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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-06-16 Board of Library Trustees Minutes4 �� rR�b Town Of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Board of Library Trustees Date: 2025-06-16 Building: Reading Public Library Address: 64 Middlesex Avenue Purpose: General Meeting Attendees: Members - Present: Time: 7:00 PM Rtc =IV=u 17411F1 Cl-ERK ill i1iV• !P 1 5 i1ri 8 ?7 Location; Community Room Session: Open Session Version: Final Cappy Popp, Chair; Patrick Egan, Vice -Chair; Andrew Grimes, Secretary (remote); Kell! Bacon, (remote); Andrew Gregory; Monette Verner Members - Not Present: Others Present: Amy Lannon, Director; Michelle Filleul, Assistant Director; Meaghan Clemente, Administrative Assistant; Andrea Fiorillo, Head of Public Services; Olivia McElwain, Head of Children's Services; Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Andrew Grimes, Secretary Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order 7:01 p.m. It. Public Comment No public comments were made in person or remotely. Mr. Egan shared an email from a friendly, yet concerned, patron regarding ongoing HVAC system issues in the Children's Room. The patron is disappointed that the Children's Room may be dosed this summer due to high temperatures. If the Facilities Department is unable to resolve the HVAC issues promptly, the patron believes that possible alternatives, such as portable air conditioners or relocating some children's materials to the ground floor, should be considered. The Board and library staff also have concems about the temperature on the second floor, primarily since the Library is intended to serve as a community cooling center. Ms. Lannon noted that the Facilities Department is aware of the issue and is working to diagnose and resolve the problem. The Children's Room will close to the public when indoor temperatures reach a sustained level above 80 degrees due to health concems. The rest of the Library will remain open when the Children's Room is closed. Programs and materials can be relocated to the ground -floor Community Room when available. Librarians are happy to provide readers' advisory and retrieve materials from the Chiklren's Room upon request. vage I r Portable fans are in use. Custodians are leaving windows open when possible to help cool down the room. The building's air conditioning system is always running to coal down the rest of the Library as much as possible. Portable air conditioners would not be practical or efficient due to the high height of windows and ceilings in the room. Ms. Lannon will provide updates as the situation progresses. III. Affirming the BOLT Statement of Solidarity and Support for our Pride Community Mr. Popp read aloud the Board's Statement of Solidarity and Support for the Pride Community. The Board reflected and positively affirmed the statement, which they adopted in May 2024, Statement of Solidarity and Support for Our Pride Community Ourpublic library serves all in our community, fostering an environment of respect, understanding, and belonging. Our Library is proud to provide a welcoming, safe, supportive, and celebratory space for members of the LGBTQ+ community, both as patrons and as part of our staff We recognize the diversity of our LGBTQ+community and strive to meet their informational, educational, and recreational needs. Board of Library Trustees N. Summer Programming and Early Literacy Update Andrea Fiorillo, Head of Public Services, presented an update on the Library's summer programming highlights for June, July, and August. Ms. Fiorillo distributed copies of the summer program brochure, which was designed by Ms. Filleul using Adobe and the new Communico event software. The summer brochure is available in print due to the high demand for summer events. Other seasonal brochures are available in PDF format and can be printed or emailed upon request. Highlights include the Community Narcan Training, hosted by the Towns Public Health Nurse and the Reading Coalition for Prevention and Support, on June 10. Punk Rock Aerobics for children is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23. The Robotics for Teens Event, hosted in collaboration with Guild Hell, will take place on Thursday. August 21. The annual Summer Sizzlers book talk event on June 13 was a great success. The program featured a mocktail fundraiser with the Friends of the Reading Public Library. The Library's Annual Vehicle Day will be on Tuesday, August 12, followed by a bike rally parade event on Thursday, August 14. The Library looks forward to hosting Porchfest performers for the first time on June 28. Additionally, we look forward to a PopUpCycler community art project that will encourage participants to transform plastic waste into art while raising environmental awareness. This year, the Camp Kindergarten series in August will celebrate the start of the school year and provide children with opportunities to practice school readiness skills. The Summer Friends Speaker Series events feature a variety of