Tolland Public Library Board of Trustees
Meeting Minutes
August 17, 2005
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 4:10 p.m. by Chair, Carolyn Locke.
Present: Carolyn Locke, Penny Babbitt, Gloria Gery and Librarian, Jessica Kelmelis
Minutes: The minutes of the May 11, 2005 meeting were approved as submitted.
Old Business:
Parking Lot: The handicapped parking space sign has not been mounted as required by the state as part of Tolland’s Disabilities plan. Jessica will request that John Panaia, Highway Supt., mount the sign in the first space.
Building: The capital budget that was approved at the town meeting includes repairs to the Library, including shoring up the flooring. Jessica will check into the status and plans for the work and report about what will be done and the schedule at the next Trustees meeting.
Policy on Use of the Library for Meetings
§ The application form will be changed so requests are sent to the Library instead of a given trustee/chair.
§ The policy will be revised to include a directive that no library materials are to be removed from the library when meetings are held.
§ Jessica will coordinate with Margaret McClellan to inform heads of Town boards and committees that they can use the library without prior authorization when Town Hall space is not available and when the library is not open for business or in use by another group. Mechanisms for getting the key will be defined. Currently every Trustee, the Librarian, the Selectmen’s office and the Supt. of Highways have a key to the building.
Jessica will refine the documents and send them to Gloria for posting on the website. She will also make application forms to use the Library available with other forms at Town Hall.
Library Circulation and Activity Statistics: Fiscal Year 2004 (period ending 7/1/2005) were reviewed. Figures will be published in the 2004 Town Annual Report and listed on the annual circulation data on the Library web page.
The following items were noted
§ Improved and more precise counting of visitors and circulation activity are in effect. Records now include Out of State (typically part time residents) and non-Tolland Massachusetts residents.
§ Circulation figures and Library Hours Open are stable with minor variability in some categories.
§ There are now 4,429 books in the library. Videos are in the process of being counted. The book count is down due to more accurate counting and weeding out of old books.
Summer Reading Program: Numerous young people took the application forms but none have been returned. The new policy that books must be checked out of the Tolland Library to receive a book as an award for the Reading Challenge may have reduced participation. The goals of the Reading Challenge are to get young people to read as well as to utilize the library. The new policy will stand.
Library and Staff Salary Budget: The Library budget was passed in the first round of the Proposition 2 ½ Override Vote. The Library is grateful to Town residents for their continued support. The 3% employee cost of living salary increase was approved and is in effect.
Visits to the Library Page of the Website: Jessica needs a count of annual visits to the Library Page of the Tolland Website for her report to the state. The number is approximately 26 unique visits (note: the number was researched immediately after the meeting).
Broadband Access at the Library: Jessica will follow through on applying to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on our eligibility to apply for Broadband access.
DVD’s: A discussion about the number of DVD’s and what VHS items should be upgraded to DVD’s occurred. Jessica replaces on existing VHS per month with the DVD order. She only replaces existing VHS tapes that are high-circulation or when unique windows to purchase exist (e.g. Disney classic animations). There is no plan to replace all existing VHS with DVD’s since most people have capacity to play both. Jessica also stated that there is no library discount for DVD’s as there is for VHS. She must pay retail prices. The library has approximately 30 DVD’s.
The library purchases a balance of documentary and popular DVD/video titles.
New Business
Pay Rate for Hourly Staff: Jessica and other department heads are seeking resolution to the question of how much flexibility they have to vary the hourly pay rate for staff with varying experience levels (e.g. hiring casual staff fill-ins vs. paying experienced part-time staff). The total salary expense was voted on at Town Meeting in the budget but the budget is derived from time x hourly rate formula. The issue of whether managing to the bottom line (i.e. total salary) or paying a defined rate will be resolved. It was suggested that the Library might consider two levels of Part Time staff to compensate for various experience levels.
Next Meeting: The next Trustees meeting is schedule for Wednesday, November 16th at 4:00 p.m.
Meeting Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned at 4:45 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Gloria Gery
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