District Library Board reelects Sharon Peters as chairman of the board

At the Jan. 8 meeting of the Belleville Area District Library Board, board members reelected Sharon Peters as chairman for another year.
Mary Jane Dawson was reelected vice-chairman. Alma Hughes Grubs was elected secretary and Joy Cichewicz elected treasurer.
At the beginning of the meeting, 34th District Court Judge David Parrott swore in the four members who were elected Nov. 6: Peters, Dawson, Linda Priest, and Barbara Gates.
Chairwoman Peters said she has been consulting with board members and she will make her committee assignments at the next meeting.
Building Committee Report
Cichewicz reported library representatives had a conversation with Sumpter Township representatives about renovations of the hexagon building to make way for the district library’s new facility in Sumpter.
They were finding it difficult to move forward on plans because Sumpter was using their library funds in escrow for outside improvements and the library was using its funds for inside improvements. The library was having overruns. Sometimes the work overlapped.
“They have volunteered to combine the funds and improve who is working on the project,” Cichewicz said. “They will use Dan’s drawings as a template,” she said referring to library architect Daniel Whisler.
She said they had tradesmen and the library had tradesmen and it was too complicated.
Cichewicz said Sumpter will use the architect from Hennessey Engineers, Ray Parker.
“They wanted to use lower quality materials to keep the costs down,” Cichewicz said.
Board member John Juriga said he agreed that two architects and two attorneys working on that project was too much.
“The district library agreement said they would provide the building,” Cichewicz said. “It’s their building and they will actually own it and it made more sense for them to do it,” Cichewicz said.
Board member Dawson pointed out the steel was up on the construction of the new library next door to the old library and Peters said she has been told the rest of the steel will be up by the end of January.
Juriga said he hired a drone for last Monday or Tuesday, but it was too windy for it to go up to take pictures of the construction.
“We’ll only do this once,” he said, adding, “He’ll come back when it’s not windy.”
2017-18 Audit
Ron Traskos presented the 2017-18 audit prepared by Alan C. Young & Associates for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2018. Traskos said the positive audit showed a “very solid” financial situation.
The audit includes the general operating fund, the construction fund, and the debt service fund. He said while the construction fund will go away once the building is complete, the debt service fund will go on for 18.5 years to complete paying off the $13 million in bonds. Bond payments are in May and November.
Peters thanked Library Director Mary Jo Suchy for the fiduciary responsibility she has shown so they could be good stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars.
Fund Development Committee
Peters said between Dec. 11 and that day they have seen significant increases paid on pledges for the library.
The largest donation was just before Christmas, she said, noting the Atchinson Family donated $85,000 to name a room the Atchinson Family Atrium near the front door of the new library. In addition, a flag pole will be named for Todd Atchinson, who died in November, making a total donation of $92,500.
Peters said retired Library Director Debbie Green has donated $5,000 to get her two grandchildren’s names on planters, along with the name of Mary Jo Suchy also on a planter. Green said Suchy wouldn’t put her own name on anything, so she’s doing it. The planters are $1,500 each and the extra $500 is toward the Jahr Memorial.
The grandchildren to be on the planters are Matthew Edison Cabrera and Sofia Elise Holland Cabrera.
“Our total is over $300,000,” Peters said of the community donations for library amenities.
She said when the library went over budget, people stepped up to help and she believes it’s because of the quality of the library services.
“I’ve tried to raise money before and this is better,” she said of the willing library supporters.
She said people who donate before the cornerstone is laid in either May or June will become charter donors to the library and have their names in the cornerstone. She said many more people donated to the library that were not discussed that evening.
Library Director’s Report
Director Suchy reported that she, too, was very grateful for all the donations, including $6,000 pledged by Board President Sharon Peters and her husband Melvin Peters for two of the early literacy computer stations in the children’s room. Also Board Member John Juriga and his wife Debbie Juriga pledged $5,000 to the new library. The Friends of the Library pledged $25,000 for the Children’s Garden Area.
Suchy also said she and her staff had a conference call with Envisionware on Jan. 2 and placed the initial RFID/Self-Check order on Jan. 4. She said they are still deliberating on the installation of an automated materials handling system. Architect Whisler confirmed that he could make changes to the building’s design now that would make it easier to incorporate an AMH system in the future.
Suchy said circulation supervisor Michelle Wloch has expressed great interest in the improved staff ergonomics that an AMH system would provide. She said they plan to take some field trips to other libraries that use this technology, including the Commerce Library.
The AMH system checks in and sorts materials and the books do not even have to be opened. Suchy said they expect to have 350,000 books in the new library. It was stated some library workers get carpal tunnel syndrome from repeated tasks, such as checking in a great number of books.
Retired Director Green said she appreciates the fact that while this new library may have new technology to help the process, the library is committed to continue to have a live person answer the phone.
The board also discussed an article Suchy included in the board meeting packet on how San Diego eliminated library fines in its 36-branch library system and agreed it was “food for thought.” The Toledo library system also has eliminated library fines.
Police summoned
Suchy explained to the Independent later in the week that the two times she was summoned from the Jan. 8 meeting was due to a library emergency. She said three young men in the quiet study room were pointing air guns at each other. Belleville Police escorted them from the building. Another library official said the three young men were 18 years old.