see what types of books are in that section. Since Jenni just weeded these sections, we have enough shelf space to do this. We would need to purchase several book easels to display these. 6. Speaking of 3 face out books, we could use this method in the picture book room. Instead of having a long line of face out books on the top of the shelves, we would put them in groups of 3 reflecting what kind of books are in the shelves below. This would be more appealing and easier for staff to see when they need replacing. 7. If we don’t do the ‘windowing’ we could change the bottom or top shelf to be face out instead of spine out. Some patrons have a hard time reading the spines on the top or bottom shelf. (We could also use signs in the stacks directing people to ask for help with items on the top or bottom shelves) 8. Having relevant book displays at programs might help circulation also. (e.g. gardening books displayed at a gardening program) Page 43 of 66 9. Understanding patron's needs really helps us to be able to meet them. I know we did surveys and focus groups for the strategic plan, but those don’t work as well as one-on-one discussions. We could have a short list of 3 or 4 questions that the staff would randomly ask patrons who come in to see more of what they want/need. Page 44 of 66 Illinois Public Library Standards: Access The physical library remains central to successful service and while no one model can meet every need, some common requirements will help to create a functional and enjoyable environment for both staff and patrons. These include adequate and accessible layouts to house and circulate the collections, comfortable and light filled areas for the public and staff, meeting and study rooms for both group and individual use, and youth spaces that inspire children and teens. Libraries should review the long-term spatial needs of the library in conjunction with their current strategic plan. STANDARD CORE INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED 1 The library follows all local, state and federal laws relating to access, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. 2 The library is open a minimum of 15 The library is open to the public with The library is open 7 days a week, for hours per week [23 Ill. Adm. Code daytime, evening and weekend most of the year. 3030.110]. hours. 3 The library regularly reviews long The library addresses long term The library conducts a community term space needs. space needs in its strategic plan. needs survey and includes library spaces in the questionnaire. 4 The library provides an exterior book The library provides alternate The library provides off-site pick up return that is open 24/7. methods for picking up and returning and return of materials (e.g. materials (e.g., drive-up book drop, homebound delivery, book mobiles, curbside pickup, drive-through kiosks, automated lockers). window). 5 The library provides adequate, safe, well-lit, and convenient parking during all hours of service. Illinois Public Library Standards – Access, page 1 of 2 Page 45 of 66 6 The library’s entrance is clearly visible, easily identified, and well- illuminated for both vehicles and pedestrians. 7 The library’s interior spaces are Natural light is utilized as much as The library has energy efficient adequately illuminated. possible. lighting throughout its buildings. 8 The library provides signage to In multilingual communities, signage identify collections, services, and is provided in relevant languages amenities. throughout the building. 9 The library provides designated The library provides dedicated space The library provides dedicated spaces for youth and adults. for teens. spaces for other specific populations (e.g., sensory space, comfort room, mother’s room). 10 The library has adequate and appropriately sized shelving to provide easy access to patrons of all ages. 11 The library has sturdy and comfortable furnishings in sufficient quantities and sizes to meet the needs of patrons of all ages. 12 The library provides accessible The library has rooms designated for spaces for library programs, programs, meetings, and individual meetings, and individual and group and group study. study. Illinois Public Library Standards – Access, page 2 of 2 Page 46 of 66 Illinois Public Library Standards – Access: Action Plan Library Name Date Completed by Job Title The action plans in each section are to be used as a tool for library directors, staff and board members to discuss and determine how their library is addressing the Illinois Public Library Standards. It is important that library directors, boards and staff recognize that public libraries are always evolving due to new trends, changing societal norms and cultural influences. In order for a library to stay sustainable and viable, the library directors should regularly review the core standards with both board and staff. STANDARD CORE INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED ACTION/PROGRESS 1 The library follows all local, state and federal laws relating to access, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. 2 The library is open a The library is open The library is open minimum of 15 to the public with 7 days a week, for hours per week [23 daytime, evening most of the year. Ill. Adm. Code and weekend 3030.110]. hours. 