1996-06-18 Board of Library Trustees Minutes

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Board of Library Trustees Minutes of Meeting - June 18, 1996, Conference Room - Reading Public Library -G6:00 p.m. , ii Ff 3 1 ant: Ms. Cherrie Dubois, chair; Mr. Williamialnond; Mr. Robert Fields; Mrs Elia Marnik; Mrs. Maria Silvaggi. Absent: Dr. Christine Redford. Also present: Mary Bastiani, Rachel and Steve Baumgartner, Harry Harutunian, Peter Hechenbleikner, Mary Hichborn. Ms. Dubois called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Dr. Harutunian provided some background on the school library-public library collaboration. Areas to address include automation, collective buying, and splitting up collection strengths. Where the money comes from is something that needs to be worked out. As an experiment, the Coolidge Middle School library could be opened up one night a week to allow the public access to its collection and computers. Money from the Finance Committee would be needed to do this. The first step is to put electronic capability in one school, i.e., Coolidge. A Title II grant (typically $8,000 to $10,000) could cover costs for NOBLE ($10,000 to $12,000). The school library will be a satellite of the public library. Reading will be the first community to have this arrangement. A joint meeting of the Board of Library Trustees, the School Committee, the Town Manager, and the chair of the Finance Committee will follow. Ms. Hanley said that the Library's point of view in this collaboration is to pro - t effectively, and to teach children lifelong library skills. If the lidge library joined NOBLE on their own, it would cost $20,000. As a uanch under the aegis of the Reading Public Library, it will cost $10,000 to $12,000 (one-time). A formal document is needed stating the relationship of the Coolidge library and the Reading Public Library. The collaboration will inevitably produce more work for the public library staff. Several staff members assisted in an extensive weeding project at Coolidge on June 3. Dr. Harutunian said that about fifty percent of the books in Coolidge, as in school libraries elsewhere, are no longer appropriate, culturally and in terms of gender. Money will need to be moved in the School Department to update the collection. The library can work with the public library to decide what should be purchased. A discussion is needed about the discrepancy between school librarian pay and public librarian pay. However, said Dr. Harutunian, the discrepancy should not be allowed to stop progress. The pilot program will begin in September. Mr. Diamond was excused from the meeting at 6:30 p.m. There is state grant money available for technology hardware, and possibly for personnel. A local corporation may be interested in co-sponsoring this kind of project. Mr. Hechenbleikner recommended using grant money for capital and one-time expenses. Another potential partner is RMLD, which is looking into sharing an electronic source for Massachusetts laws with the public library and Town Hall. The goal is not to cut costs, said Mrs. Marnik, but to provide the best service. Ms-....,Hanley stated that it is important that the pilot project focus first nhancing Coolidge'_s service as a school library, _ before expanding its %ce area and responsibilities beyond students and faculty. 1