1991-12-16 Board of Library Trustees Minutes

Home Browse Search

Board of Library Trustees Minutes of Meeting - December 16, 1991 Conference Room - Reading Public Library - 6:00 p.m. P ent: Mrs. Elia Marnik, chair; Mrs. Carol Beckwith; Mr. William Diamond; Ms Cherrie Dubois; Dr. Christine Redford. Absent: Mr. Robert Yields. The meeting was called to order at 6:15 p.m. Minutes: Ms. Dubois made a motion to approve the minutes of November 18. The motion passed. Statistical report: Circulation is down a little from last November, but cumulative circulation is still considerably over last year's. There has been an increase in reference questions, and a huge increase in children's reference questions -- almost double that of last year. Ms. Hanley theorized that this is due to the state of the school libraries. Mrs. Marnik stated that the Library cannot pick up slack from the schools and continue to go about with business as usual. The impact must be recognized. Division head's report: A report from Renee Olson on reference division activities was moved up from "New business." Ms. Olson anticipates that the staff will spend a lot of time in the next three or four months introducing the online catalog to patrons. The staff has used the catalog for a year at the Information Desk, so they are comfortable with it. A 1? °t of commonly requested topics is available for browsing. `?roQuest, a new magazine index on CD -ROM, was added in September. Nz..,,zine Articles Summary, which covers 1986 to August 1991, is still in the reference room also, and will be used as a backfile, perhaps until the end of the school year. The Apple computer is out of commission. An IBM has been installed in the typing room in its stead and will be ready for use, without a printer, tomorrow. When Mr. Berger donates the laser printer, Reading will be the only library in the area to offer a laser printer. Charges will be re- evaluated because of the high cost of toner. This new arrangement will be' especially good for resumes. If the Apple can be fixed, it may be set up in the Children's Room. The pickup rate on faxed copies of magazine articles has increased from 50o to 1000, now that patrons are called instead of having to remember to call the library. The fax machine has come in handy for answering reference questions also, such as obtaining a copy of a poem from an anthology at the Boston Public Library. Ms. Olson had been investigating a full -text newspaper on CD -ROM. A bad review of the software for the Boston Globe means that she will wait' until the products have been improved before considering a subscription. The company that produces ProQuest is now offering the New York Times on CD -ROM. The cost of that product is $250 above the cost for the print index and the microfilm versions combined. It is difficult to commit to a CD -ROM subscription with budget vagaries. The two new reference librarians are working out very well. Trudy Paradis, who has taken up the gap in mechanical aptitude left by Doreen B '?_ck, will be starting a young adult literature class in January. Robin E" breadth ofexperience is appreciated. 1