I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible and justice for all. Okay.
Yes. Just conflict. Yeah. Other meetings. Motion to approve the minutes from the July 14 meeting. I make a motion. Second. Any discussion, corrections?
Okay. All in favor? Date of the next meeting, September 8th. Does that work? That works. That works. Any correspondence? Okay. Director's report. Motion to accept. I
make a motion second. Okay. Discussion, comments. I can't believe how much the circulation has jumped in July. Um I did start it is it was over 8,000. Like it was one our
biggest month and it always is every year. But I did um for Jul or for FY26 start adding in Hoopla and canopy numbers as well because I don't know why we just never did that. And um for the average report, which is all of our statistics, um we have to add the money.
So it's weird not to do that. So um I think it was about a,000 between um coupon canopy. So it's probably about 8,600 was the physical items, which is still a really great number, but yeah, a little bit of the junk that the door came with that.
Yeah, the door counts. Everything is a lot. Yeah. Yeah. What do you think about that big jump? It's July. July is always our biggest. Yeah. Summer. Yeah. Yeah. July and August are always the biggest, but July is really crazy. Wonderful. [Music]
Okay. All in favor of accepting the director's report. I Okay. Assistant director. Okay. Amy motion to accept the assistant director's report. Motion to accept.
Any discussion? All in favor of accepting. I and the friends update. I know I was last minute, but um they've been busy as little beavers getting ready for the used book sale. And I noticed that in
the email that there were 25 boxes from an estate app. We have two friends sitting in on the meeting and Denise was the one to Denise. So this sounds like it was expected.
No, we didn't know it was coming. Um, but it's welcome. I mean, it's a it was from an estate and so there's some pretty special books in there. They were very um well read in any area you can think of
really. We're going to be sending out an email to all the book sellers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to let them know because a lot of times they'll be interested in special books and they get a first viewing.
Well, they did last year, but I don't know how we would manage that this year really. And plus, we have to be we have to be careful about that. We have to be fair to the vendors and they come Friday night and they pay $15 to get in. So if they were to pay you $15, you don't
mind. But um No, I I think that's actually better because then more people have an opportunity. Y is Mike still putting prices on books? Michael is busy as we speak because um there was a lot of books that he needs
to look at that are are books that you and I would not normally see as well as some first editions of Geller verse travels and Tom's cabin and um wow so a lot of books about Jewish life that
I certainly am not worthy to evaluate price the same as all the other books at the book sale. No, some of these books are worth a lot of money. Okay. So, so we will be making that decision. [Music] Did we get a motion on that?
I make a motion. Friends update. Second. All in favor? I. Okay. Safety committee. They're beautiful. Yeah. We have a lot of good comments about They have to come back, do some final
touchups. They were back yesterday. Oh, they were here Friday. Saturday. Friday. And then they said they'd either be back Saturday or early in the week. And they weren't here Saturday. So, I'm assuming. For those of you who don't know, we took one of the automatic openers and put it on the interior door so people could
open that without having to pull the handles. And probably going to keep those shut eventually. Yeah. Probably during the winter we'll have to keep those shut. We'll let a lot more cold air. We met the carpet people. Bonnie, Amy, and I and
um picked out some colors. They're going to separate the Well, let me talk about that. The children area from the rest. And I think he's coming back tomorrow. Yeah. Okay. To I guess finalize the um So, it's going to be the blue that we have talked about. Um and then in the children's section,
there's going to be rainbow colors, which I think is going to be really cute. We'll find out. But I think it's just going to be sort of random. But they're all rainbow colors, so I think it should be really cute. But he'll be tomorrow, I guess. We started the outside system, the same thing.
Yeah. Yeah. The ADA walkway started last week. Um, finished up today. They're going to put the forms up later today or tomorrow. And we report this week. And we're going to talk to Joseph about the plings. We're going to probably do
that in the fall now because that's a better chance. Um, we're going to make a couple changes to what Joseph wants. We want to make stuff that we don't have to take care of. Flowers and stuff. So, we're going to put some more trees
back there. And we talked about putting some more shrubs along the front. [Music] And we are going to need to get a plaque for the for that area. We had talked about that one at the beginning of the
project. Yes. that Joseph had designed yet. So, we need a plaque for the benches. No, we need a plaque for the children's outdoor amphitheater. Okay. The area. Okay. Um,
we did run into some trouble out here. We had a pipe that we didn't know was there. Uh, luckily it was able to be replaced. Found some old drawings. I looked up and found out it was a water pipe. Nobody knew that a water line. I do. That far down in the ground.
Well, they did a lot of excavating. That's all I got. That's great. I have nothing to add for the personnel committee. Nope. [Music] Hey, new business. The man room policy.
