LINCOLN LIBRARY TRUSTEES MEETING
May 23, 2006
Present: Jack Pugh, Chair, Diana Abrashkin, Jaquelin Apsler, Marshall Clemens, Al Kraft, Peter Sugar, Trustees; Barbara Myles, Library Director; Patty Levy and Barbara Low from FOLL.
1. Minutes of 4/25/06 meeting were approved.
2. Patty Levy and Barbara Low gave a brief report about FOLL: their mission, their newsletter (very well written by Susan Taylor), their finances and the activities and book-sales which FOLL organizes. They are very supportive of the Library – but restrict their financial contributions to items not normally covered by the Town. (See separate report and other information sheets which were provided by FOLL at the meeting).
3. FOLL also cover their own insurance expenses for events – as they are not a Town board. They are intending to have a float in the July 4 parade – to increase town awareness of their activities. They are also intending to organize a New Orleans Library fundraiser/auction on October 22
4. Building Committee: we are moving forward on several fronts:
1. Vault: we have received the first draft of the existing conditions report
2. Carpet: we are about to have a meeting with our interior decorator to view several options
3. Roofing contract: on track – though late: due to the many rainy days we have had recently (our Clerk of Works is doing a good job though we are in need of his weekly reports – we have sent a letter to him.) It was also mentioned that due to the rain, there are deep ruts in the grass areas where the roofers have been working. These areas will have to be restored to their original state in accordance with the contract.
4. Windows: the destructive testing has taken place and we are now waiting on the architect's document to be able to go out to bid for the replacement windows and associated work.
5. Fire suppression: we have interviewed a number of firms and will be preparing a short list placing them in order of preference prior to negotiating with the number one firm.
5. Finance Report: We are essentially on track with the exception of utility costs which are turning out high and for which we have recently received a reserve Fund transfer.
6. Librarian’s report: Barbara brought up several points:
• Medway Library: Medway intends to close its Library due to budget problems. It was recommended that all towns adopt a measure denying service to Medford residents thus forcing Medway to address the issue in a bet6ter fashion. We voted to follow this recommendation.
• Public/pay phone: we had received various s bids to install a new payphone, with Centrex being the most economical: $125 for installation, appx. $20 for monthly service (need to check whether this is for local calls and what the area is that they would cover) (This was also expressed as a staff concern: Nadine Rebovich was absent and her report was read by Jacqui Apsler.) It is possible that we might be able to have FOLL provide the funding.
7. Announcements:
• Barbara’s personnel review is almost complete – most of the Trustees and staff have already responded and Barbara has submitted her goals.
• Capital Planning: this committee is about to reconvene to set its guidelines for the upcoming year and send these to each department. They are also trying to coordinate their work and schedule with that of the Community Preservation Committee’s work
• Strategic Plan: the final outline is almost ready and will be presented at the next Board meeting
8. There was no other Old or New Business
The next Trustee Meeting will be held on 20 June at 7:30 PM
Respectfully submitted,
Peter C. Sugar
* * * * *
LIBRARIAN'S REPORT
May 23, 2006
TO: Trustees, Lincoln Public Library
FROM: Barbara Myles, Librarian
Friends of the Lincoln Library
The Friends hosted another terrific Annual Staff and Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on May 9 at the library. Once again, the food was excellent and it was a great opportunity for us to celebrate the year’s accomplishments!
The Friends provide funding for children’s and adult programming, jazz concerts, author receptions and programs, staff development grants, museum memberships, and the annual Staff and Volunteer Appreciation luncheon. If the Friends did not provide this funding, the library would be without many of these offerings because the library’s budget has no money allocated for any of them. In short, the Friends are a key part of the library’s success!
Adult Department
Ellen's Friday Morning Book Group wrapped up its season with “Ragtime” by E.L. Doctorow on April 28 and “Barefoot in the Park” by Neil Simon on May 12. Soon Ellen will announce the theme of next year’s Friday Morning Book Group. Ellen has purchased many new travel guides for the library in time for the summer travel season. Come to the library and check them out!
Photographs by Pamela Seneca are on display in the gallery, Stay-Put Coffee Spot and the glass case in the lobby. These amazing nature photographs were taken with film and were not enhanced on a computer. One patron told me that looking at Ms. Seneca’s photographs made him almost want to throw his photographs away because hers are so good. Classic Jazz’s last program at the library for this season was called, “Great Stuff” and was presented by Ed Williams.
Jeanne had three computer training sessions since our April 25 meeting, “Google redux” on May 1, “Books in Print” on May 8, and “Drop-In” training on May 15. She also led a Write Stuff critique group on May 17 and a Mystery Mondays book discussion group about “All She Was Worth” by Miyuki Miyabe on May 22.
