1996-12-09 City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board: Library Trustees
Subcommittee:
Date: 12/09/1996
Place: Beverly Public Library
Board members present:, Lindsay A. Diehi, Katherine L. Fanning, Margaret C. Goodwin, Neil B.
Olson, Helga Senko, and John R. Young
Board members absent: Diane J. Costa, Edward E. Brindle, and Kevin S. O'Reilly
Others present: Thomas Scu!ly, Library Director and Anna Langstaff, Assistant Library Director
Recorder: Anna Langstaff
Regular Meeting
Board of Trustees - Beverly Public Library
December 9, 1996 7:00 P.M.
Present: Lindsay Diehi, Kay Fanning, Margaret Goodwin, Nell Olson, Helga Senko, John Young.
Also Present: Thomas Scully, Anna Langstaff
Margaret Goodwin presided.
Kay Fanning made the motion, seconded by Lindsay Diehi, to accept the minutes of November 19,
1996 as read. Motion passed.
Committee Reports
Personnel: No report.
Administration: No report.
Finance: Neil Olson reported on finance committee' s November 21 meeting with Mayor ScanIon.
The Mayor did not accept or reject budget proposals for new positions. The Mayor agreed to fund
half of the $14,000 cost to fix entry apse at Main Library. Committee members also discussed with
Mayor Scanlon the Farms Library renovations and the need to gradually increase the building
maintenance line item while reminding him that we are still trying to catch up from many years when
no maintenance was done.
Long Range Planning: Tom Scully would like to include reading scores in the long range plan. He
1 ) Noble By-Laws: Copies of the proposed revised Noble by-laws were distributed (on file with
these minutes). Major change will be that boards of trustees of member institutions will no longer
have a vote on the Noble budget or Noble by-laws. This item will be brought up at the next
Beverly Public Library Board meeting. 2) City Organization Plan: Tom Scully distributed copies
of Mayor Scanlon's proposed city organization chart (on file with these minutes). 3) Public
Libraries article: Tom Scully distributed a copy of an article from Public Libraries that described
library administrators sharing other administrative jobs in city government. 4) Poetry Reception:
High School poetry reception/contest held on April 22, 1996 was a great success. 5) Farms
Friends Meeting: Charlie Mann will report on Farms building needs at Farms Friends meeting on
May 14, 1996 at 7:00 P.M.
Communications
1 ) John Young received a letter from the Noble Laureate Richard Roberts accepting our offer to
do a lecture for the library. Tentative date for lecture is late September. 2) Letter received from
Farms Librarian Robin Elbot requesting a medical leave of absence. 3) Garden Club will donate
and plant a Bradford pear tree on Friday, April 26, 1996 at the Main Library. Tom Scully
reported that the Garden Club has adopted the grounds of this library as a project. The Garden
Club continues to provide a weekly flower arrangement for the circulation desk.
Unfinished Business
1 ) Updike Fundraiser: John Young reported on the progress of the John Updike fundraiser.
Diane Costa reported on the meeting held to discuss the details of the reception.
New Business
l ) Sunshine Fund: Margaret Goodwin suggested that Board members should contribute $10 to
the sunshine fund at the beginning of each year. 2) Citizen Presentation: Margaret Goodwin
would like to establish a process for handling citizen attendance at board meetings. "Public
presentation to, discussion with the board" will be placed at the top, as well as at the bottom, of
the agenda.
The next meeting of the Board will be Tuesday, May 28, 1996 at 7:00 P.M. at the Main Library.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 P.M.
Anna Langstaff, Recorder