===PAGE 1=== LunenburgPublicLibraryTrusteesof LunenburgPublicLibrary, MeetingMinutesSeptember 26, 2024Attending: HarryKubetz(remote), DickMailloux, Jana-LeeBalish, LauraBoussom, DonnaSaiia, MaiaWentrup(remote), Muir Haman- Director LPL TheLPLBTmeetingwascalledtoorder at 6:49pmbyViceChair DickMailloux. Moment of SilenceReflectingonBobConroy● TheBoardheldamoment of silenceinmemoryof BobConroy. PublicComment● Nopubliccomment. AgendaItems● Approval of Minutesof June20&July19Harrymadeamotiontoaccept theminutesof June20, 2024asamended, secondedbyDonna. Themotionpassedunanimouslybyroll call vote.Harrymadeamotiontoaccept theminutesof July19, 2024asamended, secondedbyJana. Themotionpassedunanimouslybyroll call vote. ● Director’sReportFY2024Budget UpdateLineitemssuchasOfficeSuppliesandLibraryMaterial arehigher inthe2024budget thanthe2025budget duetotransfersfromother accounts. Amountsleft inElectricity, Heating, andLibraryMaterialswill bespent. Muir hasitemsfor theselinesthat havebeenencumbered. FY2025Budget UpdateElectricityandHeatingislowduetosolar creditsandarepair totheHVAC, whichisnolonger runningwhenitshouldn’t. Staff UpdateStaff wastrainedinFirst Aidandtheuseof anAEDbymembersof theLunenburgFireDepartment onAugust 16.Melaniewill betrainingstaff inHoopla.Muir participatedintheMassachusettsLibraryAidAssociationboardmeeting. TheyselectedscholarshiprecipientsonAugust 21.Muir will beparticipatinginaBannedBooksWeekpanel at FitchburgStateUniversitynext week.At therequest of Carter Terenzini (InterimTownManager) andtheCapital PlanningCommittee, Muir will bementoringother department headsinpreparingtheir presentationstothat committee. Carter alsoaskedMuir toparticipateinthegroupsearchingfor areplacement for theDirector of theEagleHouse.TheLSTAproposal for acivichubproject wasnot approvedfor funding. It wastoolargearequest for them, soMuirwill becuttingpartsof it andreapplyingnext year.Muir met withEllenDorian, President &COOof MainStreet Banktodiscussproposedprojectswithher. Ellensaidmanyof theprojects, includingfurniturefor theteenroom, abookmobile, anEVchargingstation, andasolar shadeforthepatiowouldmeet their requirementsfor funding. Muir will applythroughtheir onlinegrant fundingwebpage.ThelibraryishousingthePlanLunenburgmodel inthecenter of themainhall.LydiaandJoslynarebeingtrainedtopickupmoretasksintheir respectivedepartments. ProgramsUpdateThesummer readingprogramwasverysuccessful with394readersreadingatotal of 428,977minutesin6weeks.Next year’ssummer readingprogramwill becalled20,000ReadsUnder theSea.Thesummer lunchprogramsponsoredbyMainStreet Bankwasasuccesswithmorethan650lunchesserved. UnlikethepreviousprogramwithProject Bread, theselunchescouldbeeatenat thelibraryor takenhometoeat. Ellen, fromMainStreet Bank, haspromisedmoneyfor alunchprogramnext summer. ===PAGE 2=== Bookreadinggroupsandconcertscontinuetoattract people.KaiteeandLydiacollaboratedonaCraft andChill programfor adultsthat wassuccessful inbringingnewpeopleintothelibrary. TechnologyUpdateMuir hasresumedregular weeklymeetingswiththeITdepartment nowthat Caseyhasreturnedfromparental leave.Thefour adult Chromeboxeswerereplaced.Thesoundequipment intheCommunityRoomhasbeenrepaired.TheLibraryof Thingswill bemovedtodisplayspaceoppositethemaindesk. It waspopular thissummer, andhopefullymovingit toamoreprominent positionwill get it evenmoreattention. Building&MaintenanceUpdateLakeviewhastakenover groundsmaintenanceandhasbeenweedingthepropertywithgoodresults.Bill Tyler hasdoneagoodjobof spreadingmulch.Mini-splitswereinstalledintheCommunityandConferencerooms.TheHVACcontinuestoneedregular andcostlymaintenance. Facilitiesistryinganewcontractor whocanworkonbothcontrolsandmechanical. Thisshouldsimplifyrepairswhenwehaveissues. ● OpenBoardPositionDiscussion/SuggestionsDickwill