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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988 M. AMMISIMMM 3&nwk 1t'tngø Celebrating our 93rd year of publication Thursday,January 14,1988 Oak Brook,III. Vol.XXVIII No.7 Page 3 136 Pages,3 Sections .,. - — . Nielsen chosen is ' ' - - of .. , , ,. ,, ,.. „,.... .. ._ , , a , Oak Brook's ..„.; . itil i IR ,,. ., El .. new fire chief 1 "�r e Robert D.Nielsen,a lieutenant in the Oak Brook Fire ': .a' • J Clark, •�� Department,has been appointed to replace Jamesk, ,.e retiring fire chief and building commissioner. Nielsen's appointment to the dual position was announc- . '' x' ed at a Village Board meeting Tuesday.He will assume his new post Tuesday, March 1, the effective date of Clark's retirement.Clark has been with the Fire Depart- The Oak Brook library Commission is studying the space will conduct a telephone survey in the near future to deter- ment for 20 years and has been its chief for 10 years. needs of the Oak Brook Public Library with an eye to mine what Oak Brook residents want their library to be. Nielsen,44,joined the Oak Brook Fire Department as a building a new facility.Helping in the study is the Public (Doings photo by Dennis Biela.) firefighter in 1970 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1974. Opinion Laboratory of Northern Illinois University,which /s OB library eyeing expansion / A 9F k y ,a 450 completed cases. He said that to get that number of responses,about of the bias we ourselves would have," 500 calls would be made over a period he said. By Susan Dibble of seven to nine days. We willget He said that if the telephone surveyy/ ///// 0.s.,�Sian u,.,,., Y P �.r y about 85 percent of the people we call doesn't work,it could be followed up to respond,"he said. with a mail survey. ' ;; " A telephone survey to be done in the The survey and analysis of the Miller said the survey would include . <y i near future will help determine results would cost about $8,500. The questions about how often Z %r�x')/ whether Oak Brook gets a new Oak Brook LibraryAssociation, a respondents use the library, what $ ' "�..'i'/ library. friends of the library group, has of- materials and services they want,and '" ", Oak Brook'village trustees agreed fered to underwrite$5,000 of the cost. whether they use libraries in other Tuesday night that the Public Opinion Trustee Garry Bartecki suggested communities. "We envision 12 to 15 Laboratory of Northern Illinois that the village have the Oak Brook minutes(per survey),"he said. University should design and conduct Civic Association do a mail survey in- Trustees said they will inform a survey on residents' desires for stead. Bartecki, former president of residents through the village newslet- more library services. the OBCA,said the association had a ter that the survey will be done. The three-member Oak Brook high response rate on some of the Bartecki asked if the business com- . Library Commission, appointed by surveys it conducted. munity would be surveyed. Fullan the Village Board,began studying the "My opinion is that the civic said that was not contemplated. library's space needs last year.Com- association probably would do it at no Joanne Fritter,head librarian,said )` mission members have said the cost,"Bartecki said."They probably the library is not equipped to serve the library's current facility, located in would get you a very good response business community extensively. "If Nielsen the old Butler School on the village rate in a reasonable time frame." we had much more of the business complex at 1200 Oak Brook Road, is Trustee Joseph Rush said he also community than we have now, we As lieutenant he has served as shift commander,and he woefully inadequate to meet current would be inclined to go with a written couldn't handle it,"she said. also has been director of the Fire Department Bureau of needs. survey. Noting that the Oak Brook Library Commission members said Inspections since 1978. Joe Fullan,chairman of the Library Public Library is supported out of that libraries that have large business The newly appointed chief said his long tenure with the Commission, said commission village funds, he said a new or ex- sections also sometimes receive village will serve him well. "Being a member of the members spent the summer visiting panded library might involve a tax. financial support from the business department for 17 years, I know the workings of the other libraries and now want to All residents should have the oppor- community. department well,"Nielsen said. survey residents. "We will seek your tunity to give their opinions,he said. Board members agreed that His fire service career began in 1961 while he was serv- concurrence to proceed with this Miller said that a written survey businesses shouldn't be included in ing in the United States Air Force and includes extensive survey,"he told the board. would not have the statistical validity the survey. However, Village academic credentials. He possesses a bachelor's degree He said the commission selected of the telephone survey because a Manager Stenhen Berley said he from Governors State University in University Park and a NIU's Public Opinion Laboratory to lower percentage of people probably would inform the Oak Brook Associa- master's degree in public administration from Northern do the survey because of its ex- would answer it.He said the telephone tion of Commerce and Industry of the Illinois University in DeKalb. perience in designing surveys for survey would have a sampling error village's library study and see if Nielsen is certified by the state as a Fire Officer III. other libraries.Nationally known,the of plus or minus 3''z percent. "The OBACI would be interested in having Fire Prevention Officer III, Fire Prevention Education Public Opinion Laboratory has among sample size is totally independent of input. Officer III and Fire Service Instructor IV.He is the first