Library Trustees Minutes March 2 2020City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board:
Library Trustees
Subcommittee:
Date:
Monday, March 2, 2020 5:30 P.M.
Place:
Beverly Public Library
Board members present:
Margaret Altman, Mary Behrle, Marshall Handly, Ivy Mahan,
Colleen Michaels, Joanne Panunzio, Myron Schirer-Suter
Board members absen
t:
Others present:
Anna Langstaff, Allison Babin, Cindy Grove, Bruce Doig, Mayor Cahill, Beth
Meyers
Recorder:
Anna Langstaff
stated that Mary Behrle will be participating remotely.
Kevin stated that the meeting was being recorded.
A. Call to order/Roll call of members
Margaret Altman Present
Mary Behrle Present
Marshall Handly- Present
Ivy Mahan Present
Colleen Michaels Present
- Present
Present
Joanne Panunzio Present
Myron Schirer-Suter - Present
B. Public Presentation
None
C. Beverly Public Library Director Search
1. Library trustees discussed and formulated questions for finalists, Cindy Grove and Allison
Babin, for the position of Beverly Public Library Director.
Many questions and topics were suggested, such as customer experience for a forward looking
st
21 century library, skill sets needed for an assistant library director, how to build and manage a
leadership team, what is the importance of technology, how to identify emerging technologies
decision making process. Other questions specific to Cindy Grove were
how she would adjust to a bigger library and what kind of change is she looking for.
2. Interview Cindy Grove for employment or appointment as the Director of the Beverly Public
Library
Library trustees introduced themselves to Cindy Grove.
Ivy Mahan: What kind of adjustments would you be making coming to a much bigger library
system?
Cindy Grove: The initial process would still be the same as it was when I went to Rockport.
Understanding the staff, getting to know the staff, volunteers and the building. Then getting to
know the community. Allowing the community and staff to get to know me. Once that is
established then getting entrenched in those different areas. I am excited about the prospect of
having so many opportunities to do that. I am big fan of pop-up libraries where you can go out
and be where the people are. Beverly is already doing that to great extent with the branch and the
bookmobile being a part of that.
Marshall Handy: How long did it take you to identify and understand what was going on in
Rockport?
Cindy Grove: A little over a year. Rockport has a big tourist population so it was getting the ebb
and flow of the populations that visit during the different times of the year. Also going through
the different processes in the town, such as the election process and the big festivals. Seeing the
different areas of opportunity for the library throughout the year. Then sitting down and
processing all that and seeing where we could go first with that information.
Marshall Handly: Where did you go with that?
Cindy Grove: We developed a strategic plan, the first for the town of Rockport. The community
wanted to have input in library services and were not feeling heard in what the library was doing.
The strategic plan was so much fun to do. Everything was community driven. The community
saw the results of the actions we took based on the results of the strategic plan. They now feel
that they are being heard. We are here for them.
ifferent in Beverly? Anything specific?
Cindy Grove: The biggest would be the staffing changes. Right now it is really me where a lot of
this happens. I am interested in working with a bookmobile librarian, assistant director and
branch manager. Being able to have that collaboration and input on those levels would be very
level of staffing yet.
Kevin : There is you and then is everyone else equally after that?
Cindy Grove: For the most part. We have made some changes just recently and will hopefully be
approved at town meeting. I got my fingers in everything which is excellent, especially being a
first time library director. It was great to go from fixing a broken toilet, to working on the
budget, to running a book group.
for anything but one of the reasons I applied for this job is because I want to see where I can go.
To take a library and bring it to a whole new level. Beverly has a lot more resources. I want to
see how high I can fly.
Marshall Handly: How many paid subordinates do you have?
Cindy Grove: Twenty, though they range greatly from anywhere between 35 hours per week and
7 hours per week. We also have 20 volunteers. When I worked at EBSCO I was a team leader of
20-80 personnel depending on what projects we were working on.
Ivy Mahan: Did you report to a board in Rockport?
Cindy Grove: I have a board of trustees that I meet with monthly. I have a good relationship with
the town manager.
you anticipate any issues with the way you would operate?