askAnneAubreyandEllenGriffintopublicizetheopenboardposition. ● TributetoBobConroyDiscussionRobinVeneziapresentedaplanfor aBobConroyMemorial TreeGarden. Thegardenwill belocatedontheeast sideof thelibrary, just outsidetheconferenceroomwindows. InvasiveCallerypear treeshavebeenremovedandwill bereplacedthisspringwithaserviceberrytreeandother nativeplantstocreatealightlyshadedarea. Wewill belookingfor alocal artist tocreateasculpturetorepresent Bob’sloveof rockclimbingand/or music. ● School Program(5thGrade/OtherGrade(s)) DiscussionMovetonext month’sagenda ● ARPAUpdateAdditional ARPArequestswerenot approvedbytheSelect Board.TheTeenRoomrenovationproject hasgoneout tobid.Wehavereceivedbidsontheexterior paintingproject, andtheyhavecomeinlower thanexpected. Theexcessbudgetedcouldbeusedfor thesolar shadefor thepatioandtoreplacethewater pumpintheProctor MemorialGarden. ● TeenRoomUsagePolicyNoupdate. ● LibraryInvestedFundsUpdateInvestedfundsareover $100K. ● LibrarySignUpdateTheinstallationof thesignandlightinghasbeencompleted. However, onelight isnot workingandneedstobefixed. ● OutreachPlanUpdateThelackof theFarmer’sMarket thisyear hasbeenalossfor outreach.Staff hasprovidedoutreachat theArtisanMarket, theLunenburgEconomicDevelopment Committee’sMeet &Greet,andtheLunenburgAgricultural Fair.School visitsandapartment complexesareother placestoconsider doingoutreach. ● FriendsUpdateTherewerenobidsfor theshadesfor themainhall.Thesignwasunder budget andtheexcessfundscanbereallocatedtotheTeenRoomrenovationif needed. ===PAGE 3=== ● BoardCommentDicksaidnext monththeDirector’sreviewshouldbeontheagenda.HarrycommendedMuir andhisstaff for all thepositivecommentsabout thelibraryandstaff intheLunenburgIndependent Facebookgroup. ● AdjournDonnamadeamotiontoadjourn, secondedbyJana. Meetingadjournedat 8:44pm. ===PAGE 4=== LUNENBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT FY 24 Budget FY24 Revolving Fund revenue was $3224, an increase over previous years. Likely related to the inclusion of copy/print fees. FY24 Budget Budget Expended % Expended LIBRARY DIRECTOR SALARY 85,590$ 85,590$ 100% ASST LIBRARY DIRECTOR SALARY 59,547$ 59,546$ 100% LIBRARY STAFF SALARIES 200,079$ 200,078$ 100% BLDG REPAIRS & MTC -$ SEWERAGE DISPOSAL 820$ 820$ 100% ELECTRICITY CHARGES 18,000$ 15,491$ 86% HEATING CHARGES/NATURAL GAS 15,500$ 13,743$ 89% WATER CHARGES 866$ 866$ 100% NETWORK MAINTENANCE 250$ 239$ 96% BOOK SERVICE 3,294$ 3,294$ 100% PROGRAMS 11,000$ 10,971$ 100% CONTRACTED SERVICES 1,000$ 985$ 99% CWMARS NETWORK 19,880$ 19,880$ 100% POSTAGE 573$ 507$ 88% OFFICE SUPPLIES 23,122$ 10,787$ 47% CUSTODIAL SUPPLIES 300$ 200$ 67% LIBRARY MATERIAL 119,479$ 113,243$ 95% MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT 2,000$ 522$ 26% TOTALS 561,300$ 536,762$ 96% ===PAGE 5=== LUNENBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT FY 25 Budget Staff Best SRP ever! This summer was incredibly successful at the library. Between the hot weather, hot meals, and our wonderful library staff, participation was at pre-pandemic levels, and we served more than 650 lunches to children and families. 292 child readers reading 222,000 minutes; 28 teen readers reading 71,664 minutes; 74 adult readers reading 135,315 minutes. 