Okay. Hi everyone. Um, today is May 22nd, Friday, May 22nd. Uh, this is the board of library trustees in East Long Meadow. We are in the library conference room and I would like to call this meeting to order at 1:05
p.m. Um, I'm Amy Paul. I'm the chair. To my right is >> Katie McGonagal, library director. >> Nancy Okconor, trustee. Jean Sello, trustee. Michelle Jones, trustee. >> Cindy McNot, vice chair. >> Thanks everyone. Um, so we have time for
public comments, but I don't know of any. And next we have our meeting minutes from April 15th, >> 2026. >> Is it 18th or 15th? >> Uh, it says Wednesday, April 15th. Did
we get that date wrong from the last >> double check session? >> No. Oh, yeah. Cuz we're approving these then. >> Yeah. Um, >> so we approved the 18th minutes on >> the last 15. >> Yeah, you just said the 15th. >> Yeah. >> Okay.
>> Um, I did have one note that um or in the next meeting section, it said the next meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 22nd. It's actually Friday, May 22nd. So, I'll ask let Larry make that update.
Any other updates? So you be clear on why this is the 18th and that's okay. >> Yeah. >> Would anyone like to move that we approve these minutes? >> I I'll move that we approve the minutes.
>> Second. >> I'll second. >> So that was Jean. >> That's okay. >> With a correction. >> With a correction. Thank you. >> Uh all in favor? I I >> none >> opposed. >> Okay, we are good there. Next, we have
Katie with our director's report. Um, any highlights before I read it? No, but I'll stop you along the way. Okay, stop me along the way. So, library director's report for May 22nd, 2026.
Children highlights were 29 programs, 739 program attendance, 196 reference transactions, and for passive programs, there were 224 scavenger hunt and 183 guessing jar. The
children's department hosted a series of successful visits from local public school kindergarten classes, welcoming a total of 159 students to the library. During these sessions, students received a tour of the library and learned about our collection and upcoming programs.
These visits are essential for fostering early literacy and establishing the library as a welcoming space for some of our community's youngest learners. Staff have scheduled outreach visits to local schools for late May and early June. Staff are currently finalizing
preparations for the 2026 summer reading program, plant a seed, read. The program is set up in Beanstack and weekly and grand prizes are already showcased in the children's room to generate excitement. Librarywide decorations will
also go up in the coming weeks. In addition to regular and summer reading prep programming, the children's department is continuing to expand the Library of Things collection by adding a variety of new puzzles and educational
games. These additions provide families with more interactive hands-on resources to borrow. Unfortunately, one of the shelving units in the children's department collapsed and the department was temporarily closed. Our patrons were very understanding and the team and the
DPW rallied together quickly to get the department cleaned up and organized. >> That sounds terrible. >> It's not going to collapse. >> What happened? Was it overload? >> Was it old? >> Nope.
>> Was that new unit? the far back wall where all the graphic novels were. The whole unit just came down >> like in the movie just like >> the whole thing. >> Whole thing. >> All five bays. >> Oh my. Five B. Nobody was near. It was
>> No. >> Thank goodness. It was >> Holy. >> It's like 4:00 in the afternoon. So, >> and how how did >> Were you there when it happened? >> No, I was here like an hour afterwards. >> Yeah, it was really great. It was really really great. Is that secure to Was it secure to the wall? >> Y
>> it was secure to the wall. Do they have any idea? >> It's just done and over with. Let's go. >> So, it's no longer there and we took the books and we put them on top of the other shelves and we're just making it work until we can get new shelving. >> Now, is that new installation
>> since I've been here? >> That's new. So, who installed it? >> Uh DPW installed it. >> Yeah. So then they they should come and >> No, they came immediately. They took care of it immediately. >> Been good. >> Mhm. They came >> have an explanation.
>> I was just thinking if it was attached to a beam cuz sometimes if it's just plaster that's not that's probably what I don't even want to speculate. >> It has to be on a stud and since they have beams for studs it would have to be >> I was just going to say >> it would have to go into that.
>> It had to not have been secured properly for that to happen. The whole thing. Yeah. Came down. >> Glad it's been >> So the unit isn't salvageable. >> All right. Well, there's some excitement. >> There's that.
