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Morse Institute Library
Board of Trustees
Meeting Minutes
April 14, 2009
Trustees Present: Kathleen Donovan, Harriet Buckingham, Elliot Goodman,
Gerald Mazor and Joseph Keefe
Administration Present: Jane Finlay – Acting Director
Dale Smith – Children’s Department Supervisor
Marie Nardi – Community Relations Coordinator
Staff Present: Dell Redington
Call to Order: 4:00 pm
- The Board approved the minutes of the meetings of the Corporation and the regular Board meeting that were held on March 10, 2009.
- Dr. Keefe updated the Trustees on the search process to date, the schedule of upcoming interviews to be conducted by the Screening Committee and the prospective time line for the decision making.
- Ms. Finlay presented an update on the dedication ceremony for the stained glass window that honors the late Paula Polk, Morse Institute Library Director.
- Ms. Finlay reviewed the proposed amendments to state law governing public libraries that address a new population categorization and new requirements for municipal funding levels. She indicated that she would seek clarification on one of the matters that speaks to use of trust funds as posed by Mr. Goodman.
- Ms. Finlay reviewed staff ideas on how to provide four hours of library time in order to keep the institution open for four hours on Summer Saturdays. She will report back at the May meeting. She noted that regulations regarding renewals, as of July 1, 2009, will be increased to two (2), as well as increasing the length of the hold period to seven (7) days. Replacement charge for lost discs for books on CDs will increase to $10.00. The Trustees had no objection to the latter increase.
- Report of the Acting Director:
- Ms. Finlay and Dr. Keefe attended the Finance Committee meeting Thursday, March 26. The Committee voted to recommend a budget of $1,729,807 which dropped the COLAs from Personnel Board staff from the earlier budget figure.
- With the end of March came the end of Natick Reads Poetry. Fourteen programs were offered for the public to learn, appreciate, enjoy or express themselves through poetry. The program kicked off with a Poetry Festival and continued with workshops on Haiku, incorporating poetry into journal writing and on altering books as poetry. Children enjoyed mornings of writing their own poem then making it into a bookmark. Poet Jeff Nathan entertained families with his hilarious poetry and antics. Former Poet Laureate, Robert Pinsky, also made a visit. We celebrated his Favorite Poem project and local residents participated in the evening by reading their favorite poem. The month ended with a Poetry Slam at TCAN where 14 local poets competed for prizes donated by Five Crows, Agostino’s Restaurant and
Gourmet Decisions. Creative Connections kept poetry going into April with their “Celebrating Local Poets” program, giving yet another opportunity for local poets to read their own works.
- Ms. Finlay attended the Minuteman Library Network membership meeting on March 18, 2009. On March 30 all Massachusetts libraries will start placing barcodes on the front upper left corner in anticipation of a future automated sorting facility in the planning stages by the MBLC.
- Ms. Finlay and Demetri Kyriakis, as well as staff liaison Karen Perkins, attended the Friends of the Library March meeting on April 2, 2009. The Friends are supporting the library’s Accessibility Project by funding purchase of accessible technology equipment, supplies for an outreach program which is under development and partial funding for a new website.
- The Website Committee solicited RFPs for a new website and received four proposals. The committee will be meeting later this week to review the proposals.
- Mid-year reporting for the Conversation Circles Grant is due April 15. The project has accomplished nearly 75% of the objective outlined for the first year. The Equal Access Grant Report due date has been extended another week or two because of the Easter holidays.
- The Virtual Gallery, a gift of Jay and Erica “Ricky” Ball is premiering in the lobby for April with a show of Jay Ball’s Africa photos. Patrons are absolutely delighted with this show. Other artists are invited to show their works and the May is Military Appreciation Month Committee is planning to use it to show photos of veterans.
- The Veterans Oral History Project will be funding several of the May is Military Appreciation Month events.
Adjournment: 6:00 pm
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at 4:00 pm of the Library.
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