394 readers total, 428,977 minutes total! Closing in on half a million minutes read over the course of about 6 weeks! With school back in session, our crowds after school have not quite reached last year’s levels yet. As homework increases, I would anticipate growing numbers. Furthermore, the Boys and Girls Club were understaffed and unable to make Power Hour available until last week. Highlight: Kaitee’s presence has really eased the adjustment for new students visiting and made the return of veterans comfortable as well. We are currently housing the Plan Lunenburg town model in the center of the main hall. This display has sparked many conversations during the last month or so. I am currently trying to find a way to host the 5th public meeting at the library on Oct 5th. FY25 Budget Budget Expended % Expended Calendar Completion LIBRARY DIRECTOR SALARY 90,726$ 15,642$ 17% 21% ASST LIBRARY DIRECTOR SALARY 64,023$ 10,787$ 17% LIBRARY STAFF SALARIES 242,984$ 43,666$ 18% BLDG REPAIRS & MTC -$ -$ SEWERAGE DISPOSAL 1,000$ 317$ 32% ELECTRICITY CHARGES 22,500$ -$ 0% HEATING CHARGES/NATURAL GAS 18,500$ 178$ 1% WATER CHARGES 1,000$ 301$ 30% NETWORK MAINTENANCE 500$ 40$ 8% BOOK SERVICE 4,500$ 4,476$ 99% PROGRAMS 15,000$ 550$ 4% CONTRACTED SERVICES 2,500$ -$ 0% CWMARS NETWORK 22,630$ 22,630$ 100% POSTAGE 900$ 67$ 7% OFFICE SUPPLIES 7,000$ 206$ 3% CUSTODIAL SUPPLIES 300$ 237$ 79% LIBRARY MATERIAL 94,000$ 15,658$ 17% MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT 4,000$ -$ 0% TOTALS 592,063$ 114,755$ 19% ===PAGE 6=== LUNENBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT Staff was trained in First Aid and the use of an AED by members of the Lunenburg FD on August 16. Then, staff was treated to a nice lunch before we opened. Thank you, Friends of LPL! This week’s staff meeting will include a training for our new Hoopla resource delivered by Melanie. I participated again in the Massachusetts Library Aid Association board meetings. We selected scholarship recipients on August 21st. I have been invited to participate in a Banned Books Week panel at Fitchburg State next Thursday. I have also been requested by the Interim Town Manager and Capital Planning Committee to “mentor” other department heads in preparing for this year’s presentations. I have met with the other department heads, presented the committee’s asks for presentations, discussed with Chief Gammel his approach to presenting, and have delivered a Powerpoint template and list of tips. I am working on organizing a workshop for presenters to practice and share feedback next week or the week after. User’s Council quarterly meeting will happen this week, Tuesday afternoon. Our LSTA proposal was not approved for funding. Our additional ARPA requests were also not funded. I will meet with Ellen Dorian of Main St. Bank on Monday Sept 23 to discuss proposed projects with her. We have shifted our staff meeting time to Wednesday mornings (from Tuesday mornings) and still plan to have these completed before the library opens. We also completed our FY24 department reports for the Annual Town Report at the conclusion of the year. More clear for everyone and we will submit it in February when the town prepares that report. Mentoring/skill development: Lydia and I are trialing an arrangement for her to select all books for the adult collection. She and I will work together to help her develop her selection skills even further. Joslyn is applying her film expertise (degree in film) to selecting movies and anime for the collection. Debbie is also mentoring Joslyn on as many Children’s Room tasks as possible to develop her comfort with these responsibilities. Lydia and Kaitee and collaborating on the Monthly Craft & Chill, and this opportunity has allowed Lydia to pass some programming and general library knowledge on to our newcomer. Programs Fall brings a number of new-look programs to the library. Some rebranded book discussion groups, some teen club experiences, and lots of collaboration between staff. Book Groups: LPL Kids(ages 3-5), Listeners Book Club, Teen Manga Club, In-betweeners (ages 10-13), BYOBook (drop in discussion), Angst Appreciation (adult readers of YA lit), Eagle House Readers, Baking Book Club, Brighter Days Books Club, and Tuesday