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Home My WebLink About2021-10-12 Board of Library Trustees MinutesF Town of Reading RECEIVED Meeting Minutes TOWN CLERK READING, MA. K 2021 NOV 15 AM 1147 Board - Committee - commission - Council: Board of Library Trustees Date: 2021-10-12 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; Monique Gnanaratnam; Cherrie Dubois; John Brzezenski Members - Not Present: Others Present: Hamid Jaffari, Director of Engineering and Operations, RMLD; Carla J Nazzaro, School Committee Liaison; Amy Lannon, Director; Michelle Filleul, Assistant Director Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Andrew Grimes, Secretary Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order and Welcome: 7:00 pm II. Public Comment: No public comment. III. RMLD Update on EV Chargers: Hamid Jaffari, Director of Engineering and Operations from RMLD, updated the Trustees on the PAC grant program for the Town of Reading and the placement of EV charging stations at various sites throughout the town. RMLD received the grant for three Level II dual charging stations, one of which is to go into the library parking lot. The installation would require two parking spaces next to the traffic island. RMLD will also install two bollards and regrade the area. Mr. Jaffari also showed the Board how the location has potential for future EV charging parking spaces back to back from the suggested spaces for this project. Mr. Jaffari noted that while installing the Level II chargers, RMLD will also put in a 2ntl conduit for a future Level III dual charging station. RMLD EV public charging rates will apply. Current estimates are a rate of approximately $.22/kWh. According to the grant guidelines, the station needs to be a minimum of 8" ADA hatched area with uniform directional signs, all features already existing in the proposed location. Construction must be completed within six months of the grant acceptance (August 20, 2021). However, RMLD will try to get an extension from the state because of the upcoming winter weather. The extension would push out the construction start date to May 2022. Once construction begins, the project will take two weeks to complete. RMLD will take care of the maintenance. Page 1 1 The library must grant RMLD license for installation of RMLD EV equipment on public property before installation. Motion: Move that the Board of Library Trustees delegate the authority to grant a license for EV Charger stations to RMLD to the Town Manager and subject to Town Counsel approval. (GnmiesrDubois) Vote: Approved 6-0 IV. Approval of Minutes from September 13, 2021 Motion: To approve the minutes as corrected (Verrier/ Dubois) Vote: Approved 6-0 V. Borrowing Policy Review and Update The Head of Collection Services, Jamie Penney, Head of Borrower Services, Lauren Gardner, and Collection Services Librarian, Kathryn Geoffrion Scannell, updated the Borrowing Policy. Ms. Dubois asked about Children's Collection borrowing limits and if there were renewal limits. Board members requested additional changes to formatting and clarifying language in several places. Ms. Lannon will work with Ms. Dubois to update and bring the revised policy back to the November BOLT meeting. VI. Fines & Fees Policy Review and Update The same RPL staff also recommended changes to the Fines and Fees policy. Ms. Lannon noted that the most significant change was eliminating Express items fines. Ms. Pennacchio questioned the replacement of items versus payment of items, noting the Board had discussed this previously. The Board recommended eliminating this option and that senior staff can address any barriers to service through the cost of replacements on a case-by-case basis. Ms. Verrier questioned the cost of replacing library cards. Ms. Verrier recommended that all replacement cards be $1.00, which reduces the issue of making change and simplifies the process. Again, if the replacement fee for a library card becomes a barrier to service, senior staff can address this on a case-by-case basis. The Board requested that these and additional minor changes to the policy be brought back to the November BOLT meeting. VII. DESJ Hiring Update Ms. Gnanaratnam updated the Board, saying that the second round of interviews with two candidates would be on Wednesday. The panel for these interviews includes Ms. Gnanaratnam and Mr. Grimes, Select Board Member Carlo Bacci, Sherilla Lestrade, HRAC; two Reading residents; Josh Goldlust and Aujanetta Stith; and Anna Cuevas, a Reading Public Schools teacher. VIII. Space Planning Discussion Ms. Lannon reviewed the shelving costs and projects discussed at the last meeting, noting that some prices presented were too