Cindy Grove: No, I am excited about the differences and that would be an area for learning for
me. Currently I like working in a town. I develop the budget, present it to the trustees who
approve it, then I go to town administration where we go through it line by line, then it goes to
the select
interesting process but it will be interesting to see what the process is like here.
Margaret Altman: Beverly is different from Rockport in size and demographics. How do you see
that affecting your job?
Cindy Grove: That is one area that I am really excited for. I love the demographics of Beverly
having lived here for most of my life. The different opportunities that each demographic can
provide for the library to be able to provide services to that demographic. Provides more
opportunities to do different things and try different things. Gives you the opportunity to get a lot
more back from the community. You end up with a richer story and a richer plan to diversify
yourself.
Catherine : Talking about people in the community, what would you do if you had a very
disruptive patron or a groups of patrons? How would you handle it personally?
Cindy Grove: That happens quite a bit. I used to work at the Tewksbury Public Library which
was on the grounds of the state hospital. I became really good at addressing behavior issues. You
need a simple and to the point behavior policy. Rockport and Beverly both have great behavior
policies. You need a policy that can support the staff and the library director. Never tell anyone
to calm down. Be specific, for example telling them to lower their voices. If they do not respond,
then you ask them to leave.
Catherine : What if they do not leave?
Cindy Grove: Then they are trespassing and I would probably call the authorities.
Cindy Grove: Yes.
Cindy Grove: Yes, because if someone is being that disruptive, even fo
good to nip it in the bud to show everyone that those steps will be taken. In Tewksbury it led to a
much lower report of incidents report that had to be filed. It is important to follow through with
policy and important to be consistent with the same procedures. You have to treat everybody the
same.
Cindy Grove: Yes. And I have done that on many occasions. A patron who inappropriately
touched a staff member was given a one year ban. There were 2 issues of prostitution that
involved a one year ban. Someone was banned for one year for repeated violations of viewing
pornography. For the most part one day bans were for viewing pornography on public
computers. This cannot be tolerated in a public forum.
Marshall Handly: How do you police that?
Cindy Grove: I promote a once an hour walk around.
Cindy Grove: Call the police.
Catherest of the staff about a serious incident?
Cindy Grove: It is important for the staff to talk about it. Sometimes we do role playing.
Sometimes talking among peers can be helpful in processing an incident.
Marshall Handly: In talking about banning people, how do you identify and circulate the
identities involved of people who are banned. Is it just you who is doing it? Or do you anticipate
that other staff members would have the authority to impose a ban?
Cindy Grove: It depends on your policy. In Rockport and Tewksbury the staff members had the
ability to ban someone on site, but the staff would reach out to the director immediately.
Marshall Handly: How do you identify the person doing something inappropriate? Do you ask
for identification?
Cindy Grove: No, just a general description. I have never had more than 2 people at any given
time. The more you address even the smaller issues, then it builds on itself. People learn that
unacceptable behavior is not allowed. And eve
their behavior that got them banned, not them and not the staff member.
the tech needs of this larger library?
Cindy Grove: This comes from listening to the community. What are the questions that they are
asking? Following professional journals, tech journals and listservs are very helpful to see what
the coming technology trends will be. Reading about hotspots before
wait for these to become accessible and available for libraries. Almost every library has them
now.
Being aware of open source options and trying to find ways for libraries to break down
technology barriers is also important.
technology besides journals?
Cindy Grove: For example, MVLC has a technology listserv that is very helpful. MVLC has an
amazing group of collaborative library employees. MVLC, unlike NOBLE, is only composed of
public libraries.
Myron Schirer-Suter: NOBLE is a mixed system, could you speak to that?
Cindy Grove: I thought about this quite a bit. NOBLE is made up of primarily large public
libraries and academic libraries. What kind of opportunities would that provide? Interested to see
how public and academic libraries can collaborate and share resources more than just collections.
Cindy Grove: I have been thinking about this. Especially in Beverly, you have Endicott College,
Montserrat College and Gordon College right down the street. One thing I was thinking about,
taking some of the higher level projects that the students might be working on and creating a
lecture series for them to present to the community, to share it in a different avenue. Have
extended hours during finals week.
Joanne Panunzio: This library is a little bit bigger. We have an assistant librarian position. What
skill set would you look for in an assistant librarian?
