[Music] this is the March 14th 2025 meeting of the Acushnet Public Library Board of Trustees we are being audio taped and
videotaped and we do have a quorum first item on the agenda today is some minutes uh the first one is for February 5th and the second is for February 11th does anyone have any questions or comments on either one of those
minutes can we do a motion to accept both minutes at once we can okay I'd like to make a motion to accept both minutes second okay all in favor I I Jerry did you okay thank you just makeing sure I can't do two that's okay
I just want to make sure all right so we are good to go there um next we have the budget um so our budget is going along smoothly um right
now um I the next meeting our our longevity will be completely uh set I have one more uh longevity payment that's coming out in the next pay period um and then I wanted to talk
about uh materials so I this week uh have spent out the materials line if you recall from last year um I had a little bit of a panic um because I was nowhere near the 16% that the library needs to
spend on uh materials in order to remain uh certified and to receive state aid so if I did my calculations correctly um right now I am at 64% of uh 7 of uh 16%
of the material um requirement so I'm in good standing um we have a bunch of orders coming in from Ingram so that's physical materials and then towards the end of the fiscal
year um I can definitely spend or use uh funds and put it into hoopla into overdrive because as you know our E Resources especially audiobooks are very very very very popular um so I can put
in money uh accredits into that so I won't have a repeat of next of last year so I I'm happy I won't have to panic um so that is basically it for the budget um any questions yes yes Ingram supplies
us books I assume which one physical books no Ingram about and do they suppli us other things as well or just books they I just use them to purchase books um they also sell audiobooks and so forth but I we don't we haven't preed
audiobooks uh physical CDs as preco so um they're strictly physical materials adult children and ya materials and it looks like money in the longevity account moves on a periodic basis it's not a um uh a constant uh like a every
every month type of figure it's moved quarterly or something um it's moved in when a staff member has anniversary okay that's why it moves around yes yep so CU everyone has different start dates so this last one for this fiscal year is I think their
anniversary date is March 28th so that would be for next pay period so that line will be spent out the next time we meet and I didn't mean erratically on a negative basis I didn't make it that way no no no
no the random would that's okay my question is um are we still um pretty regular on the energy was the energy still pretty pretty good level this month as um it was so I haven't received
this month so last month um it it was the highest I believe for this fiscal year but that's because it was cold so uh speaking for January y um the way they send the bills it's not like the first of the month so it's like half of each month right but January was it was
pretty cold here um so we are in pretty good standing cuz you know come uh February April May May June you know those are our lowest energy months because we're not really fully into AC yet right and and you're not quite into
the well we hope to be not in the heat either so no no and then okay soon I will shut off the H HVAC units that are not controlled except by a fuse panel downstairs in the hallways um and I can't control the temperature for those
but those would be shut off uh probably next month so there wasn't too much of an increase that you saw for the January Bell as far I think it was just a few hundred compared to last year okay um but every as we are all experiencing
personally you know the energy uh builds are have skyrocketed so um I mean it it's still high but it's not a drastic okay and there was a cool stretching there
was that's where it was vacation all right does anybody have any other questions on the the budget all right we can get a motion second all right all in favor next we have old business we have the FI
26 budget so uh this Wednesday I went to present the library's budget to the finance committee um there was a few questions after my presentation so very quickly I just put together some
statistics of the library um the library did in 20124 so it wasn't the fiscal year it was just the complete year um I got some feed back that next year I'm going to have I should have comparisons to you know the previous year or
previous three years so that was some good feedback um I also presented the minimum standards which I uh talked about at last meeting and the mar um and these were all handed out to each of the finance committee Members Plus the Town
Administrator um other than that they they there was discussion about the telephone um so I explained that our fax machine is is a it's for the public it's not a private use fax machine um the energy line was discussed and um what
was discussed was you know we're open a a bigger range of hours compared to other Town buildings and plus we're open on Saturday and I don't know of any other facility that's open on Saturday in the town um just the uh Rec oh
right C don't go there I wouldn't I wouldn't so other than that there wasn't much um there wasn't any other uh comments um about the budget uh number that I presented you know they they know about
the mar what we do need to be or above at um and um I appreciate the support Jen was there um and that was basically it so it was pretty it was pretty straightforward um and and we'll see how
it goes from here so we've we've just so I have a clear in my head we presented our budget yes and they do they have an approval process or an acceptance process so what they do is the the fincom will look at all the budgets and
everything right and then they kind of just like see where everyone's at and then you know once the the fincom will will approve it so will the Selectmen and then we kind of go from there but yeah but it just right now everyone's just hey this every these all look good but then I guess it all depends on who
