The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2019-12-19 Board of Library Trustees Minutes FF Town of Reading 3 = Meeting Minutes u Li D Sys Jpti CLERK )MOPPOP y0y "i �1 MIA. Board - Committee - Commission - Council: 2 2il JAI 15 PM 12: 30 Board of Library Trustees Date: 2019-12--.9 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; Cherrie Dubois; Alice Collins, Andrew Grimes; Monette Verner 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 November 19, 2019 Motion: To Approve Minutes with amendments: (Dubois, Collins) Vote:Approved 5-0 II. Public Comment: None III. Communications Update: Communications specialist Desiree Zicko and Michelle Filleul, Assistant Director provided an update on library communications. Ms. Filleul reported that there is a member from each department on the Communications Working Group and that while some members have specific roles, all members contribute equally. Social media content and followers have increased for both Instagram and Facebook, while Twitter followers have remained steady. Children's Librarian Olivia McElwain created two social media campaigns highlighting both Hispanic and Native American authors. The new website launched in July, so usage data is limited. The goal of the new website is to highlight services and collections, while program promotion is mainly through other outlets such as Facebook events, a platform that has shown a substantial increase in engagement over the last 90 days. Ms. Zicko reported that the PR campaign for the email newsletter "Off the Shelf' has been successful. The library is actively working to increase subscribers. There were 58 newsletter sign-ups in September 2019, versus 9 sign-ups in 2018 and 6 in 2017. She reported that there will be quarterly campaigns for newsletter sign up with the goal to match card holder sign ups. Page 1 1 IV. Meeting Room Use Report Ms. Filleul reviewed the February 2019 changes to the Meeting Room Policy limiting use to six times a year and requiring payment within 48 hours of confirmation of room booking. She reported that there has been push back from a few organizations about the limited use, however the majority of renters have been fine with these changes. Following the input from Trustee Monette Verrier, Ms. Filleul created a list of alternative meeting room space in Reading and this has been a successful customer service tool. Some organizations are having difficulty with providing room payments within 48 hours of rental confirmation. When payments are late, Senior Library Associate Louise Hetherington or Ms. Filleul will contact the organizations via email first and then via phone to remind them to make payment. Ms. Verrier questioned if the library had considered using Venmo or other electronic forms of payment, Ms. Filleul reported that she has pursued this option through the town treasurer, and is continuing to investigate further. There have been two cases in which we cancelled room bookings due to consistent non-payment. In one situation, the organization was permitted to use the room, but told that the rental would not be confirmed until payment was received. The group has said they do not plan to use the library space again. A total of$2610 in room fees was collected for FY2019, and $1110 in FY20 (YTD). Ms. Verrier inquired if there was anything that Ms. Filleul would change in regards to the room policy and she responded that she'd like to consider raising the number of times an organization could book a room to eight times a year. V. Financial Report a. FY 20 Update: Ms. Lannon reported that the budget is on target. It is 3% underbudget. All employees hired or promoted with the FY20 organizational restructuring have had their 6-month reviews will receive a 2% raise. Each employee was budgeted for the higher rate for the entire FY which is why some salary lines are running under budget. The materials budget moving along and also includes a revolving fund for replacement materials primarily in the children's room. Ms. Lannon noted that expenditures on the town procurement card are not currently reviewed by the Trustees. The card cannot be used for travel or food, but intended for online purchases that cannot be paid in other ways. Typical expenses are MailChimp, Meet-Up, and Adobe subscriptions, as well as conference registrations. Ms. Lannon recommended that the Trustees review and acknowledge the purchases at the monthly meeting. Trustees will give this procedure a try for the next few months. b. State Aid Award: Ms. Lannon reported that the Reading Public Library received confirmation of the first of two state aid award payments in the amount of$17,331.80. This payment is generally slightly less than one half of the total award and an increase over the previous 3 years. NOBLE received an increase as well which will benefit the entire