Cindy Grove: I would be looking for someone that I could push and would push me back, to
push each other to see how far we could go. I have an administrative assistant who functions
more as an assistant director and we are always seeing how far we can push each other each day.
I would be looking for somebody I could rely on in a critical situation or an emergency, and
someone to rely on so that when one of you is not in the building, the other person can relax and
know that the library is covered. My biggest thing is having somebody that is willing to be
pushed and okay with pushing me back. I like it when the community pushes, I like it when the
staff push. I want to hear your ideas, I want to hear your thoughts and when things are not
working. So that we can push to change those things.
Marshall Handly: How do you feel about your ability to delegate within a hierarchy?
Cindy Grove: Given the opportunity to delegate, I am able to delegate. We have built in some
hierarchy. In other places that I have worked there has been some type of hierarchy. In addition
to being a library director for five years, I have been for the majority of my career a department
head. I often operated as library director when the director was not there. I loved being in that
system because it developed an opportunity for more creativity and staff opportunity in general
when you have different people at different levels to lead each group. Right now I have a
try to look at projects, opportunities and barriers to service. And look at ways that they can help
in their areas.
Marshall Handly: In your reference checklist, one thing that people say about
you, if something needs to be done, then you take it upon yourself to do it.
Cindy Grove: I do. That is something that I work on and strive not to do as much. But when there
is a broken toilet I will try to fix it first because I am always up for a challenge. But I do try to
delegate but where I am now I do have to take into consideration union issues.
Marshall Handly: You fixing the toilet, is that the best use of your time?
Cindy Grove: No. I would agree with that. That is something I work on. But I also know the
limits of DPW. One of the good areas for me in delegating has been through grants. I can
strategically take things and map things out to other employees. I am extremely organized. I have
learned good time management skills. I track every project I am working on, including delegated
to see how I can change that.
Marshall Handly: The difference in scale between Beverly and Rockport may make it
overwhelming to not be an effective delegator.
Cindy Grove: Perhaps, but I think it would also push me to be a delegator. What I am looking
forward to is having an assistant director, a head of reference and a head of communication. You
have so many roles here where things could be delegated to. Whereas where I am now, that is not
always the case. Yes, I do take on a lot but sometimes it is not by choice but by necessity.
Cindy Grove: That was easy because we were all professionals on the same level. When working
on MVLC strategic plan I created a standing committee and assigned members to be on that
worry about desk coverage, union responsibilities and mass callouts.
Mary Behrle: Are most of your staff para professionals?
Cindy Grove: No, we are growing out of that. It used to be that way. We have added more
professional staff and re-structured our job descriptions and job requirements so they do require
higher levels of education.
Myron Schirer-Suter: Do you have group meetings or individual meetings with your staff
members?
Cindy Grove: I meet weekly with certain individual staff members. We also have bi-monthly all
staff meetings.
Cindy Grove: What is your vision for the library director? Is there something you would like to
see change or develop in a different way?
Margaret Altman: Things are going well. Technology is going to change.
Marshall Handly: Important for the library director to recognize that this library is the point of
contact for a lot of people with technology. We serve kids from toddlers to senior citizens and
library to meet the needs but also to instruct as to the potential of technologies to all of our
patrons at an age appropriate level. It will be an increasing burden for the library director and an
increasingly important part of the mission to keep not just abreast of technological developments
but to participate and integrate those into our system. Library demand seems to be increasing and
we need to be able to respond.
Cindy Grove: I would agree that the mission of libraries has really changed dramatically over the
past ten years, where we shifted in providing materials versus providing access and so that has
been a very big shift in attitude. Addressing technology from an outside standpoint is very
critical. For instance being able to educate the community about technology itself and being the
liaison or gatekeeper to understand and decode information in a meaningful way. Librarians need
to be more pro-active as a profession in educating people about what Google and social media
ht not
necessarily be what you are actually asking for. I had a growing concern when we started to
approach the last presidential election
by for-profit businesses. As far as library and technology, I recommend the book BiblioTech:
Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google by John Palfrey.
Cindy Grove left the meeting.
3. Interview Allison Babin for employment or appointment as the Director of the Beverly Public
Library
Ivy Mahan: As assistant director you understand the workings of the library. If you shift into the
director position what might you do differently or what do you envision yourself doing?