needs what from anywhere else like oh geez we need to find so then they might have to tweak everyone's budget to try to find money if they have to well with the information that you presented on MAR it gives them a good understanding of how corre we're running right yes right also I thought it was good that
Jamie men mentioned that you had met with him four times MH yep I just felt like you know we've already done this four times yes yeah that was good yes well it it decreases surprises yes I mean and I'm not asking for anything you know everything here is
contractual um so you know they know what we need and we'll see what happens and I think the only question that we wanted to clarify at this meeting was they asked where the money we collect from the faxes and things and I'm I believe that goes into the revolving
fund so that was one of the questions that they said well hey you collect the money from faxes so where does it go and it goes into the goes to our revolving part yep no that's fine but it it does go into the revolving part so we and we wanted to double check just to
make sure but I wanted to make sure that we clarified that here like we're you know it goes right back into the revolving fund so that's it all right any questions she did a fantastic job she answered all the questions very
nervous yes yes yes well great and who wouldn't be I know well you would because you're sitting in front of people who supposedly have the financial experience to look at these things and you want to make sure you're there and doing a good job absolutely very minorly
I I said we had 500 active card holders no we have 5,000 so that was big in my brain since then when I watched the video I was like but they had the sheets in front of they have the in front and they appreciate the the uh handouts too so which is
great so but they were they were um very excited to see the statistics but the comparison I think like they were interested in whether or not like has have the users of the library increased have we you know have we gone are we trending in that direction so I think
that was why they were kind of looking at like these facts are amazing but what does that mean in comparison to like last year which is a good question right so I think um I think that's why you know Elizabeth I already made a note for next year based on what we're seeing the growth that we're seeing those are
actually statistics that we want to present you know there isn't any perception that the library is Contracting exactly not at all so I think even if we provide the statistics like you know what it is that year plus the like even two other years you can
even see like hopefully the the trends and the increase you know in in what we're doing so that's definitely it was good all right move anybody have any other questions on the FY 26 all right moving along to other old business um an
update on the local cultural Council Awards so I Rec oh I um sent out a few applications to local cultural grants in the area uh it was matap poiset new beit Dartmouth for
Haven uh Freetown Rochester and of course a cushion I um so the grant round is is over so I was awarded three um so from a cushion it we got 2,500 um from fre toown we got
350 and Rochester we got 250 so these funds will be used for our summer concert series um right now we have eight weeks um scheduled for this summer starting uh June 205th I
believe so I was I am there's some you know after the events I have to submit an application you know just fill an application program flyers and then we get awarded a a check so I thank um each
of these towns for um sponsoring um Library program that's fantastic yeah it is great job absolutely great how much of the the summer um Series this this cover would you it just as a guess um right
cuz some like there's a couple of the summer concerts that are getting funded elsewhere um so it's I would say right now um maybe 80% that's terrific it is
it is and they are probably our biggest event and people look forward to it and right and then even you know even when you're out and you're just talking about you know your affiliation like with the library it's just like oh their concert series is and
it's ages little to to older it's just it's fantastic so and there on the hottest days there's always a breeze it's always comfortable Y and I think people look forward to it they do I mean we get calls like are you doing summer
concert again this year like yes we are we don't have a schedule yet you know out there but um it will be happening and I believe we have all eight weeks booked or we're waiting on confirmation of one but still like it's it's it's coming it's there um we will have some
repeats um so just to give you a little preview we will have 60s Thunder again um um pearly Baker will also be here um just you know those are the big the big names that draw the biggest crowds and on the other side of this I am also
doing children's programming or for the summer so I have a few things booked and I just booked our little finale so we'll have holaa which is is a very interactive children's band that that come and perform and you know bring props for the little ones so um you know
summer will be very very busy here as always all right does anyone have any questions on the cultural grants thank you very much to aosion at Freetown and Rochester for awarding us those those grants and thank you to you for putting in for
that you don't know until you try they can say is no absolutely and it's great moving on to new business we have a recent donation in memory of Nancy Willets so I received an application or
a donation form um on behalf of a teacher from Ford Middle School uh who passed away um we received a check for $200 for books um so with this funds and
I plan on purchasing um there's a list here on on the Forum of of topics um Nancy was a teacher uh science teacher so science related topics um and what will happen is once you know once
approved I will um purchase uh books and then we will put a plaque in each of the books and in memory of of and basically once that's completed I will send a
thank you letter to Mr uh Eugene B um just thanking him for um you know the donation um so I just need an approval on the donation and any questions about
