Search Subcommittee Minutes 2.19 meeting final-1City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Date: Tuesday, February 19, 2020
Place: Beverly Public Library, 32 Essex Street, Beverly, Sohier Room, First Floor
Time: 5:00 P.M.
Board: Library Trustees
Subcommittee: Search committee
Date: Monday, February 19, 2020 5:OOPM
Committee members present: Mary Behrle, Meghan Karasin, Thalia
Lewandowski, Colleen Michaels, Joanne Panunzio, Myron Schirer -Suter
Members absent: Bruce Doig
Others present: Mayor Michael Cahill, Anna Langstaff, Katie Marsh, Katie Nelson,
Ona Ridenour, Lisa Ryan, Janice Shaw, Brianna Sullivan
Recorder: Joanne Panunzio
Joanne Panunzio presided.
A. Call to Order /Roll call of members
B. Disposition of minutes of February 18, 2020 meeting
Motion to approve: Colleen Michaels
Second: Mary Behrle
Motion passes
C. Interview Allison Babin for employment or appointment as the Director of the Beverly
Public Library.
Introduction
Question: What appealed to you about this position when you saw it advertised?
Response: Worked for library over 10 years and is passionate about what this library does
for the community. Learned a lot from Anna from doing things as a team, and knows she can
do the role. She's shaped a lot of what the library is doing now and what we're planning to do
in the future with the action plan and strategic plan.
Question: What do you feel distinguishes you as a candidate for Director of the Beverly
Public Library?
Response: Her experience at this library has given her a lot of time to develop good
relationships with the patrons and staff. Very approachable and committed and 100%
dedicated to the library. She's very tech savvy and pick things up quickly so she can help the
staff.
Question: What do you consider your most significant professional accomplishment? Why?
Response: She's proud of what she's done with summer reading. Established a teen
summer reading program that had a lot of participation, and as Assistant Director started the
Adult Summer Reading program which has started to grow and has the potential to grow
some more.
Question: You want to take the library to the next level. What's one or two things you would
be planning to do to achieve that?
Response: To build upon the programs we're doing. There's always things that could be
done more and better. She'd look at structural projects that have been pending for a while to
be completed, such as the HVAC, capstones. More staff training, make a better work
environment. A lot is maintaining what we have and making sure we stay committed to
always being excellent.
Leadership
Question: What are the most important issues facing public libraries today?
Response: We face having people in the community experiencing homelessness, drug
addiction and mental health issues. We have a good relationship with community impact
officers who work with people here and for us to connect patrons to the officers.
Also, making sure we are relevant, the perception of libraries not being relevant anymore
because they are not aware of what we offer.
Question: How do you see offering great programming and not taking away from everyday
functions?
Response: We already do so much programming and staff also needs time to buy materials,
process materials, staff the public service desk, etc. Is there any more room to grow the
programming to more than we do? Every time I think there isn't, somehow we find a way. The
English practice groups is a weekly program, and we wondered how we could fit it in. You
can find ways by moving things around and focusing on the right priorities. If you look at the
big picture, you find pockets where you can fit it in.
Question: Libraries have a long history of cooperation. What do you think is the role of
organizations like NOBLE & MLS to the success of the Beverly Public Library? Have you
been involved in NOBLE, MLS, or other library organizations?
Response: NOBLE is very key to our success: shared catalog, Overdrive, computer support.
We could not provide the services we do without them. Our survey showed that the public
understands the value of NOBLE. MBLC & MLS: we get grants and state aid. She has
attended lots of meetings.
Question: Can you give an example of a time you advocated for the library with a city
official?
Response: Have talked with City officials in a casual way. Has not had to go before the
council and defend the budget, but can do that because she believes in the library
wholeheartedly and understands the budget and what we do.
Question: Please give an example of a situation when you've created an environment where
others could contribute their ideas. What was the outcome?