Allison Babin: I work very closely with Anna Langstaff. We work together on everything that
we do. I know a lot about what she does, how she does it, what our goals are, what is important
to us and to the library. I share the same philosophy that Anna Langstaff has. I would not be the
director that would come in here and totally change everything, that would not be my approach.
It would be a lot of continuity. I believe in a lot of the changes we have helped make over the
past three years. We have done so much to improve morale and I hear that from staff all the time,
specifics such as a better place to work, they are happier, they feel listened to, and they love the
direction the library is going in. So I want to maintain that. We do a lot with professional
development and I would want to maintain that as well. I think things will emerge over time that
could be done differently. I am not averse to change. I believe in making change when it is time
approach.
Marshall Handly: You must have encountered impediments to progress. Removing the
impediments, are there any specific things you would like to see?
Allison Babin: This might be pie in the sky, but I wish we could give out library cards to people
without having to require ID. We cannot really do that because of NOBLE policies. But I believe
that the mission of the library is to give access to people, especially to people who really need
that access, so any way that you can break down those barriers and make that happen is so
important. There are impediments and sometimes you cannot get past them. As a whole our staff
is on board with things we want to try. We have done some things that took a little more
convincing to change, but there is really not one thing that we wanted to change but were not
able to.
What about the political change? Now you will be dealing with city officials.
Allison Babin: Yes, it is a change for me. I feel good about it. I am proud of the library. I am
proud of what we do. I am excited for the opportunity to be more the face of the library. I have
s an exciting thing. I am eager to get to know more people
at the city.
Marshall Handly: You would change from conduit to boss? What do you expect is going to
every day.
Allison Babin: To be clear, I am not a peer. I am a boss. When Anna Langstaff is not here, I am
the boss. I know I can still go to her but I am comfortable being in charge.
Marshall Handly: But as an assistant you have the ability to deflect responsibility for decision
making. And you are going to lose that.
Allison Babin: Yes, I am aware of that. I have thought about that a lot. There are parts of that
that are exciting and parts that are a little scary. But I am up for the challenge. And there are
other people I can turn to, such as Bruce Doig, the trustees, and the Mayor. I would also get to
hire an assistant director who would help support me and we could help share ideas and work on
things together.
Joanne Panunzio: What kind of skills would you look for in an assistant director?
Allison Babin: I would look for someone who can handle a lot. You have to be able to balance so
many different directions all at the same time. You would have to be well organized, diligent,
committed, and creative, believe in the mission, and be approachable, welcoming and very
committed to good customer service.
uld you deal with a disruptive patron or patrons? What would you
do?
Allison Babin: It is something I have to deal with. I think I am pretty good at dealing with that.
You start by being friendly, listening to them. So many people are coming in with different
problems and different backgrounds. You never know what people are carrying when they come
difficult because of a substance abuse issue or a mental health issue. It can cross the line where
you need additional support. I cannot build rapport with people who have crossed the line. But I
always try to build rapport and most of the time it works.
Allison Babin: We call the police. The Beverly police are very supportive of us. We have a good
relationship with them.
pornography or destroying library property?
Allison Babin: We have a pornography procedure, first a warning and they are asked to leave for
a day, then out for 30 days, then out for 6 months. You talk to them, try to do without judgement,
you explain why,
that it is covered by our acceptable use policy and our internet policy. I have handled that many
times.
you convey this to the rest of the staff?
Allison Babin: We have documentation that is shared with the staff.
Marshall Handly: What happens if they come back even though they have been banned?
Allison Babin: We call the police.
Mary Behrle: Do you need police support to ban them or is that the
trespass letter is handed to the offending person.
Ivy Mahan: Are you involved in the budget process?
Allison Babin: I am somewhat involved in the budget process, but a lot of it will be new to me. If
I were to get the position then the budget would be a big focus over the next couple of months. I
have a good understanding of it but I have not been in charge of it.
to technology. How would you describe the way that you would
identify, articulate and anticipate the tech needs of the library?
Allison Babin: A lot of the technology needs are managed by the head of reference. She does an
amazing job. We have a technology inventory and technology plan. We replace items on a
schedule. Working with the head of reference it would be easy to identify, review and articulate
the tech needs of the library. We know the approximate life span of each item so we could
anticipate the tech needs going forward.