>> For teen highlights, there were 11. >> Good news is nobody was there and nobody got her. Correct. Thank goodness. Correct. Yeah. >> There were 11 programs. This is teen highlights. 154 program attendants. six
passive programs and 155 passive program participation. While April vacation and the holiday weekend led to fewer scheduled programs with only two teen spot meetings held, the teen department remained very busy. There was higher than usual teen visits
during the vacation week. To accommodate this, the teen department shifted to a low structure model, providing drop-in crafts and games throughout the week. This flexible approach was a major success, drawing in teens who don't typically attend formal programs and will be used during future school
breaks. Crafternoons also did very well with a total attendance of 55 participants this month. >> Excellent. >> A new teen board games program was launched in April thanks to teen feedback and a mix of new and donated games. While the initial turnout was
impacted by the local school's tech week rehearsals, the enthusiasm for those who attended was high. We plan to bring this back in May or June. Oh, they made fans cool or flowers, whatever those
>> flowers. For adult highlights, there were 24 programs, 268 program attendees, 381 reference transactions, 240 hours of study room use. 12 requests were
unfulfilled. The adult department kept a very busy kept very busy during the month of April with many programs on and off site. The library assisted with the townwide digital literacy skills programming at the Pleasant View Senior Center, the
housing authority, and the library. Although there were hiccups with the devices, the digital navigator from Cyber Seniors did a wonderful job pivoting instruction to provide information and resources to the participants. The town is working on a
solution with the devices and an update will be forthcoming. The adult department ran a successful blood drive event at the library. Another session for the fall is currently in the works. Intro to fly fishing was another successful program that brought in many
new program participants. The adult department also began outreach at the reserve located in town. For circulation and technical services, 14,630
items circulated, a decrease of 1,331 from March, and an increase of 705 from April 2025. 49 new patron cards were issued. 86 items were deleted. 440 items were
added, 479 reference transactions, 10 non- library meeting use meeting room use, 115 volunteer hours, and 9,700 door count with the caveat that one of our people counters ran out of batteries
and counted zero people. So this is an estimate. >> I think it was it happens. >> I think it was 10,000, right? >> The technical services department is working with the historic commission and local archavists who are generously
volunteering their time and expertise to address the local history collection maintenance and organization. Meetings have been scheduled and items that no longer fit our collection policy are beinged. the goal of removing duplicates and materials unrelated to
local history. So, okay. This process will help establish a more focused, accessible, and well curated collection. The circulation department launched a new museum pass this month, which is a
discount coupon pass for Davis farmland. The zoo in Forest Park and Hancock Shaker Village open for the season this month to to the delight of many patrons. Uh oh, and we have what looks like an April Fools, which got me, I will say,
cuz I knew you were working on it got a lot of people >> a new like moving things around. >> And the joke is the attention is we will now be shelving books by color and size. Actually, one librarian did that on the
bookmobile window. >> Oh, really? >> I feel like the new librarian did it. >> Yeah, that's funny. >> I thought it was into a panic when we saw that. >> You're not the only one. >> Said I'm going to ignore it.
>> Is there a reason for that? >> April joke. >> You're being silly. >> I I didn't get it. I was >> It did take me longer than I thought than it probably should have to realize. >> We had to actually put out a second sign >> explaining that it was an April Fool's
joke because so many people did not get it. So, >> yeah. Yeah. >> So, it was it was >> we nailed it. >> It was blue book month. >> Yeah. >> The adopt a book program continues to be popular with 10 books adopted last
month. And now, grant updates. Wow. Okay. Municipal ADA improvement assisted living listening devices. Devices are available upon request during programming. Municipal ADA improvement
water filling station installation began on May 13th. Municipal ADA improvement signage installation is complete for this round of signage replacement. Other signs will be replaced in the future. Municipal ADA improvement external
walkways installation began on 55. Municipal ADA improvement flooring installation began on 55. MBI connected and online delivery of devices is on hold in Long Meadow.
