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Home My WebLink About2021-05-17 Board of Library Trustees Minutes rq� RECEIVED �. Town of Reading TOWN CLERK Meeting Minutes READING, tylA. �a L fr 2021 JUN 16 PM 4: 57 Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Board of Library Trustees Date: 2021-05-17 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Reading Public Library Location: Address: 64 Middlesex Avenue Session: Open Session Purpose: General Meeting Version: Final Attendees: Members- Present: Chair; Nina Pennacchio; Vice Chair; Monette Verrier; Andrew Grimes, Secretary, Monique Pillow-Gnanaratnam; Cherrie Dubois; John Brzezenski Members- Not Present: Others Present: Amy Lannon, Director; Michelle Filleul, Assistant Director, Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Andrew Grimes, Secretary Topics of Discussion: This meeting was held remotely on Zoom and streamed live on RCN. Public participation was available through email at rdgadmin(foblenetorg. Comments and questions were monitored during the meeting. Call to Order and Welcome 7:03 PM I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM APRIL 12, 2021 Motion: To approve minutes from April 12, 2021 (Dubois/Brzezenski) Vote: Approved 6-0 Il. PUBLIC COMMENT: NONE III. FINANCIAL REPORT: a. FY21: No outstanding issues to report as of May 3. The Library continues to run under budget primarily due to salaries and gaps between departurethiring, and very low substitute use. The Library is currently fully staffed. The materials budget will increase as the library purchases for required summer reading and the annual order for replacement public PCs. Fines and fees are usual. b. Trusts: The YTD income for the Library Trusts Fund is $8,777. Ms. Lannon will provide a spending plan for the trust accounts for FY22. All funds except the Appleton Trust are exclusively for purchasing materials. The Town Treasurer noted that Trust income might go down over the next 1-3 years due to the economy. Ms. Vardar asked how much money in the Trusts is available to spend. Ms. Lannon stated that we have $42K of the$90K to spend. Page I I c. Gifts: April 2021: The Friends donated funds to purchase storytime books that do not normally circulate. These are the large storytime books and acquired through a special vendor. d. Fees:The Town has started to take electronic payments through a credit card vendor, and the Library has been looking for credit card payment options. The current town system may not be a good fit as library fees are often minimal. Ms. Lannon suggested considering touchless payment as a feature for the next generation of printers. These touchless and credit card payments can be a barrier for patrons who do not have a credit card and need to have a way to pay with cash. The Library reviews the fee structure every year. Fees do not generate income but are placed in a self-funded revolving fund to recoup our base costs for these services. e. Pcard: Ms. Lannon noted the April library procurement card(Pcard) statement is available. In general, the most significant charges are for MailChimp, and as well as some software renewals. f. FY22: The Town Meeting Library budget vote was approved on Thursday, May 6. IV. DIRECTOR'S REPORT a. COVID-19: i. Friday, 4/30121,was the last day for quarantined for returned items.The self-checkout stations have reverted to touch screens. Wipes are available for patrons to clean equipment and furniture as needed. ii. Staff vaccinations are proceeding. All the staff will have satisfactory vaccination status by June 21. Currently, over half the team are fully vaccinated. iii. No appointment browsing begins on May 17. iv. June 21 is the kick-off for Summer Reading, as well as full return to services including AMH, no appointments for PC/Study, self-pickup of holds. v. Starting on May 29, masks will no longer be necessary in the Library unless the Trustees vote to extend the mask policy. Staff will continue to wear masks and social distance even with this change. The risk is for those people who come into the Library and cannot(or choose not to) be vaccinated. The Library will follow the Board of Health guidelines regarding masks. Ms. Dubois asked if there will be a sign at the door stating that masks should be wom by those not vaccinated. Ms. Lannon confirmed this would happen and that employees will continue to social distance as possible and that there are no plans to remove the Lexan shields, etc. She noted that hand sanitizer and wipes will still be available for everyone. Ms. Lannon expressed concern on accommodating in- person programs with the new guidelines as many library programs are for children under the age of 12 who cannot be vaccinated at this time. b. April Snapshot: 1. 