Response: She hopes she provides that every day. It's very important to her that she is
approachable and a good listener. The staff is a really committed staff. There are weekly
stand -up check -in meetings where we all share ideas and talk about what is going on during
the week. We do not make huge decisions without getting their buy -in and perspective and
what their thoughts are.
With adult summer reading, the staff helped shape the bingo board and challenges and what
they thought would be good for the public and then created programs that supported the
project.
Question: Have you thought about how to transition from being a peer to being a manager?
Response: The staff and she have great respect for each other. It would be a natural
transition, people are already coming to her asking if they can do something, how something
works, and if she doesn't know the answer, she gets it for them. The difference would be she
would not be managing staff scheduling, and other administrative tasks, but will have more
time to think up budgets and projects.
Staff /Patron
Question: How would you deal with an irate customer that comes to you complaining about
poor service her /she received? What if the staff member was simply following policy? If you
heard a staff member giving out incorrect information to a patron, what would you do?
Response: Start with listening, not giving lip service. Patrons usually have something else
going on in their life. She starts in a place of compassion and really listening to the patron,
maybe by diversion or humor. Sitting down with a patron helps. She was proud of a two hour
conversation she had to resolve an issue with a patron who wanted to challenge a book.
Question: How would you handle the problem of being short - staffed for a few days?
Response: She DOES handle that. The staff is team oriented and pitches in. We'd move
people around unexpectedly and she would be more than willing to jump in where needed.
Question: Tell us about the most difficult personnel problem that you had to deal with. How
did you handle it? Was it resolved? What techniques would you use to improve morale?
Response: We have a dedicated staff, but they're human beings and we need to start from a
place of respect. HR department has been very helpful with strategies. Documentation and
conversations are important. The goal is always to help the employee succeed.
Community engagement
Question: What are some of the unique service populations that the library can serve and
how can that service be provided?
Response: We are doing that already with an LGBTQ group, English Language practice
group, children's room has programming for the autistic child. She thinks we can explore
programs for homeless population.
Finance
Question: Our trust funds allow us to spend $20 -25K a year. Think about how would you
spend roughly $15,000 of that to make a big splash that would show the public what an
endowment or donation to the library could do.
Response: A donor has been very generous and she and the donor walked around the
children's room and realized it would be possible to totally renovate the story time room which
is the heart of the library. For $15,000 the craft room could be upgraded to a mini maker lab
and spruced up. There's glass windows so everyone can look in and see the change. Fun
furniture makes a big impact, digital signage has been suggested.
Question: What is your thought process when faced with the unexpected? For example, our
operating budget is 2 million dollars. If we were told to cut the budget by$100,000. What
would you be looking at to cut? What is your thought process for problem solving?
On the other hand, what would you do with a windfall of an additional $100,000? (or,
"if you had an unlimited budget, what would you want to create ?)
Response: We have a healthy budget with no padding. We need to be mindful not to lose
our certification. That would require a conversation with the BLC. The materials budget
should not be cut into. We may have to look at the hours the library is open. Perhaps the
part -time hours line would be looked at.
Windfall: We could do some serious carpeting. She's practical, but upstairs and children's
room carpeting is threadbare. Also, she would look into some new furniture.
Technology
Question: Please describe a situation in which you drove the implementation of a new
technology. What ideas do you have for using new technology to further increase staff
efficiency and improve service to patrons? What was the impact on the staff or community?
Response: She initiated the "Little Green Light" which is a donor management database that
is very helpful for the Friends. Before that, all memberships were done on a multi - columned
google sheet which had much confusion. She used Little Green Light to import a lot of that
and tweak it so that patrons can join online and make donations. It allows the Friends to
generate thank you notes, she can access the database so she can collaborate better.
Question: Evergreen, our Integrated Library System, meaning, among other things, that we
can have a role in the development and ongoing improvement of the software. Do you think
this is a role libraries should pursue? Have you been involved in the improvement process of
Evergreen?
