Pollard Memorial Library Board of Trustees

POLLARD MEMORIAL LIBRARY BOARD of TRUSTEES Meeting Minutes Meeting took place on January 8, 2020 in the Director’s Office – Room 219. Present: Excused: Syed Hasan Sara Marks, Chair Linda Kilbride Suzanne Frechette, Vice Chair Helen Littlefield Marianne Gries Anne Mulhern Christine O’Connor Muriel Parseghian Donna Richards Victoria Woodley, Director Guest:  Call to Order o Meeting was called to order by Donna Richards at 5:33 PM.  Acceptance of / Amendment to Agenda o The agenda was unanimously approved on a motion by Linda Kilbride and seconded by Helen Littlefield.  Meeting Minutes – December 4, 2019 o The meeting minutes from December 4, 2019 were unanimously accepted on a motion by Linda Kilbride and seconded by Syed Hasan. o Regarding the MVLC Automatic Renewal feature, Muriel Parseghian noted the minutes did not reflect the concern expressed about certain features.  Trustee Bylaws discussion / vote o A motion was made by Linda Kilbride to add Board of Trustees to the title line of the By-Laws and to accept this updated version. Motion was seconded by Anne Mulhern and all in attendance were in favor.  Discussion of the MVLC Automatic Renewals circulation feature and Vote o The pros and cons of implementing the automatic renewal feature for PML patrons were discussed. At present there is only one library in Massachusetts opting for automatic renewal and many others are considering it. Due to the MVLC updating policy changes this feature is not expected for release until Spring. The Trustees opted to postpone a vote to activate this feature of the ILS (Integrated Library System) software program, Symphony, until it is available to further evaluate. Symphony is currently used at PML for cataloging, circulation, and reference. o The group discussed automatic renewal vs. eliminating fines. Eliminating fines is still a high priority of the Trustees.  Guidelines for recruitment of Full and Associate Trustees o Suggestions were made about contacting individuals / organizations who could help with this effort. Donna Richards requested board members send her any contact information and she will make notification of open positions.  Update on vacant associate member position o On January 8, 2020 Victoria Woodley sent an email to Kara Keefe Mullin and Mary Callery regarding the open position for a Library Board of Trustees, Associate member. This will be posted once a position description is written.   Trustee Board descriptions from Worcester and Cambridge o Linda Kilbride and Donna Richards volunteered to update the PML trustee position description based on formats from Cambridge and Worcester. The associate member position also needs to be included.  Vote to accept slate of new officers o A motion to accept the slate of officer as presented was made by Muriel Parseghian and seconded by Syed Hasan. All in attendance were in favor of Donna Richards for Chair, Suzanne Frechette for Vice Chair, and Linda Kilbride for Secretary.  Update on proposed tour(s) for City Council and School Committee o Victoria Woodley contacted Kara Keefe Mullin to arrange tours of the library (to coincide with elections every 2 years) for City Council and School Committee members. The purpose is to showcase and advocate for the library. Library cards can be issued for those who don’t have one.  Chairperson’s Report (Sara Marks) o N/A  Directors Report (Victoria Woodley) o Victoria prepared the December Director’s Report and distributed by email. Hard copies were provided at the meeting.  Foundation Report (Donna Richards) o The Foundation did not meet in December. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 13th at 8:30AM.  Friends of the Library Report (Helen Littlefield) o The Friends met on Thursday, December 12th at 6 PM. Four new board members joined making a total of seven members. There is enough money to cover expenses. o The Friends agreed to change the Museum Pass policy to allow any member of the library consortium holding a library card to use a PML museum pass. o The book sale has been scheduled for June 11 – 13, 2020 (tentative dates). o Victoria Woodley informed the group that the City Manager’s office must be notified of requests from the media and/or submitting a news article relating to the library. Contact Victoria and she will forward information as requested.  Old Business o Purpose of the Boards discussion (postpone)  New Business o Items for future agenda:  Syed Hasan requested that the Library Director share her vision for the library. He wanted to know what she would like to see as her legacy to the library. The Strategic Plan for the PML will be presented.  Adjournment o The meeting was adjourned at 6:52 PM on a motion by Donna Richards and seconded by Syed Hasan. All in attendance were in favor o The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 5, 2020 at 5:30pm Minutes prepared by: Donna S. Richards January 8, 2020