Lake Bluff Library’s Board of Trustees Retreat: An Insider’s Look

On Saturday, February 24, the Lake Bluff Public Library Board of Trustees gathered at the Lake Bluff Park District in their Community Room for their first professional retreat of the Board’s new leadership. The keynote speaker was Jamie Rachlin, President of Meristem Advisors, LLC and Senior Financial Executive with decades of experience as a municipal banker and registered municipal advisor. All Library Board Trustees were in attendance at the Retreat, except one who was absent due to an out of town engagement.

Summary

A Letter from the Library Board President: New Leadership, New Perspectives

Hello Lake Bluff neighbors,                                  

As the current President of the Lake Bluff Public Library Board of Trustees, I wanted to reach out and provide an update. After serving as Secretary and Vice-President, I was elected President almost a year ago. I can tell you, it has been a rewarding way to give back after a 30-year career with Abbott/AbbVie.   

New meeting room policy in effect

In June of 2023, the Library Board of Trustees approved a new Meeting Room Policy. Updates to the policy include greater clarity on usage of the Spruth Room, including more detailed definitions of for-profit use. The Library's internal procedures have been updated to reflect changes to the policy, which is fully in effect as of Wednesday, March 13, 2024. To learn more about booking a meeting room at the Library, please visit our Meeting Rooms page.

New resource: Rosetta Stone

Learn another language with your Library card

Lake Bluff Public Library now provides free access to Rosetta Stone to learn a new language from the comfort of your home. You can use it to refine your grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and conversation skills in 30 distinct languages. Learning a new language can expand job prospects, prepare for travel and strengthen community connections with neighbors. 

Languages include

  • Spanish (Latin America or Spain)
  • English (American or British)
  • French
  • Chinese (Mandarin)
  • German
  • Hebrew
  • Latin

Core Features

Library Receives $84,474 in PPRT payments from Village

On Friday, January 26, the Village of Lake Bluff disbursed $84,474 to the Lake Bluff Public Library for its share of Personal Property Replacement Taxes (PPRT) going back to 1980. As Library Board President Bonnie Shaul states, “The Village Board showed tremendous commitment in swiftly correcting this inadvertent error and acknowledging that, despite current financial challenges, the Lake Bluff Public Library will remain a core asset of the Lake Bluff community years into the future.”

Financial Context

HVAC Updates

January 25, 2024 Update - Part 2

The Lake Bluff Library has reopened. During the replacement of the faulty HVAC unit, there was a problem with the gas line that resulted in a temporary evacuation and closure of the building. The problem has been resolved and the Lake Bluff Fire Department has determined that the building is now safe for occupancy.

We appreciate your patience during this time.

January 25, 2024 Update

The Lake Bluff Library is closed until further notice. We are continuing to experience issues with its HVAC. During the replacement of the HVAC unit today, more gas was detected in the building. We are currently assessing the situation and will share an update as soon as we know more. Thank you for your patience.

Library closed 1/16 due to unsafe building temperatures

The Lake Bluff Library will remain closed on Tuesday, January 16 due to unsafe temperatures for staff and public. Technicians are onsite today to evaluate the HVAC unit. Both programs scheduled for today (Baby and Me and Afternoon Book Club) are cancelled.

Any updates will be shared on the Library website, Facebook, and Instagram. For information about 24/7 Library services, please visit our Explore menu. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Known issue with online catalog search bar on Library website

The Library has become aware of an issue affecting the catalog search bar on the Library website. When users attempt to search for materials, the page fails to load any results. The Library has contacted our software vendor for the online catalog for assistance in resolving this issue. While this problem persists, patrons can use a direct link to our catalog to search for materials. 

We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to have a resolution available shortly.