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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-06-21 Board of Library Trustees MinutesBoard of Library Trustees RECEIVED Minutes of Meeting FO W CLERK June 21, 2004 , L ~~s DING, MASS. 1004 JUL 14 P 4: 21 Present: Vicki Yablonsky, Chair; Bill Anthony; Suzy Axelson; Karen Brown; Steve Conner; Karyn Storti; Kimberly Lynn, Director; Elizabeth Dickinson, Assistant Director. Also attending: Peter Hechenbleikner, Town Manager and Carol Roberts, Personnel Administrator. Ms. Yablonsky called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., and thanked Mr. Hechenbleikner and Ms. Roberts for attending. As Ms. Lynn had already informed Board members of her resignation, Mr. Hechenbleikner and Ms. Roberts were present to offer their assistance in the search for a new Library Director. Mr. Hechenbleikner explained that the Town's Personnel Department could assist with such technical aspects of the search as placing advertisements, copying resumes, and sending out letters. Ms. Roberts also offered to provide information on interviewing techniques and legal constraints. A discussion followed on the impact of the Open Meeting Law on the process. Any meeting of more than, three Board members constitutes an official meeting of the Board and must therefore be posted and open to the public. Mr. Hechenbleikner also explained that serial communication by phone is not permitted if more than three members of the Board are involved. The same principal applies to e-mail. The actual screening of candidates, however, can be done in executive session. The Board members expressed appreciation for the assistance of the Personnel Department, and thanked Ms. Roberts and Mr. Hechenbleikner for their help. They agreed that it would be very worthwhile to take advantage of the services offered by the Personnel Department. Ms. Lynn provided the Trustees with handouts describing the process of hiring a new director. Attention then turned to a discussion of how to set up a Screening Committee. It was decided that the Screening Committee would consist of three Trustees, three library staff members and three members of the public. The following Trustees volunteered to work on the Screening Committee: Karyn Storti, Karen Brown, and Steve Conner. Library administration will determine the library staff members on the committee. The Board also made a list of library patrons who might be willing to serve as representatives of the community. Various Board members volunteered to call the people suggested to sound out their willingness to participate. Ms. Storti will chair the Screening Committee. Ms. Yablonsky and Ms. Lynn will meet to formulate a draft job posting to present at the next meeting of the Board on July 6. It is expected that the Screening Committee will start reviewing resumes as they come in. Mr. Conner suggested that the Board keep the Library staff informed of the progress of the Search Committee through regular e-mail messages, and possibly also by holding several informational meetings. Ms. Axelson volunteered to send out a message to the library staff expressing support and explaining the steps taken so far. In other business related to Ms. Lynn's resignation, Elizabeth Dickinson, currently Assistant Director, was asked to serve as Interim Acting Director. Ms. Dickinson agreed. Her appointment as Acting Director will be effective as of Monday, August 16. Minutes The minutes for the May 17 meeting were accepted by unanimous vote. I/ Financial Report Ms. Lynn was happy to report that the materials portion of the municipal budget has been zeroed out as we are now approaching the end of the fiscal year. Remaining bills will be paid out of donations and /or state aid. Statistical Report Circulation was somewhat lower than expected. It is likely that this is related to the fact that we had no air conditioning for two weeks while waiting for a replacement part to arrive. Director's Report • Ms. Lynn reported that the problems with the air conditioning system have been fixed. • The library building's security system has been " tripped" several times recently. The system has been checked and is not malfunctioning. It is likely that bats are coming down from the attic in search of cooler air and triggering the alarm. Pest control has been called in to set up baited traps. • NOBLE public libraries received a total of 10,050 CDs as a result of the resolution of a class action law suit. NOBLE is working with member libraries to trade items as needed, and then catalog the CDs. • Ms. Lynn, Michelle Filleul, Head of Circulation, and Esm6 Green, Head of Information Services, attended the TECH EXPO recently held at NOBLE. There were a number of interesting demos of new products. Our delegation was particularly interested in AirPac, a wireless technology that will enable cell phone and PDA users to access our library catalog. This technology, however, is not yet available. • The Library will establish a smoke-free zone outside the main doors in response to staff and patron complaints. Three "No Smoking" signs have been ordered, and will be mounted by the windows when they arrive. Trustee Items • Ms. Yablonsky thanked Ms. Axelson for writing several notes of appreciation on behalf of the Board. • Ms. Storti requested review of the cell phone policy. She has found patrons' use of cell phones in the building distracting and disruptive. Ms. Lynn will prepare a draft policy for review at the July 6 meeting. Karen Brown will email guidelines used at Winchester Public Library. • Ms. Storti asked that the trash can near the front doors be replaced as it rusted and has a mismatched cover. Ms. Storti also inquired as to whether the Garden Club is planning to maintain the planter by the main entrance as it needs attention. The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 p.m. The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held Tuesday, July 6 at 7:00 p.m. The Board also scheduled an additional summer meeting for Monday, August 2. Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth Dickinson Assistant Director