young aduh and children's authors. All virtual events are recorded and available for viewing on the Library's website. A live watch party featuring an interview with children's author Raul The Third will take place on Tuesday, July 8. This year's summer reading theme across all ages is "Branching Out." For teens and adults, Summer of Story events include silent reading parties, a story slam, and workshops on cartooning, writing. and public speaking. Head of Children's Services Olivia McElwain briefly introduced herself to the Board and gave them an informative update on Early Literacy at the Library. Olivia has worked at the Library for six years and has a master's degree in library science and children's literature. Ms. McEwway reviewed standard elements of storytime activities, including a visual agenda, which allows all children to process transitions and manage expectations. She noted the importance of grownup participation during storytime, as they are often a child's first teacher. Storytimes enhance the development of early literacy, early math. fine motor, and gross motor skills, while also providing opportunities for social -emotional learning, community recognition, confidence -building, and caregiver bonding. Regular Tuesday Treasures and Wednesday Wshes, registered storytimes for children ages 1 to 5, run in six -week cycles and are limited to 25 families. Evening lapsit Babytime storytimes for children ages 0 to 15 months are held on Tuesday evenings to accommodate working families. The regular storytime season runs from September through April. Storytime affendance often decreases during the nice weather. During the summer, librarians focus on hosting large drop -in storytimes, outdoor activities, and programming for older elementary school children who do not visit as often during the busy school year. The Library partners with groups to expand offerings. Active partners include the North Suburban Child Resource Network and the Mandarin Storytime, organized by a local mothers group. Ms. McElwain reviewed other leaming programs, such as Cooking Up a Storytime with Library Associate Dina Snook, where participants read a story and bake a simple recipe in the Children's Room. Ms. Snook also coordinates Dribble Drabble and Sticks and Stories (Matters Cabin) Fridays and Saturdays feature drop -in events. On Fridays, the Library features a rotation of Playdough Palooza, Big Body Play, Babies Boogie. and concerts. Saturday events include the popular Jumping Beans Family Storytime and the Mandarin Storytime. This summer, the Library will host "Family Storytime at Memorial Park" and "Treats and Beats: Music and Movement" storytimes at the Library. Other summer activities include a Teddy Bear Picnic, Rockabye Beats Concert, and Camp Kindergarten. Registered storytimes allow for community building within group dynamics. They establish trust through the repetition of the same librarian and group each week, allowing them to focus on skill -building. Registered storytimes are based in early literacy with entertainment threaded throughout. Drop -in storytimes accommodate larger crowds and non -Reading residents. They allow extroverted friends to shine, focusing more on family literacy as librarians rely on grownups to help lead activities. Drop -in storytimes are entertainment -based, with elements of early literacy threaded throughout Former Library custodian Peter Sheridan began playing children's concerts at the Library in 1997 and continues to do so once a month on Fridays. Other concerts include Music with Mara and Motoko, Music and Movement with Julie Stepanek, a bilingual Spanish and English concert by Boogie with Rockabye Beats, and a Family Concert with Alistair Moock, made possible by a grant from the Reading Cultural Council (RCC). Page 1 3 Storytimes with special themes are held periodically and feature strong attendance. These include a Trick or Treat Storytime, a Baby Snow Ball winter prom, a Sparkly Storytime featuring the authors of Miss Rita Mystery Reader, and a Lunar Nave, Year Storytime in collaboration with the Mandarin Storytime group. Special guest storytime readers include employees from the Office of Equity and Social Justice, the Coalition for Prevention and Support, Veteran Services, the Reading Fire Department, the Reading Police Department, and the Reading Municipal Light Department. Overall, 5,735 attendees participated in the early literacy programs from September 2024 to April 2025. The most popular program is drop -in Saturday Jumping Beans storytimes with 1,591 attendees. Some storytime families form lasting friendships and connections, resulting in playdates such as a trip to the Stone Zoo, even after storytime has ended. As storytime participants grow up, they continue to recognize librarians around town. visit the Library, and attend library programming for older children, tweens, and teens. Storytime offers adults and children a chance to meet their neighbors, express themselves in a safe space, and hear about experiences outside of their own for the first time. The