Okay, it is 7 PM Monday, May 11th. Calling to get or calling to order the May 11th, 2026 board of library trustees meeting. Um, do we have any public comment either? Oh, there we go.
Public comment. Somebody approaching the mic. Many years ago, a young chap named Andrew Grimes and I were on the finance committee. And I just wanted to come tonight to thank Andrew. I know you're moving away soon. I've seen your for sale sign. So, I really just wanted to
thank you. You're the perfect example of a volunteer that didn't go muk. Um I don't know how many years you've been on the trustees, but it's got to be close to 20. Okay. um and nine on FINCOM.
Um it's just remarkable we don't have people that uh you don't have that tenure anymore. You're very lucky to have had them. But I just wanted to thank you. Uh for those that don't know me, I'm Bob Lurlash. Sure. I was town manager number two. I hear you're on number five by now. So things have changed a little. Fellow before me was
27 years. I was nine years and I overlapped eight years with him. And since then all hell has broken loose. So hopefully we'll get a little stability. you have a good one now. Um, but I really just wanted to come and thank you, Andrew. Um, I was going to stop at your house, but that's random as to
whether you're home or not. And Amy said you'll get them here. So, thank you. >> Thank you very much, Mom. That was lovely. >> That was amazing. >> Amazing. Thank you, Bob.
Do we have any other public comment? Nothing's going to top that. >> Not. Yes. Not quite. Uh public comment. Um well, two things. One, I think we have been dormant on a request that came in uh that perhaps Amy will know more of
the details on. >> Yes, there's the Massachusetts Library Trustee Association. I think a $100 to join and you were asked to join that um a few months ago by uh former former library employee who's now a trustee
over in Middleton and um basically I think we just have to agree. They'll send us an invoice. Um you can again table it and come back to it next time. We're just kind of raising it. It came in via um the trustee if you want to see what it does um and what the benefits
are. But basically it connects you with other library trustees in the state and it's separate from the mass board of library commissioners stateun list serve. So you might connect with some different people and meet with other trustees in all of your extra spare time
that I know all of you have. >> Refresh my memory. It didn't offer any difference to what the NLC version did. Right. I can't remember what it was. >> What the difference was? It was very it was identical. It was very similar except for the NBLC is free. Um, and they offer I think it does focus on some
other things like fundraising and or advocacy and things that um, but I think it's more more of a networking tool. >> I think it well I don't think it qualifies as an emergency measure cleaning out the inbox. Um, so I would suggest that maybe we add that
information into the packet for next month and then can decide at that point um would be my suggestion. Sounds good. >> Uh the second is perhaps a later discussion um but it did come in through the inbox and that is there is a
celebration trust committee in the town and apparently uh Bolt has a designate or had um and there is now an opening. I don't think it's a a committee that meets terribly often. I think it was started at the 350 and brought back for
the 375, but it's >> Yeah, correct. read about, but we do um the request came in um I want to Friday uh to have a designate put on the board. >> Yep. We can put that on a future agenda. The previous um appointee was Bill
Rushworth who has moved on since he left RCTV. So, I believe there's an opening now and um I'll get the term information from the town clerk and then um the trick is finding someone who's interested in so they oversee a trust um and the trust people can apply. We at
the library has applied um the schools have applied and they generally have to do with somehow maintaining history. So, if we said we have these we want to purchase these books or we want to repair these items or we want to have these things scanned in anything like that. um if it preserves the history of
reading, you can get a small grant. In the meantime, they also do fundraising for big things like the 375th and the 350th. So, it's nice to have a voice at that table. Um it's mostly cultural institutions. Sometimes you get a scout um who's working on a project, that kind of thing, but it's meant for to help
preserve local history. >> So, I'll respond uh to Kurt Hables, the one who reached out, who's on the committee, and just tell him that we'll be addressing it. month and if there's some issue with that delay to let me know.