the donation and I will be using Ingram for purchasing the children's books so I'll make a motion to accept a knowledge all in favor I I thank you just one quick comment as I sit here and had three kids go through the middle
school NY WS was one of those quiet teachers who was incredibly confident and you you she wasn't somebody who you you see at the Forefront of things but man you wanted your kid in her classroom that's fantastic that's nice that is definitely we we thank you on behalf of
the library Board of Trustees we do thank um you know Eugene and uh you know ny's family for donating this money to the library on her behalf and uh we have other business which is we don't have do we have any I
do not so I'm going to leave that that's going our new addition to our agenda cuz things happen absolutely every every second of the day so but I don't have any move on to the director's report all right
um so the director's report uh I will say I I have to make a note of of this just because it was so crazy to see CU we had L Club here for seven years at this point uh I think it started it started when I
started the first time I started here was a parttime tech um so we had over 30 people in the Lego Club uh during uh winter break and it was it was so packed and exciting that that I suggested that
some children if they wanted to could go sit in the ya area cuz it was it was pretty wild so um we will you know we will you know we always have Lego Club so I make sure to put some more during uh spring um vacation in
April um I want to uh point out that Lori went to do uh she read a book out loud to the second graders at the chrisan elementary school for read Across America I believe she read a Dr
Seuss book so you know I you know Dina's vision for the full-time librarian was to have them do Outreach and Lori has been doing it um this is her third time at the school doing story time in front of um children um so you know it's come
to fruition here so it's exciting um Lori also sent the flyers for um programming in the library for the newsletter for the school so I don't know the schedule for how they send out the newsletters at the school but they've been approved um and they uh
parents should be on the lookout for them in the school newslet and I can tell you that they have been in the news and at least I can test that they've been there for the middle school anyway and uh we usually get a newsletter every maybe one to two weeks or so okay okay that's good to know so yep and they
attach the flyer you know right yep excellent yep excellent I mean it's you know we just send them in an email so it's it's uh pretty painless um I would just make sure that on the just make sure that it says that it's here at the
library because if they're attaching things with the to the newsletters at with the school they may think that the club is at the school so if you just make sure that it's at the library then I think okay there won't be any people showing up at the school for your but
why right exactly so I'm pretty sure that people can figure it out but you never know especially if you're reading it quick yes so I would just that would be the only thing I would I will make not and and see what we sent along to see make sure I address yeah I would just make sure libr at the yeah at the
ACC cushion library and then that would be good yep fantastic yes good I bet you some of the kids are recognizing Lori too yes yes going too they come in here and they're like talking to their Garden like that's Miss Lori School that's
great yes um so I just wanted to say that Rick attended a OSHA training uh that was put on by the town through OSHA uh uh and that was on February 25th so
he was at the police station that day um during his shift so okay um yes uh and he received a certificate so I told him to put it on his refrigerator there you go all right um let's see um I'll get to the door in a second
but I just want to point out that um Fe in February uh the beginning in February Brady and a student from Old Colony were they were in the library touching up a paint that wasn't touched up last summer so the staff entryway the
stairs the white trim uh was touched up the the railings I guess right underneath the window sills in the main uh area of the library was touched up this room was touched up on the bottom
um they did a terrific job um spring up the place and then Brady this morning was he took down the Christmas lights that have been there since Co um so they're finally down um but we appreciate that um they were here you
know doing some touchups and um we on a building note um we had so during winter vacation uh there was some nasty winds here so what happened was
our door on the uh Patron side the deck side right here um blew off the not the hinges but the mechanism that's on top of the door that you know allows it to go not smash
into the to the building so that completely broke off um so I had Rick uh he temporarily you know was able to put it in um because it was winter vacation I know we were going to have a lot of
patrons in patients with strollers um so I did not want to lock that door unfortunately it didn't last it broke again so the door was hitting the building and that's all I needed was for the glass to break the door to break so
I had to that afternoon I had to lock that door so you only could uh access the building to the front um so the following day I had a genius idea of putting one of our giant water bottles behind the door so that the door could
be open but it won't Slam against the building so it worked Y and then it was like that for a day mhm and then I did reach out to um town hall to see if Brady could come um but he wasn't in
until later that week so it remained it remained uh unlocked so you could use it it's just there was a giant water ball behind it and then um John our trustee came in to do to grab some books and and I kind of picked his brain
and he fixed it for all in five minutes so yes so I appreciate thanks John the fix and it's been fine it's it's it's back to to where it should be um but it
was pretty windy that week and it was it was really wild and I think it's just the direction of the wind like it threw it off oh it threw it off so back to that door um so when I met with surf head uh in
January I mentioned uh accessibility and how we uh need an automatic door opener on the door at the meeting it was mentioned that the Council on Aging had one put in so I in the beginning of this month uh finally went to visit the
