2012-10-10
TOWN OF BERLIN
BERLIN-PECK MEMORIAL LIBRARY BOARD
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012
APPROVED
Members Present:
Sharon Powell, Chairman
Elizabeth Bennett Elaine Borselle
Carol Welz Frank Steele
John Day
Juliet Benjamin, Recording Secretary
Members Absent:
Donna Moore, Vice-Chairman Carol Ranieri
Jane Sorbo
Staff in Attendance:
Helen Aveline, Library Director
Cathy Nelson, Assistant Library Director
1. CALL TO ORDER:
Chairman Powell called the meeting to order @7:05 P.M.
2. AUDIENCE OF CITIZENS:
None
3. DISPOSITION OF MINUTES, Wednesday, September 12, 2012:
Elizabeth Bennett made a motion to accept the Minutes of Wednesday,
September 12, 2012 as written. John Day seconded the motion and the
Minutes were accepted.
4. LIBRARIAN’S REPORT – LIBRARY DIRECTOR AVELINE:
MONTHLY REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 2012
October 10, 2012
PERSONNEL: • New page Rachel Rowe resigned.
• Circulation clerk Lisa Turgeon resigned to take a full
time job in the McGee media center.
• Technical processor Barbara Dubuc announced her
retirement after 34 years at the library, accepting the town’s
voluntary retirement offer.
• Lisa Brown, one of our subs, is now one of our pages too.
.
PROGRAMS: Adult - 6 programs and 63 attendances
Sit and knit – 2 programs with 20 participants
Library stock – 1 program with 12 participants
Berlin-Peck Memorial Library Board Minutes – 10/10/2012 - Page 2
Book discussion – 1 program with 6 participants
Couponing – 1 program with 19 participants
Foreign film – 1 program with 6 participants
Children – 32 programs with 497 participants
Playtime – 3 programs with 41 participants
Construction club – 1 program with 12 participants
Baby storytime – 2 programs with 28 participants
Toddler storytime – 2 programs with 57 participants
Preschool storytime – 7 programs with 29
participants
Early dismissal movie – 1 program with 55
participants
Berlin Fair craft day – 1 program with 30
participants
Nursery school/day care outreach – 15 programs –
300
PLUSSES: • Staff is becoming more and more familiar with
Tixkeeper, the software we purchased to manage our
Museum passes. Beginning in mid-October, patrons will be
able to reserve museum passes 60 days in advance. They
may do it themselves online or have library staff help them.
We are changing the overdue fines on museum passes to
$10/day to ensure their timely return in case of a next day
reservation.
• The Library hosted an Art Show comprised of work done
by BHS teachers. It was so successful that they have
already requested and booked the time to do it next year!
• The library logo contest is just about all planned. It will be
open to Berlin residents in high school and above and offer
a cash award of $250, thanks to the Friends. BHS Digital
Arts teacher Janet Galasso has offered to make us a poster
to promote the contest town-wide!
• The reference dept. held 6 “Book a Librarian” sessions.
Most of them are for learning how to download eBooks onto
various devices. We will have another instructional program
after the holidays.
• Thanks to input from a Muslim family, we will now have
book displays and decorations for the Islamic holidays as
well as the American ones.
• Continuing to purchase and get requests for
downloadable material, both eBook and audiobook.
Circulation for those items continues to rise.
PROBLEMS: • Circulation down for 2 months in a row. However, a quick
survey of many area libraries showed that as a trend
everywhere.
Berlin-Peck Memorial Library Board Minutes – 10/10/2012 - Page 3
PLANNING: • With 3 part time openings in the circulation dept., it is a
good time to consider realignment of staff and duties and
the possibility of making a full time position for circ.
• Considering buying a scanner for the public to use.
