Minutes of Board of Trustees Meeting of June 21, 2012
Salem, Massachusetts June 21, 2012
A meeting of the Board of Trustees was held this date at 4:05 PM at the Library with Trustees Buckley, Little, Merry, Salerno, Schild, and Yale present and presiding. Mayor Driscoll was absent. Ms. Tracy was present.
The first order of business was to welcome new Trustee Leanne Schild to the Board.
Approval of minutes of May 10, 2012 UNANIMOUS
Current Library Use and Financial reports were distributed. Both Library circulation and fines collected were down from last year. This was mainly attributed to migration to the new Evergreen Library system. The Library was closed an additional day over the Memorial Day weekend and patrons could not access their accounts online to renew items during the three day transition. At the same time NOBLE was not able to report statistics for the last three days of May. However, the Library continued to have the highest circulation in NOBLE for both April and May.
Ms. Tracy reported that the meeting with the Finance Committee of the City Council went well. The Library submitted a budget that would meet the Municipal Appropriation Requirement of the Mass Board of Library Commissioners. The Mayor’s submitted budget added a 2% raise for both full-time and part-time staff. The finance Committee voted to recommend to the full Council that the Library budget be approved.
Ms. Tracy reported that the migration to the Evergreen Library System had been rocky. The biggest problem was the slowness of the new system, along with several bugs. The Library has been and will continue to report the problems to NOBLE, which is working to make adjustments. Those adjustments and time should improve the transition.
Discussion on the vacation policy was curtailed when the Board expressed a need for clarification from the Human Resource Director on several points. Ms. Tracy was asked to submit a list of questions from the Board to the HR Director.
Ms. Tracy reported on problems that had been resolved with two air conditioning units. She also told the Board the grant for low water toilets and faucets in the public restrooms had been approved. The work on the restrooms at the Library should be completed by August 9th.
Ms. Tracy distributed a quote from Architect Bob Farley to replace the Library’s rotting windowsills and trim moldings at a cost of approximately $85,000. Trustee Merry will look into a possible grant. The Trustees asked Ms. Tracy to forward a copy of the quote to the Mayor and inquire about the availability of capital funds for the project.
Ms. Tracy commented on how lovely the plantings looked. The Trustees concurred and thanked Trustee Little for her continued contributions to the Library’s landscaping.
Trustee Yale reported that he, accompanied by the Assistant Director, had opened the Library’s safe deposit box at the bank to find nothing inside. It was decided to cancel the box, fix the combination of the Library safe and keep special documents in the safe.
Trustee Schild commented on the heaviness of the bathroom doors in the Children’s Room. She said it was difficult for young children to be able to open on their own. Ms. Tracy will look into it.
Copies of a letter from Councilor Joseph O’Keefe praising the work of staff person Susan Szpak were given to the Trustees. A packet of flyers for the Children’s Room summer programming was also distributed to the Trustees.
Meeting adjourned at 5:20 PM.
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