Thank you very much. Yeah. Um, next item on the agenda. By the way, that was it for public comment. Correctly. I don't have anybody online. I'm not stopping anybody's toes. Good. Um, next item on the agenda was the discussion and vote of the history room
use policy. Um, do we have any questions or items for discussion? And if not, do we have a motion? >> Um, I'll just add if you want to look. There we go. It's getting um believe it was Mona who had Mona who had um talked
about the conditions for accessing the materials to make sure it was clear that you don't have to make an appointment. So now it says um I also changed a lot of patrons to visitors because they are often visitors. They're not particularly you know usual library patients. But to
access the history room visitor visitors must present a noble library card or a valid state or federal ID which is normal. Visitors are advised to make an appointment if they require research assistance. Meaning this is to say you can get in there. You just have to show
us who you are. if you need any help, you know, with the actual research, you should make an appointment. That's much more helpful. So, that was that's how we how everything else is pretty much the same. So, I just said um two things. One's super little under user guidelines.
Number six, the word items should not be capitalized. >> Got it. And then um my other question was just under um the reproduction and photocopying when we reference the
reproduction of material form is that is there a way to have that be an active link so that people can link right to it? >> Yes, it will. Um >> same thing with permission to use material. >> Yes. And they would be on there would be a link and they would also be posted se
either separately or as a physical addendum to this. some wanted to print it out. I think we put it as a physical addendum to this. >> Um but we yes, you know, we prefer people look at it online and not print it out, but we'll make a print version of the whole thing together available. And um those are pretty standard.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> So just the one typo correction and then it's that's you're you're making an amendment of the one typo correction and to make the hyperlinks. That's your friendly amendment to the changes to the those are the changes. So when you vote
as amended. >> Okay. So I move we approve the history room access policy as amended. >> Second. >> I have a vote please. All in favor.
Motion carries. History access policy carry 6. Next is the Amy financial director's report. I know it's really is going to be a short short meeting. Um Michelle is sorry she couldn't be here um today, but to give you a quick um we are definitely
looking obviously this time of year we're looking at the financials. If you haven't heard anything yet um we we did have our budget passed. There was a lot of discussion at town meeting. I think Cappy are you town meeting member? I don't know this time but yeah. Yeah, it
passed, but it was um there's a lot of discussion about the override and it's going to be a override that was bigger than last time and so we're already uh they there it may go early as this year. Yes. For for fiscal year 28. Um, in the
meantime, if it doesn't go, we'll be, you know, we'll have the um we'll have the the ideal budget, which will require lots and lots and lots of use of free cash. Then we'll have and
hopefully they would the town will approve an override, but we will also have to say at the same time have to have a very um cut budget. if that override doesn't come through, what is the what is the minimum uh that we can do to remain certified and remain open.
Um and it's will not just be the library. Every single department will have to have cuts. Um there's no way you can offer even a level you cannot offer a level services budget. um it will because those
services the increase in costs in those services are more than we can afford. So it might be level funded but that means there will be a cut in services. So um it's a lot to kind of wrap your head around but um they're starting the discussions now. Um but it it was a nice
budget. Um but I don't think I had it on here. This particular budget used, I think 6.7 or 6.6 million dollars of free cash and it basically cut our free cash holdings in half. So, your rainy day fund, we've narrated the children's
college fund to to pay our mortgage basically. Um, and there's someone out there watching this who's like Joe who's going to be like, "No, no, that's a wrong analogy." Um, but that's what it is. Hey, >> Amy, is Joe, sorry, one quick thing on that. There is a >> Yes, please, please jump in. Yeah. No,
no, no. I I won't You're doing a great job. But there is a financial forum next Wednesday, a week from this Wednesday for anyone that's interested. And I'm I'm sure, you know, planning for potential override, you know, will will
be a one of the big topics. So, >> thanks, Joe, and thanks for chiming in. I always love the assistance on that. Um, I have to say I haven't really heard that much. um discussion of of override at town meeting that early in the
process. So I think it's I think it's positive, but we'll see. Okay. Um and in general, we're running um a little bit below. Our expenses will be on target. our salaries will be a little bit below. I think I've said that every every month um since due to all
the transitions that money will go back to the town. It will go into free cash. So um but knock on wood, right now we're fully staffed. So we're very excited. Um any questions about the financial picture. Um
I'll skip over the statistics, but they are what they are. Um, other than to say if you ever want to see other statistics, I do try to present some of these in um, like an annual meeting like a meeting room update for the year or museum pass or I mean Olivia is always
giving you program information, but if there's anything you ever want to a deeper dive into, we're always welcome you're always welcome to reach out and ask me for that and I can add that to to that month's report. I just had a quick question about circulation because I noticed April year-over-year it was down by a couple thousand and I didn't understand why or 800
>> 800 uh you're talking about overdrive or regular >> circulation. >> Yeah. I I don't know what that is. It could be just that it was a nicer weather April vacation so fewer people came in. >> Yeah. Yeah. April's always a a crop shoot because of sometimes everybody
travels. I I think um and there's, you know, college visits and whatnot, but it was it was definitely a quieter um you know, visitors were down a little bit, but we continue to see the increase in the digital. That's something we're
actually really discussing right now. We have several online resources like Hoopla and Canopy that are pay as you go. Um they can get quite expensive. Do you like Do you like Hoopla? Good. Um but Hoopla is getting quite pricey. They've been raising their increase.