971 Browsing reservations ii. 279 Study desk/space reservations iii. 181 PC reservations iv. 1146 referencetresearch questions v. 23,560 Total physical circulation (85% of 27,632 April 2019 total) vi. Self-check usage continues to increase, up 8% over March 2021 vii. 67 Programs/ viii. Completion: 16-week Study Buddies program. 68 high school students tutored 63 middle school students. Page 1 2 "This was the best program ever.!My daughter made a genuine connection with her study buddy" "This really helped my son gain confidence with his math." "(The tutor]helped[the student]strengthen her skills for upcoming tests and homework. !Student]loved knowing she had(the tutor]to help her." ix. "Countdown to Kindergarten" series served 23 families c. Community partnership meetings 1. Reading Coalition for Prevention and Support ii. Human Relations Advisory Committee(HRAC) iii. CATO: The Coalition of Us d. Personnel: The Library is seeking substitute library associates. The Library relies on substitutesto fill shifts for regular employees on vacation or out on other leave. The Library is looking for ways to regularly rotate these substitutes to keep employees fresh on very detailed procedures. Ms. Lannon noted that several employees need to take vacation or other PTO before October. e. Professional Development(selections) L 2020 Census Data Survey ii. Digital Commonwealth Annual Conference:Whose story are we telling, how are we telling them, and are they our stories to tell? iii. Evaluating, Auditing, and Diversifying Your Collections iv. Mass Library Systems: Addressing Race Relations v. MLS Upcycling training vi. NETSL (New England Technical Services Librarians) Conference vii. School's Out! Challenges and Solutions for School-Age Programs: Meaningful Activities viii. Storytime STEM ix. Training Courageous Conversations Champions x. Transforming Teen Services: The Pursuit of Educational Equity A. Whole Person Librarianship Al. Youth Mental Health First Aid Ms. Pennacchio noted Ms. Lannon is now the President of the Executive Board of NOBLE through June 2023. Ms. Lannon said it is exciting to work with NOBLE, where member libraries have started new initiatives, including an Inclusive Library Group and a sustainable libraries group. V. OTHER BUSINESS: Ms. Lannon responded to the Trustees' request to meet in person in the Community Room in June. With capacity limits,the current capacity is 40 in the Community Room, and therefore will be acceptable for a public meeting venue. Unless the Board of Health or legal counsel object,the June meeting should be in person where RCTV can record and/or broadcast. Ms. Lannon confirmed that the Director of Equity position was approved in the FY22 budget. The first objective will be to form a hiring committee of about 8 to 10 people. Ms. Lannon recommends this group include two Trustees, a School Committee member, Gage 1 3 a Select Board member, and a member of the Clergy. There would most likely also be a larger panel process and possibly a second round of interviews. Ms. Lannon also said she is looking forward to working with Erica McNamara and learning about her hiring process, etc. Ms. Pennachio wanted to acknowledge that Ms. Lannon represented the Library and the library community well in answering the questions at the town meeting. Ms. Lannon clarified that a Letter to the Editor put in the Reading Chronicle was intended to be a regular press release and that the same release was sent to Ms. Lannon sent to the MBLC and other library leaders in NOBLE. Ms. Lannon noted that 59 Middlesex is active again, although the purpose/use is still a little unclear. Ms. Verrier said she had heard the original lessee is no longer involved, but the owner has found a new lessee. The Library will install a single 20 by 20 outdoor canopy from June 22 to August 10. It will be available for children's and adult programming, and it does not require any permitting.The tent expands the Library's ability to have outdoor programming and pop- up libraries. A letter will be sent out to the abutters inviting them to participate in our program. There will be a family-friendly Summer Reading kick-off event on June 26 Adjournment 7:53 PM. Motion: To Adjourn (Verrier/Dubois) Vote: Approved 6-0 Respectfully Submitted, Andrew Grimes, Secretary Page 14