1983-11-21 City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board: Library Trustees
Subcommittee:
Date: 11/21/1983
Place: Beverly Public Library
Board members present: Richard L. Buckley, Lester C. Ayers, Connie E. Dooling, Katherine
L. Fanning Dr. Edna M. MeGlynn, Roger E. Morency, Keyin J. Murphy, Neil B. Olson, and
Nancy A. White
Board members absent:
Others present: Kathleen M. Henrichon, League of Women Voters; Jill Backstrom, Howard Calish,
Friends of the Beverly Public Library
Recorder: Nancy Aberman
Regular Meeting
Board of Trustees-Beverly Public Library
November 21, 1983
Present: Richard Buckley, Connie Dooling, Nancy White, Kay Fanning, Dr. Edna McGlynn, Kevin
Murphy, Neil Olson, Roger Morency, Les Ayers.
Also present: Jill Backstrom, Howard Calish, Friends of the Library; Kathleen Henrichon, League of
Women Voters; John Gold, Beverly Times.
Documents distributed: Proposed Librarian's contract; Budget Projection 1984/85; Financial
statement.
Disposition of minutes of previous meeting: Mrs. Fanning noted several corrections to the minutes.
Under the Administration Committee report, regarding the ramp at the Beverly Farms branch,
minutes should mad that no bids are necessary. Under New Business, Mrs. Fanning requested the
following addition to the statement "Discussion took place on staffing for the remainder of the year.
Mrs. Fanning's request for the salary rate of $3.35 per hour as she had explained to the Board and
the Mayor when seeking the $1,000 was not to be carded out by Mrs. Calish in her staffing of the
Farms." Mr. Murphy also noted a correction in the Administration report regarding the roof The
report should read "application for bids have been received." Dr. MeGlynn moved to accept the
minutes as amended. Mr. Ayers seconded. Motion passed.
Committee Reports: Administration: Mrs. Fanning reported that the appropriation request for the
ramp has had its first reading. Mr. Buckicy read a copy of a letter of request from the Mayor to the
Aldermen for $10,000 to be expended under the Commissioner of Public Works for the ramp. When
the money is appropriated, the Board will take appropriate action. Mr. Murphy explained the situation
with the roof A large number of applications for bids had been received; however, only 2 sub bids
for masonry work were received and only one general bid was received. Because of state
requirements, the one bid could not be accepted and was discarded. The process will take place again
in the spring. As soon as a letter from Eric Kluz is received, Mayor Fortunato will be contacted and
informed of the process and requested to let the roof appropriation stand intact. The consensus of
those concerned is that the repairs which have been done should be adequate to last through winter.
Mr. Murphy will send copies of any communications to the Mayor to all Board members.
Personnel: There was no meeting.
Finance: Mr. BuckIcy outlined for members of the Board the new computerized financial statement.
Trust Funds, Friends donations, other gifts, and Fisher Charitable are not reflected and will appear
on a separate sheet which will be prepared. Figures from previous year will be included on summary
sheet. Board members will be contacted by telephone to sign bill schedules when they are prepared.
Reports were placed on file.
Task Force: Mr. BuckIcy reported that the material concerning the Librarian's contract is ready and
will be referred to Unfinished Business.
Report of the Librarian: 1) Trust income of $20,381.43 has been transferred to the Library for the
year ending June 30, 1983. Of the monies, $944.83 is Sohier Fund (designated) monies. The
guidelines of the Trustees will be applied to the remaining $19,436.60, 2) Mrs. Calish discussed the
matter of the minutes taking an increasing mount of time to prepare and suggested adoption of
Robert's Rules of Order to shorten the process in the areas of Committee Reports and action on the
report, minority reports, and submission of written committee reports. After discussion concerning
what material to include in the minutes, Mr. Murphy moved, and Mr. Olson seconded, that minutes
of the meeting shall contain a record of subcommittee recommendations and actual motions passed
at the meeting without quotations from individual members. Motion passed. Ms. White moved, and
Mr. Murphy seconded, that subcommittee reports be submitted to the Assistant Director in writing
for inclusion with the minutes. Mr. Olson moved to table the motion. Mrs. Dooling seconded. Motion
passed. 3) Mrs. Calish brought to the Board's attention that Robert Perron of the Beverly Historical
Society approached her regarding placing original material owned by the Library relating to local
people or history in the vaults of the Historical Society. Mrs. Calish recommended placing materials
on deposit as a loan unless specifically designated as a gift as the Historical Society is equipped to
protect such material. Micro film copies can be kept at the library. No action on the matter will be
taken until a communication is received from the Historical Society. 4) Two programs are scheduled
for January with a school guidance counselor: "Defining Parent/Child Conflicts" and "The Search for
Solutions". 5) Mrs. Calish made mention of the photocopy material '~1o more Mr. Nice guy" which
had been sent to Trustees as material concerning the budget. 6) She presented an informal budget
projection and discussed part-time salaries. The matter of the budget was referred to the Finance
Committee for review. The meeting will take place Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 6:00 p.m. 7) A request from
the telephone company to put a box in the library parking lot was referred to the Administration
subcommittee for report at the next meeting. 8) Regarding the problem of the front doors swelling
in the rain, Mrs. Calish was requested to contact Alan Taubert to review the situation.
Communications: 1) The previously-read letter from Mayor Fortunato to the Aldermen requesting
a $10,000 appropriation for the ramp at the Farms Branch was noted. 2) A letter was read from
Robert Cohen, President, Friends of the Beverly Farms Library, thanking the Board for its
appropriation for Tuesday morning openings and reiterating the commitment of the Friends to
complement resources allocated to the Farms Branch. Communications were placed on file.
Unfinished Business: 1) On the matter of Executive Session, Mr. Morency reported that District
Attorney Burke stated that if a meeting has been properly posted, a voice vote for Executive Session
may be taken at the meeting. 2) On the question of publishing names of delinquent patrons, a motion
was made by Mr. Murphy and seconded by Mr. Morency for the Librarian to request an opinion in
writing of A1 Ricei, City Solicitor. Motion passed. 3) On replacements for the core collection, the
Director reported that all titles will be ordered by the end of December. Many titles are out of print
and prices have risen. 4) On the Librarian's contract, it was reported that Mr. Kaplan's legal opinion
is to enumerate specifically Section 8, Benefits. Mrs. Dooling moved to adopt the Librarian's contract;
Mr. Moreney seconded. Mrs. Dooling proposed the following amendment: That the Librarian
undergo each year of the contract a physical examination by his/her private physician with the
physieian's report to be submitted to the Board of Trustees. Mr. Moreney seconded the amendment.
[The vote on the amendment is as follows: In favor: (3); Opposed (3); Abstentions: (2). A motion
was made by Ms. White and seconded by Mr. Ayers to table the amendment motion. Motion passed.
Mr. Murphy moved to table the motion regarding the adoption of the contract. Mr. Ayers seconded.
Motion passed.
Ms. White moved to adjourn. Mrs. Fanning seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.
Nancy S. Aberman
Recorder