3 The library regularly The library The library reviews long term addresses long conducts a space needs. term space needs community needs in its strategic plan. survey and includes library spaces in the questionnaire. Illinois Public Library Standards – Access: Action Plan, page 1 of 4 Page 47 of 66 4 The library provides The library provides The library an exterior book alternate methods provides off-site return that is open for picking up and pick up and return 24/7. returning materials of materials (e.g. (e.g., drive-up book homebound drop, curbside delivery, book pickup, drive- mobiles, kiosks, through window). automated lockers). 5 The library provides adequate, safe, well-lit, and convenient parking during all hours of service. 6 The library’s entrance is clearly visible, easily identified, and well- illuminated for both vehicles and pedestrians. 7 The library’s interior Natural light is The library has spaces are utilized as much as energy efficient adequately possible. lighting throughout illuminated. its buildings. Illinois Public Library Standards – Access: Action Plan, page 2 of 4 Page 48 of 66 8 The library provides In multilingual signage to identify communities, collections, services, signage is provided and amenities. in relevant languages throughout the building. 9 The library provides The library provides The library designated spaces dedicated space for provides dedicated for youth and teens. spaces for other adults. specific populations (e.g., sensory space, comfort room, mother’s room). 10 The library has adequate and appropriately sized shelving to provide easy access to patrons of all ages. 11 The library has sturdy and comfortable furnishings in sufficient quantities and sizes to meet the needs of patrons of all ages. Illinois Public Library Standards – Access: Action Plan, page 3 of 4 Page 49 of 66  12 The library provides The library has accessible spaces rooms designated for library for programs, programs, meetings, and meetings, and individual and individual and group study. group study. Notes/Comments: Illinois Public Library Standards – Access: Action Plan, page 4 of 4 Page 50 of 66 Illinois Public Library Standards: Advocacy & Community Engagement Advocacy and community engagement are vital for libraries to ensure continued support, relevance and sustainability. Advocacy helps secure necessary funding and public support by demonstrating the library’s value to policymakers and stakeholders. Community engagement fosters deeper connections and ensures that programs and services address the evolving needs of the people it serves. By actively engaging with diverse populations, libraries promote the message that they provide learning opportunities, services, and programs that are free, inclusive and welcoming to all. Together, advocacy and community engagement ensure that libraries remain essential resources. STANDARD CORE INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED 1 The director and board are Training in advocacy skills is offered Library staff, board and community knowledgeable of state-wide to staff, the board, and/or other stakeholders have the skills and advocacy training tools. stakeholders, such as Friends of the knowledge to be proactive advocates Library and Foundation groups. on behalf of the library and community. 2 The director and staff actively The director and staff present at The director and staff invite network with community school, business and community community leaders, organizations, organizations, businesses and meetings on library initiatives, partners and stakeholders to the institutions (e.g., Chamber of programs, collections and services. library for tours, coffees, and/or Commerce, Rotary, Kiwanis). information meetings to showcase what the library offers. 3 The director and staff collect and Using data collected and analyzed, The library annually highlights data, analyze data to measure how the director and staff communicate stories and accomplishments from community members use the library. the library’s impact and advocate for the year and disseminates it to programs, personnel, and spaces. external and internal stakeholders. Illinois Public Library Standards – Advocacy & Community Engagement, page 1 of 2 Page 51 of 66 4 The director and board know their The library includes local, state and The library partners with elected local, state and federal elected federal elected officials on mailing officials to co-host events and officials. lists and invites them to events. informational sessions to promote civic engagement. 5 The director and board and/or staff The director, board and/or staff The director, board and/or staff are informed of Illinois Library actively participate in the local, state, serve on forums, committees, and Association (ILA) and American and national legislative campaigns boards of ILA and ALA. Library Association (ALA) legislative and events organized by ILA and ALA. priorities and promote those priorities when needed. 