They've been increasing their prices. So we're trying to figure out a lot of metrics. Cost per circulation, cost per user. Um if you can have a 100 users checking out three things, is that better than having 30 users check out 10 things? You know, what's or whatever the math is on that? Um what's the best bang
for the buck? um what's efficient yet also gets people what they need. And some of these collections have uh bigger uh larger or language materials that we can't really access very easily or acquire very easily. So it's a little complicated, but it's something that
we're watching. Um we do really look hard at the print circulation. Print collection will not grow. We want to keep this circulation. We want things turning over, but it's not this physical circulation. Physical collection will not grow. That's a good question, Gabby.
See here. Ah, you may have received an email from Michelle today. Maybe, maybe not. Maybe not. Well, it should be coming out the library card design contest ran through April. And um you should be receiving if you haven't already very soon out of the 68 entries
uh for K through 12. They staff members had a very uh fun time on their first round judging. It was hard to select 10 and you the trustees will be getting all 10 of the finals. Um and you will be able to vote on that. Michelle will have
more information for you on that. um you'll get a a I guess a folder or something that has all of the things in it. She'll give you a rubric and you'll be able to mark it and then um the winner will be announced
in June. Um all the of the 10 designs will be posted in the studio, the 10 finalists and then uh the winner will have their their design created for a one month specialty card in September. to everyone who can um can ask for that
library card design. So, thank you very much for working on this. Um I'm going to ask you make sure that everybody does not speak to anybody else or deliberate on the um the voting. Keep it all legal and then all your votes will be tallied.
So, thank you. >> Just curious on that. Did the other trustees receive something because I didn't. >> Okay. I think I Michelle was going to be here today and she said she was gonna send it out, hence what's why it's on there, but I she was out today so she Okay. Thank you. It's
um so I think it was Kathy that asked about the planning for the future. It's the second annual. We're hoping to continue to do that for um I think the town forest committee would like to do it forever and ever and ever. The library is committed to helping out till at least 2030 which will be the town forest
100th anniversary. planted five types of trees. Um, one was called hackberry, there was an American plum, there was a flowering dogwood, there was a um white there was a river birch and a
white oak, five kinds and there were there were yeah there were um hund of hundred of each trees of each tree. So it um it went really well. It was a little slow and the town forest committee did plant quite a few of those. Um, but it was really fun and what they did was they picked out a zone
that was fairly close to the council ring and they had a bonfire going in the council ring. It was a little bit of a chilly day. Um, but it was nice and people were coming in from the woodend side and people were coming in from the uh Strat Avenue side and it was it was really a fun time. Some people just happened upon it. Some people came. I
think we had a Daisy troop that came in and their badge or whatever for the for the month had been to plant a tree. So, they saw this and we had 15 very avid diggers and planters. Um so, we'll hopefully um see some some return on
that investment. We had a lot of great programs as usual. I wanted to point out home delivery service. Uh we have uh now two of our new staff me well one of our new staff members Ashley Cristiano is working with Sarah Kelso um and working
on getting it. It's no longer called homebound delivery. We just call it home delivery. We're going to expand our short-term delivery options. So there may be people who only need the service for a short amount of time versus being permanently homebound. So that has really started to grow. It had been
dwindling and dwindling. The hardest part is getting the word out and letting people know that this service exists. We use volunteers for all of the driving and delivering um and the librarians do the selection. So, it's a little bit of a logistics um puzzle, but Asher is
doing a tremendous job getting that done. And adjacent to that is taking the library out to people who are homebound. Well, not homebound, but Peter Sandborn, people who can't get to the library very easily. and um Sarah Kelso is doing tech
help. So they're going in instead of having the tech help here at the library and asking people to come and set up appointments here. We're going out to Sanborn and we're going out. So they're doing a lot more of that. They're really trying to get to people into these settings and help them, you know, just set up their iPad or figure out how to
send an email or something like that. So it's it's really been uh great. So to have six people coming for the first session was pretty amazing. So yeah, we're really excited. Um really fun having um this new initiative. We're doing it I think we're
doing at Parker. We may be doing it partially at Coolage at some point, but I know Parker was the pilot program. We have Lunchables where we have a librarian going over there. Um I think it's once once a week and just hang out and they play games and they kind of encourage. their target audience there
