Board of
Library Trustees Meeting
October 2, 2007
7:00 p.m.
Attendees:
Trustees:
MaryAnn Cabibbo, Vice Chairman
Elliott Edwards
Meena Jain
William Roberts, Secretary
Chuck Rockwood
Wendy Rowe, Chairman
Citizens:
Margaret Perkins
Richard Dunne, Selectman
Minutes:
MaryAnn brought the meeting to order at 7:05 just as Wendy arrived.
Motion to approve June 5, July 3, and Sept 5 minutes (August was approved last month). EE1 WLR2. Nobody voted no. Meena abstained from July, Chuck from September.
Wendy provided an initial list of things to spend the grant money on (see below)
We need to provide a budget for this money. It needs to go first to the Selectmen and Town Administrator and then on to the State. It needs to broadly lay out how all the money will be spent. It needs to consist of broad bullet points such as: "IT Infrastructure", "Facility Expenses", "Materials", etc
It does not need to specify how each dime is to be spent. However, so that the numbers are close to accurate and so that we spend the money most wisely, we need to come up with a list of items with their expected costs.
Richard Dunne said the selectmen were very unlikely to interfere with how the Trustees plan to spend the money.
Increased hours is the most popular patron request. Some patrons (the secretary included) are confused because the library is never open the same hours two days running. Many residents have requested Saturday hours.
Richard felt that increasing hours was very important. When asked, he said if he were us he would open Saturdays.
There is a concern felt by some Trustees and the staff generally that increasing hours, in particular being open Saturdays (something we haven't done in years) would send voters the message that everything is hunky dory at the library and that we don't need their support.
The discussion centered on Saturday hours. It was generally felt that not trying to provide Saturday hours would make patrons very unhappy. It was also felt that it is our business to provide the best library service within our power.
To be open Saturdays, we would need 1 of our experienced current workers present. We would then bolster them with 2 temps if other current staff are not interested in working on Saturday. Given the expected patron volume, we need 3 librarians.
Katherine has expressed a willingness to work some Saturdays. Margaret would also be willing (she works 1 Saturday a week in Holliston).
It was the general sense of the Trustees that we would not require the existing staff to work Saturdays. (Back when the library was open Saturdays, staff members were expected to put in 1 Saturday a month).
Motion: Open the library on Saturdays for at least 3 but no more than 4 hours from November through June. EE1, CR2
Amending Motions: (all with the goal of letting the staff know they aren't being coerced)
The goal was to reassure the staff that we were not forcing them to work Saturdays.
The argument against it was that it sounded wishy washy and wasn't really needed.
Motion Failed, 2/3: Ayes - MAC, Meena; Nays - EE, WLR, CR
Motion failed, 1/3: Ayes - EE; Nays - WLR, MAC, CR, Meena abstained.
Motion Failed, 1/3/1; Ayes - EE, Nays - WLR, WER, MAC, Meena abstained.
Motion Passed: 4/1/1; Ayes - Meena, Mac, EE, Chuck. Nays - WLR, Abstained - WER
So now the main motion reads: "Open the library on Saturdays for at least 3 but no more than 4 hours from November through June. Library staff will not be required but will be given the opportunity to work on Saturdays." Passed unanimously
This was followed immediately by a motion to adjourn. EE1, MAC2, CR2, MJ2, WER2. (The secretary was too confused to judge which second actually whizzed in first).
Given the realities of drawing up the budget (getting estimates) the Trustees will likely meet Oct 16 to discuss this
Not discussed
Not discussed
Interim meeting: Tues Oct 16, 7PM
Adjournment: 8:45
Note. These are in no particular order nor are they prioritized nor are they necessarily complete. The trustees have only voted on one of them, the Saturday hours (see above)
FY08 $250,000 Earmark for the Medway Public Library Everything must be paid for and IN HAND by June 30. These are the items I've received (my own, too) so far. I am still awaiting estimates for many of these items, and I need to review our current budget for other items to add: Reimburse Donations Account for FY08 purchase: $11,400 paid as of 9/24/07 (materials plus $900 copier contract, $3600 NSTAR, $400 Friday temp, $364 Medway trashbill, $700 MLS consultant, $135 Bay State, $60 Verizon) Reimburse General Fund MLS consultant paid so far: $630 Reimburse Tuchinsky Fund Interest Account for FY08 Minuteman bill: $19,230 Additional MLS consulting Oct-Jun $14,000 Upgrade Simplex Grinnell alarm service contract: $420 (includes annual cleaning/test of all 28 smoke alarms) Was $715 (Feb'07-Feb08) excluding any test/maintenance/repairs -- we had to pay $400 in Feb07 to have them come out and clean a smoke detector so it would reset during the elevator inspection test. Total annual contract would then be $715 + $420 = $1135 Copier maintenance contract $800 HVAC maintenance contract copy machine $3000 Good quality vacuums (one for floors, one for edges/stairs/corners) $1000 Weekly Storyhours Oct-June $3000 Museum passes $3000 repair/replace chiller in downstairs fountain repair/replace carpet molding (edge holders) in StoryHourRoom & ColeRoomB redo Library carpeting with last time's spares buy more carpet for next time it needs replacing clean ducts replace HVAC units replace lights/bulbs replace Circ closet and elevator emergency light units $700 install light in Director's closet Install low-energy flagpole light get spare flagpole key re-affix stack-end signs paint Cole Room replace bathroom floor tiles replace/repair broken bathroom paper holders (towels/tp; locks and spindles) repair Story Room water infiltration damage (wall/windowsill) cleaning service additional hours (mornings, afternoons, evenings, Friday til 5) Saturday hours (say open 10-2 Oct-June) $11,000 reference collection update including items most useful for students $20,000 school summer reading program book purchases $1000 self-checkout station $12,000 DVD cleaner (replacement, if ours is broken) $300-$700 New public PCs - $10,000 Replacements for older Staff PC's - $3000 Replace fax machine $300 Replace public printer $1000 whole-building dehumidification book repairs historical document preservation Clean the Library (incl. windows, carpets, polish floors) Paper Cutter and long arm stapler $200 Receipt Printers $1200 Clean/Fix Gutters Computer System Maintenance/Enhancments (HW/SW/net) Renew staff bottled water supplier with new hot/cold dispenser $400 Additional/reconfigured shelves in YA & Juv. AV areas Roof reshingling? NOT ALLOWED: Pay for Town-funded salaries and give back unspent Town money? Pre-pay our membership to Minuteman Pre-pay multiple years on subscriptions