Draft of Minutes of Board of Trustees Meeting of September 20, 2012
A meeting of the Board of Trustees was held this date at 4:00 PM at the Library with Trustees Buckley, Little, Merry, Salerno, Schild, Yale and Mayor Driscoll present and presiding. Ms. Tracy was present.
The Trustees reflected on the passing of former Trustee Raymond Shea. His many contributions to the Library and the City were noted. There was also appreciation for his family’s request for donations to the Library in his memory. The Trustees requested Ms. Tracy send flowers.
Approval of minutes of June 20, 2012 – UNANIMOUS
Trustee Schild requested an update on Evergreen, the new library system implemented at the end of May. Ms. Tracy reported that things were better. Staff was more accustomed to the new system and several bugs had been taken care of. However there is still a ways to go. There are still episodes of slowness and several requests for enhancements have been made.
Current Library Use and Financial reports were distributed. July circulation was on par with last year’s while August was down. Fines followed the same pattern for the two months.
Ms. Tracy handed out a breakdown of the catalog supplies purchased for FY12 as a follow-up to an inquiry at the May meeting.
In a discussion of State Aid and possible uses Ms. Tracy reported the increased need for new computers and peripherals as technology plays a bigger and bigger role in all aspects of the Library.
John Doherty of Eastern Bank is scheduled to attend the November 15th Trustee meeting. Ms. Tracy will confirm with him.
Ms. Tracy was happy to report that the passing of the FY13 Library budget went very smoothly. The budget of $1,181,528. includes a 2% raise for all Library employees.
Ms. Tracy reported the hiring of a new Assistant Director, Alison Barry, and a new Head of Circulation, Tara Mansfield, to replace departing staff. Both new employees come from the MVLC consortia and have had over a year’s experience with the Evergreen library system. Ms. Barry was introduced to the Trustees and expressed how pleased and excited she was to be at the Salem Public Library.
Ms. Tracy introduced a request from the Greater Salem Employees Federal Credit Union. The Credit Union would like to expand its base by allowing anyone with a Salem library card to join. However to stay within the parameters of their charter they asked the Trustees to send a letter requesting Salem Public Library card holders be allowed to join.
After some discussion Trustee Yale moved that Trustee Merry look over the sample letter provided by the Credit Union, rework it and bring the new version to the November meeting. Trustee Buckley seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
In a discussion of the vacation policy the Trustees again expressed their wish for some flexibility in the hiring of very experienced, desirable candidates. The Mayor responded that she, the head of Human Resources, and Ms. Tracy should meet to come up with acceptable language to reflect this. Also discussed was recognizing non-state/municipal library work in calculating prior experience. This was illustrated by comparing the new Assistant Director’s work at Endicott College Library to that of Salem State University Library – both members of NOBLE but one in the private sector while the other a state agency.
Ms. Tracy reported that the grant for low water usage public toilets and faucets ran under budget. Therefore all staff bathrooms were also refitted. The replacement went very well under the supervision of custodian Kevin Foucher. This grant came through the Salem Planning Department and there was no cost to the Library.
Ms. Tracy reported the custodian had the Children’s bathroom door closers adjusted with lighter tension. This was done to make it easier for younger children to open the doors themselves. The heaviness of the doors and difficulty in opening them had been brought up at the May meeting.
Discussion of replacement of the windowsills and trim moldings was tabled to give Trustee Merry more time to consult with Stan Smith about a possible grant. There was also discussion of the Community Preservation Act scheduled for a vote on the November ballot. There was a question as to whether this type of work might be considered under the CPA, if passed. The Mayor clarified that work on the historic Library building would fall under the guidelines of the CPA. In fact work at the Peabody public library had been done using CPA funds.
Ms. Tracy complimented Trustee Little on this year’s plantings and expressed how much they were enjoyed by both staff and patrons all summer long. The Trustees concurred and pointed out how especially lovely the plantings along the walkway to the Children’s entrance were.
Ms. Tracy passed out copies of an e-mail from a pleased patron, Ann Ryan, complimenting the Children’s summer programming as well as the staff of the Children’s Room.
Ms. Tracy told the Trustees about two new programs, Tail Waggin Tutors to be held on Saturdays in the Children’s Room and a new Senior Book Club to be held monthly at the Senior Center.
Meeting adjourned at 5:20 pm.
| 