is the twins, those kids that are going to drop off quite a bit between elementary when your parents are bringing you here and and when you have to be here to study. So there's a little gap there in between. So it's just building those relationships. So we've had a really uh good feedback on that
and making some great rel continuing to have great relationships with the media specialists. >> Will they do that at Koolage? >> I believe they will. I think they're trying to >> or something. >> Yeah. Uh, and I think they're trying to get a beat on a rhythm for that because um,
it's two schools. We only have so many librarians and they want to figure out how to do it and what the I mean they do simple things like she brought a Jenga. They all play Jenga and you know because they get bored after they eat and so um, they want to do it at both schools. Absolutely. And it's really hard. It
used to be that we could get into the classrooms quite a bit. You know, we could just call up and the language arts teacher would be like, "Sure, come in in the spring. you can talk to all the LA, you know, language arts classes, but now their curriculums are so tight, it's really hard to get in there and prep for summer reading and things like that. So,
the lunch the lunch breaks are a really good time to to meet the kids where they are. So, so it's very clever and and uh really got a lot of energy behind that. Um, oh, we had a great jewelry swap. The swaps are really very very wellreceived.
people really like dropping all their stuff off here and then they like coming back and taking other people's stuff. Um the they're looking for October they're looking which I think is gonna be amazing as a cookbook swap. I don't know about you but have you ever received as a gift or you know
I know he's gonna take all the books. >> I know. So um yeah. So that should be fun because or you know maybe you bought something when you were on vacation and you swore you were going to make those uh those uh whatever burritos that you had in that place and now now you're
just ready to you're not you don't want to throw it away, right? So come swap it. So I think that's going to be a real popular one as well. Um next Tuesday we'll be closed. Uh we have I think 25 people from the library going to Mass Library Association
um conference on Tuesday. So, we're very excited about that. Um, the next big things coming up are our library terrace opening, um, which will have to open to the public from 7:00 to 8 will be the actual ribbon cutting. There'll be something inside that the
foundation's working on from 6:00 to 7:00, which is a foundation event. And um, yes, all the >> Okay, trustees should be getting invitations for that. Um, also want to invite you to summer sizzlers. This is
our speed dating book talks. Um, they have happens in the library. The friends will be there selling mocktails. It's another fundraiser for them. So, it's it's fun. Yeah. They mix up little mocktails and and as you go from as the you can go get them and then the what
happens is the librarians go around from it's like speed dating for books. For books. It's not actual dating. Yes. >> Yes. Well, yes. except for the actual date part, but basically you sit at a table and then the librarians come around and they show you here are the best seven books or however many books
that you should read this summer. It's really fun. It's it's really fun. Um >> and it's a really fun to come with some friends and then you take your notes and yeah, so it's it's right after it's after um I think it might start at 5:30
or 6. They 6. Thanks. Thanks. So they take an hour to set up and then they open the doors and you find you grab a seat and um we have some really great book talks. One thing the one thing that we get staff from every division that likes to
participate in this because pretty much every here everyone here does like to read but not everyone has a chance to talk about it. So it's it's really a fun event for our staff as well as the public. Um the green community's garden party um is it's we did it last year. It's a big ice cream party. We just give out free
ice cream and we have t table table tables from local organizations. We'll have um in addition to our local committees, we're going to have if switch river watershed association. We're going to have mass saves and RMLD talking about clean energy. Um we have
about we have eight we have eight registered with about four may so we're hoping to have about 12 tables um for the committee to come see about how you can Oh, and the garden club is going to be coming as well. um just you know about nature,
sustainability, gardening, all of that kind of stuff just to get out get outside. Um and we feel like this supports our green community's uh status here in Reading. And then June 20th is going to be a really you don't you just don't even
have to go home on Saturday. You can start at friends and family day. Then you can go to the Junth Freedom Festival. Then you can go back and watch the fireworks. So, just bring some cash for food trucks, hot dogs, and dinner downtown, and you'll be all set. It's going to be a packed day. And I think
porch facts might be the next weekend. So, June is always an incredibly busy month. So, the next meeting dates will be June 8th with the general business meeting with a lots of business. It will be Andrew