6 The director, staff and board are The director, staff and board use The library is a sought after partner aware of current community projects their community engagement to in working with and developing and economic planning and seek inform the library’s strategic plan. community initiatives. opportunities for library engagement. Illinois Public Library Standards – Advocacy & Community Engagement, page 2 of 2 Page 52 of 66 Illinois Public Library Standards – Advocacy & Community Engagement: Action Plan Library Name Date Completed by Job Title The action plans in each section are to be used as a tool for library directors, staff and board members to discuss and determine how their library is addressing the Illinois Public Library Standards. It is important that library directors, boards and staff recognize that public libraries are always evolving due to new trends, changing societal norms and cultural influences. In order for a library to stay sustainable and viable, the library directors should regularly review the core standards with both board and staff. STANDARD CORE INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED ACTION/PROGRESS 1 The director and Training in Library staff, board board are advocacy skills is and community knowledgeable of offered to staff, the stakeholders have state-wide advocacy board, and/or the skills and training tools. other stakeholders, knowledge to be such as Friends of proactive the Library and advocates on Foundation groups. behalf of the library and community. Illinois Public Library Standards – Advocacy & Community Engagement: Action Plan, page 1 of 3 Page 53 of 66 2 The director and The director and The director and staff actively staff present at staff invite network with school, business community community and community leaders, organizations, meetings on library organizations, businesses and initiatives, partners and institutions (e.g., programs, stakeholders to the Chamber of collections and library for tours, Commerce, Rotary, services. coffees, and/or Kiwanis). information meetings to showcase what the library offers. 3 The director and Using data The library staff collect and collected and annually highlights analyze data to analyzed, the data, stories and measure how director and staff accomplishments community communicate the from the year and members use the library’s impact and disseminates it to library. advocate for external and programs, internal personnel, and stakeholders. spaces. 4 The director and The library includes The library board know their local, state and partners with local, state and federal elected elected officials to federal elected officials on mailing co-host events and officials. lists and invites informational them to events. sessions to promote civic engagement. Illinois Public Library Standards – Advocacy & Community Engagement: Action Plan, page 2 of 3 Page 54 of 66  5 The director and The director, board The director, board board and/or staff and/or staff and/or staff serve are informed of actively participate on forums, Illinois Library in the local, state, committees, and Association (ILA) and national boards of ILA and and American legislative ALA. Library Association campaigns and (ALA) legislative events organized priorities and by ILA and ALA. promote those priorities when needed. 6 The director, staff The director, staff The library is a and board are and board use their sought after aware of current community partner in working community projects engagement to with and and economic inform the library’s developing planning and seek strategic plan. community opportunities for initiatives. library engagement. Notes/Comments: Illinois Public Library Standards – Advocacy & Community Engagement: Action Plan, page 3 of 3 Page 55 of 66 Illinois Public Library Standards: Buildings & Grounds Stewardship of public library buildings involves designing, constructing and preserving facilities to ensure accessibility, safety, and functionality, for staff and users. This includes site selection, architectural planning for space efficiency, furniture and fixtures that meet patron and staff needs, and incorporating modern technology and sustainability features. Operational responsibilities include routine cleaning, grounds maintenance, structural repairs, HVAC upkeep, and technology updates to provide a comfortable and welcoming interior and exterior environment. Long-term financial planning is needed for libraries to ensure that it remains a well- equipped and inviting space for learning, research and community engagement. STANDARD CORE INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED 1 The library’s operating budget The library establishes a special The library contributes annually to a includes dedicated funds for regular reserve fund with the goal of special reserve fund to have sufficient maintenance of buildings and financing future capital projects, financial resources to cover the costs grounds. including repairs, remodeling, of future capital projects. renovations, or a new building. 2 The library has a capital improvement The library regularly reviews the The library hires a qualified architect plan that defines and forecasts repair capital improvement plan. or engineer to perform a long-term and replacement of major equipment facility assessment to inform the and infrastructure. capital improvement plan. 3 The library conducts a walkthrough to The library keeps a current inventory The library periodically conducts an assess the condition of furniture and of all furniture, fixtures, and appraisal of all furniture, fixtures and equipment on an annual basis. equipment. equipment with an accredited appraisal company. Illinois Public Library Standards – Buildings & Grounds, page 1 of 3 Page 56 of 66 4 The library has liability insurance that The library reviews its insurance will cover replacement costs of the coverage annually to ensure proper facility and its contents. valuation of the facility and its contents. 