Library might be a child's first introduction to a "school environment" or even their first trip into the outside world after being born. Children's librarians hope to foster a love of reading and inspire lifelong library usage. An ongoing understanding of child development and early literacy skills is key to maximizing learning in a storytime setting. Children's librarians regularly participate in professional development opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills. Ms. Lannon and Ms. Fiorillo explained that storytimes are about more than just reading books. Storytimes serve as a model for caregiver interacfions and the parent community. Ms. Fiorillo and Ms. McElwain thanked the Board and excused themselves at 7:29 p.m. V. Discussion of the Policy on Lending to Residents of Municipalities with Decertified Libraries The Stoneham Public Library has received enough funding to remain open, but will likely need to apply for a temporary certification waiver. Lynnfield's municipal override passed, and the Lynnfield Public Library will likely be able to stay open without a waiver. Assuming that Stoneham is granted a waiver, the libraries in surrounding communities should remain operating and certified for at least another year. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners recently surveyed public libraries on policies for serving patrons from municipalities with decertified libraries. About 180 libraries responded, representing about half of the state's public libraries. 63 % have a blanket policy, 22% have no policy. and 16 % decide on a case -by -case basis. For libraries with a formal policy on lending to residents of municipalities with decertified libraries, 7 % continue to extend borrowing privileges, 1 % charge residents of non -certified communities for borrowing. and 73%deny borrowing privileges. 90 % of these types of existing policies deny borrowing privileges overall. The survey does not consider other library services. It also does not include the Boston Public Library, which is a library of the Commonwealth that serves all residents of Massachusetts. The survey also does not address OverDrive, which provides electronic resource access and did not exist when the Library's policy was adopted in 2002. Although the urgency to review the Library's policy has subsided for now, the Board needs to consider how it would handle the issue of a nearby decertified library in the future, to provide Page 1 4 responsible financial stewardship to the Reading community. The Board is open to refining the language of the policy in the future regarding in -library -use services and registered library programming to promote faimess as needed. Reading residents, whose taxpayer dollars are funding the Library, should receive priority over members of communities with decertified libraries. The North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE) recently updated its policy. When a library decides to deny circulating services to a decertified library, it must send a letter to NOBLE. If NOBLE receives letters from more than 60 % of its member libraries, the decertified library community will not have access to OverDnve resources in the NOBLE collection, except for OverDrive Advantage items that the decertified library has licensed. VI. VOTE: Election of Officers Mr. Popp noted that the Board must vote to elect officers and review the Chair, Vice -Chair, and Secretary positions. Although it is his election year, Mr. Popp is happy to continue serving as Chair. Despite the traditional practices of other elected boards, there is no formal policy preventing a member from serving as an officer during their election year. If a member decides not to run or is not reelected, a temporary Pro Tem chair, vice chair, or secretary will be selected to serve during the April, May, and June meetings. Motion: To nominate Mr. Popp as Chair of the Trustees. (Grimes / Vernier) Vote: Approved 5-0-1 with Mr. Popp abstaining Mr. Egan noted that serving in the Vice Chair position is a valuable learning experience for those interested in a future Chair position. Mr. Egan is willing and able to continue serving, but is happy to step back if another member is interested in taking on the role. Ms. Bacon hopes to gain more experience on the Board. Mr. Gregory declined due to his busy schedule. Motion: To nominate Mr. Egan as Vice -Chair of the Trustees. (Popp/Vernier) Vote: Approved fro Mr. Grimes is happy to continue as secretary. Motion: To nominate Mr. Grimes as Secretary of the Trustees. (Vernier/Popp) Vote: Approved 6-0 VII. VOTE: FY26 Trustee Meeting Dates Ms. Lannon reviewed the proposed schedule for upcoming Board meetings. Meetings typically take place on the second Monday of the month, unless there are conflicts with holidays or Town Meetings. The Board is not required to meet 12 times per year and can cancel meetings due to a known lack of quorum. This schedule is submitted to the Town Clerk and the Town Manager once approved but can be changed at any time. Motion: To approve the FY26 Trustee meeting dates