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Home My WebLink About2019-11-19 Board of Library Trustees Minutes or i Town of Reading Meeting Minutes L ; y 1 ' Fko To ,ry ,ti CLERK PJ�'IMORVOPR Y r-. 1 rl�' MA, Board - Committee - Commission - Council: kA_ ill! DL: 10 PM 12: 42 Board of Library Trustees Date: 2019-11-19 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Reading Public Library Location: Conference Room Address: 64 Middlesex Avenue Session: Open Session Purpose: General Meeting Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: John Brzezenski, Chair; Nina Pennacchio, Vice Chair; Chemie Dubois; Alice Collins, Andrew Grimes; Monette Verrier Members - Not Present: Others Present: Amy Lannon, Director; Michelle Filleul, Assistant Director Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Alice Collins, Secretary Topics of Discussion: Call to Order I. Approval of Minutes from October 15, 2019 Motion: To Approve Minutes: (Dubois, Grimes) Vote:Approved 5-0 It. Public Comment: None III. Trustee By-laws: Proposed amendment to Article V on meeting schedule Continued from October meeting: Bylaws will align with School Committee policy. Changes define major religious holidays to be considered in scheduling Trustee meetings. Ms. Verner inquired about notification procedure in case of known absence. Ms. Lannon requested library administration be notified at earliest possible time in order to determine potential issues of convening a quorum. Motion: To approve as amended. (Dubois, Collins) Vote:Approved 5-0 IV. Policy Review: Proposed amendments to Gifts Policy Ms. Lannon presented proposed amendments to the current gift policy which has not been updated since 2002. Major changes include that the library no longer takes book/materials donations, instead directing donors to the Friends book sale room, as the proceeds from the book sale room go to support the library. The policy also allows the library discretion in situations that involve rare or special collections materials (e.g. Local History). Any non-financial donations (art, furnishings, equipment, etc.) need to be approved by the Director or the Trustees, and also be relevant to the collection development Page 1 1 policy, library Mission Statement, or demonstrate significance to the community. Donor restrictions may affect acceptance of any donation. The library reserves the right to discard or remove any donated items. Ms. Dubois recommended this stipulation be added all donor forms or communications so that the donor knows this in advance. The other policy changes are minor, mostly to protect the library. Ms. Collins asked for clarification on the language that says we make every effort to honor the donor's wishes, but that we cannot always do so. Ms. Verner asked about the status of the collection development policy. Ms. Lannon responded that it is currently under review and expects that it will be presented to the Trustees for approval by June 2020. Motion: To approve as amended. (Grimes, Collins) Vote:Approved 5-0 V. FY21 Action Plan Approval Ms. Lannon presented the FY21 Action Plan to be filed with the MBLC by December 1, 2019. The action plan allows the library to apply for LSTA and other grants. Objectives and actions address the current strategic plan, and also anticipate development and implementation of a new strategic plan. Ms. Lannon noted many items require increased collaboration between the library and other town departments. The library also plans to add video conferencing in the conference room and begin development of exterior landscaping. Related to staff development, Ms. Lannon mentioned expanding the 360 reviews to include the Assistant Director and Division Heads. This would be timed to coincide with the annual Employee Engagement Survey. Additionally, Staff Development Day will move to the fall. Ms. Collins asked if the action plan goals and objectives can grow. Ms. Lannon confirmed that the action plan is only a guide. Goals and objectives may change or even be removed as the year progresses. Motion: To approve as amended. (Collins, Dubois) Vote:Approved 5-0 VI. Financial Report a. FY 20 Update: Budget on target, Ms. Lannon noted that reporting rules governing the trust accounts have changed. These accounts are included in the financial report but may look a bit different from previous months. She is considering providing separate quarterly trust account reports. Ms. Dubois asked if it these funds should be regularly spent to encourage other financial donations. Ms. Lannon responded that these older trust accounts have been considered "emergency funds," but will develop a spending proposal that would keep these funds more active. b. FY 21 Draft