Grimes's last meeting. And then uh July 13th um will be the start of the next fiscal year and that'll be our general business meeting as well. Um I'll just add one thing that I was not
able to get into. Oh no, it was there was a revised agenda which you probably don't have because I forgot to send it out. The revised agenda had one more item on it and um just pass this Um, I did I did file this Friday and
then forgot to send it to all of you, but it's a very short item. It actually has to do with Andrew's departure. Um, this was to review what happens when there's a vacancy on the board. Um, I was going to say it doesn't happen very often, but it did happen in 2011, 2013,
and 2018. So, it happens. Um there's a board of library trustees bylaw as well as a mass general law that oversees how this happens. Um the way that it runs here is the vacancy is filled by a majority
joint vote of the select board and the board of library trustees. Once appointed, um, the trustee, the appointed trustee will serve from the appointment, which I put down August 1st, just as a temporary
placeholder, assuming that we'll do this in in July, um, through the end of through through the local election, which will be a April 6, 2027. Um, Andrew was very gracious and picked a time to go. It was at the end of his
term, so it's a very short appointment. And then at that point, whoever the appointee is has the opportunity to run for a full three-year term as as normal. So there's no like one or two-year term election. It's just a full three-year term.
So there's a little information for those who don't know about the board, um, about the library, different places that you can learn about what a trustee does, both reading trustee bylaws, the Mass Board of Library Commissioners pocket guide,
which is really awesome. and some information from the American Library Association, which is helpful when you're thinking about those things that are happening at the national level because maybe you went to go see the librarians. So, it is good to know. I have sent this
off to um both the town manager and to the town clerk. Um there's tenatively it would be really nice to the select board does not meet any more frequently than the than the trustees do during the summer. There's like one meeting in July and one meeting in August. So, um we're
hoping, um if all things go well that we could, um post the vacancy within a week after the June meeting, um have a fairly reasonable deadline of early July for having all the letters of
interest be submitted to the town clerk, which gives us time to give everybody a packet to review the letters of interest and then meet on Tuesday, July 14th. for the interviews. Now, the proposal right now is to be at the very beginning of the select board meeting. If the select
board meeting is super super packed, we could back that up a day and we could have a joint meeting at the beginning of this July 13th trustee meeting. So, those dates are probably the most likely and reasonable. There is something that says we do need to have the appointment
with within 60 days, which is why we're delaying making the appointment until after Andrew's last meeting. That way we get a little edge on that 60 days. We can apply for an extension if it's needed if there's extenduating circumstances. Like there's just no way we can pull together a joint meeting,
but I think we should be able to to do that. So I'd like to get it done before 60-day termination uh deadline is done. And then the term the expected start date would be August 1 or could be actually appointed that
evening. uh we do include language that says if we can't come to an agreement at the July meeting then we just have to keep continuing the process. So if you know if for it'll be five and five andor quorum and quorum
so that's basically what you need because there may be vacations but with the glory of zoom who knows maybe we can make it work and I think it could be an all zoom meeting if you if it if need be but I think this board would be meeting so um so that was the last thing and I
just wanted to give you opportunity to discuss um and uh share your thoughts. Um if there's anything else you want me to get back to the town clerk or to the town manager um who's our leazison to the select board, I'm happy to share
that. But at this point, that's the that's the plan. Amy, I'm just curious once you submit this, um is it then posted on the town's website that there's a vacancy? How does the town communicate it? um when the first thing that Andrew has to do is
submit a letter of resignation with his last day, which should be after June 8th. Um but once that's been received, the town clerk can post can post it. Um I wouldn't necessarily post it too soon. I
mean, I that's why I picked the date of one week after from June 15th to about June 8th is just about three weeks, which seems reasonable for people to get going. We could do it. We could take out, we could send something to the general press release, you know, the patch and the post and the observer and
the and the um drawing a blank I said observer. I said observer. Yes. Uh writing recap, whatever. All all the all the all the news outlets we have in town. Um and it would be physically
posted here and physically posted at town hall. >> Okay. Thank you. and you can share it with all of your friends. There may have been a little librarian going around town talking to friends and saying there might be a trustee opening.
