All right. This is a meeting of the uh blueberry library board of trustees and we are not punchy today. No, we're not punchy. So, it's election day. So, we're Oh, maybe
somebody will drop in and visit us. Maybe. Yeah. So, yours would be fun. Oh. All right. So, we're call to order. We'll um do a roll call. You know, Alexander Berg, Melissa
Mashford, Terry Letters, Dick Beri, Haley Hart, library director. Library director. Okay. Actually, we have one member missing at the moment and hopefully she will show up. I thought I saw her, but maybe I didn't. Oh, she she may be voting. Oh, yeah. That's right.
Okay. We had the minutes from uh the previous meeting that Alex had uh sent along and uh you know there any comments or changes uh that anybody had if you had a chance to read them? No, that's good to me.
Yeah, just move that we accept the uh meeting minutes as drafted for April 8, 2025. Okay, we have a second. Motion made and seconded. All in favor? I opposed. The eyes have it.
Okay. We have the director's report. Next item on the agenda. Okay. Um so, uh ethics pass came out on Monday to help us. We've got ants as everyone does this time of year. Um so he's dealing with that. Um the roof is finished. The snow
stoppers have been added. It looks fantastic. We're very excited. Um so NDLC is going to come out on July 2nd to train on staff cataloging. This is the um training we tried to have in January, but everyone was sick, including the trainer. So, uh hopefully this one's
more successful. So, July 2nd, um they'll come out uh and we will get some training. It'll start at 9:00 a.m. Uh 10:00 a.m. I will be on desk to cover while we're open and then it goes till about 10:30, 11. So, Okay. Um Friends Plant Sales is this Saturday, 8:30 to
12:30. It's going to be great. The raffle is already up and ready um as at our front desk. So, if there's anything you're interested in, um, I attended an equity 101 workshop on the 10th of April hosted by MDLC. It was a good event. Um, did a lot of networking, got to catch up
with some other directors that I know very well. Um, our staff meeting was at the end of April. We discussed it, discussed weeding, logistics, summer reading, cataloging updates. Uh, we'll be meeting in June. Um, as a reminder, I am going to be on vacation from the 21st
to the 2nd. So, if you have any questions, talk to Katherine. Um something that is not on its own. Only two days. 21st to June 2nd. Oh, good. No, no, no. It's like two weeks. We changed the rules.
Be lovely. Yeah. Um and then not on here because I just got it um finalized. Uh Chief Evans, stopped by today. We are set to do our AD and CPR training on June uh yeah, June 9th at 10:00 a.m. So, it's a Monday. It's going to be about two two and a half hours. I scheduled us
for three. Okay. I send them home if there's nothing else to do. But Yep. Um so they will get C CPR certified uh and get AED training. That's great. So that's the day that luckily both Chief Evans and almost everyone on staff said they were available. Good. So um
excellent programming. So our peeps contest winners are being announced today. Um if you haven't had a chance to look, they're so adorable. They're on the um comics. I know there's some really cute ones. There's some book themed ones. Um
so uh the public have been able to vote for a while. Um and then staff voted today for a librarian's pick. Um uh but yeah, we had 31 people pick up kits. Uh we only got 14 returned, but I mean 31 people took it, so pretty
exciting. That's good. Um Bali X was once again very popular for adults. We had 13 people come. cookbook club is going strong. We had eight members uh come last month. Um they are doing incredible. Um their food always smells very good. Um during April vacation, uh
Children's had a make and eat cookies program that brought in 12 kids ages 6 to 11. They had a great time and made some monster cookies. Um and then Heart and Soul Sensory with Lindsay brought in 36 people. It was a really really great time. Yes. So, we're, you know, doing um
statistics are attached. Things are looking good. Um our, um museum passes have circulated more this month. Um Catherine's been making uh weekly posts, uh highlighting especially our new ones. Um so that's been seems to be doing something which
is exciting. Um, we've had uh better attendance for adults. Um, less for youth, but it was on vacation, so vacation usually empties us out a little bit. Y have more visitors. Um, it was volunteer appreciation week,
so all of our volunteers received um a PAOS plant and a card uh from staff. Yeah. Good. And then budget wise, we're doing well. Um you'll notice there's some like in the breakdown some negatives. It all wiggles into each
other. Um but yeah, we're doing really well. Um everyone's been told to spend their budget by the uh end of May so that it comes through. Um so that's looking good. Um yeah. Okay. Any questions?
