1982-04-12O City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board: Library Trustees
Subcommittee: Personnel Committee
Date: 04/12/1982
Place: Beverly Public Library
Board members present: Conhie E. Dooling, Lester C. Ayers, Richard L. Buckley, and Mary K.
Cormors
Board members absent:
Others present:
Recorder: Nancy Aberman
Personnel Committee
Beverly Public Library
April 12, 1982 6:45 p.m.
Present: Conhie Dooling, Chairman; Mary Connors, Lester Ayers, Richard Buckley. Also present
were Esther Calish and Nancy Aberman.
The following documents were distributed: Personnel Issues and Library Bookmobile job
advertisement.
Mrs. Dooling discussed filling the Reference/Young Adult position in the library with the current
Bookmobile librarian and filling the Bookmobile position at a lower grade level. She asked Mrs.
Calish to explain further the situation and staffing needs. Mrs. Calish described the need to have a
full-time staff member coveting the 4th weekend of the Reference rotation, as well as the need for
part-time professional assistance in Reference and Young Adult areas on weekends. Other staffing
gaps were described in the Personnel Issues reports. The proper procedure for filling the position was
discussed. Mr. Bucldey moved to initiate steps to fill the Reference/Young Adult position. Mr. Ayers
seconded. Since this will create a second vacancy on the Bookmobile, Ms. Dooling asked Mrs. Calish
to speak to the Mayor regarding the proper steps to follow in filling the vacancies.
The possibility of changing the Bookmobile position to a Grade 6 was discussed. Mrs. Calish noted
the need to make the change in both the contract and the city ordinance, which now state that the
position is a Grade 11. Several changes to the advertisement for the Bookmobile were suggested.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
Nancy S. Aberman
Recorder
PERSONNEL ISSUES
1. Reference and Young Adult coverage is insufficient: Two issues: 1) Another full-time reference
professional is needed to cover one weekend per month, which currently our part-time professional
is staffing; 2) A part-time professional librarian is needed as back-up coverage on Saturdays (for lunch
coverage, which we currently do not have) and on Sundays, which is our most concentrated business
day.
a) We have previously used back-up part-time librarians out of part-time budget allocations to assist
on weekends. our part-time librarian is currently being used during the week to alleviate staff
shortages, due to the open position, and one weekend a month, as explained above.
b) There is no lunch coverage for the Reference Desk on Saturdays. There is no second professional
person to give assistance in Reference area or Children's room, depending on where demand arises.
c) Adequate service depends on filling of position. Recommend: transfer of Tom Hindman to this
position. He is highly qualified with a demonstrated performance record and excellent personal
qualities.
2. Bookmobile position:
a.) Would be at a lower grade level
b.) Tom could train over the summer the new person and be available for consulting and selection
choices at all times
3. Process of filling position is time-consuming:
a) Agreement by Mayor
b) Forwarding of request to Finance and Properly Committee
c) Referred to Board of Aldermen for two readings. Aldermen recess in August.
d) Salary covered in level-funded budget.
4. Visualize the 60-hour week:
a) Assistant Director-10 hours per week Reference coverage
b) Adult Services Librarian-20 hours per week Reference coverage
c) Library Assistant-35 hours per week Reference coverage
d) Technical Services Librarian:
1) used only in emergencies since there is much Technical Services work to be done
2) works one weekend per month (which cuts 1½ days out of Technical Services work that
week)
In addition, Reference work consists of selection responsibilities which average one hour for every
hour of public service.
5. Windfall: Gordon College work-study students (2 students from September through May) who
release the circulation staff for computer inputting. otherwise, the cut in part-time funds would have
set us back even further. (We curren~y have a limit of two students for this program; we pay 1/3 of
their salary, and Gordon pays 2/3 s.)
At the present time we are short one professional position which is resulting, in my opinion,
in totally inadequate reference service in both the Adult and Youth Departments.
If we had gone outside to fill the Assistant Director's position, there would have been no other
vacancy. By filling from within, a vacancy was created, which now gives us the opportunity to
transfer another outstanding staff member to a more challenging position and at the same time return
the Bookmobile to a salary level and grade now limited in the union contract.
We have had to schedule our part-time back-up professional to cover periods normally
covered by a regular staff member, thus depriving us of the week-end back-up service we need. This
part-time librarian now covers, alone, the 4th weekend in our rotating weekend schedule the slot
normally filled by a full-time staff person.
The effects of weekend rotation have been explained many times, so that the trustees
undoubtedly understand that 1¼ weekdays have to be covered in Reference every week, when a
librarian works the weekend.
Youth services have two weekends a month when the Youth Room is covered only by a
part-time page or library aide.
Reference use by the public is heaviest in the afternoon and evenings, but Youth Room use
is heavy mornings and afternoons. The Youth staff work 4 eight-hour days and a ¼ day each week.
When there is no absence due to weekend scheduling (alternate weeks), there is only one person on
duty that afternoon. When the 2 staff alternate weekends, there is only one staff for ~/i day coverage.
The 8-hour day is desirable because it provides coverage through 6 p.m. (either supper hour or library
closing time).
Two staff are needed practically all the time in the Youth Room. All circulation procedures
except issuing new library cards have been transferred to the Circulation Division, allowing the Youth
staff to assist patrons in their research, etc. in the Youth Room. (There are many class visits, club
visits, reading programs, story hours, and preparation time which take one of the librarians away from
the reading room.)
Adequate service depends upon the filling of the Reference/Young Adult position. A qualified
person could rotate and give service where needed reference or youth room; could work the 4th
weekend and allow us a second librarian for back-up.
LONG RANGE: Should the library be returned to 69 hours a week, we would expect to be
able to use part-time funds now used by the Circulation Division to cover both circulation and
reference. We expect to free up this time when the automated circulation system is operative; this is
the time now used for overdues and for the slipping of books.