5 Staff and trustees receive a tour of Key staff receive training on building the library’s buildings and grounds. systems appropriate to their roles. 6 The library has a building and The library has a facilities grounds maintenance checklist that is maintenance manual that includes annually reviewed and updated. instructions for operation of all building systems. 7 The library keeps a copy of all The library keeps a digital copy of all maintenance documents, blueprints maintenance documents, all of the original building, and all documents related to the subsequent renovations and construction for the original building warranties. and all subsequent renovations and warranties. 8 The library hires staff, contractors, or vendors to maintain the building and grounds and maintains a list of contacts for building systems. Illinois Public Library Standards – Buildings & Grounds, page 2 of 3 Page 57 of 66 9 The library has a master key box and The library has a security protocol for a password list for access to the the distribution of keys and building and its systems. passwords, including regular password changes. 10 The library strives to make its The library has a plan to improve The library seeks local, state, and buildings and grounds as environmental efficiency and national accreditations for environmentally friendly as possible sustainability. environmental standards (e.g., LEED, (e.g., LED lighting, recycling, energy Energy Star). efficient equipment, solar panels, EV chargers). Illinois Public Library Standards – Buildings & Grounds, page 3 of 3 Page 58 of 66 Serving Our Public 5.0 – Buildings & Grounds: Action Plan Library Name Date Completed by Job Title The action plans in each section are to be used as a tool for library directors, staff and board members to discuss and determine how their library is addressing the Serving Our Public standards. It is important that library directors, boards and staff recognize that public libraries are always evolving due to new trends, changing societal norms and cultural influences. In order for a library to stay sustainable and viable, the library directors should regularly review the core standards with both board and staff. STANDARD CORE INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED ACTION/PROGRESS 1 The library’s The library The library operating budget establishes a contributes includes dedicated special reserve annually to a funds for regular fund with the goal special reserve maintenance of of financing future fund to have buildings and capital projects, sufficient financial grounds. including repairs, resources to cover remodeling, the costs of future renovations, or a capital projects. new building. 2 The library has a The library The library hires a capital regularly reviews qualified architect improvement plan the capital or engineer to that defines and improvement plan. perform a long- forecasts repair and term facility replacement of assessment to major equipment inform the capital and infrastructure. improvement plan. Serving Our Public 5.0 – Buildings & Grounds: Action Plan, page 1 of 4 Page 59 of 66 3 The library conducts The library keeps a The library a walkthrough to current inventory periodically assess the condition of all furniture, conducts an of furniture and fixtures, and appraisal of all equipment on an equipment. furniture, fixtures annual basis. and equipment with an accredited appraisal company. 4 The library has The library reviews liability insurance its insurance that will cover coverage annually replacement costs to ensure proper of the facility and its valuation of the contents. facility and its contents. 5 Staff and trustees Key staff receive receive a tour of the training on building library’s buildings systems and grounds. appropriate to their roles. 6 The library has a The library has a building and facilities grounds maintenance maintenance manual that checklist that is includes annually reviewed instructions for and updated. operation of all building systems. Serving Our Public 5.0 – Buildings & Grounds: Action Plan, page 2 of 4 Page 60 of 66 7 The library keeps a The library keeps a copy of all digital copy of all maintenance maintenance documents, documents, all blueprints of the documents related original building, to the construction and all subsequent for the original renovations and building and all warranties. subsequent renovations and warranties. 8 The library hires staff, contractors, or vendors to maintain the building and grounds and maintains a list of contacts for building systems. 9 The library has a The library has a master key box and security protocol a password list for for the distribution access to the of keys and building and its passwords, systems. including regular password changes. Serving Our Public 5.0 – Buildings & Grounds: Action Plan, page 3 of 4 Page 61 of 66  10 The library strives to The library has a The library seeks make its buildings plan to improve local, state, and and grounds as environmental national environmentally efficiency and accreditations for friendly as possible sustainability. environmental (e.g., LED lighting, standards (e.g., recycling, energy LEED, Energy Star). efficient equipment, solar panels, EV chargers). Notes/Comments: Last updated July 28, 2025 Serving Our Public 5.0 – Buildings & Grounds: Action Plan, page 4 of 4 Page 62 of 66 Page 63 of 66 Page 64 of 66 Page 65 of 66 Page 66 of 66