Budget: Ms. Lannon reported that she will present the Level 1 FY21 Budget request at the December loll Select Board. The request is for an overall 3% increase. c. Gifts-No large gifts this month. Mr. Brzezenski reported that the Foundation received a gift of $50,000 from the estate of Donald Cripps. VII. Director's Report 1.Building / Facilities Update a.Vestibule Carpeting: Facilities arranged to have new carpeting installed in the main entrance vestibule. Thank you to Facilities for arranging to have Page 13 the installation completed well before we opened to the public. b. Signage: We have added new "Staff Only" signs to all employee work areas. We also ordered a replacement signage for the elevator and a new donor sign acknowledging Reading Co-op Bank sponsorship of the Children's Program Room. Both of these signs are still in production. All signs were procured through Metro Sign and Awning with a standard discount through MHEC. 2. Personnel a. The next All Staff meeting will be Thursday, November 21. This is a general meeting (no training) with information updates and a fire drill. Michelle Filleul and Andrea Fiorillo are leading the meeting. 3. Programs & Outreach The library is part of a town-wide effort to raise awareness, offer education, and provide access to the U.S. Census. April 1, 2020 will be "Census Day: Stand up and Be Counted" and local partners include: Town Clerk, Human/Elder Services, YMCA, and RCN. 4. Collections and Services Ms. Lannon presented a summary of printing fee revenue and expenses. Over the last three years, printing related expenses have outpaced the fee revenue. However, FY19 included a purchase of new coin boxes which was unusual. She will continue to tracking the costs of printing per year and periodically re-evaluate the fees. 5. Continuing Education Ms. Lannon reported that library staff members attended the following professional development activities last month: • 2020 Census: Issues and Opportunities for Libraries • Boston Book Festival • Brilliant Book Club Picks • Cookbook Recommendations • Cross training at Children's and Information Services desks • Diverse Book Finder • Engaging Indoor Classrooms: Natural Materials and Loose Parts • Library Journal Day of Dialog @ Cambridge PL • Library Marketing Basics: Promoting on a Shoestring Budget • Marketing the Library • MLS Effective Meetings Workshop • NOBLE Day at EBSCO • NOBLE Collection Management Working Group • NOBLE Social Media Roundtable • School Library Journal Day of Dialog @ Cambridge PL • Sound Learning: Audiobooks in the Library to Support Literacy Page 13 • Support Learning through Play • Trauma Informed Library Services Series • Using Children's Books to Approach Trauma-Informed Education VIII. Other Business: Ms. Lannon received a phone call from a patron inquiring about the Daniels House purchase as a sober house. The caller was concerned about a negative impact on the library. Ms. Lannon responded that the library welcomes everyone, regardless of personal situation. Ms. Lannon also reached out to Town Hall who has also receiving calls regarding the purchase. Sober homes are legally viewed as single family use and the town has no control over how it is used, and they are not regulated. Ms. Lannon stated that it was extremely important to the library and library staff that we will be supportive and welcoming to whomever lives in the home. Mr. Brzezenski expressed concern about the vulnerability of people living in the home. Library staff will send related calls and inquiries to Ms. Lannon. Ms. Lannon reported that after the boiled water order was issued, the Town Manager and Department Heads discussed the use of library as an alternative Emergency Command Center. If for some reason the police station is unavailable in a community emergency, the library would serve as an alternate location. Ms. Lannon asked the Trustees to consider this suggestion and any potential repercussions. The biggest obstacle to this idea is the lack of a generator in the building. Ms. Collins reported that they proposed a generator in the library building project and it was an added expense that was not feasible at the time. Ms. Verrier asked if the town would pay for installation of a generator or any other facilities upgrades needed to make the library a viable Emergency Command Center. Ms. DuBois also felt the town should pay for the bulk of the any such expenses. Two Collection Requests: RMLD Historical Calendars Coat Drive and Toys for Tots. Motion: To approve both collection requests. (Grimes, Dubois) Vote: Approved 5-0 Adjournment 8:27 nm Motion to adjourn (Dubois, Verrier) Vote: Approved 5-0 Respectfully Submitted, Alice Collins, Secretary Page 1 4