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Home My WebLink About1995-01-17 Board of Library Trustees MinutesBoard of Library Trustees Minutes of Meeting - January 17, 1995 Conference Room - Reading Public Library - 6:00 p.m:- Cherrie Dubois sent: Mrs. Elia Marnik, chair; Mr. William Diamond; Ms. ; Mr. Robert Fields; Dr. Christine Redford; Mrs. Maria Silvaggi; Also present: Mrs. Rachel Baumgartner; Mr. Stephen Baumgartner. Mrs. Marnik called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Minutes: Mrs. Baumgartner asked that page two of the December 19 minutes be amended to read that $110 was donated from a Tupperware party. Mr. Fields moved that the minutes be accepted as corrected. The motion passed. Financial report: Members of the Board commented on the format of the financial statement, which some felt to be unwieldy and overwhelming. Ms.. Hanley remarked that using Town Hall's automatically-generated format saves about forty person hours a month. She offered to look for a way to summarize the separate statements. It was suggested that the next set provide totals, with breakouts only for acquisitions. After discussion, the Board opted to continue with the full set of statements. Mrs. Silvaggi asked why eighty percent of acquisition funds had been expended so early in the year. Mrs. Hanley answered that the Library must spend fifteen percent of its operating income (including state aid and donations) on acquisitions in order to qualify for state aid. The town-appropriated materials budget of $71,000 falls below the fifteen percent. Each year, the Library spends some of its $12,000 in state aid and a few thousand dollars in donations to get the total materials 'jenditure up to the amount required to meet state aid requirements. This r, that amount is about $95,000. me municipal money is spent first, in the first seven months. January bills will finish out the appropriations for adult fiction and nonfiction, as planned. Other categories of acquisitions are small and are monitored by individual staff members. Tracking expenditures is tricky, because the Library has limited control over when shipments of newly published books will arrive, or what the discount will be. Mrs. Silvaggi asked if the Library has enough money for books. Ms. Hanley anwered no, but that the fulltext magazine product that will be provided next fiscal year by NOBLE will allow us to reallocate funds. Statistical report: Circulation continues to increase. It was over 20,000 in December despite the number of days that the Library was closed. Director's report: A Globe reporter interviewed the Director about libraries and technology. The Director taped a cable televison show last week on the subject of censorship. Kimberly Lynn will be invited to the next trustees' meeting to discuss some ideas for new programs and services. Mr. Fields suggested that when notary service is publicized, it should be noted that there is no charge. A fund has been established in memory of Burce Morang; it may become a trust fund. Liaison reports: The Town Engineer was meeting and will be invited to the next roposals. Mr. Diamond will try local chen. not able to attend tonight's meeting to discuss his parking retailers for donations to the 1 Unfinished business: 1) The Board reviewed a memo from the Town Engineer --dining his suggestions for parking. He would remove the stockade fence add a retaining wall along the east side, adding head-in parking along driveway. Making Deering Street one way, to allow angled parking, would yield an increase of ten spaces. The Library currently has forty-four parking spaces. The Engineer recommends cutting into the School Street tree lawn three feet to add parallel parking. _ (It is now five feet.) Without implementing the changes on Deering Streeet, the -Library would get fifteen additional parking spaces at low cost and minimal loss of green space. Mrs. Marnik asked to have meetings with the abutters as soon as possibile. Ms.' Hanley wil compose a letter to tthe abutters. The staff uses between ;ten and twenty spaces. The plan.does not include any spaces in the front of the building because of the firelane and the port-cochere considerations. The Board had no strong objections to the proposal. 2) The Board reviewed the School/Public Library Policy. The School Committee had added "technology access" to the list of public library services. Mrs. Silvaggi moved to approve the policy as amended. The motion passed. 3) The Town's Capital Plan was distributed. Ms. Hanley drew the Board's attention to the statement anticipating the effects of the Parker Middle School Project on the plan. The ten-year plan includes money for computers for the library in the next year and onward, and money in later years for a self-checkout system. Under Buildings, a spot is being reserved for expansion of the Library: $25,000 for planning and $500,000 for.executing. Mrs. Silvaggi remarked that this is a wish list, without guarantees. Ms. Hanley noted that, in ten years, the Library will not be a building at all. Friends: Membership has taken in about $7500.. $800 has been received specifically for the kitchen. If income is projected correctly, the Friends should-be able to:donate $5000 to the kitchen project. Upcoming events iclude coffee hours, a concert and a poetry reading. Mrs. Baumgartner thanked the `Trustees for juggling their schedules to attend the Christmas event. New business: The Board.refused a request to use the piano from a teacher who wanted to schedule a student recital. - Next month, proposed revisions of policies will be brought to the Board for review,"to be followed by a public hearing. Communications: The staff sent thanks to the Trustees for the delivered during the holidays. Both the Young Women's League Reading Women's Club are not ready to answer the solicitation funds. Understanding Handicaps responded that it is not in a give a.'.donation. The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Diane J. Y ung Assistant Directo fruit basket and the for kitchen position to 2 will alternate the Nutcracker trip with one to the Pops. The membership ',-ve is on target. $660 has been received so far for the kitchen project, 'addition to $110 donated from a Tupperware party.- At the next meeting _xe Friends Board will know better how much they can commit to the the kitchen. A poetry reading will be held in February. The "Country Store" is doing well, and was publicized in the Chronicle in an article by Mrs. Silvaggi. 2) Two organizations have donated money to the kitchen project. Mr. Diamond will check with-Doyon!s after-Christmas. A local contractor has offered to round up free labor. Ms. Hanley will work with him on this. 3) The Selectmen and the Town Manager have made a first pass at prioritizing new programs and structural changes for funding in the the FY96 budget. Increased hours for the Children's Room were the top choice, .-:along with property re-evaluation; increased reference staffing was high on the list. The Information Technology position was further down. The School Department has proposed a similar budget item. Mrs. Silvaggi commended the staff for jumping into and learning about changing technologies. Trustees who had attended NOBLE's open house complimented the Central Site. 4) The Director explained where the new NOBLE terminals would be located in the building. She and other staff members and Mrs. Marnik attended the MLIN ribbon cutting. New business: 1) Mrs. Hanley prepared the Board for a consideration of policy issues re providing Internet access for the public, such as censorship and quality control. The Internet will be made available in ,January, with a disclaimer. The Cambridge, Walpole and Sharon libraries ready provide Internet access. The staff will work on a draft policy for Board's review. The meeting was adjourned at 7:08 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Diane ung Assista~t Director- 2 2