Agenda: September 18, 2008

Draft Minutes Sept. 18, 2008

Minutes Archive

Agenda

• Approval of Meeting Minutes: July 17, 2008
• Library Director’s Report (July & August)
• Old Business:

1. Thomas Memorial Library Study Committee (TMLBoT specific business, if any).

• New Business:
• Parked Items:
• Confirmation of next meeting: Thursday, October 16, 2008.
• Adjournment: _____

Draft Minutes

In Attendance:                              
Ed Nadeau, Secretary
Robert Chatfield, Nancy Marshall, Penny Olsen, and Nancy O’Sullivan, Trustees
Jay Scherma, Library Director
Absent:   Pat Bredenberg and Evan Roth
(Note: in the absence of the Chair, Nancy Marshall conducted the meeting.)
Approval of Meeting Minutes:  Minutes of the July 17, 2008 meeting, accepted as is.
Library Director’s Report (July & August 2008): 
The circulation data reveals a spike in activity in July and August.  Jay reports that the work load on the staff is approaching the breaking point.
Would more volunteers help solve the problem?  Volunteers are generally not the solution due to uncertainty of availability, and he must limit their roles due to patron confidentiality requirements.
Contributing factors, alternatives discussed:

1. Bins delivered for interlibrary loans (ILL) come and go at the circulation desk.  The space is inadequate for handling the current level of traffic.
2. Hidden cost of the inefficient building.
3. If TML had the collection large enough to reduce ILL, we don’t have space in the stacks to shelve it.
4. Increased usage by homeschoolers.
5. The value of the books that we have access to through ILL doubles the value of the collection.
6. ILL involves double handling: each outgoing ILL book is transacted twice, and each incoming book is transacted twice.
7. Currently there are 3 staff members receiving physical therapy, and 4 have requested adjustments to their schedule.

Jay will continue to monitor usage patterns.
Old Business:

1. TML Study Committee, TMLBoT specific business:  (none)
2. Recycling Bin:
1. The custodian is not happy with the design of the containers for 2 reasons:
   They catch water and are not designed for easy servicing (removing and replacing the plastic liners is difficult).
2. The public has expressed displeasure that trash container does not allow food.  This is a misperception, Food is allowed!  Signage will be modified to eliminate confusion.
3. Public Works Dept. and the Recycling Committee will continue to monitor usage and effectiveness.


1. Circulation Policy:   Jay Scherma
1. The new circulation policy went into effect July 1.  A patron has complained that when asked for his library card (that he did not have on him), as an alternative was asked for a drivers license to identify himself, even though he is known to the staff.

Meeting:    Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 16, 2008 @ 7:30 P.M., or immediately following the TML Study Committee meeting.
Adjournment:     7:38 P.M.




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