===PAGE 1=== Lunenburg Public LibraryTrustees of Lunenburg Public Library, Meeting Minutes October 17, 2024Attending: Harry Kubetz, Dick Mailloux, Donna Saiia, Laura Boussom, Maia Wentrup,Jana-Lee Balish, Muir Haman – Director LPLThe LPLBT meeting was called to order at 6:50 p.m. by Chairperson Harry Kubetz.Public Comment●No public comment.Agenda Items●Approval of Minutes○Dick made a motion to accept the minutes of September 26, 2024 as amended, seconded by Donna. The motionpassed unanimously.●Director’s Report○FY2025 Budget UpdateThe fiscal year calendar is 29% complete and the budget is 26% expended.Water charges have increased this year. Dick said this is due to an increase in the water usage rate and asurcharge for the Mass Ave work.Heating is still low. The town asked the DPW to look into the distribution of solar credits across departments. Thismay be why the heating expense has been so low.○Staff UpdateKatie has been superb at managing teen behavior and setting boundaries. She has also been donating books tothe Boston Public Library for their partnership with the MA Dept of Youth Services. The books are usually given toincarcerated youth. These books come from deselections from the library and donations from the public.Debbie and Katie are partnering to work more closely with homeschooling groups in the area. It has been a goalof the library to have events and regular programming targeting this demographic. Fathom Reads, a multilingualreading platform, was added last fall with homeschoolers in mind.Melanie delivered training for the staff about Hoopla, our new ebook platform.Muir participated in a Banned Books Week panel at Fitchburg State University on Sept. 26. The attendees weremostly academics.Muir continues to mentor other department heads in preparing for this year’s capital presentations.Muir has agreed to help the Council on Aging as a member of their Director Search Committee.Muir started working on a grant application with Main Street Bank. They issue grants quarterly.○Programs UpdateCraft and Chill was successful again this month, bringing in 13 attendees from a different demographic than weusually see at the library.The library hosted the Nashoba Board of Health Flu Clinic in October.Muir is exploring a community meal program with a few potential partners.Muir is working at transforming what used to be the 5th grade visits to the library into outreach at the school duringtheir library periods. These visits could include book discussions. Maia suggested a short story discussion.The Small Works Exhibit will be held again this year, starting Nov. 16. Items should be no larger than 11”x11”,and priced under $100. ===PAGE 2=== ○T echnology UpdateThe security camera quote has been revised and the order should be placed soon. The quote is for 12 camerasand cabling for a total of $30K, and is funded by the Capital Plan.We are still waiting for Deep Freeze licenses for our newest public access computers. Deep Freeze prevents thepublic from making changes to the settings of the devices. Suzor IT has ordered the licenses.Casey of Suzor IT is being replaced by Walt.○Building & Maintenance UpdateThe town's inspection of the building occurred this week, with no major issues. We need to continue to make surethe utility closet entrance is not blocked by the boxes stored nearby. The fire department needs access to thatcloset in case of an emergency.●Open Board Position Update○Notification of the open position has been submitted to the town.●ARPA Update○Power washing of the exterior of the building has started, in preparation for painting. There will be money left over fromthis project and the extra will be put towards the renovation of the Teen Room and the rehab of the Proctor MemorialGarden.○Lakeview Landscaping is working on repairing the water feature in the Proctor Memorial Garden.○Walkthroughs for the Teen Room renovation bids have started.●Library Invested Funds Update○Invested funds are at $101,063.●Director’s Review Discussion○Reviews are due to Harry by November’s Trustee meeting.●Friends Update○Nicole Groskreutz of Edward Jones attended the Friends meeting to review their portfolio.○The Friends earned a 9.52% return on their investments this past year.○The Book & Bake sale will be held Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2.