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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-10 Board of Library Trustees MinutesRECEIVED P[,b By Town CWk GP a( &W — All Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Board of Library Trustees Date: 2025-03-10 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Reading Public Library Location: Community Room Address: 64 Middlesex Avenue Session: Open Session Purpose: General Meeting Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Cappy Popp, Chair; Patrick Egan, Vice -Chair; Andrew Grimes, Secretary; Cherrie Dubois; Andrew Gregory; Monette Verner (remote) Members - Not Present: Others Present: Amy Lannon, Director; Michelle Filleul, Assistant Director; Meaghan Clemente, Administrative Assistant; Andrea Fiorillo, Head of Public Services; Joseph MCDonagh, Finance Committee Liaison to Reading Public Library (remote) Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Andrew Grimes, Secretary Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order 7:00 p.m. II. Public Comment The Board received an email complaint regarding the Tween Space. A parent expressed concern after staff requested their child exit the area designated for children ages 9 to 13. The child was below this age designation. At the time of the incident, no tweens were using the space. III. Recognition of Trustee Retirement: Cherrie Dubois The Board recognized Ms. Dubois' 33 years of service to the Board. Members thanked Ms. Dubois for her vast knowledge of the Library and the Reading community, as well as for her poignant input and invaluable guidance over the course of her extraordinary tenure. The Board recognized that Ms. Dubois profoundly impacted the Reading Public Library through her involvement in the Board, Ad Hoc Library Building Committee, and collaboration with the Friends of the Reading Public Library and Reading Public Library Foundation. Ms. Dubois also served on the building committee that transformed the historic Highland School building into a library. Ms. Dubois will continue to serve on the Ad Hoc Library Landscape Committee as a resident and looks forward to continuing to visit the Library frequently. Board members presented Ms. Dubois with a card and donated to the Library in her honor. IV. Spring Programming Update Head of Public Services Andrea Fiorillo presented an update on the Library's spring programming. The Public Services team has creatively developed various unique programming offerings to appeal to patrons of all ages. Local author Tara Sullivan will visit in March to meet with teens in a discussion moderated by the RMHS book group. Patrons can join live watch parties for the Friends Speaker Series events featuring authors Jennifer Weiner and Jodi Picouft. Other virtual events topics include self-help, women's liberation, trees, and bestselling thriller writer Gregg Hurwitz. Children's room staff will host the head researcher of the Mass General Hospital Literacy Lab for a presentation on decodable phonics learning to local and regional educators and librarians. RPL will host a traveling exhibit on the role of women in the military created by a World War ll veterans group called the 3-5-0 Girls. The exhibit will feature uniforms and artifacts. Local researcher Autumn Henderickson will present an update on her project focusing on local veterans. Boston Globe reporter Emily Sweeney will present on Cold Crimes of New England. Postpartum doulas will share recovery knowledge with new and expecting parents in another program offering. Other programs include concerts for children, families, and all ages; a hands-on building game for teens; and the usual sing -along events. Ms. Fiorillo highlighted pictures from a recent slime workshop, part of a teen STEM series led by a local teen volunteer. Rooted in Reading Spring programming includes a community craft swap, a community plant and seed swap, and a family farm day. A programming series will feature edible plants, house plants, plant -based diets, and wildlife tracking. RPL continues to build strong partnerships in the community. The Library recently partnered with Northeast Autism Resource Center (ARC) to host an art showcase and continues to offer ongoing senior tax preparation assistance in collaboration with the Pleasant Street Center every Wednesday. The Library hopes to work with the Writer's Collaborative Learning Center to host a story slam event with local writers. North Suburban Child Network regularly hosts educational music programs and new parent resource groups at the Library. The Library recently collaborated with the Reading Neighbors Network (RNN) to co -host a presentation on green burial options and a Livewires folk dancing series with the Folk Arts Center of New England. Shelf Joy displays throughout the Library emulate the whimsical passive programming of the Children's Room through creative, playful, and sometimes interactive celebrations of space. An Edward Gorey house is on display in the mystery section. Other Shelf Joy stations