Oh, one other thing. I had a membership meeting this morning for MBLC. um went fine. Nothing really to report and BLC has done their is in the process of moving buildings. They're almost completely finished. Um so there was like some service delays on our ends,
but we didn't really experience too much of that. So that's good. Um budget wise, uh for them, it's looking like they're going to be so Hello. Yeah, they've been trying to do um uh
like update how they're doing the finances, like how they're calculating our membership fees. They've been trying to work on it for the last year or so. Um it's looking like uh FY27 is when it's actually going to be instated. So, sometime in the next fiscal year,
they'll kind of talk us through how they're doing it. Um I don't know what it's going to mean for us yet. Um, yes. I I want to just go back to something else. The museum passes now that it's expanded a little. Could we do a little
program on that in some way? What do you mean? Um, people who used them, right? Just a little uh report on what they saw or be willing to share information. A little just post. Yeah. Yeah. Right now
we're posting what the passes offer. So like what discounts and also what kind of museum it is like the North Shore Children's Museum is new for us or like what kinds of programs they've been having that kind of thing. But I mean we can see if any of the people who take out a pass will be willing. Yeah. Yeah. You know when the pass is hand out or if
we could ask if they could do something like feedback feedback what was your experience so that we so that we know going forward if the things that we need to correct or if it's not worth it or whatever. Yeah. That right now we're judging that by statistics. Okay. Yeah. So, we're seeing
how many of each pass goes out. Um, it's why in the last fiscal year with the friends, cuz they're the ones who pay for it, we did a um we got rid of I forget which ones, but we got rid of two that weren't circulating at all and got three other ones that are now cuz kids
that go too could make comments. Yeah, I can see. Especially if the friends are availing themselves, they're sort of a captive, a very a very po, you know. Yes. Yeah. a very pro library segment. Yeah. No, they're their
friends have been incredible. It's been crazy. Yeah. I'm hoping to get to the plant sale on Saturday. I know. So many friends. Just going to go around work around my grandchildren's soccer games and all that. We're not going to do that. So, we'll make it though. Yeah, we
will make it. Yeah. Membership meeting went well. There was a lot of um a lot of libraries had uh towns had um overrided pass. Most of them have passed. Not all. Um and some are like us still waiting cuz voting is like today or in the next week. Um but a lot of the
ones that were very concerned those have passed. Just a couple things in terms of um like a cookbook club and so forth. There's the book club every month. Captain does a wonderful job because I
speak to my wife attends. Yes. Um, and it's it's the numbers are going up. I mean, there's at least eight people who are there and I think there was like three or four who didn't make it this month. So, you're looking at maybe eight to 10
people coming together talking about a book and she's doing a great job with it. So, they've done a very steady group. So, that was good. And then the newsletter that uh the history newsletter history newsletter and if you saw that you know Will and and Brady are
very much interested in promoting local history and learning more and they've sent out the the letter and advocating for people to come on come in and get involved and potentially starting the genealogy club again, you know. So I
told them they should talk to Alex. It's already on my list. I need to set up a time for you guys for them to come over to the museum and specialize. Yeah, I just need to actually do that. Yeah, just as just so them with historically what's gone on with uh there was some of
the the archive archavist reports that have been done. They I'm sure they've seen those so that you know that'd be beneficial to them too. So yeah. No, they're very excited and they've really really taken on local history like wholeheartedly. No, that's great. script. Well, maybe we can do the thing
we did before the town. I remember Yeah. before. Yeah. I mean, look, I understand. You know, Joyce. Yeah. Dave has passed away, right?
Yeah. Yeah. Definitely stuff anytime. I mean, Will and Brady obviously they're busy with CIRC stuff as well, but right, if you have things you want to talk to about them, talk to about with them, be my guest. They're open to it. Yeah. Maybe one of the things is even just going down to the the Council on Aging
and sitting and chatting with people and maybe some would be willing to even be recorded. Yep. We have some already. Some that done that in the past. Those were done in 85. Yeah. Exactly. The tapes are here. Yeah. And we also had one done right before Katie left. Yes.