Children's Department
The Children’s Department was busy planning events and booking performers for the Summer Reading program. At the Friends of the Library’s annual meeting on May 9, the Friends voted to approve funding for the programs that the Children’s librarians had scheduled. The theme of this summer’s reading program is “What’s buzzing at your library?” and the buzzing begins next month!
Technical Services
A new release of the Innovative Interfaces Millennium library automation software was put into production mode on March 7. The key feature of this new release is “priority paging.” In prior releases, requests placed by patrons were linked to specific barcodes or items. As a result, only that specific copy of the book could satisfy the patron’s request. There were conditions that caused the requests to get “stuck,” however, and staff had to delete the link between the request and the specific copy of the book and place a new request. The new version of the software places requests on titles, not specific items. Nadine reported today that there are fewer stuck requests with this new version. The unfortunate downside is that the new software requires more staff time to
administer because the paging lists do not contain volume or barcode information. If the library has two copies of a book, for example, Nadine must bring both copies back to her workstation to see which one fills the request.
The next version of the Millennium software that seemed so promising last month has a major drawback for Minuteman libraries. This new version automatically makes “in-transit” and “hold” pick up slips. Libraries like Lincoln, which have dot matrix printers, would have to replace them with thermal printers to take advantage of this new software. Thermal printers cost approximately $350. Another problem with the software is that the hold slips do not print the patrons’ telephone numbers. Staff will need to look up each patron’s record to see if the patron is notified by email or telephone. If the patron is notified by email, no phone call is made to the patron. If the patron is notified by telephone, the staff person must make note
of the phone number. These added steps will probably make it take longer to process holds for patrons than the process that is now in place of writing the patron’s last name on the hold slip.
Reference Department
Reference staff answered at least 351 documented reference questions during April 2006, which is a slight decrease over last year. Jeanne met with the Minuteman Library Network’s TV Ad Hoc Committee on May 12. The committee agreed to process TV series the way Lincoln processes them now and keep all episodes of a season packaged together. This change should make it easier for patrons to find TV series in the online catalog.
Building Repairs
1. HVAC
Routine maintenance was performed on the boiler and oil burner. This work included cleaning the oil burner and boiler, replacing the nozzle, and oil filter, and testing the heating system after this work was completed. Routine maintenance was also performed on the air conditioning system in preparation for the summer cooling season. A leaking water control valve in the fiction stacks was replaced.
2. Roof Replacement Project
As of April 30, this project was approximately 60% completed. Work continues on the roof project at a slower rate than expected due to an extended period of rain. One small leak developed in an area where the slate was removed. The heavy rains were a good water test for the area above the handicapped parking area in the Children’s Room. No water leaked in this area, which is a sign that the mortar repairs and the installation of new copper flashing were performed correctly.
It took the slater (Kevin Kelly) ten days to install slate on the Story Room turret. Kevin explained that before installing a new piece of slate he had to match it for width and color against the piece already installed. The slate was installed in a spiral from the bottom to the top of the turret. As Kevin reached the top of the turret, the birds with nests under the turret’s cap flew around Kevin’s head trying to dissuade him from finishing the work. To his credit, Kevin persevered until the job was completed and the turret looks beautiful!
The sheet metal worker (John Jones) is continuing to install new copper valleys and flashing around the building. When Kevin finishes installing slate in an area, John installs the ridge cap to cover the top layer of slate on either side of the ridge. There are usually three men on site each day. The third man assists Kevin and John as necessary.
3. Vault Renovation Project
Red Hawk Studio Architects (RHSA) delivered an existing conditions/statement of needs report on May 17. The Building Committee will meet with the architect, Karle Packard, on June 5 to discuss this document.
4. Preston Foundation Masonry Project
Dave Gardner Contractor & Supply, Inc. finished this project earlier this month. Scott Richardson, the architect from Gorman Richardson Architects who is overseeing this work,is satisfied that the work was done well.
5. Exterior Wall Study
“Destructive testing” for the exterior wall study took place on May 8. Masons from Dave Gardner Contractor and Supply, Inc. removed bricks from a sample of walls so that Scott Richardson and Neil Rouleau could determine the condition of the flashing around the Gund Building’s windows. We are waiting for the report for this project before moving ahead with the Gund Building window replacement project.
6. Electrical
The Town’s electrician replaced the ceiling fan and the ballast of the lighting fixture in the first floor bathroom.
7. Gardening
Ivy was removed from the brick walls around the terrace facing Trapelo Road.
Public Pay Phone
Kathy Rushby and I investigated alternatives for providing phone service to our patrons. The least expensive option for the library is to install an additional Centrex line. Installation charges ranged from $125 to $213 while monthly charges ranged from $19.41 to $45/month.
Kudos
Congratulations to Lisa Rothenberg who was elected Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of the Minuteman Library Network’s Bibliographic Committee for FY 2007!
| 
