Agenda

Jacksonville Public Library

Board of Trustees

Monday, September 8, 2025    5:00 p.m.

  • Call to Order
  • Minutes of August 11, 2025 Board Meeting
  • Financial Reports
    • Approval of the Payment of Payroll and Bills for September 2025
  • Endowment Report
  • Director’s Report
  • Comparative Service Report
  • Committees:
    • Automation/Technology
    • Building and Grounds
    • Finance
    • Personnel
    • Public Relations
  • Friends of the Library
  • RSA/RAILS
  • Old Business
    • FY26 Public Library Per Capita Grant Application
    • Lost and Found Policy
  • New Business
    • New Library Laws
      • Permission to pay non-resident card fee quarterly or biannually
      • State Library grants to improve or enhance security in libraries
      • Requiring libraries to maintain a supply of opioid antagonists
    • Non-Resident Card Program Renewal
    • Parking Lot Repair Proposals
    • Board Member Terms Expiring: Fergurson, Beard, Weeks
    • Library Director’s Performance Review (closed session)
  • Adjournment

Minutes

September 8, 2025                                          

The regular meeting of the Jacksonville Public Library Board of Trustees was held on September 8, 2025, in the conference room of the Jacksonville Public Library.  The following Trustees were present: President Mary Fergurson, Laura Bandy, Noel Beard, Beth Capo, Kevin Eckhoff, Lisa Haley, Forrest Keaton, Elizabeth Kennedy, and Katie Weeks.  The following Trustees were absent: None.  Library Director Jake Magnuson and Bridgette Fox (staff writer from the Jacksonville Journal-Courier) were also present.

President Fergurson called the meeting to order at 5:03 p.m.

On motion of Eckhoff, seconded by Beard, and carried, the minutes of the August 11, 2025 meeting of the Board of Trustees were approved as published.

The financial reports and bills were reviewed.  On motion of Kennedy, seconded by Capo, and carried, the financial reports for September 2025 were approved and all properly approved expenses and payroll for September 2025 in the amount of $61,602.02 are to be paid out of general funds as funds are available.

Keaton reported the report for the Endowment Fund as of August 31, 2025 had not yet been received.

President Fergurson asked if there were any persons desiring to make public comments, and there were none.

Director’s Report

Magnuson reviewed the Director’s Report, August 2025.  He reported that, during August, workers from Neff-Colvin had come to the library to complete work to replace a broken restroom door handle and to replace some ceiling tiles that had been damaged by water from one of the air conditioning units that had a clogged drain.  He also reported that Neff-Colvin workers had filled holes caused by downspouts emptying too close to the building and installed concrete splash blocks below several of the downspouts to route water farther away from the building.

Magnuson reported that he had shifted his focus to parking lot repairs and sealing and had obtained estimates from Illinois Paving and from Vision Infrastructure Construction Corporation (VICC).

Magnuson reported that the security camera outside the staff entrance had gone blank and that Young’s Security Systems will be replacing it with a new camera.

Magnuson reported that the fee for the elevator license had been paid to the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, and the license was received later in the month of August.

Magnuson reported that, on August 7th, Ed Doyle came to the library and determined that the temperature sensor for the air conditioning system on the top floor had gone bad.  He reported that the replacement part was installed, and the system seems to be operating normally again.

Magnuson reported that a plumber from Doyle Plumbing performed the backflow testing at the library, and the system passed inspection.

Magnuson reported that the partnership with Memorial Health for mental health kit bags began on August 18th, and the library has had several people ask about the kits.

Magnuson reported that the Friends of the Library board met on August 21st but did not have enough members to conduct business.  He reported that the members in attendance discussed plans for an upcoming fundraiser, i.e., a jigsaw puzzle competition.

Magnuson reported on his monthly segment on WDLS and several articles in print media.

Magnuson reported that the library had received $25,983.60 as its Public Library Per Capita grant, which he explained is based on $1.435 per person in the library’s service area.

Magnuson reported that there were four successful Adult Services programs in August, including speaker Mark Glenshaw on owls in Forest Park, the Page Turners Book Club, and Movie Night.