Response: She has not been involved in improvements, but she's used several buy lists and
open source access works well. NOBLE is a wonderful source. There's an app now, and can
be taken out on the road for circulation.
Question: How do you stay abreast of current technology trends that are applicable to the
library field? What do you use? What do you do?
Response: She used to work for a software company and is personally interested in new
trends. She belongs to a number of listservs. A favorite is "The Center for the Future of
Libraries" sponsored by ALA which aggregates technology information from all over the world
on all sorts of topics such as facial recognition and some that don't have to do with the
libraries now, but may in the future. There are conferences and webinars and library journals.
If we had a windfall, she would love to install a large screen catalog on the wall and perhaps
get away from standard desktop catalog. We could get another 3D printer.
closing
Question: What would you like to tell us that we have not asked? Do you have questions for
us?
Response: I have questions for you.
Allison's question: What are your expectations for the director in 1,3, & 5 years?
Our responses: Good morale should continue. The Director should be a good strategic
planner, but someone who has empathy for who they work with. We want someone with
vision and get everyone on board to help us get there. We would expect that 3 years out, the
library would look different. From the Friends perspective, to maintain and build upon the
great relationship between the Friends and library. The library always feels like a partnership.
The space should be used in different ways to accommodate the changes in library usage.
Allison "s Question: What is your favorite thing about the library now, and how can the director
make it better?
Our responses: E- books, check out a book and sit outside and read, the staff is wonderful,
programming that serves the diversity of a population. Ability to get anything one needs.
Connection to NOBLE's connection to 26 other libraries.
Allison's closing statement: "I do want to acknowledge that it would be a new role for me,
but I feel I have invested a lot of time and preparation into the possibility of it. And whether
that happens now or further down the road I don't know, but I would be 100% committed to it
and I know there are a lot of tools and resources available to me that can help me get there."
D. Public Presentation
The general consensus was that Allison is noted for her kindness, intellect and organization.
The staff has great trust in Allison. She has exceptional management skills and jumped into
the Assistant Director job full force and took hold of it and showed everyone how she could be
a wonderful approachable manager. As far as technology skills, when she took over as
Assistant director, she took everything that was on paper from different departments and
automated it and made it shareable for the entire building so the staff didn't have pieces of
paper with statistics and she took it and organized it all. She takes hold of technology and
learns super quickly. She spreads this positive aura in the building. She is passionate about
the job, and if a staff member makes a mistake, they feel comfortable coming to her for help.
She is right on top of things and logical with an amazing work ethic. You wouldn't know how
hard she works, as she projects an air of calm. She has been in three different positions and
learned and grew in each one. She would be an exceptional director here. She takes any
problem seriously and never fails to find a solution. There's a lot of positivity and support from
Allison. She is open to new ideas and creative with her own ideas. She has great leadership
qualities. She has a vision and the staff has the confidence that she can make it happen
because she's so smart and current and on top of everything. There's a positive to have
someone who worked in the library in different positions and learned from them. She shows
intellectual curiosity.
E. Motion to authorize the Chair to approve the minutes of this (February 19) meeting when
they are ready: Mary Behrle
Second: Thalia Lewandowski
Motion passes
F. Chair seeks motion to enter Executive Session pursuant to G.L. c.30A, §21(a)(8): To
consider an applicant for employment or appointment as Library Director by a preliminary
screening committee if the chair declares that an open meeting will have a detrimental effect
in obtaining qualified applicants, including but not limited to discussion regarding candidates
and voting to identify finalists for consideration by the Board of Trustees. The committee will
not reconvene in open session.
Motion to enter Executive Session: Meghan Karasin
Second: Mary Behrle
Roll call:
Mary Behrle: Yes
Meghan Karasin: Yes
Thalia Lewandowski: Yes
Colleen Michaels: Yes
Myron Shirer- Suter: Yes
Joanne Panunzio: Yes
Open meeting ended at 6PM