DUXBURY FREE LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MEETING MINUTES
MAY 13, 2003
Members Present: Theodore Flynn (Chair), John Hill, Lynne Walsh, Carl Meier, Margaret
Lougee and Nancy Delano
Staff Present: Elaine Winquist (Director), Nancy Denman (Assistant Director), Rose Hickey
(Acquisition Librarian), Deborah Killory (Administrative Assistant)
Also Present: Sally Redmond (Co-President, Friends of the Duxbury Free Library), Phoebe
Marshall-Raimbeau (Director, English Speaking Library in Angers)
The meeting was called to order at 7:40 am in the Setter Room at the Duxbury Free Library.
Minutes of previous meeting
The minutes of the April 8, 2004 meeting were presented.
Moved by Mr. Meier, seconded by Ms. Walsh, to approve the minutes of the April 8, 2004 meeting as presented.
Vote: 6 – 0 in favor
Chair’s Report
Mr. Flynn reported on the Inc. Board meeting of May 1, at which he explained to the Inc. Board the game plan of the elected trustees to protect the budget and seek restoration of a full service budget in FY06. The plan includes articles in the Duxbury Clipper, meetings with the Finance Committee and the Selectmen, and the intention to mobilize support at the Annual Town Meeting in FY05, if necessary. Mr. Flynn asked the director to prepare a comparison of town budget growth vs. library budget growth for the last five years.
Director’s Report
Ms. Winquist reported that there had been extensive participation by library staff in the Massachusetts Library Association conference, and that many conference participants had complimented the Duxbury staff.
The first collaborative program with the Duxbury Art Complex took place in April and went very well. She also reported that the student intern working at the library is doing a good job.
Friends Report
The proposal on the use of the Wright Building that was sent to the study committee includes space for the Friends book sale; inclusion of the Friends helps reconnect the building with its original purpose. The fundraising wall of tiles project has been postponed until long range planning by the Inc. Board has taken place. The Friends will be looking for another fundraising project to be conducted in the meantime.
Department Reports
Ms. Winquist commented on the technical services report, which detailed the effects of the cut in staff in that department. It was suggested that the report be used as the basis for an article in the Duxbury Clipper. It was noted that the lower circulation figures may reflect changes in the way circulation is tracked by SIRSI.
Mr. Meier noted that the circulation report states that “afternoons continue to be a challenge”, and asked for amplification. Ms. Denman said that there seem to be larger numbers of students in the library this year for longer periods of time. Supervisors are spending time patrolling during after school hours; that time is being taken away from other work. Ms. Winquist noted that she would like to initiate a campus-wide council. Safety of the students after school was a primary focus of the discussion.
Visit from Phoebe Marshall-Raimbeau
The Director of the English Speaking Library in Angers, France, addressed the Board. She began by thanking Ms. Winquist for her enthusiasm in the sister library project and the list of ideas she had sent to Angers. Mme. Marshall-Raimbeau noted the teamwork she had observed at the Supervisors Meeting she attended and the dedication and caring shown by the trustees. She outlined some of the collaboration either ongoing or in the development stages including a pen-pal program, the children’s Flat Stanley project, and an exchange of American and French bestsellers. Ms. Winquist is working on the French film collection at the DFL and a possible French film program was contemplated. Mme. Marshall-Raimbeau also spent some time with the Town Manager. Mr.
Flynn thanked her for attending the meeting and said that the trustees looked forward to a long relationship with the Angers library.
Meeting Room Policy Revisions
Three minor changes to the Meeting Room Policy were proposed including limiting booking to those 18 years of age and older; shortening the lead time for filing an application from fourteen days to seven days and changing “will” to “may” in the section on penalties for not leaving the room in its original condition. The trustees will vote on the changes at the next meeting.
Director’s Evaluation
Ms. Lougee collated the evaluations completed by the trustees; she distributed copies of her summary. Mr. Flynn commented that Ms. Winquist continues to do a great job under difficult circumstances. It was suggested that the Director do a self-evaluation as a communication tool. Mr. Flynn will send the evaluation to the Town Manager with a letter.
Ms. Winquist said that a consultant has been hired to review management salary structure for the town.
Moved by Ms. Lougee, seconded by Mr. Meier, to recommend the maximum allowable salary increase for the Library Director.
Vote: 6 – 0 in favor
FY04 – FY05 Budget
Ms. Winquist noted that the expense budget for the current fiscal year will be tight, but should be adequate; a reserve fund transfer may be needed to fund the payroll budget.
$57,000 was cut from the budget for FY05. These reductions will mean no Sunday service; no Monday morning service; limits on the availability of meeting rooms; slower processing of materials, including longer lag times in getting new materials on the shelves; increased time in returning books to the shelves after they circulate because of the elimination of pages; and fewer programs at all levels because of increased service desk time for staff involved in programming.
Moved by Mr. Meier, seconded by Mr. Hill, to adjourn the meeting at 9:27 am.
Vote: 6 – 0 in favor
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