○The Friends will be setting up a hot chocolate bar as a fundraiser at the Artisan Market and Holiday concert onSunday, December 8.●Board Comments○None●Adjourn○A motion to adjourn was made by Dick and seconded by Donna. Meeting was adjourned at 8:21 p.m.●Attached Documents○October 2024 Director’s Report○October 2024 Youth Services Area Report○Summer/Early Fall Young Adult Services Report○October 2024 Adult Services Department Report ===PAGE 3=== LUNENBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT FY25 Budget Update Staff Update Kaitee continues to be a superb influence on the teen space. She is active in managing all teen behavior in the library and welcomes new faces while also setting appropriate boundaries. Kaitee has also been donating books to BPL for their partnership with MA Dept of Youth Services. These books are usually delivered to incarcerated youth Debbie and Kaitee are partnering to work more closely with homeschooling groups in the area. These groups and families have been high on our priority list the last few years, and it should be helpful to have specific events targeting this demographic to help build expectations and offer a regular programming event. The Master Plan Steering committee hopes to host their next meeting around the model, in early December. Melanie has delivered training sessions for staff about our new ebook (and more!) platform, Hoopla. Usage has started strong with some quick adoption. I participated in a Banned Books Week panel at Fitchburg State Sept 26. The project to “mentor” other department heads in preparing for this year’s capital presentations gone smoothly. I hosted a workshop for presenters to practice and share feedback Monday, Sept 30th, with four in attendance. I have also agreed to help the COA as part of their director search committee. Sue Doherty will retire at the end of December. FY25 Budget Budget Expended % Expended Calendar Completion LIBRARY DIRECTOR SALARY 90,726$ 22,595$ 25% 29% ASST LIBRARY DIRECTOR SALARY 64,023$ 15,448$ 24% LIBRARY STAFF SALARIES 242,984$ 61,906$ 25% BLDG REPAIRS & MTC -$ -$ SEWERAGE DISPOSAL 1,000$ 317$ 32% ELECTRICITY CHARGES 22,500$ 2,725$ 12% HEATING CHARGES/NATURAL GAS 18,500$ 226$ 1% WATER CHARGES 1,000$ 577$ 58% NETWORK MAINTENANCE 500$ 60$ 12% BOOK SERVICE 4,500$ 4,476$ 99% PROGRAMS 15,000$ 1,131$ 8% CONTRACTED SERVICES 2,500$ 121$ 5% CWMARS NETWORK 22,630$ 22,630$ 100% POSTAGE 900$ 67$ 7% OFFICE SUPPLIES 7,000$ 1,532$ 22% CUSTODIAL SUPPLIES 300$ 237$ 79% LIBRARY MATERIAL 94,000$ 17,197$ 18% MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT 4,000$ -$ 0% TOTALS 592,063$ 151,244$ 26% ===PAGE 4=== LUNENBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT I have begun work on our grant application with Main Street Bank. This is a two step process with an initial expression of interest and then a more detailed application. Programs Craft and chill, the collaboration between Lydia and Kaitee, was successful again this month with 13 attendees! We hosted a flu clinic in early October. 35 attended the blacksmith demo, which was entertaining and informative. 33 attended last month’s concert. Storytime attendance has been high to kick off the school year, and there have been many new faces so far. Teen video game night started back up, and a half dozen attended. There was some competition this month, with a football game and a soccer practice that went late. The teen advisory board will continue to assist Kaitee with sponsoring and organizing events each month, but this group has been very constructive and enthusiastic. Coming up: The weight strengthening series returns for a fall session. The next concert is the Baseball Show with Howie Newman Oct 16. Kaitee and Lydia are offering an adult D&D series that has garnered a number of registrations. We will have a cookie decorating program for Halloween for teens on Oct 17. This Tuesday we also offered an intro to sewing class for ages 6-12, highlighting our Library of Things sewing machine. Outreach We are currently working to evolve the 5th grade visits into outreach at the schools. The Artisan Market has concluded for the season. We visited three times, with two drop in craft offerings and about a dozen interactions in addition each time. We are planning to participate in the vendor fair organized by the Agricultural Commission in January. We