1976-06-17 City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board: Library Trustees
Subcommittee:
Date: 06/17/1976
Place: Beverly Public Library
Board members present: Sheila M. MeGart, Lester C. Ayers, John R. Coogan, Katherine L.
Fanning, Michael Larivee, Caleb Loring III, Frances M. Moran, and Beatrice R. Viiale
Board members absent: Diane M. Isenberg,
Others present:
Recorder: Mark A. Nesse
MINUTES
Beverly Public Library
Board of Trustees Regular Meeting
June 17, 1976
Present: Miss McGarr, presiding; Mr. Ayers, Mr. Coogan, Mrs. Fanning, Mr. Larivee, Mr. Loring,
Miss Moran and Mrs. Vitale.
New member of the Board of Trustees - Caleb Loring, III- was welcomed by the President and other
members of the Board.
Minutes of the May 20th meeting were approved.
Committee Reports:
*Committee on Administration: no report.
*Committee on Finance: Miss MeGart sketched the recent history of the Great Budget
Controversy. A compromise of sorts was reached whereby library employees and city hall
non-union employees "gave up" their cost of living raise of 9.9% which had been granted
1/I/76. Thus, the budget for 1976/77 is as follows:
See page 3
The librarian indicated that some accounts (lighting, telephone, printing, office supplies and
book preparation supplies) are underfunded. If we have a mild winter, if the price of oil
remains stable, and if we are allowed transfer funds from fuel to other areas in maintenance,
we are "OK". If not, we are in trouble. It was suggested that dog tax could be used to make
up the deficit. The librarian hoped that we could use the dog tax for books. It was decided
to wait until early fall before speaking to the mayor.
After some discussion, it was
VOTED: That the Committee on Finance would met with the mayor to request the following:
See page 4
BEVERLY PUBLIC LIBRARY
1976/77 Budget Request
Expended Expended Last Year Budget
1974-75 1975 -76 1976-77
I. Salaries Total $219,364.27 *$251,570.36 $247,119.92
II. Maintenance
A. Library Materials 39,068.58 50,237.65 41,500.00
1. Books 2,500.00 2,500.00
Replacements
3,154.75 5,292.42 4,000.00
2. Periodicals
3,519.29 4,919.07 3,900.00
3. Audio-visual
1,029.42 1,395.11 1,000.00
4. Binding
B. Operating Expenses
1. Fuel 4,808.06 5,758.33 8,500.00
2. Lighting 4,287.21 4,811.42 4,500.00
3. Telephone 1,543.14 1,911.54 1,500.00
4. Furniture 3,092.35 1,724.19 3,000.00
5. Repairs 4,732.37 5,298.14 5,000.00
6. Janitor's Supplies /
Care of grounds 1,998.68 2,610.22 2,500.00
7. Printing 266.75 566.65 250.00
8. Bk. Prep. Supplies 3,625.21 5,640.34 3,000.00
9. Office Supplies 2,443.46 2,339.22 2,000.00
10. Bookmobile Operation 887.93 534.63 1,000.00
11. Expenses - Meetings 250.00
12. Copy Machine 1,468.45 744.82 1,000.00
Maintenance Total $78,425.65 $96,283.75 $82,900.00
III. Other Outlays
A. Out of State Travel 207.45 250.00
B. Microfilm Back Files 2,966.15 2,997.26 3,000.00
C. Typewriter
D. Snow Blower
IV. Grant Total $300,963.52 $351,101.37 $220,019.92
Bookmobile
1. Approval of transfers as follows:
FROM:
Fuel ................. $2,500
Copy Machine ........... 1,200
$3,700
TO:
Periodicals .............. $ 800
Lighting ................. 300*
Telephone.: .............. 400*
Office Supplies ............ 500
Book Preparation Supplies... 700
Books ................. 1,000
$3,700
*Approved to date. Others pending
2. Carry forward into the next budget year, the following items:
a. $1,273.00. from the furniture account to carpet the Farms Branch (contract had been
awarded but was held up over the recent budget discussion).
b. Unexpended balance of the dog tax (part of which was only appropriated to the library on
6/16/76)
c. $14,380.50 in state aid which will be spent for books and other library materials.
*Committee on Personnel: no report.
Librarian's Report: Reports of departments heads were noted, and highlighted. Elaine Whelihan's
resignation was accepted with regret, and best wishes for a successful new position were
passed on.
Old Business:
*The appointmere of a committee to study vacations and the setting of a date for a special
meeting on the self-study were postponed, and would be the responsibility of the incoming
President.
New Business:
*A letter from the Library staff indicating their exploration of forming a union was read and
put on file.
*The librarian noted that prospects are good that the library will receive an L. S .C.A.(Library
Service and Construction Act) grant for $10,000 for services to "Special" patrons. The
librarian also demonstrated the use of the TV Phone which comes to the library as another
L.S.C.A. grant for services to the deaf.
*Areas of co-operation among the public libraries of Beverly, Salem, Danvers, and Peabody
were noted to the librarian:
1. Each library may attempt to serve patrons with differing "special" needs... e.g.
deaf, blind, handicapped, etc.
2. Concentration on periodical specialization among the four libraries (art, education,
business, science, etc).
* The Librarian showed members of the Board of Trustees how many delinquent borrowers
we were attempting to wring books from, and requested their permission to take steps
necessary to ultimately bring persons to court for failure to return library materials. After
considerable discussion, it was agreed:
1. Timing of notices would be reevaluated.
2. In place of the third notice, a combination letter would be developed which would
quote the Mass. G.L. and would tell the patron of the recourse to court action, and
would also be a fill for the cost of the library materials. This would be done in close
cooperation with the city solicitor.
*Recent hospitalization ofbookmobile librarian Sid Altshuler was noted.
*The party/tea for Mrs. Conrad was planned for the fall.
*Librarian told of plans to hire an eight-week "will-in" for Marilyn Burke who goes on
matemity leave 7/19/76, to do special projects such as assist in the reorganization of the
genealogy room, summer theatre for children, assist in the Farms Branch history room, assist
in the inventory, etc.
*Board of Trustees President, Sheila M. McGarr, told of her resignation to accept a position
in the library of Mary Washington College in Virginia.
VOTED: To elect a new President at this meeting rather than wait until the fall.
VOTED: To elect John R. Coogan as President of the Board of Trustees.
VOTED: To keep the Farms Branch open.
*As the new President of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Coogan named Mr. Loring to the Finance and
Administration Committee.
Adjournment: 9:40 p.m.
Mark A. Nesse
Clerk