Marshall Handly: We are not talking about replacing what we have, we are talking about looking
into the future and figuring out what we need. We have to be ahead of the curve. How do you go
about instructing yourself what new technologies we should be looking at and bringing into the
library?
Allison Babin: There is always a lot of talk about new technologies in the library field, whether
at conferences, workshops, listservs, meetings. I am very aware of what is happening. I think I
could plan to integrate new technologies into the library.
Marshall Handly: Is there currently a process in place to keep the director and the assistant
in technology on a defined basis?
there is on a defined basis.
Margaret Altman: Are there specific listservs that you follow?
Allison Babin: Yes, there are a lot I follow.
ight be good, how would you go
about the process of determining which ones to choose for the library given the budget
restrictions?
Allison Babin: Questions to the listservs are often very helpful. Visiting other libraries can be
helpful. NOBLE sponsors a tech expo once a year.
Allison Babin: It could be helpful to work with the schools. You can speak to the benefits of new
technologies.
Marshall Handly: We were an early adopter of the 3D printing. That was an educational
Allison Babin: You never know where you are going to learn about it. I am not sure there is a
hat in the very beginning of 3D printing that people
connected it to libraries, but here we are. We still have one, use it a lot, and do lots of
programming. You always want to scan everything and look at everything that is happening even
if tly connected to libraries.
to take on. I am
excited to do it but I am not naïve to know that there will probably be some hard days.
Throughout my career I have taken on more and more responsibility, and I have never let the fear
stop me. I think I am capable of a lot. I will have things to learn but I think I can learn them.
job easier by delegating to others? Do you have
opportunities now to do that?
Allison Babin: Yes. We have a great team that take on a lot of things. I would be able to delegate
a lot to the new assistant director. I am comfortable delegating. I am always looking for ways to
improve how you do something to make it easier. When I became assistant director I saw some
of the ways the director was managing certain year end statistics. I created a spreadsheet that
automated those statistics. It saved hours of work. There was that initial investment of my time to
create the process but it was worth it.
problem?
Allison Babin: Yes, I am actually working on one right now, converting time off requests and
part-time time employee sheets from a manual system to an online system. It will save a lot of
time in the end for everyone.
Those are examples of you coming up with a creative solution. Can you give us
an example when you had a team together and you helped the team to be creative?
Allison Babin: One thing I wanted to do was showcase all the programming we do over the
summer. We do so much for kids, we have awesome teen programs and we have more librarians
doing adult programming. I wanted to find a way to market all of those activities. I worked with
the communications department to develop a comprehensive summer reading brochure which
involved coordinating with all the departments. ochure but I
was the one who led the charge.
people together to champion that idea?
Allison Babin: That happens all the time. One example is 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, an
different components of the program, helped her test out an online platform, and connected her
to resources. It was Margie who got it off the ground.
Marshall Handly: How do you feel about fixing toilets?
Allison Babin: Fine.
Ivy Mahan: I know that Anna Langstaff recently joined Beverly Rotary. Do you see yourself
doing that?
Allison Babin: Yes.
Ivy Mahan: Is there any organization that you would like to be a part of?
Allison Babin: I would like to attend more Beverly Community Council meeting
to get outside of the library so I would like to get involved in more organizations.
Joanne Panunzio: Have you ever gone on rounds with the bookmobile?
I recommend it to all.
Catherine
here, they really depend on the bookmo
really fun to go out and be a part of that.
Ivy Mahan: What would you like us to know about you as far as what you can bring to this
position?
Allison Babin: Well, I actually probably cannot fix a toilet but I will find a person who can.
Allison Babin: I hope it shines through that I am really passionate about the library, the work that
we do, the staff that we have, the community that my life. I would
bring total dedication to the job. In so many ways we already do an amazing job. We did over
800 programs last year, we do so many programs for kids, teens and adults. I am also not the
library operates and I would want to continue to do that.
n general in terms of the internet and how
Allison Babin: I think that shift has already happened. We offer so many online resources. That
is important, you have to do that. That requires training for the staff. One of the dangers, people
have more access to information now than ever. They need help sorting through it. There is a lot
of information on the internet that is not reliable. People need help understanding what they
should be looking at if they want reliable information.
