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Home My WebLink About2021-07-12 Board of Library Trustees Minutes �� rq� e Town of Reading RECEIVED e t Meeting Minutes READIN(('WN �MA `�� 2az1 AUG � °`" ° 10 PH 12: 24 Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Board of Library Trustees Date: 2021-07-12 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, Chair; Monette Verner, Vice-Chair; Andrew Grimes, Secretary; John Brzezenski; Cherrie Dubois; Monique Pillow Gnanaratnam Members - Not Present: Others Present: Amy Lannon, Director; Carla Nazaro, SC Liaison Minutes Respectfully submitted By: Andrew Grimes, Secretary Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order 7:04 p.m. ll. Approval of Minutes from June 14, 2021 Minor edits Motion to approve minutes as corrected(DuboisBrzezenski) Vote: 5-0 III. Public Comment—None IV. Meeting Room and Virtual Meeting Room Policy Updates Ms. Lannon reviewed changes to the Meeting Room policy recommended by Assistant Director Michelle Filleul and Senior Library Associate Louise Hetherington. The library expects to open room rentals to the public in September 2021. IT will be installing hybrid zoom technology into both rooms. Both the Conference Room and Community Room are in demand for town business meetings. There are three main changes: expanding the number of annual uses to twelve (12) up from six (6), eliminating maximum monthly uses, and removing the History Room as a rentable space. The policy also removes any fees for requesting extra chairs. Ms. Lannon gave examples of how these changes will positively impact room rental use. Ms. Verner asked if there were any concerns about the overuse of the services. Ms. Lannon said the staff are now much more familiar with the reservation process and P.'ei1 managing patron expectations since COVID. Therefore, the changes will open up the service and be more manageable for staff to track patron use. Ms. Pennacchio noted that the strategic plan survey had many comments and requests to expand meeting room rentals. Ms. Dubois and Ms. Verner noted additional grammatical corrections. Motion to accept the changes and corrections to the Meeting Room Policy as presented (GnmeslDubois) Vote: 5-0 There were no recommended changes to the Virtual Meeting Room Policy. Ms. Dubois requested adding wording to this policy from the Meeting Room Policy (#13) regarding publicity, etc. Mr. Grimes asked about the library card requirement for eligibility. Ms. Lannon said that point was in response to the 100% virtual environment in which the policy was initially developed and will review with Ms. Filleul. The Board agreed that the eligibility requirements in both the Meeting Room and Virtual Meeting Room policies should align. Other grammatical corrections were noted. Ms. Lannon will incorporate suggested changes and present them for approval at the August 9, 2021 meeting. V. History Room Policy Ms. Lannon presented a new History Room Policy developed in response to an environmental study of the room and recommendations from the NEDCC specialist who conducted a needs assessment in 2019. The policy was developed by Eileen Barrett, Kathryn Geoffrion Scannell, and Ms. Lannon. The policy means the room will remain locked, and use will be for research and by appointment. Ms. Verrier asked if the process would create too much work for the Reference staff. Ms. Lannon said she consulted the Reference staff, and they are comfortable with the reservation/appointment process from COVID and that the process of retrieving secured materials has not changed. Mr. Grimes and Ms. Vardar noted some confusing wording regarding advance appointments, immediate appointments, check-in, and registering at the Reference Desk. The Board requested that the Scope and Conditions for Use be revised for clarification and corrections. Ms. Lannon will incorporate suggested changes and present them for approval at the August 9, 2021 meeting. Ms. Lannon reminded the Board that addressing the loss of the History Room as a rental space is part of the Space Committee's work. The Space Committee consists of Mr. Grimes, Ms. Dubois, Senior Library Associate Louise Hetherington, and Ms. Lannon. The Board reviewed emails and the previous month's discussion regarding the Book Sale room. Ms. Lannon provided a summary of linear footage (shelving)for the Book Sale Room, the Audiobook room, and possible new shelving. Page I 2 The Board recognized the importance of supporting the Friends, their mission, and community engagement efforts. Ms. Lannon asked if there was a Board consensus on locating the new Director of Equity in the Book Sale Room. She expressed concern that there would not be a seamless transition between installing the new Director and reopening space for book sales. Ms. Verner said that some disruption of book sales is expected and that no other space for the new position has been identified as yet. The Board asked that the options for the Friends Book Sale Room be summarized and presented. Ms. Lannon will contact Mr. Grimes and Ms. Dubois to review the existing space as soon as possible. VI. Trusts and Gifts Spending Recommendation Ms. Lannon presented FY22 spending recommendations for Trusts and gifts. She reviewed the process for establishing and accessing funds in Town Trusts and the nine (9) library trusts. She recommended spending $4,800 of trust income on materials in FY22 and transferring $60,000 to the Appleton ($30K) and Long ($30K) funds to increase earning potential. Motion to transfer$60,000 from gifts to trust funds as presented(DuboisIpennacchio) Vote: 6-0 Library gifts are currently at over$445,000. Ms. Lannon noted that a large portion of these funds was donated after the building construction project. She outlined immediate capital projects, including exterior pickup lockers, microfilm digitization, and a book bike- mobile. Estimates for these projects total $162,500. She also recommended $950 in FY22 for materials, $2000 for Staff Development, and $4,000 in programs, services, and equipment. The Board thanks Ms. Lannon for the review and recommendations. Ms. Lannon report on FY22 plans and present FY23 recommendations in July 2022. VII. Financial Update The library anticipates reaching the $234,572 or 13% expenditure requirement. There may be one more FY21 warrant (T2156) that will include a few final invoices. VIII. Director's Report Complete services resumed Monday, June 21, 2021. This included the use of the AMH, elimination of"curbside pickup,' and opening of all soft seating, PCs, and study spaces. Masks are required for unvaccinated visitors. Adult and teen visitors to the Children's room are strongly encouraged to wear masks. Staff continue to wear face-coverings in public areas of the building and working outdoor programs. The installation of the tent went smoothly. Having a shaded area has been essential during high-heat days. Activities like the giant Connect Four are available for public use under the tent when there are no active programs. Page 1 3 Notary Services ended on July 1, 2021. Changes in notary laws and insurance coverage do not allow us to offer notary services to the public. Ms. Vernier asked if there were any further details on the elimination of the service. Ms. Lannon said that MIIA, the town's insurance carrier, cannot cover public notaries. Employees may continue to notarize for business purposes while not at work and are responsible for their own insurance. Ms. Dubois and Ms. Vernier said they were sorry to see the discontinuation of the service. The library received 18 resumes for the leen position and is working on scheduling first- round interviews. The Director for Equity and Social Justice position is set to be added to the Town Classification Plan at the July 20, 2021, Select Board meeting to be held at the library. Once added, the library will post the position and begin the recruitment process. The current hiring plan has several phases, including application review, initial interviews, "Meet the Candidates,"and final selection. There will be opportunities for stakeholders from different parts of the community to participate throughout the process. Ms. Lannon reported that the library had been awarded a $10,000 LSTA Civic Hub Grant, Ms. Allyson Dowds will be overseeing the grant"Reclaiming Our Stories"starting in October 2021. IX. Other Business Adjournment 9:02 p.m. Motion: To Adjourn (VerrierlGnanaratnam) Vote: Approved 6-0 Respectfully Submitted, Andrew Grimes, Secretary Page 1 4