Magnuson reported that the summer bookmobile had been successful with 42 children checking out 170 items from its three locations.

Magnuson reported that Ali Jones attended both the Jacksonville National Night Out on August 5th and the Back to School Book Bash sponsored by the Crisis Center of Jacksonville.

Magnuson reported that, during August, Heidi Estabrook had Mobile Library visits at Cedarhurst, The Point, Prairie Village, the Volunteers of America apartments, The Grove, and numerous homebound individuals.  He reported that, on August 14th, she had attended the Morgan/Scott/Greene County interagency meeting with 25 other service organizations to share information.

Magnuson reported that, on August 19th, Heidi Estabrook toured a group of Illinois College “Summer Bridge Program students through the library to provide information about the library’s resources, programs, and library cards.

Magnuson reported that, following completion of the Summer Reading Program, Courtney Langdon shifted her focus to planning for Storytimes and has all Storytimes planned through December.  He reported that a Sensory Sensitive Storytime was scheduled for August but had no attendees; therefore, it will continue to be offered for the remainder of the year and then re-evaluated.

Magnuson reviewed the Comparative Service Report for August 2025.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Automation/Technology

No report.

Building and Grounds

No report. 

Finance

No report.  Keaton noted that the Finance Committee will meet in October and then submit the recommended budget to the Board of Trustees for approval in November, prior to submission to the Jacksonville City Council to include in the City’s budget.

Personnel

No report.

Public Relations

No report.

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

No report.

RAILS/RSA

No report.

OLD BUSINESS

Fiscal Year 2026 Public Library Per Capita Grant application.  As part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Public Library Per Capita Grant application process, Magnuson and the Board of Trustees reviewed the checklists for the following two areas contained in the Guidelines of the Illinois Library Association Standards for Illinois Public Libraries: Chapter 6 (Safety) and Chapter 7 (Collection Management).

Lost and Found Policy.  Magnuson shared with the Board of Trustees the opinion and statutory provisions provided by City Attorney Dan Beard related to adoption of a Lost and Found Policy.

NEW BUSINESS

Library Laws.  Magnuson distributed the texts of three new statutory provisions enacted by the Illinois General Assembly, i.e., (a) authority for the Board of Trustees to authorize payment for a non-resident library card on a quarterly or biannual basis, (b) authorization of Illinois State Library grants to improve or enhance security in libraries, and (c) requirements for libraries to maintain a supply of opioid antagonists.

Bridgette Fox departed from the meeting at 5:55 p.m.

Non-Resident Library Card Program Renewal.  After discussion, on motion of Keaton, seconded by Capo, and carried, the Board of Trustees (a) authorized the issuance of non-resident library cards at a cost of $80.00 per year, with payment for the non-resident library cards authorized to be made on annual, biannual, or quarterly basis and (b) reauthorized the issuance of library cards under the Cards for Kids program.

Trustee Capo departed from the meeting at 6:12 p.m.

Parking Lot Repair Proposals.  Magnuson and the Board of Trustees reviewed parking lot repair proposals received from Illinois Paving and from Vision Infrastructure Construction Corporation (VICC).  After discussion, Magnuson was requested to obtain clarification on the proposals and to present the information at the next meeting.

Board Member Terms Expiring.  President Fergurson reported that the Trustee terms of Fergurson, Beard, and Weeks expire in 2025, and all three of the Trustees have expressed a willingness to be appointed to serve an additional 3-year term.

Library Director’s Performance Review (closed session).  On motion of Eckhoff, seconded by Haley, and carried, the Board of Trustees went into closed session at 6:24 p.m. to discuss personnel matters. At this time, Magnuson departed from the meeting.

On motion of Haley, seconded by Eckhoff, and carried, the Board of Trustees returned to open session at 6:54 p.m.

On motion of Beard, seconded by Bandy, and carried, the Board of Trustees approved the evaluation of the Library Director as presented.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business, on motion made by Beard, seconded by Keaton, and carried, the meeting was adjourned at 6:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Forrest Keaton