as reflected on the June 16'" memo From Ms. Lannon. (EganlBscon) Vote: Approved 64 Vill. VOTE: CY26 Holiday Schedule Page 1 5 Ms. Lannon noted that the proposed FY26 closings assumes: • holidays that fall on a Saturday are typically observed on both Friday and Saturday; • the Library remains open on the Monday after Easter Sunday; • Sundays begin in October and end the last Saturday before Memorial Day in May; • early closures on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve. Overall, the proposed schedule is similar to prior years. Once approved, Ms. Lannon will send the schedule to the Town Hall. Ms. Lannon noted that Library staff members often request to be off on the Friday after Thanksgiving and Mothers Day. However, library usage remains strong these days despite limited staffing. Motion: To approve the CY26 Library Holiday Closings as presented. (Vanier/Grimes) Vote: Approved 6-0 IX. Financial Report The FY25 budget is on track. The Library expects to return approximately t%of the municipal salary budget and spend down all municipal expenses. The subsequent warrant for library invoices will be available for review and signature on Wednesday. Warrants may need to be processed weekly rather than biweekly as FY25 winds down and FY26 begins, to ensure timely payment. Ms. Lannon will present a report on supplemental spending in August. The Library has received several recent donations. The Reading Lions Club continues to support large print collections, braille story walks, and other accessibility projects. Several donations were made in honor of recently retired Trustee Cherie Dubois. Charlie recently held an ice cream social for current and former library staff members, Everyone enjoyed getting together with sweet treats so much that the Library hopes to sponsor an annual ice cream social in Cherrie's honor. The Women's League of Reading donated directly to the Office of Equity and Social Justice and has also contributed 64 Tonies to the Children's collection. Tonies are special character figurines that read books and play games in their own unique voices. Tonies are very popular, so this collection is being processed quickly. Mr. Popp is excited to see this collection growing and enjoys using Tonies with his children. Ms. Verner inquired about the usage of exterior pickup lockers. Ms. Lannon confirmed that the lockers are currently working, despite the interior Automatic Materials Handler (AMH) book return machine being temporarily out of order. She will reconfirm the locker usage and get back to the Board. X. Director's Report The second -floor outdoor patio is open for patron use, weather permitting. The existing furniture has found a new home at the Reading Public Schools' Central Office. A new table, chairs, and a child -sized picnic table have been purchased as part of the Rooted in Reading grant. The new Polywood furniture is made of recycled plastic and is extremely durable for outdoor use. An umbrella and additional seating will be added using supplemental funds. A Community Garden Party event will be held on Friday, June 20, from 5:00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. The event coincides with the Summer Solstice and will feature ice cream, activities, and local and regional resources related to nature, health, and anything "green". Busy Bee volunteers have been actively weeding, watering, and maintaining outdoor gardens. Plant Page 1 6 maintenance company Envirogreenery continues to care for indoor plants and has recently installed educational name tags and signage for some of the more unusual plants. Activitas and Town Engineering are finalizing detailed plans for the new Library Terrace on the hill outside the conference room. The Community Planning and Development Committee (CPDC) and the Tarn Planner are conducting an administrative review of the site plans. They hope to go out to bid for the project this summer, with construction set to begin this fall. The project is entirely privately funded by the Reading Public Library Foundation. Feedback at the Ad Hoc Library Landscape's recent community meeting was generally positive. XI. Approval of May 12, 2025, Meeting Minutes Motion: To approve the minutes of the May 12, 2025, Trustee Meeting as written. (Grimes/Vanier) Vote: Approved 4.0.1 with Mr. Popp and Mr. Egan abstaining XII. Future Agenda Items Ms. Filleul and Ms. Clemente will run the July meeting in Ms. Lannon's absence. The meeting will include an update on the Library Terrace project and a review of the FY26 warrant schedule. In August, Ms. Lannon will present supplemental spending recommendations. Aside from the Library Terrace project, no other major expenditures are anticipated. Ms. Filleul will report on meeting room usage. The Meeting Room Policy and Fees will be reviewed as needed. Ms. Verner requested a formal update on the exterior pickup lockers to be added to an upcoming agenda. Adjournment 8:08 p.m. Motion: To Adjourn (Egan /Popp) Vote: Approved &0-1 with Mr. Gregory abstaining Respectfully Submitted, Andrew Grimes, Secretary Page 1 