Um Jack Jackbecki. Yes. He did a a recording with Katie as well. So it's not So I mean those kinds of things and it's obviously it's part of the working it into their schedule to be able to do these things. Yeah. But I think working
we've been working really close with the Council on Aging recently. Um, so I don't see why that's not something during the last chapter of the town. I remember we were on the verge when CO hit, we were on the verge of taking it
on the road to Newbury Village or Quaker. Yeah. Parker and co. So, you know, a lot of people Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We were getting Yeah. We did that two or three times and good very
good turnout. I think we had three three. Yeah. And we did have a our challenge was finding a theme within each of those meetings. Um the first one was uh of the three probably the most
because it was totally unstructured. It was crazy but great fun. Yeah. Um, yeah, I'm sure that's something that they would be interested in doing. And again, with our collaboration that we've been having with COA, I'm sure we can work out a time to spend some time. Yeah. And then and then I think, you know, what
are we trying to accomplish besides, you know, this social aspect of it? Um, what what kinds of things what history are we trying to hope for? Yeah. You never know. because everybody's everybody's perspective is going to be different,
you know, and that was very obvious in the sessions we had. We had a um an inquiry once upon a time from a researcher in in Boston who was looking into something called the Biffield
Club in Biffield in the grounds of the old ho. And I nosed around in it about it with with some of the folks I know in town. Wasn't that at the corner here? Yeah.
Right where the is now? Yeah. Where where the highway in was before that? Right. That's where my time and the Chinese restaurant. It came after the highway in the Bfield Club was a was a gay hangout. Yeah. And Alec and
an told me about that because there one night and the swing there was a great swing anyway. Yeah. Yeah. No, it was. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was an interesting place. Those the same folks who donated
one of Waldo Pierce's paintings to the Museum of Vlikely. Yeah. They were they were in Biffield and then they built a house in Newburyport. Newport. Yeah. Yeah. They're lovely. Absolutely fabulous work. Great people. Yeah. So,
there's there's a lot of history still to Yeah. to be promoted. They are good. Which is great. So, excellent. Excellent. Any other questions for me? No, but I'm going to share the letter that I got. Yep. I shared it with uh almost all the staff. Okay. I've still
got a couple that haven't seen it yet. They were all sick. Never. There we go. For viewers at home, we received a lovely letter. uh basically thanking the library staff for what they've been doing recognized. Yeah, they they felt
very very very thankful to be seen. Yeah, it was a lovely letter. Very kind. Yeah, that is thoughtful. Yeah, and it was nice to see. And again, anytime I can show I I can only do so
much to be like you guys are awesome. It's when when patrons tell them that they feel it. And he's definitely an observer. Yeah. Let me ask who he was. I don't know. Jim uh Jim Moran is actually he visits the library daily. Daily. Yeah. He's one of our regular users and
sits and reads the paper. Y multiple papers, I'm sure. Yeah. Um and yeah, Perry, he stopped me last week and said, "Do you're a trustee, right?" You said, "I sent a letter." I said, "Oh, boy."
Yeah, you never know what you're said, Jam. There's a there's a box back there that I really haven't looked at. So, no, it was a very lovely letter. It was beautiful. He wanted to apologize. He actually wrote it on April 5th. And he
says, I know I dated it April 15th, but I actually wrote it on the 5th. That makes me feel even worse. Awesome. But you have seen it and now staff has seen it. No, it's lovely. We love to hear from our patrons the good and the bad. Absolutely. Absolutely. That way Jim, if you died in
that 10 days span of times, we would have a voice from the Mary Baker Eddie would be next. Everyone's going to stay alive. Yeah. Yes. That's really really nice. That's lovely. So
yeah, that that's all I have. It's we have one new business. Okay. And that is summer hours. Yep. So, okay. What are you planning? The same thing we do every year. So, uh starting the weekend of um
Thank you. going through the weekend of Labor Day. Uh no Saturday hours and then go back to our regular schedule. Okay. And everybody will be able to get all of their hours in. Yep. Okay. Yep. Yeah. Right now we offset So right now those
four hours that happen on the weekend happen elsewhere. So has the the pot time is bumped up to 20 hours yet or is that coming? That's coming immediately. Okay. Okay. And then they will now be eligible for benefits
with that. Yep. Okay. And by they mean right now it's one person but Okay. It's two two spots. One taken. Oh, the children's assistant. Okay. So, the children's librarian and then Brady. And Brady. Okay. Will is already at 20.
No. Well, Will's full time. Oh, Will is full time. That's right. Yes. Will. So, when I moved, so I moved uh Catherine up to assistant director. Liz up to circulation and then Will moved up to Liz's position.