I guess there's a story. There's just a couple of things came up and our the way our current policy is worded and didn't quite cover them. So, I just wanted to go over that. Um I'm sorry I didn't get to them to you sooner, but I got sick at the end of the week. So, um basically it was the two
sections that I highlighted on here. Um, someone had there's an email in here. Somebody had sent back um they had booked the room um with Dan and then when I looked at it, I didn't believe that they met our criteria to
use the room. Um they are a financial services company. the um it was a free meeting about this stuff but it was basically their services you know it was a I felt that it was almost they were selling it um she said uh you can see in
the email it's um in the packet um she felt that the way it was worded she felt it was under educational purposes because uh the way it reads is for civic cultural educational and recreational purposes and community nonprofits
So she felt that even though they were not a nonprofit, she felt it would be under educational. Um I said I didn't feel that that was the way it was. Um so uh we did um speak to her and uh cancel that booking. So um I don't know if we
need to word that slightly differently. Is it still only nonprofits or are we allowing for-profit groups and how do we differentiate between what is educational, what is not Um, she felt technically because they weren't really selling anything, but I
felt that they would be offering their services. So, um, let me offer you this. If you let one financial do, you have to let all of them, but she's not really she's not wrong in the way that worded. Um, it does read that way. So, there's that. And then it
does say in the restrictions area on the second page um about you know fundraising events and charging but I felt she was correct in the way she interpreted it the way it's written but I don't think that's the
what we really the spirit of the the man wrote. So I would like to change that wording a little bit um from the first paragraph. Yeah, that first paragraph, the way it reads, it's like it's nonprofits or if it fits these other criteria, but that's very vague
as to what is educational or cultural or something like that. So, I would just like to word that slightly differently. Well, then I got six, so I didn't get to get any examples. Um, although any of the things are at your discretion. Yes. Yeah. And I think that covers it.
Yeah. Okay. I mean, we don't have to change it. I just felt it was a little bit vague the way it's working. We we had a real hard time doing that. Yes. Well, there's actually a second part to this also. Um the second half has booked the meeting room for
September. And I know we have talked about this, but again, the way this is worded, um they are I feel like if the wording is allowing a group like the financial to use it and we're not allowing the second half, which is a nonprofit, to use it, it's
contradictory. And um it is for the film class. They have been here before. We are the only place in town really with the screen and the blackout curtains and everything. And I feel it is something that does it is a benefit to the library. We have a
lot of Westport people who are part of the second half. Didn't originally start today. They wanted to book a certain day of the week every It was for it's um the dates be September 17th through October 31st. But we also have majong meeting twice a week
in there. So I feel like we either need a more specific policy or we need to be doing so for everyone. At your discretion and I agree with you as an asset to the community versus someone who's coming in maybe not
outwardly selling a product under restrictions. We have that no one charging an admission fee can use it though which would exclude the second half. They mission here. Their mission isn't to come here. They're a nonprofit, but they have to pay to belong.
And they pay some of the people that teach. Yes. So there we are. So as as it's currently written, like the second half would not be able to use the but the financial services company would. So I really Is that the same group we had a hard time with last year?
That was two years ago, I think. Yeah. at least we had this group and they were this um the two men who ran this class were great to work with and it's um a classic film so they used the north side with the um the screen and the projector and everything.
So do you have an idea of how you would like it run for that for those two groups? Well, there's two options I did get a chance to look into. Um for the Tibetan Library, there's um they have their rooms. It may be booked at no cost by groups holding meetings that are free of charge and open to the public. other
local nonprofit groups, businesses, individuals would be charged a fee. They charge um $100 for up to three hours. So, it's either either charge second they charge if it's they if the group itself is charging, then they charge a fee to rent the room. Other than that,
it's free. So, that's an option or we just um change our wording because right now it's I think it's too vague as to who it's excluding people that should very much are part of the community and should be able to use it and it's
leaving it open to others. I don't feel on second half. Is that only Westport residents use? I know it's medicine for some Eastern but I know we do have a lot of um Westport people who do use that. So I think that like something like that is
something that I believe goes with the you know what the library is promoting more so than a financial services company. Now let me ask you you're thinking this particular class but they want to have classes here all the time. Um it's just this one specifically
this time. Yes. This time because they have asked in the past to have uh yeah it's classic films. So they watch a movie and discuss it every week. How many people attend now? Uh I think last time it was around maybe
six or eight people. So it's not a lot of setup or anything. We just pull out the make sure the screen is down and pull out the things. So So do we want to leave the wording the same and it's just up to I think so my discretion. Okay. Kind of on a case by case basis.
