Library Board of Trustees

Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes - May 2022 Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees Location: Amesbury City Hall Auditorium Wednesday May 11, 2022 RECEIVED By City Clerk at 12:36 pm, 6/21/22 7:00 PM Board of Trustees (BOT) Members present: Anne Campbell, Audrey Proctor, Brenda Rich, Jessica Ducrow, Laurie Cameron, and Pam Gilday APL Interim Director: Aimie Westphal - present I. Call to order at 7:00 PM by Anne as chair. II. Secretary’s minutes Motion made to accept amended April 13 meeting minutes with identified minor corrections by Laurie, second by Audrey, Jessica abstains but otherwise the motion passes unanimously. III. Communications  Anne as President of the Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees has sent a letter to the President of the Friends of the Amesbury Public Library inviting the Friends to bring their bookstore back to the Amesbury Public Library.  Access to the Trustees email account is now functional. IV Budget report: Aimie narrates the content in her Monthly Budget Report for May 2022, which is included in the Trustees packet for this evening’s meeting. Key items discussed were: Line item changes, as allowed, have been made and will continue to be made through the end of the FY to balance out various line items. City Council passed bills 2022-042 and 2022-043 at their May 10 meeting. Aimie has received information from City Hall that the FY23 Library department budget included in the Mayor’s overall FY23 City budget meets the needed MAR dollar value as set by the state. V. Director’s report: The APL is now no longer fully staffed. One of the staff has submitted her resignation. The position has been posted. The back wall procurement project team described in last month’s meeting minutes met to begin the process to engage an architect, manage the project bids, and so on. The records room repairs remain on hold until the next FY year (which starts July 1) as described in last month’s minutes. There is about a week’s worth of work left to do and we will have the same contractor who has done the work to date finish the project in FY23. Regarding the outcomes of the downstairs water leak of several weeks’ ago that impacted staff offices downstairs, the demo work has happened. The wet wall section has been removed. No 1  Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes - May 2022 asbestos was found. Carpet has been removed. All impacted office furniture is in a Pod container in the APL parking lot. Repairs might begin this month. A carpet vendor has visited the APL site and met with Aimie. They have suggested that the carpet replacement project would be under $50K. We may need to do a full procurement process, which requires an RFP involving 3 vendors (may be required). Would like to start work in September. Regarding Tech, things are basically on hold. On a general note, the Amesbury Block Party will be moved to the Lower Millyard this year and will not occur in front of and near the APL building, as it has in years’ past. The APL staff will be hosting a kids-centric event at Block Party. The Friends of the Amesbury Public Library have voted to move their bookstore back to the Amesbury Public Library. For more info, a snapshot of the Library Director’s Report to the Trustees - May is included in the Addendum at the end of these minutes. VI. New Business Aimie proposes that the library go fine-free for late fees. She provides supporting information and describes that there will be no change to the replacement fee policy, in that lost items must still be replaced by the patron who loses the item. The APL has been fine-free since March 2020. Brenda motions that the APL go fine-free as presented by Aimie. Jessica seconds the motion. Motion passes unanimously. VII. Old Business We will not take the Bylaws revision vote tonight as Bethany could not attend tonight’s meeting. The long-range planning (LRP) survey was launched City-wide on Tuesday (yesterday). So far there have been 180 respondents. Survey closes on May 20. VII. Committee reports: The preservation committee plans to meet next in the June, date TBD. VIII. Matters not reasonably anticipated in advance of the meeting There will be a delayed APL opening next Thursday to 1PM to enable Aimie to present the FY 23 department budget to the staff. Acting Police Chief Craig Bailey will also make a presentation to APL staff during that staff meeting. IX. Adjourn: 8:02 PM. Motion to adjourn by Laurie, seconded by Pam, unanimous. 2  Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes - May 2022 Attachments/Addendum Library Director’s Report to the Trustees snapshot from May 11, 2022 BOT packet: 3