HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-06-19 Board of Library Trustees MinutesBoard of Library Trustees
Minutes of Meeting - June 19, 2000
Present: Stephen Conner; Eugene Nigro, Richard Ogden; Christine Redford. ; ,
Also: Kimberly Lynn. , 6S.
Mr. Conner called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.`
Minutes: The minutes of May 11, May 15, May 31, June 9, and June 10 were accepted.
Financial report: There is $4,000 remaining in the materials budget, which is on target.
Some personnel money will likely be returned to the Town.
Statistical report: Circulation for May was up five percent over May 1999.
Report from the Chair: An offer has been made to Ms. Lynn for the Director's job. Start
date and salary are to be determined. Publicity will be arranged. Goals for the new director
will be discussed at the next meeting.
Director's report: After consultation with the Personnel Officer, Ms. Young has decided to
postpone reopening the search for a head of Circulation until mid-August. Phyllis Senier has
been hired as a part-time clerk to round out the division's clerical hours.
The start date of the regional reference contract has been delayed to August 1, because the
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has to vote to accept the Reading Public
Library as a supplemental reference center. Mr. Ogden made a motion to accept the NMRLS
contract and do all the Library can to excel at fulfilling it. The motion passed unanimously.
Mike Debrigard is no longer (once again) our contact for building maintenance issues. We
will work with the Facilities staff. Ms. Young urged the Board to work toward putting the
building maintenance budget back into the Town budget, for reasons of accountability and
service. Mr. Ogden asked that the staff compile specific examples of service that has not been
acceptable.
Summer meetings will be held or cancelled as needed.
Board members requested a summary of what money would be available in the FY01
personnel budget due to vacant positions and expectations of how it will be used. Cash awards
for staff were mentioned; Ms. Young said that the Town's policy to recognize outstanding
service is in place but unfunded.
The Friends' annual meeting was held on June 14. Suzy Axelson was elected president. Peter
Brown presented goals for next year. A dozen or so new people attended the meeting and will
be giving time to the Friends.
The Foundation plans to hire an event coordinator/office manager for three to ten hours per
month.
Strategic plan: The `final copy of the plan was presented, and ideas to publicize it were
discussed. When all members can be present, the Board will go over the FY01 action plan and
map it to a calendar. Dr. Redford moved that plan be approved; the motion passed. A motion
was made to thank the members of the planning committee, Joe Haungs, and Jacqui Paradise;
the motion passed.
Ms. Young talked about the Board of Selectmen's goal-setting, which process is starting with
brainstorming by the department heads. Ideas mentioned included attention to the diversity
issue, fiscal responsibility, and school-library cooperation. Mr. Nigro would like to see more
communication coming from Town Hall.
Report of the Information Services Division: The division has presented over, 150 programs
for about 1,000 people in the past year, including book discussions, and catalog and Internet
classes. The staff will have answered over 35,000 questions by the end of FY00, 23% over
FY93, when reference staffing was last increased. The State and Region provide supporting
services such as Mass General's library, the Trial Court Law Libraries, and Mass Bedrock
(for business).
Most libraries are reporting a decline in the number of questions asked. We no longer get the
old-fashioned questions, like dictionary look-ups. The trend has dramatically changed the
amount of guidance and teaching that is done. The library has benefited from savings due to
subscriptions paid for by the Region, such as the online Boston Globe. Highlights for the
upcoming year will be hiring a new division head, and implementing the regional after-hours
reference contract.
The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m.
Diane J. Young
Acting Director