counseling on Aging to drop off March calendars for the library and um flyers for or other events at the library and I discussed with Lauren the the door how it came there so it was actually a grant
that was done by the previous um Li uh uh cons agan director and the equipment was there just was never installed so yes so um I you know trying to look to see what Grant it was you
know you know what what can we do to um you know apply for it and then earlier last week there was an email sent out about the town looking into Ada grants for townwide to you know have all
properties be compliant with um Ada uh if I am remembering correctly I believe um this building had a so-called inspection for 8 comp uh compliance cuz I right before my arrival or a few
months before my arrival it sounded like someone came in and noticed that the underneath the sinks needed like a insulated item around the pipes and that was done yes um so I don't know if I
can't remember I think that was I think that was because there was an issue with the bathroom though I don't think they did no okay I I don't believe so do you remember Steve I don't I I remember do you remember I I remember that it was under the sink and they were it was
afraid of of someone like that was in a wheelchair like burning their leg on the on the hot water pipe but I want to say that that was a result of something happening like I think Dina might have asked for something to be fixed in the
bathroom and when they were doing that I think that and then they had they had said hey this is we need to do this I I'll look back on my notes for that but um I pretty sure that it was not building
wide pretty sure okay um but I mean I'm sure there's some way we could have something done right like a an ADA Compliant audit I guess I believe I mean I wouldn't see how when we moved here that that wouldn't have been done you
know in order to open the building I feel like that woulde with that I assume you would have had to met what I mean maybe the automatic door is just just it's not essential but I know we need it because I see people struggling you know trying to open especially if it's windy
trying to open the door and you're pushing your stroller or you're pushing a walker or a wheelchair um well and then you're at the front door and you have two doors yes so by the time you're trying to get into the first door there's not that much room to go into the second door so I don't think that space could have the automatic door arm
I think this one I think I mean I don't know you know this doesn't hard to ask and the positive psychology about that is you might have somebody who has somebody disabled in their family in a wheelchair they come here and say they don't say GI I wish but they think as
they walk through boy it would be hard for me to bring that person but the doors there then they're thinking boy this is a great thing for us exactly it does make more sense cuz your ramp is yes yep the only concern I mean we know that something is SL like slanting on
the the deck I don't know if it's sinking or what so there is a little bit of a a gap so but you could put a some type of thing on the threshold but um but that's beyond my my you know I don't have any construction knowledge no but
you're quickly becoming a very qualified Building Man facilities manager I will say I've learned a lot that much of this to that bathroom yes bathroom I can shut off a
urinal now never thought you'd be able to when you spoke earlier about turning off the heat the last time we discussed it it was well I think maybe but today the confidence done it I've done it
abolutely one of those things that is now in the back of my brain for forever um so you know I expect to have more information you know coming forward regarding door but um and that's it for the
director's report I can go into um good job so we my calendar with way um so next
week we will have Moana 2 on Wednesday and Saturday so Wednesday is the early release day for um a of students um it's at 2:00 and then on Saturday we will be
showing it at uh 12 1:30 no 2 12:30 sorry I don't have my calendar with me all right um I'm not going to discuss April or spring vacation events yet because they're
still in the works and we'll meet before that um we will oh this Monday um South Coast uh rail there will be a representative here at the library to discuss the Rail Project and to if anyone has any
questions and this is this Monday at 6 um yes sorry no it's okay um they will be here to to discuss the project and you know if people if you have any questions about the project please come
in and um discuss with them um um and then hard when I don't have a calendar in front of me I assume that are you going to put that out on uh social media about the Rail Project it is out there there is an event on Facebook it was put
out in Neighborhood News y um our newsletter y um I think it's a flyer out here and yes in house also I figured that to to like remind everyone see out and we'll proba I'll probably you post it or put some something there so that it comes up in
the news feeds again yeah um cuz I I mean that seems to be a Hot Topic especially for people you know around um the schedules the parking the time it takes to get places um Lori is taking a break from
story time for the next two weeks so there won't be any Story Time on Wednesdays for two just for two weeks and then she'll resume a spring story time oh good um uh that's basically it any questions no
sorry bring that's right we we all should go find and memorize the calendar right all right if nobody has any questions um can we set the next meeting date is it okay if we do it on a Friday
again because that work for everyone yeah well for me I did that um I'm I'm looking at Friday April 11th at 11:30 if that works or if that time doesn't work I I can be flexible on
the time whatevers that works 11:30 11:30 does that work for you yes yes okay so Friday April 11th at 11:30 perfect thank you
and if we have no other business make a motion to adjourn second all in favor I I uh this March 14th 2025 meeting of the aush public library Board of Trustees is officially adjourned it
is 1210 thank you [Music]