This is a meeting of the Newbury Library Board of Trustees. Um, in attendance we have >> Patty Olsson, >> Alexander Burke, >> Richard Paceri, >> Haley Hart, Library Director. >> Okay.
All right. The minutes from the uh, February meeting. Everybody have a chance to take a look at that? >> Good to me. No, no changes. Any any comments? Uh any changes necessary? >> No. >> Okay. Motion to move.
>> Moved. Seconded. Approved. >> They're approved. All right. Director's report. >> Um so starting off, our people counter is dead. >> Yes. >> Um so I reported in this report that it was having issues. Dick looked at it today and tried all the rest of the
things I hadn't tried yet and it is gone. So I am going to be um I already sent out an email to the director's um list to see what people are using um to try to find one that's easy and relatively cheap have to pay for it.
>> Um so that's happening. Until then I won't have numbers for statistics which is really unfortunate. So um just >> do we use those numbers to report to the state? >> Yep. But I can tell you choose if it's an exact number or an estimate. So >> we've done enough of them.
>> Yeah, I can go by averages. >> You can get an average out of that. Okay. >> Um so that's next. Um Beanstack is up and running. So Beanstack is a software that allows people to uh record their reading for challenges like summer
reading. It can also include activities. A lot of other libraries use it use it. I have used it in the past. It's wonderful. Um, we are using it actively right now for the March Minute Madness. >> Okay. >> Numbers are due for tomorrow. So, if you've read anything, newspapers,
magazines, log how much reading you've done because we are not doing well and we want to win. >> I brought my win this morning. >> Awesome. Yeah. So, um, >> you can either get a sheet from the main desk or, um, on bean stack, which is an
app on your phone, or online, um, you can register. Okay, I'll see that. >> Yeah, it's it is really lovely. Um and we're going to this is kind of our test run to get people used to it so that we can use it for summer reading. Okay, >> so we're very excited about that. Um the art galleries liability um release is
done. Um I don't remember if I sent it to you, but if not, I have it. It's four pages. It is written by town council. It'll it is what it is. >> It's perfectly done. >> Okay. And it's done professionally. >> Yes, it's done professionally. We don't have to worry about it. So, um I will be we're still working with the schools and
trying to figure out exactly when they're going to do some sort of showcase. Um but I am working on the web page um with all the updated information for the gallery including the application that you guys have looked at um the policy that we wrote and then this liability. Okay. So, that will
hopefully be up in the next couple weeks. >> So, it's moving forward. >> Yes. Yeah, we're about ready for it. Um our next Friends meeting is on the 20th. Uh, and then more fun stuff. Um, our February craft was very, uh, popular. We had 18 people here doing, uh, the felted
witchy scenes. Um, we had 10 attendees coming to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Talk. Um, uh, slime is always, you know, super popular for the kids. So, we had 22 kids for that. The big news is that our ASL
club that Kelsey started started with literally two families and we now have 22 people. Um it is well loved. It's grown tremendously. Um so we're incredibly incredibly excited for Bessie. Um this has been her her baby
essentially. So >> Okay. >> Yeah. Good. >> It's really exciting times. >> Um we actually right now are having a learn majong event going along. Um there was some patron demand so we're also adding a majong kit to our library of things. Um Brad's been working on that.
So hopefully soon. >> It's a good turnout in there. >> Yeah, we had a lot of demand for it. So yeah. Um and then uh we're bringing back community board games this week. Um so we're going to try to do that. I think it's every week. Uh every month rather. Um so just ping up and it's just testing
out all the board games and getting people in the building. >> Good. >> That's the major step. Our stats look good. >> Yeah. >> I mean I would love to have the stats for our visitors but >> Yeah. Imagine it's looking good. Um, you'll see
databases is uh under what it it's a negative number, but it's by design at this point. So, it gets lumped in with other things, so I'm not worried about it. Otherwise, we're looking good. I have no new um budget updates for the
next fiscal year yet. Um we're still waiting to hear what's going on. I know there's talks of level funding. Um I have given what I can to explain why the library can't really be level funded this year. Um but we'll see. Uh when I
know more, you'll know more. So nothing official? >> Nope. >> So we've submitted whatever was required. >> Yep. Yeah. So our budget packet was submitted back in December. Um and now it's just kind of >> And to this date, we have not heard one way or the other. >> Nope.
