Lincoln Library Trustees’ Meeting Minutes
20 June, 2005
Present: Jack Pugh, Jacqueline Apsler, Marshall Clemens, Al Kraft, Peter Sugar, Trustees; Barbara Myles, Library Director, Kathy Brobeck, staff representative.
Minutes
Minutes of 17 May 05 were accepted as amended.
Financial Report
Reviewed the revised May financial report. It was noted that the June report will not be available until late July. (See also report below about the meeting with FinCom)
Librarian:
The Board voted unanimously to award a salary step increase for Barbara
Librarians Report
Some of the high-lights:
The Community Reading project is now finished. It was considered by everyone as a great success
The Children’s projects for the summer will begin next week
Re: the boiler fires, we managed to collect only $125 from the mechanic whose repair work was one of the causes of the fires.
Staff Concerns
There were no specific comments at this time.
Building Committee Report
The letter of intent for the roofing contract has been issued to Gorman Richardson (GRA), with the contract being prepared by Barbara, and reviewed by the committee and town counsel
We also discussed the need for a rendering to be able to show the town as soon as possible what the new roofing project will result in. We discussed the desirability to have renderings prepared by GRA for $1,500. It was decided eventually that, instead, we will use a photograph or photographs, which will be enlarged, to be mounted on a board, and displayed in the entry area for the public, also having a sample of the type of slate/s we intended to use next to the board. The photographs could also be used with a write up to be sent to the Lincoln Journal as our public outreach.
We also discussed the potential of hiring a Clerk of the Works for the project on a part time basis – which would cost in the region of $10-15,000
We also discussed the desirability of having a peer review of the construction documents prior to bidding them.
FinCom
Jack, Barbara and Peter met with John Robinson and Mary Cancian of the FinCom. The following points were discussed:
Liaison: Mary will be the our liaison
Library projects: we need to schedule these with care in order that they fit in with other town projects. The FinCom is especially concerned that, when the Library is awarded funds, they are indeed spent at that time and not hoarded – we explained that we made a great effort but we could not get bids for all the intended projects. We are continuing to push forward
Budgeting: this has to be done with care, as we cannot depend on getting emergency fund transfers – the latter are intended for true emergencies only
If there should be an emergency and we have need of funds, we must forewarn the FinCom before committing ourselves to an expenditure – this can always be done via the phone, calling John ahead of time
Capital Plan
We discussed the current priorities and whether some of the projects should be shifted, giving a greater priority to some ahead of others (different from what is currently in the plan). Our updated Capital Plan is due by September 1
Long Range Planning
We need to review our goals for the future. We need to appoint a new committee to start work in the fall in order that we be ready by June 2006 with our new 5-year plan. (We received copies of the current 5-year plan and also Jay Vogt’s report.)
Action Items
Peter Sugar will continue to work on a layout for potential parking on the Library side – eventually to be presented to the Planning Board
The Building Committee is to continue pursuing an interior consultant to prepare an overall vision for the Library – in order that we may move forward with the carpeting project
Respectfully submitted
Peter C. Sugar
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LIBRARIAN’S REPORT
June 20, 2005
TO: Trustees, Lincoln Public Library
FROM: Barbara Myles, Librarian
Operating Budget FY 2005
Through May 31 we have spent 92% of the operating budget. We have spent 88% of the salary portion, 90% of the library expenses portion and 116% of the building portion of the budget. We received two reserve fund transfers in May: $3,003.72 for the two new sump pumps that were installed in April and $3,353.73 for oil bills from February through April.
Boiler Fires
Town Counsel forwarded a $125 check to the library from the old HVAC serviceman to cover the cost of the February 7 service call. This leaves $2,053 for repairs necessitated by the boiler fires. To review, the total cost of repairs was $5,303. We can subtract $3,250 from this amount because (1) I requested and received a reserve fund transfer for $625 for four no heat service calls, (2) a replacement chimney cap costs $2,500 but was not purchased; and (3) $125 was collected from the old HVAC serviceman.
I emailed John Robinson, Chairman of the Finance Committee on May 27 asking him if I should submit a new reserve fund transfer request or if I could use the funds which were not spent on the structural engineering study of the Gund roof to determine if it could handle the additional weight of real slate instead of the load it is carrying now with the artificial slate.
On June 16 Jack Pugh, Peter Sugar, and I met with two members of the Finance Committee: John Robinson (Chairman) and Mary Cancian (liaison to the Library Trustees). We reached agreement that the library would receive a reserve fund transfer of $2,053 to pay for the fire-related repairs.
Adult Department
Ellen organized a year-end trip to the Peabody Museum for the Friday Morning Book Group. They had a great time visiting the museum together. Ellen organizes a special outing for her book group each year, which is extraordinary. It takes a lot of effort to organize these trips but it is a great way to wrap up the season on a high note!
Ellen presented her funding wish list to the Friends for speakers and improvements to the gallery. Specifically, she wants to purchase a new hanging system that would be easier for the artists to use than the blacksmith forged hooks and fishing line gear that we have in place now.
Children’s Department
Amy and Jane presented their funding wish list to the Friends for programs. The statewide summer reading program is called “Going Places @ Your Library” and the special programs that the Children’s Department scheduled takes children to Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the British Isles. There will be a storyteller, a music group, a puppet theater, and a magic show. These special programs are sponsored by the Friends. The kick off event for this program is an ice-cream party on June 28. Children who sign up for the summer reading program will get a packet of information and goodies, such as passes to museums.
Jane will continue her Sleepytime Storytimes, where children ages 2-5 come to the library dressed in pajamas and listen to Jane read stories. Amy and Dana will have a stories and crafts programs for children ages 3-5. Lee Donohue, our Sunday children’s librarian will teach children 12 and up how to make beaded rings and bracelets. A Lincoln resident, Hema Shasta will have a program called “Children’s India” where children ages 5 and up will explore India.
