LINCOLN LIBRARY TRUSTEES MEETING
October 25, 2005
Present:~ Jack Pugh, Chair, Al Kraft, Jaquelin Apsler, Peter Sugar, Marshall Clemens, Diana Abrashkin, Trustees; Barbara Myles, Library Director, Jeanne Bracken, Reference Librarian Extraordinaire.
1.~ Minutes of September 20, 2005 meeting were approved as corrected.
2.~ Announcements:~ Jeanne Bracken has been named a New York Times Librarian of the Year.~ A reception will be held in her honor on November 20 at the Library and the Library will receive a commemorative plaque.
~~~~~~~~Wonderful Ones has been so popular they've had to run a second group!~ The Write Stuff has even been attracting out-of-towners (that's on Wednesdays) and the Mystery Group is meeting once a month.~ The Monday PM computer trainings are going well.
3.~ The Financial Report now contains a helpful new column which compares this year's expenditures to last year's.
4.~ The Librarian's Report was received.
5.~ Staff Concerns:~ The flat roof is leaking.~
~~~~~~~~Holiday hours:~ Some staff feel that every year this has to be renegotiated but the Trustees who were on board last year remember that a firm prototype was finally worked out in 2004 at around this time.
~~~~~~~~Kraft said that Monday night programs can be pure drop-in.~ [This seems to be a non-sequitur in my minutes: why is this listed under staff concerns?; please advise!]
6. Building Committee:~ A contract has been signed for the slate roof on the Gund Building, although Neil Rouleau of GRA rejected the colors submitted.
7.~ Strategic Planning Committee:~ Clemens and Myles attended along with Katherine Hall Page and other involved patrons.~ There is a need to attract more patrons and Trustees and to apply for State grants.
8.~ Operating Budget:~ We'll start by formulating a "Level Service Budget" and then do a no-override budget by cutting back to 2% (as suggested by FinCom) over last year's budget.~ There was much discussion:~ Pugh would like a "visible formula" with a multiplier and an adder.~ Sugar challenged that.~
~~~~~~~~Kraft cited energy costs, saying we shouldn't have to cut Library programs just because the cost of oil has skyrocketed.~ He mentioned that the Library's thermostat is set for 67 degrees, but wishes we could buy individual room thermometers, too; he also would like to know the gallons used each month.~ Pugh said FinCom must address oil costs ahead of time.~~ Clemens asked if Nstar had done an energy audit; Kraft responded that John Snell, a Lincoln resident, will do an energy survey pro bono.
9.~ No Old Business.
10.~ New Business:~ Trustees voted to decline the kind offer, by Rev. Charles Styron's daughter Claora, of a painting of the White Church as seen from the lawn of the Library.
Respectfully submitted,
Diana Abrashkin
* * * * *
LIBRARIAN’S REPORT
October 25, 2005
TO: Trustees, Lincoln Public Library
FROM: Barbara Myles, Librarian
Adult Department
This fall the Adult Department is running two book discussion groups. Ellen’s bi-weekly Friday Morning Book Group and Jeanne’s monthly Get a Clue book group. The theme of this year’s Friday Morning Book Group is “New York, New York.” All of the books have a New York connection and will put the readers into a “New York state of mind” (Billy Joel). Since the last Trustees meeting, the “Friday Morning Book Group” discussed Jack Finney’s Time and Again and Pete Hamill’s Downtown.
The books read by the Get a Clue book group this fall are “police procedurals.” Law officers solve crimes in each of the books but in very different ways. Since the last Trustees meeting, C. J. Box.’s Open Season and Nevada Barr’s Firestorm were read by the Get a Clue book group.
Classic Jazz opened its twenty-third season on September 14 with Vern Welch presenting Wild Bill Davison, George Brunis, and Peewee. On October 12 Peter Gerler introduced the majestic King Oliver.
Library Trustee, Peter Sugar, exhibited his sketches of buildings he has seen during his travels to many parts of the world. Most of us bring cameras on our trips to save the memories. Peter creates art!
Stephanie Mahan Stigliano displayed her handmade artist books in the glass case. Several skills are needed to making these books including book construction, artistic skills, and writing ability. Stephanie wrote some of the books, while others contain quotes or works by authors that are in the public domain.
On October 24 two authors read from their books. Marian Cannon Schlesinger wrote a timeless memoir about Cambridge entitled and her son, Andrew,
Children’s Department
The Children’s Department resumed story and activity programs in September. With a full staff, we can offer the same programs as last year: Wonderful Ones, Terrific Twos, Preschool Program, and book discussion groups for 3rd & 4th graders and 5th & 6th graders. The Friends of the Lincoln Library are sponsoring several programs. On October 7 Ed Morgan kicked off his first Friday of the month sing alongs, which babies, toddlers, and preschoolers enjoy.