Allison Babin: The library helps them by being a source of reliable information. Things that we
link to on our website are reliable sources. We do a lot to teach people how to use those
resources although we can do more. We do a lot of instruction, even on the fly, on the computers
on the second floor. We do a lot of programming that is targeted to those things as well.
n you give us an example of on the fly instruction?
Allison Babin: Sometimes you might be helping someone and they might be applying for a job
or some sort of benefit and I can see right away from the url that they are not on the website that
they want to be on. You can use this opportunity to show them what they should be looking for,
for example a .gov or .org, not a .com.
One of the parts of this job is disciplining staff members. Do you feel you can
do that? Have you had experience with that?
employee succeed. If an employee is doing something wrong it is detrimental to the employee.
So you sit down and talk about it. It can be important to document and to do research before you
have the conversation. It is important then to follow up with an email to make it official so that
you have a documented chain of what you agreed to.
Allison Babin: You may revisit with potentially more consequences.
Marshall Handly: Is that instructed by collective bargaining agreements. Do you get involved
with that at all?
Allison Babin: Yes. I reference union contracts a lot. This can dictate how you can handle certain
things.
Bruce Doig: How do you see the library working with other community services departments?
Allison Babin: You may know that Lisa Ryan will be starting a book club at the senior center.
We can always do more. I would love to build stronger relationships with you and MaryAnn
Holak and other department heads with similar goals to make that relationship even stronger. I
think there is already a good foundation there and I think a lot of those things are already
happening. I would always been interested in hearing from you, what do you want from us.
Do you have any questions for us?
Allison Babin: I do. Based on performance appraisals and other feedback, my impression is that
that you would like to see done differently?
Mary Behrle: There is always place for more partnerships and collaborations. There is always
room for that. You have done great in looking for other ways and other folks to join hands with.
Bruce Doig: Morale has improved significantly over the past several years. You have a staff that
really wants to be here.
Myron Schirer-Suter: From my perspective, as you said at the beginning, this is not a major train
wreck and you need to make major changes. I think Anna Langstaff has done a really good job
and just continue that growth.
library interesting. And that is something that is to
.
Allison Babin: I agree.
Allison Babin: What challenges do you think I might face in this role? I am aware of certain
challenges but I am curious what you think the challenges might be for me?
Marshall Handly: Anytime you step up to the top seat, you are going to be conflicted. You are
going to have to draw a line with subordinates and that can be hard.
Joanne Panunzio: Defending the budget could be a challenge.
Marshall Handly: Advocacy, but you are a good advocate. That will be your responsibility.
Allison Babin: I have had some great opportunities with Anna Langstaff. For example we have
gone to the state house together.
een your work and home
life may be altered. I am concerned about that.
about this thing called work life balance. There is no such thing. It is work life integration. That
makes a lot of sense. I
toward work. I already went through that adjustment when I took the position of assistant
at
your own health and wellbeing.
roblem, balancing work and life?
Allison Babin: No, because I love it. I
the world and how I want to live my life.
Myron Schirer-Suter: Being in a different role, do you think your relationship with the board will
change?
Allison Babin: It will change a little. I will be talking more. You are a great board. You
understand the role of the board and the role of the library director. I am not concerned about
that.
Allison Babin: Is there anything else I can provide you to help make your decision?
previous interview, you were asked about your decision making process.
I am interested in the process. When confronted with a challenge, what is your decision making
process?
Joanne Panunzio: When you did the adult summer reading program, what was your process on
that?
Allison Babin: I knew I wanted to do something. I started by exploring what other libraries do. I
looked at lots of different examples. Then I talked to the staff to see what they thought and get
their ideas. Then I took all that and embarked on a creative process of designing something,
developed it. Had some people proof it, test it and look for anything I might have missed. Then I
launched it.
Going back to how I make decisions, I try to gather all the information and I also try to think
about all the stakeholders involved, all the different ramifications of any decision, and how one
decision would affect things this way and how another decision would affect things another way,
and then make the decision. I am not a rash thinker. I put a lot of thought into most decisions. I
am a person who tends to lay it all out. A good example would be the teen room renovation when
we found out that the price of glass had gone up exponentially and we would need so much more
money to construct the wall. I brainstormed what we could do and looked at many alternatives. I
think I am good at thinking things through like that. I put a lot of thought and research into
decisions.