high. Specifically, the turret shelving quoted at $15,000 is closer to $12,000. Ms. Lannon reported that she had a quote of $2500 for the design cost for the new DESJ office. There will also be building supply costs, but all labor would be done in-house by the Facilities Department. Ms. Dubois noted that she would like the new person to have a window. Motion A motion to authorize the Space Planning Committee to move toward with projects related to shelving and space utilization in the library as proposed and Page 12 discussed in the September 13, 2021 Board of Library Trustees and update the Board regularly. (Grimes/Dubois) Vote: Approved 6-0 Motion: To put the DESJ office in a newly constructed office space by reconfiguring the audiobook room. (GrimesrDubois) Vote: Approved 6-0 IX. Financial Update a. FY22: The Trust Fund Commissioners reviewed the financial requests for the library trusts by the Trustees. The Commissioners approved the transfers and noted that the Trustees may approve basic expenditures from the trusts in the future. The Town Treasurer and Library Director are responsible for ensuring that funds are spent appropriately. b. FY23: Ms. Lannon reported that the F23 Library budget request would be about a 3% increase. She also noted that the library is working with a new database to track donors/donations and volunteers. X. Director's Report a. September snapshot Ms. Lannon reported that Meeting Room bookings have increased. The automated returns are slowly coming back. The self -check stations statistics are growing. The library had a successful Pride Storytime with 42 people attending. The program received much positive feedback, and the staff is planning to do a quarterly Pride Storytime in the future. Library outreach has taken off, with staff representing the library at multiple events. The library delivered its first deposit collection at Peter Sanborn since the beginning of COVID. Inside storytimes have resumed, and the Fall Harvest plant lab went very well. b. Personnel Meghan McCabe, the new full-time Teen Services Librarian started September 27. New Sunday/Substitute Librarians Justin Acosta and Jianna Christopher started October 5. Future Planning 6P` -grade tours are coming back. Parker students can walk. Coolidge students are not able to walk and must take a bus. There are 300 kids total between the two schools. Before COVID Coolidge, students would stay at the library for the entire day to reduce the use of busses. The library isn't ready to return to that model, but the cost of the buses became prohibitive for the PTO, and students end up covering the cost with field trip fees. Ms. Lannon recommends that the library cover the cost of the Coolidge busses for this year and re-evaluate the cost/model next year when COVID may not be as much of an issue. Page 1 3 The Public Services team is meeting with other town departments to discuss wellness checks with the homebound population. The goal is to clarify what staff can do and whom to contact when questions or concerns about homebound patrons. XI. Other Business a. Pages currently make about $11.00 an hour and are on a seasonal chart that the Town Manager manages. Ms. Lannon would like to include a 20% increase in budget for pages so that the library can remain somewhat competitive with the prevailing wage. There were no objections, and Ms. Lannon will follow up with the Town Manager. b. Land Acknowledgement Discussion Ms. Filleul reported that as part of the Reading Public Library mission and our core values of education and accountability, she would like to include a land acknowledgment on the library website and possibly at the beginning of adult programs. The hope is to make this public starting in November as part of Native American Heritage Month. Ms. Pennacchio suggested that the land acknowledgment also be put on a plaque in the library. Recommended Land Acknowledgement: The Reading Public Library is located on the seized territory of the Pawtucket People on the territory of the Massachusett. Tribes named themselves after the land that they resided on. Pawtucket is now called Lynn and is a vast territory that extends from the Piscataqua River in New Hampshire down to the Charles River. The Massachusett tribe are the descendants of the original people that the English first encountered in what is now the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We encourage everyone to team more about the tribes that originated on this land. Motion: To move forward with the land acknowledgment. (Grimes/Pennacchio) Vote: Approved 6-0 Adjournment 9:15 pm. Motion: To Adjourn (Dubois/Pennacchio) Vote: Approved 6-0 Respectfully Submitted, e*— Z'�. %- Andrew Grimes, Secretary Page 1 4