its clients the National Aeronautics population. Doesn't seem that it Meanwhile, Village President and only individual in Illinois to receive the highest levels and Space Administration (NASA) should be,but it is,"he said. Wence Cerne said the Public Opinion of fire officer certification in the three fire service career and numerous state and local govern- Thomas Doyle, president of the Laboratory should proceed with the paths.Nielsen also has served as president of the Illinois ments. Library Association,also supported a design of the residential survey. Inspectors Association. Dr. Jon D. Miller, director of the telephone survey. "We particularly "Why not write up the proposed ques- He has spoken before numerous professional groups and laboratory, said the laboratory's like the work of the Public Opinion tions, and we will take a look at telephone survey sample would be of Laboratory because it takes out some them,"he said. Please turn to FIRE CHIEF on Page 12 Library plans to interview Focus - groups THE DOINGS BySusan Dibble November 9, 1988 Qat Bort Shill Wriier The Oak Brook Public library plans to conduct in-depth nterviews with targeted groups as part of its long-range daunting process, library officials told the Oak Brook Village Board Monday night. Joe Fullan,chairman of the Oak Brook library Com nission,said a survey of residents taken earlier this year LIBRARY ndicated strong support for a larger library.Respondents Continued from Page 3 •ated the present library service highly,but 50 percent raid they use other libraries primarily to get materials not available at the Oak Brook Library. the library should have a large business sec- so over the next 5,10 and 20 years,"she said. "I'm suggesting we cannot rest our our laurels,"Fullan tion to meet the needs of Oak Brook's coin- She added that if a new library were built, raid."We must face the challenges of a rapidly changing rnefcial community. Leader said the out- it would have to meet state standards for Age of information that almost defies packaging and in the come of that issue would have aro impact on handicap accessibility.The library could of- ibrsry operation itself we need to develop a realistic vi- the size,design and budget of the library. fer special services for the hearing and don of future demands within the frbnuework of a visually impaired if it is determined deterudned that is a workable plan." Cerne said Oak Brook has the only tax• need in the community,lender said. Pollan said the next step in the planning process was to free library in Illinois. He said that if hire Diane Lender,a professional library consultant,to citizens want a larger library,the question lender said it would cost$935 topay• for conduct focus group interviews. probably would have to be put to voter her time involved in conducting the focus in- 1 curler explained that focus groups are groups of referendum. Cerne estimated that library terviews.Fullvedisaid conducingthe l.ibran- similar iureSS owners es of people, -school'students sodcitizens, parents small- ef taxes might be between$150 to$200 a year Association,a friends of the library group, bus1 per household. volunteered to pick up half the cost. preschoolers.She said nine focus-group interviews would be conducted,and each group would consist of eight to 12 Leader agreed that residents would have individuals. to be in favor of a strong business library for Village.Board members unanimously "The focus-group interviews will Inc designed to find the a referendum supporting it to pass. "in agreed that the library should proceed with needs of individuals within the groups,"Lender said. ever communitywhere there is a strongthe focus interviews. "It should be an in- leader said the interviews would be taped and analyzed library,it helps draw business,"she said. teresting way to discern the in-depthdwhat to see if any patterns emerged.Focus groups have been "Residents will vote on whether it's passed, perceptions of what's there now and what used successfully in other communities,lender said. but the business community will help fund ought to be there,"Cerne said. She said that she would work with head librarian Joanne it." Fritter and the library Commission to identify leaders In a memo to the board,Fritter said the and representatives of various groups within the cont- next steps in planning after the focus inter- immunity. Leader said the library also could obtain Lender also said that in the near future all views would be to form a planning coumnit- membership lists from a variety of organizations to find libraries will want to have equipment such tee composed of residents and staff, individuals who might not be using the library."Usually as facsimile machines for reproducing and establish library service pi iorities,hire a there are refreshments served as an incentive to come," transmitting documents, video cassettes consultant and prepare a referendum for a she said. and microcomputers for public use. building program.She estimated that the Village President Wence Cerne said it would he impor- "Technology is with us.It will be even more entire process would take 21 to 3 years. tarn to get a good cross-section of people.'.The only weak link is that the groups would have to be chosen with care," he said. louder agreed, but said focus-group interviews sometimes bring out more ideas than surveys of in- dividuals. "By having a group setting, me individual feeds off another,"she said. Trustee Karen Bushy said different libraries seem to have different chdracters or personalities."Would these focus groups...help us determine what the personality of our library will be?"she asked. "this would be part of the picture,"Lender said. She said the library also will use the results of the earlier survey and patterns of use to determine what should be the character of the library. One issue the focus groups will help resolve is whether Please turn to LIBRARY on Page 14