>> Okay. >> No updates. >> No. So no libraries have heard. >> Oh, I don't know about other libraries. Every town's different how fast it move. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Our town we haven't heard anything yet. So >> but >> other than there's rumblings of maybe >> Yep. There's rumblings.
funding. Yeah, there's rubbings of level funding. Um, >> and if if we're level funded, the consequence of that, >> so NVLC has upped their um right >> and as we have explained in one of the last meetings why that's important. Um,
but >> in them upping their funding, if we're level funded, we are probably not going to make our 19% um 19% of our operating budget has to go directly to collections. um that's how we get state aid and it's how we get um instead of a
waiver we can we get our actual pass >> um and so if we are level funded >> with the staff increase because of the union and then with MBLC increase operating budget is still going to be
bigger but we won't be able to hit the collection budget which means we won't hit 19% which means we will get a waiver if we have a waiver then we get a limited amount of state aid That's what I was thinking of when I asked other the state aid. >> Oh, state aid. No, we got our last one.
Yeah. No, I will start filling out all that paperwork. >> It would affect future state. >> Yes. Yeah. Exactly. And does it affect that applying for the waivers as we had >> like we had done for 15 years or 20 years >> and we were finally off of it and we've
been actually getting full state aid which also not only is we get state aid money but we also get access to more government funding from grants. A lot of that gets limited if we are not if we're on waiverss >> grant opportunities are less.
>> Yes. >> Yep. >> I just want that. >> Yep. Yep. So we've been >> in the recording. >> Yep. and that's been passed along to the town um so everyone knows >> so so that there are consequences if we are level funded and that has been transmitted to the town
>> that's why we put in our request as we did so >> once I hear anything I will let you all know >> that's where we're at there >> it' be nice if they uh sat down with us and uh >> yeah I'm always open for meetings >> yeah likewise and any support that we
can provide at any of these meetings we obviously would be there >> 100% Sure. >> Yeah, I think that's about it right now. You know, um both Liz and uh Nikki will be headed to MLA in May. Um they both won the conference scholarship um
through uh ML. >> So that's the Massachusetts Library Association conference. >> Uh it's really great for starting and for programming. So I'm very excited for them to go. Um and registration just opened this week, so they're all registered and good to go. >> Good.
>> So that's lovely. And then Brady will be going to >> oh I don't remember what it is exactly. It is a local history conference in the area. So and he'll be doing that around the same time. So >> Okay. So some of the the things that these folks are interested in
opportunities to grow. >> Yeah. Oh yeah. >> Are they? >> Yeah. Absolutely. They they apply for a scholarship and as I said to them if they don't get it we can probably find a way to get them to go. But if they can get the scholarship they got the scholarship that's great and all of them got it. Yeah.
>> Wow. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, we're very >> and if we are level funded >> and we if we tap into some of the state aid that we have to augment the budget, >> that doesn't >> that doesn't that doesn't satisfy it has
to be what the town appropriates for. >> Yeah. The the operating >> the operating budget that the town appropriates. >> Okay. Even if we augment things. >> No. Yeah. But all any any donations or any of that are stated, none of that goes towards it. So, >> okay.
>> Yep. >> Been there, done that, moved on. >> Yes. I would love not to do it. I've been very lucky since I started. >> Yeah. No, no. That was uh I don't remember whether it was Jean or Eron who worked >> Yeah. >> diligently to get that.
>> Yeah. And and again, we've been the town's been really great the last few years in making sure that that doesn't happen. So, >> we'll see. Um >> so, there are consequences. >> Yes. And then the other thing is that I just hit my two years last week, so we need to start once again thinking about
the um annual review. I know we just did one. I realized that. But technically, I did just hit my second year now. So, >> I'm going to white out the signatures. That's why I'm putting it out now so that you know in the next four to 5 months when we get our act together it happens. >> But
>> we don't want to rush into anything. >> Okay. You know, >> I didn't I'm sorry. I didn't even remember that I hit my 2 years. So, >> yeah. No, I actually I thought of it this week. >> I truly didn't. I was out sick >> for two days last week. I came back, my desk had like a little a plant on it
from my staff and I was like, "Oh, is it cuz I'm sick?" And I read the card. I was like, "No, it's 2 years. I years." Um, so that happened fast, >> but that's great. >> So again, just to put on the tip of people's minds, >> I I I'll go into my files and find the
form. >> Yeah, I do also still have it. So, >> okay. >> I always send it to y'all. >> That's it for me. >> All right. Um, excellent. Is there anything else?
Alex, you have anything? No. >> No. >> Okay. So, a motion to adjourn. Some move. >> Second. All