Board of Library Trustees Meeting
February 2, 2010

7:00 p.m.

Medway Public Library

Attendees:

Trustees:

Carol Brown
MaryAnn Cabibbo, Vice Chair
Ed Duggan
William Roberts, Secretary
Chuck Rockwood (arrived 7:45pm)
Wendy Rowe, Chair

Others:

Cindy Dobrzynski, Chair, Franklin Library Board of Directors
Monique Doyle, member of Franklin Library Board of Directors
Susan Ellis, Medway Human Resources Director
Felicia Oti, Acting Director
Margaret Perkins, Assistant to Director

Minutes:

1. Approval of agenda

Motion to approve agenda, WLR1, MAC2, unanimous

2. Secretary's report (December 2009 and January 2010)

Motion to approve the December 2009 minutes - WLR1, CB2

MaryAnn remains unhappy about the Job Description discussion and that the minutes omit discussion of Felicia's role. MaryAnn feels that this is the source of the staff's perceived confusion.

MaryAnn pointed out that in the discussion in December, both MaryAnn and Ed said they disagreed with what Felicia was working on. Ed had said Felicia should be looking more into regionalization instead of redoing job descriptions. MaryAnn had said our original intent was not to have Felicia do the budget or re-do the job descriptions or be involved with staff supervision.

Felicia said that Competencies and Job Descriptions were important for the long range plan and having aligned positions was important for regionalization. Felicia said she had to speak to the staff to get input for the long range plan.

Cindy said that it was important to avoid inflammatory and derogatory comments.

About the motion, it was agreed that the minutes would be amended to address the omissions.

Proposed changes:

add after sentence about Felicia's 1-on-1 meetings:

"MaryAnn said from her conversations with staff she thinks the only things confusing them is Felicia's role, who is in charge, and why Felicia is telling them things."

add after sentence defining "Competencies": "MaryAnn says she doesn't think this is what we hired Felicia to do."

Also the line about donations would get moved into the proper context (in the previous paragraph).

So, the motion was approved the proposed changes: 4 - 0 -1 (Chuck hadn't arrived and Bill abstained as he missed most of the December meeting)

3. Citizens Speak
4. Budget Report
• Trustees review bills

No bills

5. Assistant to the Director's Report - Margaret

Attended ALA Midwinter Exhibits – brought back several free books

Signed up for Junior Library Guild – will save time, & enable us to buy books in library edition at a discount. The Children’s Librarian in Holliston uses this vendor, and is very satisfied with the books and the service.

Now using Midwest Tape for audiobooks and some DVD’s. Midwest supplies audiobook cases, inexpensive replacements of individual CD’s, and free shipping.

I am compiling a list of books, etc. to buy with Restitution funds.

I sent in a renewal for Mango – once again, the vendor agreed to allow Medway and Holliston to subscribe for the cost of one town. Mango has recently added basic versions of many new languages, for a total of 22 languages and 14 ESL courses.

Ingrid Grenon, a poet and horsewoman and a Franklin resident whom I met through 4-H, has agreed to present two Saturday programs for families – a poetry reading and a talk on horse care.

Information Technology Section (which I chair) of NELA is planning a Spring Program on non-print books.

Medway Community Farm will have art display in library during week of Earth Day. I am going to pull books for a display in Medway and also Holliston.

Would like to ask Friends to pay for NELA Fall Conference for staff – one day is about $100 for non-members, $75 for members. Membership fees start at $20 for library staff earning < $15,000.

The semi-circular window in Children’s area leaked heavily during the rainstorm. I called Richard Gaskin, Manager of Public Facilities in Franklin to ask about having in re-caulked after the rain ended, but haven’t heard back yet.

The target amount for the FY11 Municipal Appropriation is $190,175. This is a $12,567 decrease from FY10. Apparently this year’s budget included a one time amount of $8,200, which was subtracted from the $202,742, leaving $194,542. The Town is asking each department to submit a budget 2.24% less than this year’s – so that would be $194,542 * .9776 = $190,184. I’m not sure why there is a $9.00 discrepancy.

Town departments were requested to estimate next year’s salary expenditures, taking step increases into account. Based on the hours worked and expected to be worked during this fiscal year, the total came out to $143,539.64, which is about the same as the amount budgeted this year - $143,491.

We should still meet the MAR of $172,557.

6. Regionalization
• Interim Director's report - Felicia

She has given progress reports to the various Town Officials and updated Wendy. She continues to have weekly planning meetings with Wendy and Cindy.

Ed is concerned that we are not seeing results on the regionalization planning. He also feels that Felicia's role is changing from July. Then it was the long range plan and the regionalization planning. Not staff supervision.

• Survey through Feb 15 (extended)
• One Book, Two Communities

still working to set up Medway programs

• Draft Franklin / Medway Joint Library Profile

Felicia says this is part of the regionalization plan. She indicated that it lays out the where Medway and Franklin are a good fit and where there are challenges, and includes a comparison of the two facilities. Trustees should give their comments on the draft to Wendy.

7. Trustee Chair's Report - Wendy
• ELECTION PAPERS ARE AVAILABLE! Need renewing: Bill Roberts, Carol Brown

Last day to take out papers: Monday March 29.

Election in May.

• 2009 Annual Report (Trustees & Director) due by Fri March 5
• I finished correcting and marking up a building floorplan to show the location of all the utilities (main power shutoff, circuit breakers, outside light timer, emergency lighting batteries, main water shutoff, sprinklers, thermostats, cable, phone, data) at Felicia's request for the upcoming staff manual
• wrote (and Margaret tested) thermostat cheat-sheets for staff manual
• Our old, reject conference room table is being recycled to Town Hall; Suzanne asked if they could have it and was very grateful.
• I "babysat" the Planning Board's public information session Jan 27. Suzanne was very grateful and said Selectman John Foresto was impressed with our space for meetings. I pointed out that we used to be open til 9pm routinely Mon-Thurs and could be again with proper funding.

Upcoming Events:

• "Picturing America" yearlong display ends after March
• Girl Scout Month: March project display
• Community Farm art and information display Earth Day week
• May art show: Medway Middle School
• Summer art show: Art Lee (Library patron)
• One Book Two Towns programs in Medway:

Ingrid Grenon (talk on horse care, poetry reading) Sat Mar 20 & 27
Awaiting word from singing group for appropriate "oldies" performance

• Friends meeting Weds March 3 7pm
• Lorie's storytime March 5-April 16 Friday mornings
• Southern Rail Bluegrass fundraiser Sunday March 21 2-4pm
• MHS Microfinance Club storytime/craft teaching kids about money March Sats.
• MedCC funded Summer Reading programs: Deborah Costine puppets ($300), The Celtic Bells family concert (asked $800, funded $600)
8. Old Business
• "Picturing America" yearlong display ends after March
9. New Business
• 8pm: Medway HR Rep Sue Ellis to explain job description / union procedures.
• Executive Session (if necessary).

Motion (8:08): To enter executive session for the purpose of contract negotiations. CR1, CB2. Unanimous

10. Fundraising
11. Next Meeting March 2 2010

Motion to adjourn (8:46), MAC1, ED2, passed unanimously