Morning Book Club. Concerts continue to bring good size audiences. Kaitee and Lydia’s collaboration on a “date-night” Craft and Chill program offered a paint your partner program early in the month that was very successful bringing new faces to the library. Outreach Sept 15 Artisan market ===PAGE 7=== LUNENBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT Sept 25 Lunenburg Business Meet & Greet Oct 5 Lunenburg Agricultural Fair (TCP/behind the library) Building & Maintenance The new landscaper however has been weeding around the building, and the grounds look fantastic. Although there was a small mix up with some of our natives in the patio area, it prompted effective communication. Bill Tyler has been working to mulch around the building and the results are spectacular. Mini-splits were installed to serve the Community and Conference Rooms. The HVAC system continues to need regular and costly maintenance, though one technician did diagnose an issue on one roof unit that was causing the system to only achieve 50% air flow. The building has been downright chilly since. We anticipate keyless entry to be installed in all town buildings this year. We also anticipate the security camera upgrades to go out to bid by October 1. Technology I have resumed regular meetings with the IT department now that Casey has returned from parental leave. The four adult chromeboxes were replaced. The sound equipment in the Community Room has been repaired and is on its way back to the library. This should enable us to install the projector permanently from the ceiling of the room to prevent unnecessary damage and ease set up for outside groups. Our Library of Things will be moved to display opposite the main desk and will hopefully get even more attention there. ===PAGE 8=== SEPTEMBER 2024 Youth Services Area Trustee Report JULY/AUGUST STATS: ACTIVITY NUMBER / PARTICIPANTS FOOD EXPLORERS 1 21 CRAFTY KIDS CLUB- TRAVEL BUSY BAGS 1 34 CRAFTY KIDS CLUB- BALLOON CARS 1 40 CRAFTY KIDS CLUB- NOTRE DAME-STAINED GLASS WINDOWS 1 50 CRAFTY KIDS CLUB- RAINBOW BUBBLE SNAKES 1 45 CULTURAL COOKING WITH KIDS 5 55 LEGO BUCKET CHALLENGE 5 125 ANIMAL ADVENTURES 1 44 POOP MUSEUM VISIT 1 72 SRP FINALE EVENT- MINI GOLF AND VIDEO GAME NIGHT 1 75 ICE CREAM SOCIAL 1 79 SEWING 101- BOOK BAGS 1 20 LIBRARY SUMMER OLYMPICS 1 40 SRP STATS FOR CHILDREN: Beanstack: 63 readers 1,280 hours/76,828 minutes ===PAGE 9=== In-Person: 229 readers 2,420 hours/145,172 minutes Total: 292 readers 222,000 minutes/3,700 hours HIGHLIGHTS FOR JULY & AUGUST: • Our Cultural Cooking Events were a big hit! The kids prepared food from Hawaii (Spam Sushi), France (crepes), Japan (Ramen bowls), Texas (fFrito Pie), and Puerto Rico (Pina Coladas- without the rum of course!) We were able to have community involvement for 3 of these events as we learned about recipes from France, Puerto Rico and Hawaii! • Animal Adventures stopped by with a wide variety of animals to show the kids: Alligator, Snake, Chinchilla, Ferret, Hedgehog, Rats, Bunnies, Turtles Tortoises, and Frogs, Geckos, Bearded Dragons, Tegus, Spiny Tailed Lizards, and a Blue Tongue Skink! Kids and animals are always successful programs and the group from Animal Adventures does a great job of entertaining and educating participants. • Poop Museum- Wow, this was a very popular program! Soooo much information about animals and their poop techniques... the kids were enthralled, and the parents were aghast- good times for all! • SUMMER OLYMPICS AT THE LIBRARY- 40 kids and families too part in this fun event. The kids could participate in 5 different events from Javelin Throwing to Long Jumping. Lots of enthusiastic Olympians at this event! • SRP FINALE EVENT- 75 kids and families came to the library for a summer