consortium. Ms. Lannon included a breakdown of how state aid is generally spent by the library. Unless being saved for a specific project, state aid is meant to be spent down each year. Page 1 2 c. Gifts-No large gifts this month. VI. Director's Report a. Building / Facilities Update: Nothing to report b. Personnel: Ms. Lannon reported that Kathy Miksis will be retiring at the end of May 2020 and Mary McIntire will be retiring in June 2020. Both will be greatly missed! Jamie will be looking to hire a para-professional for the Collection Services department. We are seeking an exemplary Reader's Advisory Librarian to replace Kathy. c. Programs & Outreach: Michelle Filleul and Amy Lannon met with new METCO Director Grant Hightower and Assistant Superintendent Christine Kelley. It was enlightening and informative. Library staff are now looking at ways we can support and expand services to METCO families. Louisa May Alcott: In preparation of the 2019 movie release of Little Women, the library is excited to host "An Evening with Louisa May Alcott." The 2020 Friends Concert Series begins January 11, 2020. 2000 Libros was quite successful, with a donation of over 120 books. Whitelam Books had great success with this book drive as well. We received a lot of great feedback from the public. The Festival of Trees was another successful outreach event. Many patrons filled out stars and postcards in honor of service members. Staff members and Trustees donated both money and supplies to the Operation Troop Support for which they were grateful. d. Collections and Services: Ms. Lannon reported that per the FY20 Action Plan, library staff are beginning a comprehensive collection management process that includes an analysis for weeding and development of specific sections of the collection, including what percentage of the collection is off the shelf. While general collection management is always ongoing, every 4-5 years the library performs this more in-depth review of both the physical and digital collections while also looking at larger trends in community needs. In regards to specific collections, librarians will consider whether certain material should remain in the collection. For instance, if a health and diet book is it no longer scientifically accurate it will be removed from the collection. The focus is specifically on non-fiction collection, however, we will also look at the fiction collection. We are also reviewing and updated the Collection Development policy to address our growing digital collection. e. Continuing Education Reading Public Library is a workplace dedicated to continuous learning. Below is a list of RPL professional development activities from the last month: Page 1 3 • Census Training • Dementia Friendly training • Fulfilling Students' Potential Through Engaging Literacy Practices webinar • Gender and Sexual Identity workshop • Going Beyond the ABC Song: Music That Naturally Supports Children's Language Development webinar • Grants: What's Available and How to Get Them webinar • How the Library Can Help Students Navigate Mental Health webinar • Inclusive Libraries Discussion Group • Lessons from Model Makerspaces webinar • Libraries Responding to the Opioid Epidemic • Media Mentorship webinar • Minding the Gap: Are you providing equitable access in reading? webinar • MLS "Make Shift Happen" • NOBLE Collection Development Working Group • NOBLE Members Meeting • NOBLE Reference Roundtable • NOBLE Resources Sharing Working Group • NOBLE Weeding Workshop • Readers' Advisory Meeting: 11/26 • SLJ Virtual LibraryCon (A Virtual Festival for Book Nerds, Librarians, and Fans of Graphic Novels, SF, and Fantasy) • Trauma Informed Libraries (series) • What Fred Rogers Would Say About "the Difference We Make"- How Simple, Everyday Interactions in Early Childhood Are Critical webinar Other Business: Mr. Grimes reported out on the status of the Human Rights Advisory Council. They are deciding what the structure of the council should be and there are pros and cons for being a town organization and an independent organization. Town committees must abide by open meeting laws and require residency for participation. However, there are METCO families and non-resident business owners who might want to be involved. Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials: Until the Last Star Fades by Jacquelyn Middleton. Submitted by a patron with concerns about the prevalence of swear words. Jamie Penney, Head of Collection Services, provided a summary of how the book meets a number of the collection development criteria. Mr. Brzezenski felt the response from Ms. Penney was perfect and Mr. Grimes stated that he believes the book should not be removed. Page 1 4 Adjournment: 8:17pm Motion to adjourn (Grimes, Collins) Vote: Approved 5-0 Respectfully Submitted, � LCY-' Alice Collins, Secretary Page 1 5