7 jk� Forever Chemicals Dragon Boat Festival Storytime g'h Grade Field Trip and Tour Narcan Training Oreo Moon Phases & More Bee Program for Teens heat War & Modern Memory Encounter: Cold Blooded Creatwes Robotics for Teens Punk Rock Aerobics ��,/ Summer Sizzlers '2 ` Vehicle Day s Community Garden Party OLD & NEW Bike Rally Porchfest FAVORITES a PopUpCycler: Plastic Trash into Public Art Story Slam �i Camp Kindergarten Friends Speaker Series ®; Boom Ol JEWELL 11SA 15, LET HIM IN THE MIND El( PA4 AHAND RRAOCHIHG OVT '� a 4o f eadathonsfor i-6`" graders EADERS'REEF aay. June 24 A, 19 AM IlAMLANETS AND PAGESursEey, Jung"" A PM -) PMUNGLE JOURNEYrOnescay, JEIy 9 oD Y PM 5 PM ARCTIC ADVENTURE Tuesday, July 15 no 11 AM I? PM JUST DESERTS , Thursday, July 24 W 2 PM - 0 PM BACKYARD BASH Monday, JUIV 20 a 2 PM - 3 PM p o �o Silent Reading Parties for Teens and Adults a 49 to (o rfCAMPING RNOON TEA & SILLY HAT PARTY , , July i �1 2:3p PM -A:3p PM OUT d, July 23, 700-B:30 pm LOUNGING ON THE LAWN Saturday, August B. 12.2 pm . L �' O Whaft YOUR Story? Join RPLS Summer of Story SILENT READING III summer, talk your story PASTIEST through visuabA writing, and 31.19 V, 2:30-4:30Dm oral storytelling with amB Mu. professionals at 3019 23, 6-9Pm Public Ubrary - Reading Cnmpne0ut APBMPt 8, 12.2Pm LA.n LRun91n, OWN YOUR VOICE: WRITING WORKSHOP July B. 6:30-2.30 GM 1vu rn. STORYTELLING B PUBLIC SPEAKING J W y 28, i-B PM ♦.,..t 12. 4-8 PM Far ae.ue. nw READIN6 VOICES: TELL YOUR STORY LIVEI A,uet 23,12 3 PM L m PROGRAM DATE{ Q ✓it A VILIA ••••••• ranuuuia�i A. I ALL An- 11101- .o...vrto nor ...., .,a...a... ANY `�� DUNKIN'LL �.,. NERa , .. `.W Thank Y EARLY LITERACY PROGRAMS @ RPL What happens at an RPL Storytime? Hellol Please remember: f n •� wa tars - It's ok to move around donna, _ storytime •11•.. nnm. - Step out and take a break It you need Phones, conversations, 5 snacks ew saved for after storyEme Goners up par iceation matters • Early literacy skills • Early math skills • Fine motor skills • Gross motor skills • Social emotional learning • Community recognition • Confidence building • Caregiver bonding Regular Storytime Season Why? Regular Storytime Season ® North Suburban Child Resource Network (z classes) Cooking Up a Storytime. Dribble Drabble, & Sticks and Stories (Ages 3-5) IMMTuesday Treasures (Ages 1-5) & Babytime (Ages 0-15 mos) Wednesday Wishes (Ages 1-5) q; 77 ® Rotating events including Playdough Palcoza, Big Body Play, Babies Boogie, and concerts Jumping Beans Family Storytime & Mandarin Storytime Schedule out of Season Storytime: Events Famity Storytime at Memorial Park April - May Treats & Beats Teddy Bear Picnic Tuesdays 0 6:30 PM Rockabye Beats Concert Thursdays ® to AM June - July Wednesdays Ca 6:3o PM Camp Kindergarten .�t May - August Registered Storytime vs. Drop -In Registered Drop -in • Builds community within group dynamics • Accommodates larger crowds and non -Reading residents Creates trust with repetition of the same librarian and same group each week Can focus on building upon skills week to week • Early literacy based with entertainment threaded throughout • Extroverted friends can really shine • Focuses more on family literacy, as we rely on grown-ups to teed with us Entertainment based with early literacy threaded throughout Concerts Peter Sheridan Once a month, Fridays Music with Mara and Motoko October 26, 2024 & February 22, 2025 Music and Movement with Julie Stepanek November 22, 2024 Boogie with Rockabye Beats March 28, 2025 Family Concert with Alisti April 22, 2025 I Themed Storytimes and Events Baby Snow Ball December 20. 2024 118 attendees Trick or Treat Storytime October 25,2024 112 attendees . 11 alkj, Sparkly Storytime January 25. 2025 68 attendees Lunar New Year Storytime February 1, 2025 131 attendees Special Guests at Storytime Overall Program Attendance 849 Tuesday Treasures 8z5 Wednesday Wishes a,494 attendees attendees �59� Concert attendees Saturday Jumping Beans 709 267 attendees themed event Babytime attendees attendees 5,735 early literacy program attendees from September 2024 - Aprit 2025 Two of our Wednesday Wishes families met up for a trip to Stone Zoo, using our museum pass, on a Wednesday at to AM after our storytime season ended. Our Stories Our Babytime Storytime group from the 2023-2024 season stiLL meets at the library every Tuesday night for ptaydates. Cate gets recognized around town by storytime kiddos from years past Lara was a Tuesday Babytime baby, and when she got her own baby brother the Library was his first outing ever! Why is storytime important? Storytime is important because it offers adults and kids a chance to meet their neighbors, express themselves in a safe space, and hear about experiences outside of their own for the first time. We might be a child's first introduction to a "school environment" or even their first trip into the outside world after being born. By creating these spaces for kids to be able to jump, sing, dance, read, and have fun, we are fostering a love of reading and hopefully, inspiring them to be lifelong Library users.