Live Blogging: Library Board Forum At Morton Grove Public Library

The Morton Grove Public Library (MGPL) sponsored a library candidate forum on Thursday evening, with questions submitted by index cards and moderated by a member of the Union League Club of Chicago. Members of B-PAC, the opposing organization running for library board trustee spots, also but declined to attend the MGPL event on Thursday, for reasons which .

7:30 p.m. About 60 people are seated in the audience section of Baxter Room in the Morton Grove Public Library (MGPL).

7:35 p.m. MGPL Board President David Levin gives an introduction to the forum's moderator David Kohn, director of public affairs at the Union League Club of Chicago.

7:40 p.m. Candidates participating in the forum this evening (Bernadette Fahy, Laura Frisch, Larry Levin and Renee Miller) take the stage, and Kohn explains the logistics of three-minute opening statements by each candidate and time limits for candidates' answers.

7:42 p.m. Each candidate explains his or her background in Morton Grove and relationship with the MGPL.

7:52 p.m. Moderator Kohn starts with an audience-generated question, "How do you envision the role of the library," and adds "in light of the new era of technology?"

7:55 p.m. Fahy said, "Our library has stayed current with technology because not only have they offered computers to use within the library but there are two pages of classes our library holds to instruct people on how to use the technology. ... I know people who say with digitalization the library will go away, but I strongly disagree. ... I think we're going to want to come together to a place where we all can learn."

7:56 p.m. Frisch said, "I really look at the age of our library, it started as a storefront. 170,000 bodies came through the library last year, higher than its ever been ... and I don't see technology slowing down the use of the library, if anything, speeding up."

7:58 p.m. Levin said,"The future of digitizing books is still up in the air," citing the recent lawsuit against Google and its reprinting of books online. He also noted that millions of people still love to hold a good book in their hands.

8:00 p.m. Miller said, "Technology is a help rather than a hindrance. ... A library is a place to come and use the technology but still be with the people." She also believes books will not go away in the future.

8:01 p.m. Question number two: Why do you want this job?

Levin noted that he has loved libraries all his life, and they might be his favorite place outside of home. Miller agreed that her love of libraries is a motivating factor. Fahy said that she sees the library as a reflection of the village and she cares about Morton Grove. Frisch reiterated a love for libraries and books, movies and music.

8:07 p.m. Question number three: What are your thoughts on the overall budgetary condition of the library at this point?

Miller said that the board has always been fiscally responsible with what it spends and what it spends on, feeling it managed to keep the budget within limits and has never over- or under-spent. Levin said, "You've all seen the numbers," and reads literature of increasing library usage in recent years. "Yes, the budget has gone up 10 percent, but in order to provide those services to community, the budget goes up ... but keeping the budget in line is one of the things this board is proud of."

Frisch said that "the library budget is about $3 million, the park district's budget is under $5 million, the village budget proposed for 2011 was more than $59 million [and] in looking at that, I see a budget that looks at each piece of what we use." Fahy said. "We believe in staying within the budget and we take it very seriously."*

8:13 p.m. Question number four: Could you please clarify the $2 million for the operating fund labeled "culture and recration"?

Frisch said, "It comes from the 2009 library audit, an independent audit assigned by the village; the culture and recreation reference is what the library is, what it is actually called on the accounting ledger." Fahy also said the $2 million is the operating fund, "the money we use to pay the bills." Miller said "ditto." Levin added that the operating fund goes up or down according to the timing of payment from the state of Illinois.

8:18 p.m. Question number five: Is a new building needed?

Miller said that a new building is needed at some point, but not necessarily in the immediate future. Frisch talked about the first time she took a tour of the library building, and the study that showcases the things in the building that need to be fixed. Levin said, "The current library is inadequate according to most standards," and notes a lack of space, low ceilings, parking problems and asbestos. "Yes we need a new library but it is up to the residents to choose." Fahy agreed and said, "I think it's pretty sad that people with mobility issues cannot use the library. ... You cannot just put a lift in because once you start the process of becoming ADA compliant, you have to address everything."

8:24 p.m. Question number six: What provoked the authorization of a professional review of the library, and what is the rationalization of that expense [the reader-submitted question put the number at $100,000]?

Levin said he would be remiss to talk about it as he was not around at the time of the decision. Miller said that in her 12 years on the board there had always been talk of a complete study of the library. And to get an idea of what was usable and what was not, the board hired an outsider because it didn't feel qualified to make such decisions. Fahy said she believes the whole study was approximately $35,000. Frisch said she wasn't around during the decision, but thought the board did its "due diligence."

8:29 p.m. Question number seven: Can you describe the timeline for a building and any additional costs to the building of a new library?

Fahy said the board doesn't intend to increase staffing. Frisch said the scale of the library is not nearly as large as the library in Glenview but there is "no crystal ball" to discuss a timeline for a referendum. Levin said there's no timeline at the moment, and additional costs need to be determined according to "returns on cost." Miller said she believes a new building would be "green" and therefore cost less than the current building in long-term energy savings.

8:37 p.m. Question number eight: How would you describe your sense of urgency in creating a new library?

Noting accessibily issues and usage by residents, Levin said, "The urgency is there and becomes more and more apparent on a daily basis." Miller, Fahy and Frish echoed the sentiment but said it hinged on voters' decisions.

8:43 p.m. Question number nine: Does the current economic climate give any of you pause about how quickly a new library would be pursued?

Miller said that she's on a fixed income and supports herself with part-time work, and understand that times are difficult. She also said that costs are lower now than they might be down the road, as an incentive for building now. Levin agreed, but also noted another referendum doesn't make sense with the current District 67 referendum. Frisch and Miller agree, and emphasize it will be up to the voters.

8:50 p.m. Kohn receives a message from a library employee that the cost of aforementioned study was $30,000. He then asks a question about the importance of library space for children and teeangers.

All candidates agree that it's important for the library to accommodate teenagers and children.

9:00 p.m. Kohn asks: What are you doing to keep the building operational?

Miller said the maintenance crew is top-notch; Frisch said they plan to install two new HVAC systems and a new roof; Levin adds his "delight" at the work of MGPL staff; Fahy said they will make sure the current building is usable.

9:05 p.m. Kohn asks: On what subcommittee would you want to serve?

Levin - Building; Miller - Policy; Fahy - Finance; Frisch - Policy

9:06 p.m. Each candidate offers a closing statement.

9:15 p.m. Candidates mingle with audience members over coffee and cookies.

*Clarification: The park district's budget is under 5 million dollars, not 5 million dollars; the budget for village government is about 59 million dollars, rather than "more than 50 million"; clarified that the village budget number is the proposed 2011 number, according to an Oct. 2010 document.