include a build -a -poem activity, community sketchbook, and cookbook recipe swap. A loose map is available, but patrons are encouraged to organically stumble upon these installations. Staff plans to spread new Shelf Joy in the coming months. V. Discussion and Vote on the RMHS Girl Rising Club's concession sale request for Saturday, March 22, 2025, movie screening fundraiser The RMHS Girl Rising Club has decided not to raise funds at its movie screening event on Saturday, March 22. They will only be showing a movie, so no Trustee permission or further discussion is needed. Page 1 2 VI. Discussion and Vote on Parking Recommendations for RMLD regarding EV Chargers The Board reviewed and discussed information presented by the Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD) regarding parking spots associated with the electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the Library. RMLD proposed that the middle Level 2 charging space could revert to a regular parking space available to all Library users on a first - come, first -serve basis. DPW will remove signage and markings associated with this space would. This change will be effective when the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP) state grant requirements ease in June 2025. The Board noted that some patrons are confused about EV charging stations and clarified that regular parking is allowed on the other side of the chargers closest to the building. The Board reviewed the white hash marks indicating handicap accessibility for Level 2 and Level 3 chargers. They noted that the painted hash marks on the far -left side have faded, but this area is not large enough to be a viable regular parking space. All regular parking spaces should be welcoming to patrons who do not drive electric vehicles. The Board was unaware of the penalty for regular cars who park in spaces designated for electric vehicles. They discussed the possibility of designating spaces as "EV preferred" when no other spaces are available during busy times. Based on patron feedback expressing concerns about the lack of regular parking, the Board is willing to allow the one proposed space to become more flexible for regular parking. Motion: To grant the Reading Municipal Light Department permission to remove EV markings on the proposed middle Level 2 charging space, which will revert to a regular parking space available to alf Library users when grant requirements are eased in June 2025. (Grimes / Dubois) Vote: Approved 6-0 VII. Review Updates to the Patron Rights and Responsibilities Policy: Updating references The Library Director recommended updated language in this policy, which refers to the former Safe Child Policy, to reflect the superseding Responsibilities Regarding Minors Policy. Ms. Verner proposed changing the phrasing of "unaccompanied" to "unattended" children under the age of 10 to better connect both policies. VIII. Review Updates to the Policy Regarding Minors: Adding language regarding Tweens. The Library Director recommended adding language around programming specifying tweens as children ages 9-13. These language edits help staff enforce the appropriate use of library spaces. Signage outside the Tween Space designates an independent area for this age group. All children under age 10 must be adequately supervised by a parent or caregiver on the same floor, including 9-year-old tweens using the Tween Space. A responsible grownup may be nearby in the Children's Room, allowing the child to use the space independently. The collection in the Tween area is specially curated for children ages 9- 13, intentionally providing some overlap between the Children's and Teen collections. The Board discussed grade levels and ages. Maturity levels and developmental needs are different for every child. Tweens are not required to provide age verification to use the Tween Space. However, staff encourage age -appropriate use and respectful behavior across all areas. Page 1 3 IX. Financial Report Ms. Lannon will present the FY26 budget to the Finance Committee on Wednesday, March 12. Trustees are invited to attend the FINCOM meeting, which has been posted in case of a quorum. FY25 materials and salary budgets remain on track. The Library received several generous memorial gifts in February. Ms. Lannon thanked the Board for approving invoices in the current warrant. X. Director's Report Despite it being a short month, February statistics remain strong. While physical circulation is down compared to February 2024, digital borrowing through Overdrive has increased. Ms. Lannon noted that Usage of electronic resources like Hoopla and Kanopy also remains strong. Also, physical visits to the Library average about 14,000 per month. The Library was closed on one Sunday in February due to inclement weather. Approximately 300 patrons visit the Library every open Sunday. Partners and Allies for Inclusive Reading (PAIR) led and organized the First Annual Black History Trivia Evening. Director of Equity and Social Justice Albert Pless facilitated