1998-12-15 City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board: Library Trustees
Subcommittee:
Date: December 15, 1998 7:00 P.M.
Place: Beverly Public Library
Board members present: Edward Brindle, Katherine Fanning, Margaret Goodwin, Neil Olson,
Kevin O'Reilly, Helga Senko, and John Young
Board members absent: Diane Costa, Lindsay Diehl
Others present: Thomas Scully, Anna Langstaff, Joanne Panunzio, Marie McGinnis, Wendy
Drinkwater, Tim Marton
Recorder: Anna Langstaff
Margaret Goodwin presided.
Edward Brindle made the motion, seconded by Kay Fanning, to accept the minutes of November
24, 1998 as read. Motion passed.
Public Presentation
Wendy Drinkwater, Marie McGinnis, and Tim Marton presented a plan for a public skating rink in
the park at the Beverly Farms Library.
Committee Reports
Personnel: No report.
Administration: No report.
Finance: Edward Brindle will meet with Tom Scully to discuss next year' s budget. Finance
Committee will meet early in January.
Long Range Planning: Long Range Planning Committee met December 15, 1998 to assess possible
budget impact of the FY2000 action plan. Several items were identified: book budget,
maintenance, binding, staff development. The committee voted to adopt the action plan and
recommend it to the full Board. Neil Olson made the motion, seconded by Kay Fanning, to:
accept the FY2000 action plan as recommended by the Long Range Planning
Committee. Motion passed.
Report of the Library Director
1) Copies of Library Director' s report (on file with these minutes) were mailed to trustees. 2)
Intemet Filters: Tom Scully distributed copies of the Federal Court judge's ruling on the Loudoun
County Public Library case. The judge ruled that the library' s interact policy was unconstitutional
and violated the 1 st and 14th amendments.
Communications
None
Unfinished Business
1 ) New Member Handbook: John Young thanked Lindsay Diehi for her work on the new member
handbook.
New Business
1 ) Ice Skating Rink: Trustees discussed skating rink proposal. Some concerns: insurance,
notification of neighbors, effect on trees and grass, library staff involvement, hours, enforcement of
rules, and general responsibility. The Administration Committee will meet and view the site on
Saturday, December 19, 1998. 2) Emergency Generator: Farms fire station has installed an
emergency generator on Farms Library property. As a building code issue, the Farms fire station
requires an emergency generator. Edward Brindle made the motion, seconded by Neil Olson, to:
authorize the installation of a 4' x 4' pad for the purpose of installing a generator on
behalf of the Fire Department. Motion passed.
3) Meetings: Edward Brindle proposed that the Board meet at least three times per year at the
Beverly Farms Library.
Public Presentation
None
The next meeting of the Board will be Tuesday, January 26, 1999 at 7:00 P.M. at the Main Library.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:50 P.M.
Library Director's Report
December 1998
The Library has continued to be busy this Fall. Although the number of items checked in the
Children' s Room and the Young Adult Room over the summer fell off due to the many days the
Children' s Room was closed because of flooding, the circulation has rebounded. Circulation in all
departments has increased over last year for the months of October and November and overall
circulation is up 2.6% for the first five months of this fiscal year.
A bill has been filled in the State Legislature to increase the mount of state aid to public
libraries. We currently receive about $1.00 per capita or about $38,000 a year. The State Library
agency would like to triple this amount over the next four years. The State Aid reimbursement,
known officially as the Library Incentive Grant and the Municipal Equalization Grant has remained
the same since 1987.
Repairs to the Library from flood damage are about complete. The Bamet Gallery is in the
process of being repainted and that should complete the major work. I talked with the City's
insurance agent, Corporate Design Insurance, and we are not covered for any of the damage.
John Feenan, a descendant of the Lynch family, has donated a portrait of his great uncle
Patrick Lynch, a Library Trustee for seven years. Patrick's brother David, gave the money for the
purchase of Lynch Park. All three brothers made many charitable bequests to Beverly citizens.