TOWN OF PROVINCETOWN

Public Library

Board of Library Trustees

Minutes of Public Meeting June 18, 2008

Meeting was held at the Provincetown Public Library, 356 Commercial Street.

 

Members Present:  Mick Rudd, Chair; Jim Cole, Secretary; Paul Benatti; Lyn Kratz; 

Members Absent:  Tom Boland

Others Present:  Debbie DeJonker-Berry, Library Director

Call to Order:  Mick Rudd called the meeting to order at 7:20pm

 

1.  Public Statements:  Jack Kiefer was present to request that the BOLT consider holding 3 computers for only town residents to use during the summer.  He suggested doing this for 3 nights a week.  The BOLT told him that they appreciated him coming before them and telling them about this user conflict.  Mick suggested that the BOLT take this under advisement and put it on the agenda for the next meeting.

 

2.  Minutes:  Paul moved to accept the minutes of the May 21st BOLT meeting as amended.  Lyn seconded the motion.  The vote passed 4-0-1.  There was no discussion.

 

3.   Agenda:  There were no changes.

 

4.     Election of Officers –

 Lyn nominated Mick as Chair of the Board of Library Trustees.  Jim seconded the nomination.

 

Mick nominated Lyn as Vice-Chair, Paul seconded the nomination. 

 

Jim nominated Paul as Secretary, Lyn seconded the nomination.  All three BOLT Trustees

accepted their positions.

 

      MOTION:  Lyn moved to accept the slate of officers as stated above with a term limit of one year.  Jim seconded the motion.  The vote passed 4-0-1.  There was no further discussion.

 

5.  Chair’s Report – For a full report, please see attached. 

 

In April, it was decided that the Chair and the Director will prepare a report in advance to the meeting so that the BOLT can be more productive with their time spent together.  Additions and updates follow.

 

a.      Landscaping – Deb put out a RFP for landscaping architects.  Interviews will begin July 8th.  She stated that a site survey is needed.  The cost will be approximately $3,000.

 

MOTION:  Lyn moved to authorize the Library Director to spend up to $4,000 to obtain a recordable site survey for the south facing grounds of the library from Coastal Engineering in order to facilitate the landscaping design.  Paul seconded the motion.  The vote passed 4-0-1.  There was no further discussion.

 

           Paul recommended that we continue with the watering to allow the root system to take root so that it will survive the summer and the winter.

 

b.     Heritage Day - .The library had two great programs for Heritage Day 2008.  The library recorded some great oral history from the Fire Department.  The whole event was videotaped as well.

 

6.   Resource Development Report – Lyn presented both the Monthly Cash Report, and the Building Gift Fund Report.  A total of $1,675 was raised in the month of May.  Deb stated that although the library hasn’t heard from the Massachusetts Historical Commission about the façade grant, the library has heard that its one of two recipients for the grant.

 

7.  Director’s Report – for full report, please see attached.

 

      MOTION:  Paul moved to approve up to $64,000 to be expended from the building fund for the second payment to the Town of Provincetown on the debt service on the original construction loan.  Jim seconded the motion.  The vote passed 4-0-1.  There was no further discussion.

 

      EF Winslow recommendation – EF Winslow recommends that for $3,800 they can install a box at the library that will tie into the internet.  They will be able to do repairs to the air-conditioning/heating unit from a distance.  They also stated that they could possibly add air-conditioning to the first floor.

 

      Assistant Library Director/Director of Development – Mick, Deb, Sharon Lynn and Lyn Kratz interviewed two candidates on Tuesday, June 16th.  Deb stated that one was strong on technology and marketing, the other candidate had more library skills.  Both have homes in Eastham.  Lyn was encouraged that the library would soon have a new employee.

 

8.   New Business –

 

Anne Packard Event – The library is still working on a date for this year’s event.

 

Paula Poundstone has partnered with a National Organizations of Libraries (Friends of Libraries, USA) and is giving the library 5 tickets per day to each of her shows for the library to raffle off or sell.

 

9.   Other Business and Correspondence:  There was no other business.

 

The next meeting of the BOLT will be at July 16th at 7:15pm.

 

Adjournment:  Paul moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:55pm.  Lyn seconded the motion.  The vote passed 4-0-1.

 

These minutes were approved by a vote of the Provincetown Library Board of Trustees present at their meeting on ________________.

 

 

Respectfully submitted: ______________________________              ___________________________

Library Board of Trustees signature                          Title

 

 

 

 (Minutes prepared by Jean Jarrett)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Director's and Chair's Report

June 2008

 

      Karen MacDonald's last day was Friday, May 30.  We wish her all the best at her new position in the Truro Library.  We have received 3 well-qualified applications for the position of Resource Development Director/Assistant Director and plan to interview early this week.  Hopefully, the new staff member will be on staff by mid-July.  In addition, we are hoping to add three on call staff to bolster our summer numbers, and also to try to recruit someone to help Brian with the rest rooms.  Brian is trying to cover them seven days a week by adjusting his schedule.  I am especially grateful to Brian and Renee Gibbs-Brady for keeping the library humming while I was in Illinois last week at school.  I am taking a course in information policy and hope to use what I learn to write a draft policy for our online archives as my summer project.

      I have requested a vote for $64,000 from the building fund for our second debt service payment to the Town.  We have budgeted the funds but will need to think about raising more for next year, that is in addition to the funds we will need for facade construction.  We should hear this week on whether we are awarded the Mass. Historic Commission Preservation Projects Fund grant this week.  Mick and a crew of volunteers have been watering the lawn, and now the time has come to mow it!  We are getting many compliments from the community who are really appreciative.  We will need to think about allowing the lawn to go dormant and reducing our water consumption. 

      John Bologna has been to the library to get more details on the facade for the bid specs.  He and Lyn Spencer have also reviewed the original pieces that we have in storage.  We have had several inquiries from landscape architects, and so I am hopeful that we will have some good proposals.  Interviews are July 8.  We had EF Winslow here a couple of times to try to get the air conditioning settled.  They have asked that we purchase an internet device which will allow them to control our system remotely.  I have a quote for $3,400 and recommend that we pursue this.  This will save on service calls.  In addition, EF Winslow will provide us with a quote that will allow air conditioning throughout the first floor.  I also recommend pursuing this.  When I have both quotes in hand, I will discuss further with DPW and am hoping that our building line item can fund half and that the other half might come from the building fund.  We have been having difficulty closing the mezzanine windows, and South Shore mill work has come out to examine them.

      Mick and Lyn attended the Town's first history summit last week, and I attended the opening for the Norman Mailer Writer's Colony and hope to be asked to provide input in the near future.  We have a busy calendar this summer with children's programming, the Portuguese Festival and several fundraisers.  Mick and I still need to get the annual appeal letter out and I hope to see that done by the last week in June.  In addition, Lyn and I are planning on launching the new web-site on July 1!  The new art brochure is beautiful, and I particularly want to thank volunteer Joe Trepicione for the design and layout.    In terms of our online databases, our subscription to the Rosetta Stone language software will terminate the end of this month.  The company has decided to cease the library subscription service which is a shame because it is a popular product.  Bob Burns is regularly scanning the Historic Commission's 1970s District study, and a team of History Preservation Project volunteers are working here regularly on Thursdays.  I have worked on a fire department page and the link is http://provincetownhistoryproject.com/

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Debra DeJonker-Berry and Mick Rudd