Reference Department
Staff at the reference desk answered at least 370 reference questions in September, which is a 47% increase over last year’s 252 questions. Jeanne leads database training sessions twice each month. Some of the training sessions are “drop-ins” and are focused on patrons’ questions. Other training sessions are topical. Her newest program is called, “I’ve got Google! Why do I need the library?” To reach out to the high school students, Jeanne advertised this training in the Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School’s PTO newsletter. Some of the database training sessions are not drawing patrons and Jeanne is re-thinking the marketing and publicity of these programs.
Jeanne and Barbara worked together to make the new subscriptions online databases available to patrons. Jeanne selected the online databases she wanted to and paid for the subscriptions from the Reference Department’s book budget. Barbara gave the technical information about the library’s computer network to the publishers so that Lincoln patrons do not have to log in to search these databases. We both worked with the staff at the Minuteman Library Network to add the new online database subscriptions to Lincoln’s databases page. The Oxford English Dictionary is available both in the library and remotely. Books in Print is available in the library. The library already had in library access to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Now remote access to Encyclopedia
Britannica is also available. CQ Researcher, a database of research papers of topics in the news such as “War in Iraq” and “Domestic Energy Development.” is published by the CQ Press, which also publishes the “Congressional Quarterly”. Jeanne describes the papers in this database as even-handed and written for the layman.
Technical Services Department
Lisa Rothenberg reports that she is ordering, cataloging and processing many books and audio-visual materials. In particular she is working on a large order of revised editions of travel books that Ellen requested. These new books will be on the shelves in time for people to plan their winter vacations.
The Metrowest Massachusetts Regional Library System (MMRLS) is renegotiating its contract with the new delivery company, Eastern Connection. The problem is that Eastern Connection did not make an accurate estimate of the delivery volume. In fact, they estimated it to be half of what it really is. Now the deliveries are erratic. For example, one day this week the library received seven bins of books but received zero bins on another day this week.
Friends of the Lincoln Library
The Friends’ first meeting of the FY 2006 season was on September 13. Patty Levy reported on the meeting she and I had on September 28 about my library wish list. Lincoln has many very talented and successful people and I want the Friends’ help to identify Lincoln residents who could give the library a little expert advice. I have already asked residents questions when I learn their areas of expertise and can match it to a need we have at the library. It is amazing how willing Lincoln residents are to donate their time. For example, I have received advice about public relations and preservation of antiques. Patty thought this is good way to both get more residents involved with the library and to improve the library.
Amy and Jane reported on the Children’s Department’s successful summer programs. The Friends were very pleased with the Amy and Jane’s report. (My September 2005 Librarian’s Report includes the details about this year’s summer reading program.) Perhaps more Lincolnites with young children will defer their vacations from July to August next year in order to participate in the Library’s summer programs.
Financial Report
Through September 30 we have spent 24% of the operating budget. We have spent 22% of the salary portion, 35% of the library expenses portion and 22% of the building portion of the budget.
Building Repairs
1. Capital Plan funded Library repairs
a. Repairs to the terrace are underway. Cracked and broken blue stones are being replaced with new stones.
2. Community Preservation Act funded Preston building window restoration project
a. There is only one item remaining on the punch list to complete: installing the brick molds on the three semi-circular stained glass windows in the Farrar Room.
3. Community Preservation Act funded Gund roof replacement project
a. Seven contractors submitted bids for the Library’s roof replacement project for the Gund Building on September 30. The low bidder was Dave Gardner Contractor & Supply, Inc. (DGC) with a bid of $205,000.
b. The Building Committee reviewed all seven bids, checked references on the three lowest bidders, and inspected evaluation forms at the State’s Division of Capital Management. DGC had good references and evaluations so the Building Committee unanimously voted to award the contract to DGC.
c. As of October 25, the contract has been signed by the Chair of the Building Committee, Peter Sugar, Town Counsel, and Lincoln’s Finance Director, Colleen Wilkins. The contract is now at DGC and will be returned when DGC has not only signed the form but has provided a certificate of insurance, performance bond, and payment bond.
d. The Library received a Certificate of Non-Applicability for the Gund roof replacement project from Lincoln’s Historic District Commission.
Staff Development
On October 25, Lisa Heffley, a Lincoln resident who is a yoga instructor, gave the staff a demonstration showing us how we can avoid back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome by improving our posture and performing simple exercises. In order to perform their work duties, the staff is required to stand or sit for long periods of time. Extended computer use can lead to neck strain and carpal tunnel syndrome. Of course, Lisa could not teach us everything we need to know in a demonstration but we are certainly more aware of the relationship between how we physically perform our work duties and some of our body aches.
Kudos
Congratulations to Jeanne Bracken for winning one of the “New York Times” Librarian of the Year award! Applications for this award are submitted by library patrons so the winners are front-line public service staff. The staff is happy for Jeanne and we look forward to hosting a reception in her honor on November 20.
| 
