Earlville Library District Board Meeting Minutes
6:00 PM Tuesday, September 16, 2025
On September 16, 2025, the meeting of the Earlville Library District Board was called to order by President Ann Hecathorn at 6:04 p.m. at the library.
Present for the meeting were board members: Ann Hecathorn, Kathy Eager, Stephanie Eller, Skip Nanzer, and Janice Wolff. Also present was Director Paige Frechmann. Mary Bender and Ben Hoffman were absent.
Review of agenda: No additions or changes were made to the agenda.
Public participation: No public participation occurred.
Review of minutes from previous meeting: Corrections made to the August minutes included clarifying that the air conditioner was repaired (not replaced) and correcting an additional typo. After this, Ann Hecathorn moved to accept the minutes; Janice Wolff seconded the motion. Motion carried with a unanimous voice vote.
Financial report: The board discussed costs relating to publishing ordinances in the paper, noting that the budget had been raised for this, yet it is still expensive. ComEd costs have also risen. Different energy-efficiency strategies were discussed, including the merits of investigating solar panels and updating the library’s windows. Paige will reach out to other libraries to discuss how they have handled window replacement and will also reach out to ComEd to see if there are additional energy-saving options that could be implemented. Kathy Eager moved to accept the financial report; Skip Nanzer seconded the motion. Motion carried with a unanimous roll-call vote.
Library director’s report: Paige shared August and September program information, and Ann shared her experience utilizing the Explore More Illinois partnership, specifically with the Children’s Museum in Chicago. Paige highlighted some new initiatives, including the punch-card raffle for a movie theater gift certificate, and the upcoming iPhone clinic. She also explained how the email reminders have been helpful in filling program seats. Paige attended the opioid antagonist webinar and is trained to administer opioid antagonists – she will use the materials from the webinar to train the other library staff as well, and the county will provide the opioid antagonists to have on hand. The air conditioner required another repair, and after that, is currently working well. Paige also discussed moving to a digital collection of audiobooks instead of the physical collection which is not widely being circulated.
New business: The Tax Levy Ordinance was reviewed. Skip Nanzer motioned to accept; Kathy Eager seconded the motion, which passed with a unanimous roll-call vote. Landscaping options were discussed, and Paige will reach out to the school’s FFA organization with a potential volunteer opportunity. Paige will also contact companies to possibly assess the basement water-entry situation and explore options. Paige proposed the purchase of a new office printer when the supply of ink runs out for the current printer (which will lose functionality as the display gradually stops working). Ann Hecathorn motioned, Stephanie Eller seconded the motion, and a roll-call vote was unanimous in affirming the purchase of a new printer when the time comes. The audit by Newkirk is anticipated to be done by the end of September. The option of switching to Constellation Energy was discussed but was decided upon that it would not be a good company to contract with, owing to Jeanette and Paige’s research finding many negative reviews. Ann and Janice volunteered to be judges for the Halloween costume contest next month. The board discussed the Access Action Plan of the Per Capita Grant requirements and how each standard is being addressed.
Unfinished business: Paige shared the updated leave policy for review. Janice Wolff motioned to accept the policy with Skip Nanzer seconding the motion, which passed with a unanimous voice vote. While the elevator inspector verbally told Paige the library failed (due to a non-connected elevator phone), the paperwork that Paige received stated the library had passed inspection, and after requesting further clarification Paige will send in the form that states passage, but will continue to pursue getting the phone in working order. No news on the elevator sump pump alarm, and we are in the process of reviewing the ILA standards checklist.
Items for the next agenda:
- Updates on landscaping and water damage options
- Update on new printer (if applicable)
- Audit
- Sump pump alarm
- ILA standards checklist
Motion to adjourn was made by Ann Hecathorn; Janice Wolff seconded the motion. Motion carried and meeting was adjourned at 8:07 p.m.
Next meeting date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 6:00p.m. at the Earlville Library District.