this fun community -centered event in the Studio space. There was excellent attendance. The Library is wrapping up an accessibility survey and reviewing data and feedback related to program accessibility. Improving accessibility is a key focus of both the new FY26-FY30 Library strategic plan and the Community DEI Assessment. Staff regulady participate in professional development opportunities related to improving accessibility. The Seed Library's new location on the main floor has improved visibility and accessibility for the collection. A volunteer is helping Children's Librarian Megan White restock its offerings. Library staff are also coordinating a large community Arbor Day event in collaboration with the Department of Public Works (DPW), Town Forest Committee, Conservation Commission, and Reading Scouts. The goal is to plant 500 small tree saplings in the Town Forest every five years to help ensure the forests long- term sustainability. The saplings are sourced from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The Library is nearing a decision for new shelving to hold the growing Library of Things collection. New lockable shelving will expand storage and provide centralized access to the collection. The shelves will be located near the current holds pickup area. This purchase will be part of the FY25 supplemental spending plan. The Board acknowledged the upcoming elections on April 8. Any new or returning trustees must be swom in before the Board's next meeting on April 14. Full-time Children's Library Associate Dina Snook celebrates her second work anniversary in March. Substitute Librarian Susanne Sullivan has stepped down but looks forward to continuing to visit as a Library patron. Nancy Snow and Ashley Cristiano have been hired as generalist Substitute Librarians and will cover both the Reference and Children's service desks. These new hires are part of an ongoing effort to cross -train staff in various departments. The new Busy Bee group will begin meeting in March. Club meetings will incentivize gardeners of any age and ability to socialize and partake in gardening activities together. The group plans to eventually design and develop a space on the Library grounds that can achieve official wildlife habitat certification through the inclusion of specific plantings. Page 1 4 Several teen volunteers will help keep the March 15" craft swap event organized. A local IT professional has volunteered to help with a technology inventory project. They will note any computer equipment that requires updating and replacing. Another volunteer is assisting with popular Jumping Bean storytimes on Saturday momings. XI. Approval of February 10, 2025, Meeting Minutes Motion.: To approve the minutes of the February 10, 2025, Trustee Meeting as written. (Dubois /Gregory) Vote: Approved 60 XII. Future Agenda Items Director of Equity and Social Justice Albert Pleas will present an update in April. The Trustees elected in the April 6e' Town election will be introduced. The Board will vote on updates to the Patron Rights and Responsibilities policy and the Policy Regarding Minors. The Board can also discuss the status of the Ad Hoc Library Landscape Committee. In June, Ms. Fiorillo will present a summer programming update. The Board will vote to elect officers, determine FY26 meeting dates, and set the 2026 holiday closing schedule. Adjournment 7:66 p.m. Motion: To Adjourn (Dubois / Gregory) Vote: Approved 6-0 Respectfully Submitted, Andrew Grimes, Secretary Page 15 THANK YOU CHERRIE! You will be misseclM • First elected March 18, 1985 and served for 15 years until February 14, 2000 Elected again April 7, 2007 serving continuously for 18 years through March 2025. • Total of (11) 3-year terms • Chair (1988, 1995, 1996) • Vice -Chair (2016, 2017, 2018) • Secretary Ad Hoc Library Building Committee (3.5 years) • Vice -Chair Ad Hoc Library Landscape Committee (3 yrs and going....) READING LIBRARY jblic Services Update w, March -May 2025 1 Highlight Reel • Meet the Author: Tara Sullivan • Jennifer Weiner & Jodi Picoult Live Watch Parties • Science of Reading • 3-5-0 Girls: Women in the Military traveling exhibit • 5 Years of Reading's Boys with Autumn Henderickson • Cold Crimes of New England • Postpartum Doulas • Rockabye Beats & Alastair Moock Family Concerts • Celtic Concert & Jazz Duo Enrique & Grant • Buildwave: A Hands -On Building Game for Teens • A Wicked Good Time - Crafts & Singalong STEM with Calli: Slime Seminar Rooted in Reading Community Craft Swap Gardening Series - HousepLants & Edible Community Plant/Seed Swap Family Farm Day Busy Bee Volunteers Food and Climate Change: Plant Based Diets Live Wires: WiLdlife Tracking with Dan Gardoqui ® Northeast ARC • Pleasant Street Center • writers' Collaborative Learning CE IV North Suburban ramily Resource Networ' Reading Neighbors Network FRIENDS SPEAKER SERIES Celebrated authors and compelling speakers to watch live and on -demand, at home or at the library! d9 ea 6mtl". 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