Yeah. You like that answer? Yes. It was just it was complicated with a woman who had emails back because according to the policy it was okay and I was just saying it wasn't okay. But it does say it does say discretion in the order that it's written right off
the bat. Nonprofit group you're not. So therefore don't read any further. But she felt it was separate because it was educational or she felt it was educational which I disagree. But it does say in the policy to it's under the director's discretion. So we could just go with that. And then he goes well.
Everyone else does. [Music] Yeah. Well, they they charge even more. Yeah. Did you want to do it? Is it necessary? Like we're not changing anything. So, if you just want to leave it up to my
discretion, I would like to let the second half use it for response. So, yeah. And I said no group. So, that's where we are. Okay. Okay, the next one also has a story. Mhm. It's Amy's.
I was not here for this one. Yeah. Yeah. So, we had an incident and we had to um have the police come and escort a individual out of the building because he was making it um unsafe for patrons and staff. So,
health episode. Yeah. He was hearing voices and things like that. and and he was swearing and screaming at uh my toddler and the mother. So, so wasn't great. Sorry about that. Yeah. Um so, I did want to go over just
I had originally um in the said the patron behavior policy, but that doesn't really um cover what I was thinking. I did find we do have an evacuation and security procedure that is old that I found in George's old stuff. So, I thought we should probably go over that.
I have contacted I talked to Deputy for that luck and he is going to send someone over to kind of give us an overview of what to do because there was Oh, that's great. The staff was not all on the same page in um you know people were in separate
areas of the building and not everybody knew the entire situation. So we just need to have a plan in place that everybody knows um you know what is happening all at the same time. So maybe you could write something about what you guys learned.
Yeah. Um yeah. So he got back to me this morning and um so I said probably a Monday morning would be best for everybody. So we'll schedule that. Um we had done that years and years ago I think before the co shut down and everything. It had to have been maybe
like 2018 or something. Um I think it was right after they actually uh worked on the school. Um just active shooter and things like that. If something happened to the school, what would we do? So I think we just need to update that. And at the time, um, we can look through this more, but I didn't
even actually know we had that. So, um, we've always had, you know, call the police and there's not, you know, a lot we can do. We do have the new doors, which is nicer. Um, we don't have to go outside, you know, we still have to lock them. So, at the end of all the procedures and um
policies being corrected or updated, changed, is there a booklet somewhere that any any staff could look at to see what the right step would be? I do not know. I think George left one. I have not
Yes. policy book, right? Yeah, there is something I think. Yeah, just like in that one place just to go onto the computer to check or whatever. It was more not everyone had heard um in this specific incident like Amy knew what was going on and somebody
else who was at the desk but um one of the other employees was at another area of the library and didn't realize the severity. So like went up to this person to speak to them and afterwards was like I did not realize that was the situation. So we just want to make sure we have a plan in place so everyone is
on the same page in these situations. Do they have a plan at town hall? Do you know? I would assume they do specifically for them, but well, it could mirror ours a few changes. Who would you talk to?
I should ask you or Denise or but somebody from the police will come to talk to us and give us their um you know best practices and I will update this and we can you know go over it again then. Okay. And I would say Amy did a real
nice job. Yes, it wouldn't have happened if we had the doors like working, but he had I didn't realize until afterwards when I looked at the cameras, he had pounded on the doors and then tried to open forcibly come in. I'm not sure what his plan was when he got in. But I first saw I was
like, that's why the doors did not open. Yes. And I was still trying to open the doors when he Nancy went to go find him and I found Nancy very close to him and I was like, "Not great. So I will say I've been here 18 years and that was the first time we had you
know that I that has happened. So we are very lucky in that respect but it's always good to be better. Was it confirmed that it was the same person that was in town hall looking for a death? He fit the description. So I feel
I feel very badly for him. Yeah. We also need to keep everyone safe. kind of along that same line. Right now, when the door is closed on the left hand side of the door, you can turn them off so the electric doesn't work, but you have to lock it manually. You still have to lock it for it to
catch. We talked I talked about maybe take that thing where you lock the doors and put it closer to the station so somebody could reach it earlier. And maybe put like an automatic lock on the door if you do switch it. And I forgot to mention cameras were all
installed. Those have been great already. Do you have the buttons yet? You didn't know when you were missing. Yeah, I did. And they're also going to have little buttons and they can call the police station if there's an emergency here.
Yeah. Yeah. Just in time. The work set in a good time. any old business other topics. Um can I just mention one thing? Um
thanks. Um as you most of you know we lost a cherished member of our board um a couple weeks ago, Carol A. Bidal, and um she's going to be sorely missed. Um, she also was the editor of our newsletter and so she's been doing she
had been doing that for about 13 years. So we are in the midst of regrouping and trying to honor her legacy and just wanted to enter her name.
Thank you. Motion to adjurnn. Motion to adjurnn. Second. All in favor?