Stacy revamped the children’s section of the web site with more vivid graphics and more information. Before Stacy made the improvements, there was only one page of children’s information on the library’s web site. Now there are many pages, which make it easier for users to find information. Stacy also made the flyers for the library’s summer programs!
Technical Services
We reached a new low with CD&L, the company that provides the delivery service for shipping materials around the Metrowest Massachusetts Regional Library System (MMRLS). The driver hit a patron’s car, which was parked on Library Lane. Another patron obtained the truck driver’s name and registration information but when our patron went to her insurance agent, she was told that she had been given misinformation. She went to Lincoln’s Police Department for help and they verified what the insurance company had told her. Without correct information, she cannot collect any insurance money so she came to see me. I do not have the information but I put her on the phone with the woman who administers the delivery system for MMRLS. Our patron has the phone number and contact
information for CD&L and will try to get the correct information from them so she can collect from her insurance company.
Reference Department
Jeanne will share her mystery book knowledge over the summer with mystery book discussions on Monday nights during July and August. She was able to get a mystery author named Dana Cameron to talk about her books on July 25!
Friends of the Lincoln Library
A new Board of Directors was elected at the Friends’ June meeting. For FY 2006 the officers are: President: Patty Levy, Vice Chair: Rayna Caplan, Secretary: Sara Brown, Treasurer: Barbara Low, Directors: Lisa Baer, Taffy Fernald, Deborah French, Anne Hutchinson, Avram Kalisky, Martha Lufkin, Ester Shapiro, and Susan Taylor.
The Friends agreed to purchase a new photocopier for the library to replace the nearly six year old photocopier. Technology has changed since the last photocopier was purchased. Our current copier uses analog technology and must scan each page before making a copy. The newer machines scan the page once, save the information then make copies. This makes even the slowest digital photocopier faster than our current photocopier. There are fewer moving parts. If the machine ever jams, there is only one place to look for the jam, not several places as is the situation now.
Barbara Low and I are getting price quotes and testing various photocopy machines. A new machine will be installed at the library over the summer.
Building Repairs
Capital plan funded repair to air handler unit and VAV units
HVAC balancing began this month with a technician taking airflow measurements from every vent in the library and the air handler units. He will submit a report to the library but he told me that many of the air vents are providing less than the correct amount of air. The air handler in the Gund building is not supplying enough air to the air vents.
Capital plan funded repair to the water supply
I received a price quote for installing a backflow preventer to the pipe where water enters the building. A backflow preventer will prevent any water from inside the library from going back into the Town’s water supply. It is important to install this backflow preventer because under certain conditions, there is a chance that the library’s plumbing configuration could allow contaminated water to flow back into the water main.
Community Preservation Act funded Preston building window restoration project
The contractor submitted a change order for the mahogany replacements for the exterior wood above the rounded windows in the Farrar Room. I explained to Neil Rouleau, our architect from Gorman Richardson Architects, that the damage to this wood was clearly visible before the job started so I did not believe a change order was appropriate. He agreed and went back to the contractor but the contractor could reply that he will just repair the damaged wood and reinstall it instead of replacing it with mahogany.
On June 17 Neil Rouleau and I met with representatives from Construction Specialists Incorporated (CSI), Wallace Frigon (CEO) and Scott Wells (Project Manager) to go over the punch list items and set a deadline for finishing this project. Wallace Frigon agreed that one of the window surrounds was not replaceable but he could repair and reinstall the other two window surrounds from the pieces that were removed months ago. Neil Rouleau had learned that CSI had already had the window surrounds custom milled so he suggested a compromise. If CSI would install one of the new window surrounds, the library would take responsibility for installing the other two window surrounds. CSI agreed and will install the window surround that requires a 40-foot ladder to install. (It looks like the basic carpentry class I took at Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School this winter will come in handy!)
Gallery Lighting
The new lighting fixtures were installed this month. The Friends paid for these lights as part of their gallery improvement project.
Community Preservation Act funded Gund roof replacement project
Bids for the designer services contract were received on June 1. The Building Committee met on June 1 to select the top three firms for the project.
The Building Committee interviewed the top three firms on June 7 and ranked the top three firms in the following order: Gorman Richardson Architects, Peterson Associates, and William Sloan Architects.
The Trustees concurred with the Building Committee and authorized the Building Committee to begin contract negotiations with GRA.
The Building Committee met with GRA on June 14 and agreed to the fee, scope and deadline for this project.
I sent a letter of intent to GRA on June 16 after the Building Committee approved it.
GRA was on site on June 17 to begin roof investigation work to estimate how much of the copper can be reused and look for signs of damage under the artificial slates.
Staff Development
On June 14 a representative from the Social Security Administration and two representatives from the Middlesex Retirement System gave presentations to the staff about how these two pension systems work together. We knew that it is possible for staff to be vested in both pension systems but would not be able to collect full pensions from both systems. The representatives explained the basics for how they determine the size of employees’ pensions. For many of the staff it came as unwelcome news that they will be collecting smaller pensions than they had anticipated.
Kudos
The staff had a major spring cleaning event in the attic of the Preston building on Monday June 6 before the library opened for business at one o’clock. Over the years a lot of junk had accumulated in the attic. We rented a dumpster to take away broken equipment, unsafe fans, parts of shelving left over from the days when the Farrar Room had stacks of books (instead of newspapers and magazines), old cardboard boxes, and magazine racks that had not been used since the 1980s. The Friends donated funds to purchase plastic storage boxes so we can organize the materials that are stored in the attic and keep them clean while they are in storage.
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