are also working on a community meal, and finding events/gatherings to attend at Arrive Lunenburg and Tri-Town Apartments. Building & Maintenance Our teen room renovation has gone out to bid. Our painting/exterior maintenance has been awarded, with work to start soon. Lakeview is working on repairing our Proctor Memorial Garden water feature as I write the report, and they should be done with that by Thursday. Building inspection occurred this week, with no major issues. We need to continue to keep an eye on the utility closet entrance and the boxes we store nearby. Technology We have revised the security camera quote several times, and I hope that the order will go in now, so that we can install this new equipment funded by the Capital Plan. This project is my top priority for IT. We are still waiting for Deep Freeze licenses for our newest public access computers. Microsoft Office licenses have been received for those devices. Suzor IT ordered the Deep Freeze licenses, library staff ordered the Microsoft licenses. Ryan and Kyle (techs) have been responsive in helping us with minor issues around the library, but procurement continues to be a challenge for Suzor IT. ===PAGE 5=== OCTOBER 2024 Youth Services Area Trustee Report SEPTEMBER STATS: ACTIVITY NUMBER / PARTICIPANTS LITTLE LISTENERS STORYTIME 4 146 PRESCHOOL STORYTIME 3 63 MAGIC TREE HOUSE BOOK CLUB KITS 1 3 KIDS COMIC CLUB KITS 1 15 LEGOS AT THE LIBRARY 1 12 SENSORY STORY TIME WITH MISS PAM 1 20 HIGHLIGHTS FOR SEPTEMBER: Fall story times returned this month and our patrons are eager to attend these weekly gatherings! We have a lovely group of infants and toddlers accompanied by caregivers who are really invested in giving their child a positive, happy story time experience. I am really enjoying working with this group of kids who are developmental similar- that doesn’t happen very often! Joslyn and I are doing our book kits again this year. Mine. For 1st and 2nd graders, is based on the Magic Tree House series and Joslyn is doing a graphic novel book kit. All the Comic Kids Book Kits are going out, the Magic Tree House kits are a little slower to catch on. Pam Wockenfuss presented a wonderful sensory story time for kids this month. She shared the story Goodnight, Construction Site and then each child was given a plastic sensory bin (shoe box size) with “sand”, a couple of construction vehicles, some building blocks, small construction signs and more! The bins were theirs to keep-It was amazing! She included families in the event and talked with them about the value of providing sensory experiences for children. I definitely want to have Pam come back for more of these programs! UPCOMING EVENTS FOR OCTOBER: • October 7-28th: Little Listeners Storytime for 0-3's • October 2-30th - Preschool Story Time for 4’s & 5’s • October 3rd- LPL Kids Book Club • October 3rd- In-Betweeners Book Club • October 5th- Lunenburg Agricultural Fair • October 1st- Magic Tree House Book Club and Kids Comic Club Kits available • October 15th- Sewing 101- Halloween Treat Bags • October 17th- Cookie Decorating with Miss Madeline ===PAGE 6=== • October 22nd- Legos at the Library • October 21st- Halloween Movie Night with Miss Joslyn • October 28th- Annual Halloween Parade • October 28th- Drop-In Craft with Miss Joslyn Debbie Laffond, Children’s Services Librarian Joslyn Davis, Library Assistant, Children’s Area Amazing artwork by the preschool story timers! ===PAGE 7=== This is really an October event but i wanted to show you what a fantastic job these kids- who range in age from 6-10- did! ===PAGE 8=== Kaitee Himmelberger Young Adult Services Summer/Early Fall Summary Summer Summary - Summer Reading: 57 teen readers who logged a combined 81,968 minutes of reading. (2023 saw 41 teen readers with 71664 minutes logged) - Shapiro Group visits were a success! The kids and staff all got library cards and had a great time doing crafts, using the computers and games in the teen room, discovering new books, and generally socializing in the library. The Shapiro Group director and I have agreed to continue this partnership next summer as well. Fall Summary - Back to school: Influx of new and old faces in the afternoons with the teens returning to hang out after school. So far, no serious issues with behavior - Teen Video Game nights returned