River Forest Public Library
Board of Library Trustees
Ad-Hoc Committee on Strategic Planning
January 24, 2006

Call to Order
President Molly Ryan called the Committee of the Whole meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Present were Library Director Mrs. Bussey and Trustees Ryan, Coe, Fischer, Horstman and Soffer. Attending by invitation of the board were River Forest Village President Frank Paris and Village Administrator Chuck Biondo. Attending by invitation of board and staff to represent Metropolitan Library System was Ms. Mary Lou Lawry. Ms. Fischer acted as secretary for the meeting and called the roll. 

Audience to Visitors and Trustee Comments
none

Strategic Planning
Status of RFPL Planning
Ms. Ryan provided a report on the progress of the use of village bond funds to bring the Library facility up to speed with the changes in technology and library services. She described the work that has been done to date (front door, roof repairs, technical infrastructure including phone system and upcoming circulation modernizations, among others. Ms. Ryan raised the issues that have come up that go beyond the scope of the Library’s business. 

Village Comprehensive Plan, RFPL Space Issues, Parking Issues and Next Steps
	Ms. Bussey analyzed the River Forest Village’s comprehensive plan as it relates to the Library’s ability to serve its patrons. Discussion included areas where the Library’s strategic intentions were aligned with the Village’s and also included some unresolved areas that need to be clarified. One of those was the chronic parking problem within the blocks that surround the Library. 

Discussion ensued about neighboring institutional interests and conflicts. Mr. Paris commented that the parking questions have been talked about for a long time without any hard data being gathered. The Library trustees and staff agreed to collect data and analyze parking availability at representative times of day and season. 

The discussion broadened in scope to cover the kinds of challenges the Library faces with increases in foot traffic and Library services within the context of its facility at 735 Lathrop. It inquired whether it would be appropriate to open discussions with village organizations that share space, needs and certain aspects of mission (primarily the Park District, District 90 and the Village itself). Mr. Paris was encouraging and constructive in his response. He added a request that the Library do as much as possible to integrate its mission with the two universities that are located in River Forest and to be sure that all the resources be strategically coordinated to provide the best possible set of opportunities for the taxpayers of River Forest. 

Mr. Paris, while not speaking for the Village board, was complementary about the work of the Library and about the effort of the Library board to consider all the residents of the Village rather than any specific demographic subset.

Mr. Biondo and Mr. Paris left the meeting at 8:15. Afterwards, Ms. Fischer asked Ms. Lawry whether the MLS might be able to assist the RFPL in its strategic efforts. Ms. Lawry said she would take the discussion back to her group at MLS and propose ways in which they could advance the strategic effort most effectively. 

Adjournment
At 8:57 p.m. Mr. Coe moved that the meeting be adjourned.  Ms. Fischer seconded.
A vote was taken. The motion carried unanimously.

Respectfully submitted, 
Elizabeth G. Fischer