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Home My WebLink About2009-01-12 Board of Library Trustees Minutesf Minutes of the Board of Library Trustees Meeting Monday, January 12, 2009 1009 NAR e >a P 3: ~ U Attending: Suzy Axelson, Chair; Richard Curtis; Cherrie Dubois, David Hutchinson; Karyn Storti; Vicki Yablonsky; Dorota Socha; Guest: Ben Tafoya, Selectman; Ruth Urell, Library Director. Meeting was called to order at 7:05pm Minutes The minutes of the December 15th' meeting were unanimously approved as amended. The minutes of the January 5t` meeting were unanimously approved as presented (Dubois/Curtis). Budget (R. Urell) Review of Town of Reading Library budget, with brief explanations of new formats and terminology: revenues; expenses (actuals); line items; donations and grants. Statistics (R. Urell) Review of chart distributed at Selectmen's meeting (1/10). Foundation (R. Curtis) No report at this time. Friends of the RPL (C. Dubois) • Now anticipated that enough houses have committed to hold the House Tour • Jan 23rd meeting to review situation • Work on ad book will begin: soliciting ads and sponsors; photographs; assembling • Potential sponsor being pursued, nothing firm • Date of House Tour: May 3, 2009. The 1 st Sunday in May (Sunday before Mother's Day) Budget Discussion: • Selectmen are not planning to fund Budget to make up increases in salaries • Selectmen do not expect departments to use the reserve fund to cover shortfall • Selectmen's priority: all departments to prepare a zero increase, level funded budget • Trustee concern that other sources of funding will not be available (e.g. Foundation) • Selectmen are committed to implementing the Pay & Classification study, per the town personnel policy. The cost to implement will be more than 4% • Level Funding: bottom line budget stays the same. As a result, in order to fund the 4% increase in salaries, the library must cut $43,000 in other areas • Technology Librarian position : $34,000 was funded in the current FY2009 budget • Trust money for next year available (FY2010) State Aid requirements: • Municipal appropriations must be met : 102.5%0 of FY09 budget • Reduction of 15% rule for books may not affect a library the first year of level funding, but may start to affect budget in second year • RPL is required to be open 60 hours/week. RPL is currently open 67 hrs/week [Correction: 50 hours/week required by state statute for this population group (RU)] • There is a last resort waiver process through the MBLC: Accommodation up to 85% (possibly 80%) for reduction of materials or hours. • Option to apply for a waiver is unavailable if the library receives a disproportionate decrease in relation to other town departments RPL Division Heads brainstormed funding: • Fee for library card replacement • Fee increase for meeting room use (currently town wide policy $10 fee. School department charges more) • Fee for tutoring space • Reduction of hours of customer service • Skeleton crew on Sundays (33 Sundays) • Reduce Sunday shift %2 hour • Close Saturdays in the summer (11 Saturdays June-July-August) • Reduce staff hours (30 part time staff) • Close the library at 3pm on Fridays • Close the library for one week in the summer (benefited staff could use vacation time, only non-benefited staff would go unpaid) • Consider opening at loam four days per week (1 hour later) : creates difficulty with staff salaries and makes Children's programs difficult Selectmen's Perspective: Ben Tafoya provided a brief overview of Governor Patrick's time frame at end of January to present his plans. Selectmen express concern that all departments consider any changes as a sustained reduction, with State Aid staying the same and use of "free cash" to balance the budget. Tafoya recommends the RPL present changes that are sustainable for more than a year. The Trustees are asked to present a realistic expectation of budget cuts on town services. The reductions should be as specific as possible and identify trade-offs. Finance Committee and Selectmen's budget process may consider that the library budget is in a unique situation: Potential double cut for the library: State Aide; MBLC State Grant monies. At the upcoming Saturday morning Selectmen's special meeting, Tafoya suggested the Trustees request 5 minutes on the agenda to discuss considerations. Trustee's suggestions to present the Selectmen with options for cuts: • RPL will request the town municipal budget continue to fund the full library materials budget • Overview: close the library 4-7 hours/week, with reduction in services and staff. Changes could not be implemented until FY2010 (July, 2009) • Close Saturdays in the summer 2 IMPACT: Library closed all weekend summers • Close'/2 day Saturday mornings year `round • Reduce services on Sundays IMPACT: no full Reference service (no holds placed; no ILL; no computer assistance...) Other options: • Close all day Thursday (8 hours) • Close building for one week (approx. $5,000) • Technology Librarian unfunded ($34,000) • Close one weeknight (approx. $30,000) • Do not buy public computers ($8000) • Reduction in supplies • Increase fee for meeting room use • Library card replacement fee Federal Stimulus Package (R. Urell) • Building Assessment Study provided valuable information during budget process • Library items included: - Windows included in Performance Contracting with Energy Services Company (ESCo) - Masonry; repointing; gutters; replacement fire panel ($600,000) Trustee Items: (K. Storti) • Discuss possible candidate for open Trustee seat • Resident question re: number of male authors works available • Resident question re: moving Large Print collection • Inquiry to Trustees: (R. Urell) Request from the MBLC for email addresses of all Board of Trustees members Adjourn The motion to adjourn was made 9:19pm (Hutchinson/Dubois) Next meeting February 9th, 2009 7pm Conference Room Respectfully submitted, Allison Sloan DaSilva Recording Secretary Senior Library Associate 3