in October. Will continue for the rest of the school year. - Partnering with Hannaford in Lunenburg to offer virtual cooking classes again in October and November. Currently have 6 registrations. - October reading challenge currently ongoing with 2 readers participating - New Book clubs: o The In-Betweeners Book Club: for ages 10-13, switches off between middle grade and YA reads month to month. o Teen “BYOB” book club: for ages 13 – 18, Bring Your Own Book, gives teens a chance to meet with other readers and discuss what they are currently reading without the pressure of assigned reading. Other news/updates - Teen Advisory Board (TAB) o TAB group is still going strong! They have planned a few events for teens, including the successful Sushi making program. Continuing to grow this group. - Donated ~100 books from weeding and storage to Boston Public Library for their partnership with the Mass. Department of Youth Services to get books to incarcerated youths. ===PAGE 9=== - Working with Debbie to offer homeschool families opportunities for daytime meetups and craft programs each month. The meetups will consist of unstructured social time mainly in the community room and the teen and children’s rooms. Debbie and I will trade off each month for the craft programs. Expecting a lot of turn out for these programs. ===PAGE 10=== Trustee Report Adult Services Department October 2024 Fall is in full swing, and we are busy here at the library! A few outstanding programs we hosted this September include: ➢ The Alex Minasian Jazz Trio performed in our main hall on Monday September 9th as part of our monthly music series. We had 33 people join us for a beautiful evening of jazz in the library. ➢ On Monday September 16th we held a puzzle race where three teams of four were in competition to complete a 500-piece puzzle the fastest. Everyone enjoyed it and we will be hosting another puzzle race in December. ➢ One of our most exciting events for the fall, was an outdoor onsite visit from Greg Burns of Oak Tree Forge for a forging demonstration on Wednesday September 18th. It was fantastic to see 35 people of all ages here to watch and ask questions of our local blacksmith. ➢ 16 patrons learned about the history and music of the street organ with Tony Gangi on Wednesday September 25th. Some even got to try the street organ themselves and practiced playing songs for the crowd! ➢ The September meeting for the Friday night craft & chill group on September 27th was a big hit with 13 people making and sharing different salsa recipes and sipping on virgin margarita mocktails. We continue to hit our target demographic of 18–40-year-olds in this program and got some interesting feedback from patrons that they prefer our Lunenburg events to other local libraries, so it’s encouraging to hear! Looking ahead, here are the October events at the library: ➢ The autumn session of our weight strengthening series with Niki Holtzman starts Tuesday October 15th, skipping a week in October, but running six weeks to end on November 26th. ➢ Starting the same day, a new Adult Dungeons and Dragon campaign will kick-off on Tuesday October 15th as well. The campaign will run 10 weeks to end on December 17th. ➢ Our monthly music series concert will be held on Wednesday October 16th with a visit from Howie Newman for a baseball themed music/comedy show that is sure to entertain. ➢ On Saturday October 19th, Portsmouth NH native Jeremy D’Entremont will visit to give a presentation on haunted lighthouses of New England – just in time for spooky season to start! ➢ Carrying forward the Halloween feelings, the library will also host the curator of the Edward Gorey House in Yarmouth on Wednesday October 23rd for a talk about Edward Gorey’s life and his influence as “Mr. Sinister Cozy” in the literary world. ➢ Wrapping up October will be our Craft & Chill night on Friday October 25th where we will make mug cozies and sip on warm mulled apple cider. ➢ We are also hosting our usual book clubs on the first Tuesday morning and second Wednesday evening, the baking book club on the first Wednesday evening, Community Supported Meditation groups every other Tuesday evening, Community Chat & Color every other Thursday morning, and our stitchcraft knitting/crochet group every Tuesday afternoon. Respectfully submitted, Lydia Paolilli