We did a lot of upward mobility. Okay. How and it's great. Honestly, the best decisions I made, I think. But yep, it is great. Will's already full time. He'll be Brady in somebody and that'll be the big one cuz Brady is 18
hours now. So the 20 hours is really for the benefits, but that other position was 13 hours. So now having it be 20. So hopefully that's great librarian thing from time to time. Oh yeah, Dorothy's been huge for us honestly.
like especially like if we're a small staff, if one person is already scheduled out, you can guarantee someone else is going to end up being sick that day. Uh and she's been great about like filling in the gaps, especially awesome. Anyway, how's the baby doing? I think good. But yeah, so Tuesdays and
Saturdays have been our big use of her. Um great. So it's been lovely. Okay, good. And we'll continue as much as she will allow us. Okay, so you need a vote from us to I believe so. Okay, that seems to be what has happened in the past. So, I figured
I would apologize. I move that from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we eradicate the four hours typically we are open on Saturdays and reallocate those during the week. A second. Y motion. It is 5 hours. I
apologize. It's 5 hours. Five hours. Five hours. Yep. Okay. On favor. All right. Okay. Good. Done. You got to summarize. Hey, a quick question from your um polling station warden. Uhhuh. Um we
found ourselves tossing into a generalized trash everything we were creating back there. Do we recycle paper we do or don't? We don't have any recycling here. It's something in it's something for my future but it has been
attempted before and it didn't work out. I don't have the details on that, but preme that like there are memos and stuff about trying to get that and it didn't happen. No. So, no, we do not. Right now, I've got a large pile of things that I can shred in my office that I'm holding on until I have enough
things to shred. But, no. Do you have a shredder here? We have a really tiny shredder. And with the the tiny shredder works for everyday use, but I've been doing all the cleaning of my offices and stuff and it's just Does the town hall do they recycle or have or do they use
stone for shredding because So they the shredding I could bring over some but not all. And so I figured it's just going to be easier. I want to do a community shred of that anyway. And there's still more to We're going to go a file cabinet that has all of the
construction information about this building. And I know there's duplicates you need to go through and just make sure and but I need someone who knows what they're doing. Yeah. I mean I mean the minutes from job meetings during the construction process really aren't relevant. Yeah. There's a ton of stuff
that I know we don't need and then there's stuff that I'm sure that we need that you will there will be will be things we need to like the time sheets. Yeah. No submitted construction workers. We don't need but what is it? It's Iron Mountain. Not
Iron Mountain where I came up with that one. Um Okay. Yeah. And recycling wise they are. If they could and recycling wise help I'm pretty sure town hall has recycling. I don't know why we've been and it hasn't been my priority, but after last year, I forget when was like
November, we got a memo from town about trying to be more um sustainable. Yeah. So, I'm going to bring it up this year um and try to figure it out, but I I honestly I haven't found all the documents on that yet, so I don't know why why in the first place it didn't
happen. Um but I have found the documents requesting it and then denials. Yeah. And I wonder if Iron Mountain would just really like to do this wonderful service from an adjoining community to raise awareness in the public of their wonderful services. Very
possibly. Another go with placards. Another offer that might work on the composting and on the recycling and on the shredding is Black Earth composting out of Boston. Yep. Yeah. We do that in
Salem. Yes. And they do it here. Yep. Yep. In San. Yep. Yeah. And we don't have much to compost, so that's not But like the recycling, it kills me that we don't. So, yes. No. And the thing is, we have all these recycling bins in our like in
our storage. So, at some point, we must have had recycling. I don't know why we don't anymore. I Something happened. I feel like they got clumsy. Something happened during the late Jean time and during the Aaron time. Yeah. So, I'm going to that's that's on my mission for this year. Trying to figure out what's
going on there and see if we can get it fixed. If Town Hall is doing it, I mean, they're I'm pretty Exactly. I'm pretty sure Town Hall is doing it. I would hope so. Yeah. I mean, as a community, well, I I think so because of all of the the push for buying sustainable and recycled materials, my I would be shocked if they
weren't. I just haven't explored that very much yet. You don't have anything else to do either. No, I mean I had nothing with the doctor. Something something to maybe think about after vacation. Oh, yeah. No, no, no. I I leave next week and I just came to
that realization today. So, no, I have to pack. Where are you going? Um, on a cruise. No way. Yeah, in the Mediterranean. Hi. Is there anything else we want on this the the film? No. Different places.
Okay. A motion to adjurnn. Second. Okay. All right.