reading program finale they won't soon forget! One Up Games set up a 9-holes mini golf (inside the library) along with a variety of video games on different consoles. For the last hour after the library closed they turned on LED lights to play mini golf in the dark! • SRP ICE CREAM SOCIAL- We provided the ice cream and everyone brought their favorite topping for this fun event. One of the highlights, besides the ice cream, was a visit from Officer McNamara and Hank- always great to see these two! UPCOMING EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER : Fall story times and events return this month- • September 9-30th: Little Listeners Storytime for 0-3's • September 11-25th- Preschool Story Time for 4’s & 5’s • September 12th- LPL Kids Book Club • September 5th- In-Betweeners Book Club • September 3rd- Kids Comic Club Book Kits available • September 9th- Magic Tree House Book Club Kits available • September 24th- Legos at the Library • September 28th- Sensory Story Time with Miss Pam Debbie Laffond, Children’s Services Librarian Joslyn Davis, Library Assistant, Children’s Area ===PAGE 10=== ===PAGE 11=== Trustee Report Adult Services Department September 2024 Summer Reading 2024 was a major success for the adult services department. We had 74 readers log 135,315 minutes and enter 309 tickets into prizes on Beanstack. This was a substantial increase from previous years, which is incredibly encouraging for sustainable growth in the coming years. A few outstanding programs we hosted this summer include: ➢ A nature themed talk about animals who can be seen on Tanzanian Safari by The Joys of Nature was held June 24th and attended by 11 patrons of various ages. ➢ 22 crafty attendees made beaded dream tree sculptures at our craft night program on July 24th ➢ The summer puzzle swap had 60 people exchange 400 tickets for new to them puzzles from the 550 puzzles that were donated prior to August 17th making this puzzle swap our best attended summer swap event since starting the program! ➢ A Caribbean steelpan player entertained 21 patrons on August 19th as part of our monthly music series programs to great acclaim and rave reviews. ➢ Finishing out the summer, Kaitee and I hosted our first Friday evening craft & chill program on August 30th for pairs of participants to paint their partners while snacking on charcuterie selections and sipping on a fruit juice mocktail. We had 17 people join us for this first event; many of whom fit in the difficult to reach "new adult” age bracket of 20–40-year-olds. This will be a monthly program that we hope to grow over time. Looking ahead, here are the September events at the library: ➢ The monthly music series presents the Alex Minasian Jazz Trio on Monday September 9th ➢ A September puzzle race for teams of four to complete a 500-piece puzzle the fastest will be on Monday September 16th ➢ Greg Burns from Oak Tree Forge will be onsite for a forging demonstration on Wednesday September 18th ➢ Patrons will learn about the history and music of the street organ with Tony Gangi on Wednesday September 25th ➢ The September meeting for the Friday night craft & chill group will be on September 27th for patrons to make fermented salsa, snack on chips and dips, and sip on virgin margarita mocktails ➢ We are also participating in Monday evening zoom author talks for the month of September, hosted by the Ashland Public Library ➢ Book clubs continue to be successful with 9-13 people attending the 100 Books Bucket List meetings on the first Tuesday morning or the Brighter Days meetings on the second Wednesday evening. The baking book club will be moving to the library community room every first Wednesday evening starting October 2nd Respectfully submitted, Lydia Gravell