Yeah. No, I mean it's important to get the word out and I think um you know you can send me comments if you want to send me a comment. Um, I looked at what was posted in the last several times that this happened and I think what's really important is talking about what we're
really looking for in a trustee. So, the ideal candidate will have a genuine interest in the library and its role in the community readiness to dedicate time and energy and a real desire to help us into the future and that future is based on our vision, mission and core values.
So, I think, you know, if we look at that and we kind of stick to that, then um you'll be able to find candidates who who meet that need. >> Excellent. Thank you. Um I don't Were we That was the end of the director's report of that, right? So,
we're on to the approval of the meeting minutes. >> Yes. >> Next item on the agenda is the approval of the April 13th meeting minutes. Uh, do I have any comments, questions, discussion? If not, can I please get a motion?
>> Motion to approve the April 13th meeting minutes as contained in the packet. >> You second that motion. >> May I get a vote? Please show hands. Approval of meeting minutes from April carries 6.
Um, next item on the agenda is future agenda. We have um June, July, and August which are in front of you. June summer programming update. We have our officers election setting the trustee meeting dates in the holiday schedule.
Um plus what we're going to add for the >> we'll add the um >> the MLT Mass library trustees and you can pick a time when you want to add maybe July or August when you want to add the celebration trust appointment.
uh review tutoring policy in July, teacher loan policy and copy scanfest update the deliberation committee August which we will see next. >> Uh do we have any more points for discussion questions?
>> No, I'm just I'm just going to just want to explain the discussion of the descertified libraries um in August. >> Oh, I missed that. >> Yeah. Um, so that will be there's um there are a number of libraries that will be asking for requesting waiverss because they're unable to meet their certification requirements. It's not
just local. I think Stonem will actually be okay. Marblehead is pro may be one of them depending on the outcome of the of their vote um override vote in in June. But um based on discussions we've been having uh the director directors from Noble, this is something to have on our
agenda. Number one, to review the entire thing. I have asked staff to go back because um we do want to there are some changes we may want to consider making. Um our policy does not include anything about programs or anything like that. The other thing is that even if you
don't have any changes, uh they are recommending that the boards take a vote to reaffirm their stance on this. It's not just libraries that are in our consortium. So if Burlington loses, and they're not going to, there's nothing wrong with Burlington. and I just pick them because
they're close by and we get we get users from Burlington. If another library and another consortium comes in, they get flagged. Their cards where they're from gets flagged and if we're denying service, we're denying service to them. So, um it's not just Noble Libraries.
There may be other regional libraries that are close to us or, you know, and we're on the highway. So, people who work and who live in other towns but work here often use the library. So um the MBLC is concerned and wants to make sure that um the boards are taking this
serious not taking it seriously but are you know being very confident in their decision. So we'll discuss it in August. We if we have any changes we'll look at doing a review in September and then maybe um voting on it
on October. And there's a whole timeline I will give you in August when when this is on the when this is on the agenda. There's a whole timeline I can give you. >> What are waiverss? Out of curiosity. >> So a waiver means you you keep your certification but um and so that's not a
problem but it's usually only for one year and so it extends you know and it gives the town or the city like one year to kind of get their act together and bring everything back up to certification standards. Thank you.
>> Anything from anyone else? Any questions, discussion? >> I get a motion to return. Hands. All in favor? We returned at 7:36