MBI digital equity implementation funds. The beginner module has completed and tech help sessions are underway for the green communities grant. The town is working with Guardian Energy on the next steps in the grant-f funded project to update the building envelope and replace
the RTU's mechanical and building control system. Sustainable and resilient New England libraries grant awarded. >> Oh, nice. >> The library will receive a $15,000 grant to replace the first floor shading
system. >> Oh, that's nice. >> Well, that's good. >> That's really nice. >> Very excited. Professional development staff continue to stay informed of library services, related trainings, policy updates, and building happenings. Staff regularly
receive emails from the ALA newsletter vendors and the professional journals in the library's collection. For friends, the friends board awarded three local high school seniors with a $1,000 scholarship thanks to the generosity of Norma and Bernard Vimick's
donation. The awards were distributed during early May. At the May meeting, the friends reviewed their upcoming 2026 27 fundraiser schedule, including raffle baskets, got sneakers campaign, tenative bake sale, and partnerships with local
organizations for raising funds. The friends continued to advocate for the library, patrons, and staff. Their generosity in April included an overflowing basket of snacks and goodies for ST. >> That's very nice. The literacy path
continues to be a successful venture for the friends with many new bricks recently added. Many patrons comment on the bricks as they come and go from the library. >> How much are they now? >> 75. >> I think they're 75. >> But that includes like the like the
engraving. >> Yeah. Yeah. Right. >> Yeah. I think I saw some new ones. >> Yeah, there's a there were several new ones out there. >> Yeah. And Tony comes and she'll take out the old bricks and then install the new ones. Tony, >> it's so nice.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> And for policy, uh, we rec recommend we review the telescope policy at a future meeting as it may be included within the Library of Things policy. >> Yeah, probably should be. Reminder, the
next meeting is Friday, June 12th at 100 p.m. So, we will add the telescope >> telescope policy review to our new business for next week and next month. >> Um, and anything else that you would
like to highlight for us? Um, I just also included in your packets uh an email that you had already received or you should have already received as a trustee about kind of the update with the FY27 budget through the state.
So that is also included in your packet. Y >> and uh we are progressing along nicely with the majority of our grants. >> Um the flooring project like finished today so that is all set. thrilled about. >> It's beautiful.
>> It came out really great. We're really pleased. So, we're really moving along with all these grants. We have >> It's going to be easier to clean in it. >> And we've had really great support from the town, which has been really helpful. And the staff, it was a lot of moving parts for the staff, >> I'm sure. >> A lot. We were closing different doors.
>> We had to constantly change publicity and signage and >> block off different areas and staff. We've had no use of the elevator for a week and a half. And so we're going up and down the stairs, up and down the stairs, and uh we couldn't use carts for a long time, so it was a lot of carrying
items back and forth to the different departments. So it's it was a lot of work for us as well um to get this done, but it is >> it's done. And it's so worth it. >> And is the is the seam that's split
underneath >> no longer there? >> They they were able to patch it up. >> They were able to even that out and then seal it. So it's not going to lift again. >> The hope is that it won't. But it's a foundation issue. >> Yeah, I know it is. >> So as long as the foundation doesn't continue to
>> Oh. Oh, yeah. Okay. If it's settled enough, it may not. >> Correct. But it could it could. >> But the only way to really remediate that is to take out the foundation and start over. That is a that's a massive massive project. So it might be in another 10 or
15 years. >> You might have to do it again. >> Have to do it again. But that's still a lot cheaper than doing a whole foundation. >> Correct. >> Um how how will the >> um sidewalk uh piece of this impact the summer reading >> that is still underway?
>> Yeah. Is that going to impact the kickoff because parks will be closed off? >> Um we are still reviewing what our summer programming is going to look like because we now have that green communities and the HVAC, >> right? So that is that's something that we're
looking at right now. >> Okay. >> As to how we might make some changes to accommodate some more. >> So you might do something at the end >> because not only is it first floor shading, it's going to be second floor shading and the skylight and the HVAC. And so there's just a lot of moving pieces that are supposed to happen over
the summer. So we're trying to kind of >> be flexible >> and how you handle it. >> Correct. >> Yeah. Okay. Mhm. >> I just didn't know if you had made decisions yet about >> maybe postponing the opening kickoff >> to after
>> doing an ending kickoff. >> Yeah. Yeah. We're in discussion. I know it's it's a lot of moving parts. >> It is. It is. It's a lot. It's a lot on the staff. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Okay. Great questions. More to come, I guess.
any other uh we don't have any other new business or old business. So uh our next meeting is June 12th, 2026 at 1 p.m. right here. Be there be square. Yes, >> please. And the friends may or may not
have a beginning of June meeting. Um but I'll let you know what they end up deciding. they have it reserved just in case they need to meet for coming up with summer plans and early fall plans. Um, so I'll let you all know that scheduling that meeting. I'm hoping to meet with Diane next week.
>> Uh, so on that, uh, would anyone like to move that we >> motion that we adjourn? >> Second. >> Okay. >> I'll make a motion that we adjourn. I already to all in favor. >> I oppose. We're adjourned at one. Nice
job everyone.