HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-07-10 Board of Library Trustees MinutesFR
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Meeting Minutes
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Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Board of Library Trustees
Date: 2017-07-10
Building: Reading Public Library
Address: 64 Middlesex Avenue
Purpose: General Meeting
Attendees: Members - Present:
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Conference Room
Session: Open Session
Version: Final
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Cherrie Dubois, Vice Chair; Nina Pennacchio; Andrew Grimes; Sherri
VandenAkker (by phone)
Members - Not Present:
John Brzezenski; Alice Collins
Others Present:
Amy Lannon, Library Director; Ashley Waring, Assistant Library Director
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Alice Collins, Secretary
Topics of Discussion:
Meeting Called to Order 7:08 p.m.
I. Approval of Minutes from June 19, 2017
Motion: To approve Minutes (Grim es/Penna cchio)
Vote: Approved 4-0-0
II. Building Update:
We are waiting for the two oval windows in the Teen Room; the ones we currently
have are temporary. The external window work is done, so when the new windows
arrive installation should be quick and easy.
III. Financial Report:
FY2017: Ms. Lannon reports that all expenses were spent down, but not salaries,
due to retirement and staffing changes. The Library met all state spending
requirements.
FY2018: To begin the fiscal year, Ms. Lannon will go through the materials budget
to create allocations within divisions; these are guidelines for staff spending.
Ms. VandenAkker asked what happens to unspent State Aid. Ms. Lannon clarified
only municipal appropriation must be spent; other money from State Aid, gifts, etc.
can roll forward year to year. Ms. VandenAkker asked if there was any process to
move funds between expenses and salaries. Ms. Lannon explained (not, because
those amounts are voted by Town Meeting and cannot be*comingle J_jk't , -et ,<
Ms. Lannon reports one library is pulling out of the NOBLE consortium; this will affect
our membership fees in the future.
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IV. Director's Report
Personnel: An intern is coming from Qatar under Ms. Lannon's direction to learn
and observe at RPL and other area libraries for two weeks. Three librarians recently
attended ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.
Programs and Services: We are half -way through the "Build a Better World"
summer reading program. The teen program with scratch tickets has been very
popular and incentivizes visiting the library to check out materials. The children's
department BINGO boards are encouraging parent/child interactions and broadening
their use of our collection. Our people counter is now working. In May 2017, we had
20,015 visitors, and in June we had 22,725. Since October 2016, we have been the
top circulating library in NOBLE.
Community Outreach and Engagement: The ArtsReading group is asking for
membership; Ms. Lannon recommends the library join, and the board agrees. A
mural at the TD Bank building in town will feature an image from our digital
collection. Reading's 375th anniversary is 2019; Ms. Lannon has offered library
spaces for programming and meetings. Local history librarian Eileen Barrett will
participate in the celebration committee.
Policies: The meeting room policy, including fees, will need to be reviewed and
revised this fall, after we have observed a full year of building use to identify trends.
Lending policy and lending rules will be presented for discussion at the August board
meeting.
Gifts and Donations: Ms. Lannon is planning a building anniversary party for
October 2017, which will include display of new donor board.
V. Other Business:
Ms. Waring thanked Ms. Pennacchio for her "Reading Without Walls" title
recommendations, and encouraged other board members to send along titles.
Adjournment 8:09 pm
Motion to Adjourn (Grim es/Pennacchio)
Vote: Approved 4-0-0
Respectfully submitted,
Alice Collins, Secretary
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