: Thank you for coming.
Allison Babin left the meeting.
4. Board of Library Trustees deliberation regarding finalist for the position of Beverly Library
Director.
Library trustees reviewed finalists for the position of Beverly Library Director.
Marshall Handly: Both candidates are tremendously qualified. We have made an investment in
Allison Babin over the past few years. She has filled her position well and has surprised me with
the level of innovation that she has brought to the position. I think the library is much better for
it. One thing that she said that impressed me a lot, was her answer to fixing the toilet. She said
We have someone who is ready and able to delegate. I think if we engage Allison in this
position, we hit
made and I am ready to see a payoff.
Ivy Mahan: She is inexperienced in some areas, like the budget. She has a clear learning curve
but she recognizes that. I think she is right when she says she has the capabilities to learn what
she needs to learn. One aspect I like, we will not lose a lot of footing.
Margaret Altman: Question for members of the search committee. They met both candidates
before. There is a comfort level with Allison Babin because we know her. But Cindy Grove
seemed nervous and rambling. There seemed to be a difference between the two candidates as
they came across. Did anyone else see that?
what she said about books and the internet, teaching people. I think
she was great, but Allison already knows the library. Unless Cindy Grove was so
overwhelmingly better than Allison, why would we not choose Allison Babin?
should give a lot of weight to that. There are some other factors
involved.
Mary Behrle: I agree with what Allison Babin knows and who she knows already in the
community. The meeting where the search committee interviewed Allison, the staff gave input at
the end. It was extraordinary what they said about her. They all respect her, called her kind, they
all said she listens. I think that is really important.
Myron Schirer-Suter: There was not a single negative comment.
Ivy Mahan: Would Allison Babin continue to stay if she is not selected?
Marshall Handly: As far as budgeting experience, Allison Babin has more direct experience with
our budget. There would be a learning curve f
our specific budget, is going to be very beneficial to us.
ducted herself in
this interview. I think she did a phenomenal job. When she talked about being a listener and
gathering information, she was actually doing that at the interview. She was controlling the
interview in the best way possible. The way she was able to listen and really think through and
respond with something so right on to what we were asking, made me think about the way she
would be a leader.
Ivy Mahan: Allison Babin is very articulate.
Marshall Handly: She is also a team builder. The critiques of Cindy Grove was that her default
was to take it on herself. That may work in smaller situations, but I think that is destructive here.
l on me
Cindy Grove talked about MVLC. Cindy Grove gave specific steps she would use when dealing
with a disruptive patron. Allison Babin did not talk about specific steps involved. Cindy Grove
probably has more experience dealing with disruptive patrons.
Myron Schirer-
specialty.
how to deal with disruptive patrons.
Allison Babin has more experience in technology in the sense of stepping back and saying how
can we use this. I think she is the better candidate when it comes to the creative use of
technology.
Ivy Mahan: Both candidates spoke about fake news.
Ivy Mahan: When Cindy Grove was asked about the position of assistant director she said she
adversarial.
Myron Schirer-Suter: With the open source question, Cindy Grove gave a negative opinion of
impression from Cindy Grove that this would be an exciting time to work with a team.
Joanne Panunzio: I really liked Cindy Grove. Because she came from a small library, she is from
Beverly, the library helped her grow into what she is now. She said I am a librarian first. She
does a lot of out-of-the box thinking when it comes to problem solving. But after Allison spoke
and after what I heard from the staff, they are all rooting for Allison.
5. Board of Trustees vote on selection of candidate for the position of Beverly Library Director.
Marshall Handy made the motion, seconded by Myron Schirer-Suter, to:
offer the position of Library Director to Allison Babin.
Roll Call Vote:
Margaret Altman Yes
Mary Behrle Yes
Marshall Handly- Yes
Ivy Mahan Yes
Colleen Michaels Yes
- Yes
Yes
Joanne Panunzio Yes
Myron Schirer-Suter Yes
Motion passed 9-0.
Library trustees thanked Joanne Panunzio for all her work during this process.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:20PM.