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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-12-16 Board of Library Trustees MinutesFBoard of Library Trustees Minutes of Meeting December 16, 1996 Present: Ms. Cherrie Dubois, chair; Mr. Stephen Conner; Mr. William Diamond; Mr. Robert Fields; Dr. Christine Redford; Mrs. Maria Silvaggi. Ms. Dubois called the meeting to order at 7:05. Minutes: The minutes of November 19 were amended to indicate that Mr. Diamond was absent due to illness, and were approved as amended. Financial report: State aid and funds for the homepage grant have been received. Adjustments have been made in book buying, since it was a little bit behind. Statistical report: When inactive card holders are dropped from the database, the figure on the statistics sheet will be revised. Report of the Chair: The Endowment Committee's next meeting will include presentations of a new logo, a fact sheet, and levels of giving. V' VT Director's report: Kimberly Lynn had a baby boy on November 29. Mrs. Hanley will meet with the FinComm liaison next Thursday concerning the Library budget. The billsheet includes the first reimbursement for Michael Colford's library school tuition. Michael has worked at the Library for eighteen years. The customers who complained about "Spanking the Monkey" have not followed up on their complaint. Liaison reports: Mrs. Silvaggi joined the Director in a budget meeting with the Town Manager. She brought up the problem of the Director's salary. Mr. Hechenbleikner said that there is a process to address salary issues, and he will adhere to the process. Job descriptions were reviewed by all non-union employees some months ago and forwarded to the Town's personnel officer. She will finish comparing them according to objective criteria by early January. The Town has steps in its compensation plan that are not used. There was an idea to implement a merit pay system, but employees could not agree. It was suggested to the Town Manager at the last Department Heads meeting that either the steps be implemented not a merit basis, or be done away with. The performance evaluation system which is in place can insure that employees perform adequately. Periodic reclassifications have had the effect of longevity pay. Cost-of-living increases readjust the whole pay schedule; individual raises do not exist. The Board remains committed to securing a salary increase for the Director. Unfinished business: 1) The following liaison assignments were made: budget and finance, Mrs. Silvaggi; building, Mr. Fields; trust funds, Mr. Diamond; staff, Mr. Conner; Friends, Dr. Redford The chair'will not have a liaison responsibility. 2) Mr. Conner moved that the revised bylaws be approved. Mr. Diamond spoke in support of a rotating chairmanship, as a policy matter rather than a bylaw matter. It was concluded that the bylaws do not preclude a rotating chairmanship. The motion to approve the bylaws passed unanimously. The Director will pursue communicating the new bylaws publicly. 3) A review of the contract for the Director was deferred until the January meeting. 4) At a NOBLE meeting last week, Ms. Hanley told the Executive Council that the Coolidge School library would not be operating as a branch of the Reading Public Library. She encouraged the Council to address the need for schools to obtain NOBLE services. Quite a few NOBLE towns are interested in having their schools as customers of NOBLE. The Executive Council is now considering issues of price and member/customer distinctions. Ms. Hanley expects that customers will be able to purchase services from NOBLE school by school, rather than district by district. She does not know how much the School will have to pay for NOBLE services. However, it would be a clear-cut vendor-customer issue, with no mixing of budgets between School and Library. Automation is a felt need in the Reading school libraries, and there is no real future in the stand-alone systems currently available, said Ms. Hanley. Mrs. Silvaggi suggested a letter to the Superintendent informing him of the new situation. Mr. Conner asked that the Board be kept informed about this issue. 5) The Town Manager was complimentary about the presentation of the FY98 budget and seemed positive about some of the new program requests. 6) Mr. Diamond moved that the Board determine that Ms. Hanley exceeds the standards in all categories of the evaluation. The motion passed unanimously. Ms. Dubois will write up an evaluation for Board review. The meeting adjourned at 8:28 p.m. % Respectfully submitted, Diane J. Young t Assistant Director