PROFESSIONAL: September 5 – Friends Meeting – HA
September 5 – LCI Finance Committee mtg in Windsor – HA
September 7 – Virtual meeting LCI Member Council – HA
September 11 – Services to Older Adults Roundtable in
Middletown – HA
September 12 – Library Board mtg. – HA & CN
September 13 – Staff meeting – HA & CN
September 13 – Meeting with United Way rep – HA
September 14 – LCI Member Council meeting in Avon – HA
September 20 – Meeting with Network assessment specialist
hired by LCI – HA, CN, CT
September 20 – Top managers meeting – HA
September 25 – Virtual Tixkeeper training – HA, CT, BP
September 25 – LCI Finance Committee mtg. in Windsor –
HA
September 26 – Reference Dept. mtg. – HA, CT, UP, AF, LS
September 27 – Meet with webpage designer – HA
September 27 – Meet w/town manager and Muslim family
BOARD MEETINGS:
• October 3 – Friends of the Library
• October 10 – Library Board
• November 7 – Friends of the Library
• November 14 – Library Board
SEPTEMBER 2012 STATS
SEPT. STATS 2012 2011 %
New Cards 68 70 -2.8%
Total Cardholders 7,474 7,458 +0.2%
Door Count 8,160 6,004 +36%
Reference Questions 1,173 1,414 -17%
Programs 38 29 +31%
Program attendance 560 452 +24%
Webpage sessions (remote & in) 9,978 10,083 -1%
Circ for month (incl. downloads) 12,753 13,525 -5.7%
Downloadable e and audio books 426 150 +184%
Cumulative circ to date 54,130 53,251 +1.6%
INTERESTING REFERENCE QUESTIONS:
Patterns for crochet table coverings
1)
Fiction books about Iceland
2)
Berlin-Peck Memorial Library Board Minutes – 10/10/2012 - Page 4
How to stain unfinished furniture
3)
Do you have a special needs playgroup like they have in Newington?
4)
Information on European adoption
5)
Information on chair caning
6)
List of pawn shops in the area
7)
Evidence based nursing practice
8)
DVD on tiling countertops and floors
9)
Director Aveline noted that the software for the Museum Passes will be
effective on Monday, October 15. The guidelines will be on the webpage & the
th
museum page. Passes can be reserved on line 60 days in advance. Of course
the passes must be picked up on Saturday if they plan to use them on Sunday,
because the library will not be open on Sundays. The passes will be put into
special pouches which can be returned to the book drop.
Frank Steele had a question about Freading. Director Aveline explained
that, if the library decides to join, the program allows people to go to the site
and pick the e-books they want and the library pays for them from an
established account. This program is in place in Glastonbury. Director Aveline
plans to contact the Glastonbury Library Director to see if they are still pleased
with the system and get more information on Freading before considering
purchasing it.
Director Aveline distributed copies of the updated On Line Resources
pamphlet. It will be available at the library.
5. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT:
Chairman Powell did not have a report.
6. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS:
Budget Committee –Director Aveline distributed copies of the current
budget up to September, which she felt is going well. She discussed the
openings in the Circulation Department and is considering looking at
filling the position with a full time person.
Friends Committee
Director Aveline noted that the Friends met last week. They had a booth
at the Berlin Fair this year for the first time. Frank & Ginny Steele did a
wonderful job of attracting fairgoers to the booth. The Friends will be
participating in the town wide Scarecrow Contest this week. Their
display will be by Walgreen’s Pharmacy.
Personnel Committee
Director Aveline noted that they have hired Jane Doonan to fill in
substitute hours.
Policy and Bylaws Committee
Director Aveline explained that they will be raising the overdue fine for
Museum Passes to $10.00/day. Assistant Director Nelson discussed the
changes to the Fines statement in the Library Board Policy. After
discussion, Frank Steele made a motion to add 1) $10.00 a day overdue
fine– museum passes ($50.00 maximum); 2) Maximum overdue fine for
any single item is $5.00, except the maximum fine for museum passes is
Berlin-Peck Memorial Library Board Minutes – 10/10/2012 - Page 5
$50.00; and 3) Once the fine limit of $10.00 is reached, the patron is
prevented from borrowing any other library materials. Carol Welz
seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved.
Director Aveline stated that they have not heard any further from the
town regarding the meeting room policy. The town may require an
insurance certificate from some outside parties that do presentations or
demonstrations at the library.
First Floor Expansion Committee
Ordinance Committee
7. COMMUNICATIONS:
None
8. OLD BUSINESS:
Legacy Society – There was no new information available on this item.
9. NEW BUSINESS:
Director Aveline was excited about the Library Logo Contest and detailed
the requirements to the board members. A $250.00 prize from the Friends of
the Library will be given to the winner. Participants must be high school or
older and no library employee or member of the Friends can participate. Also,
you have to be a resident of Berlin and each person is allowed two entries. The
logo can be hand drawn or computer generated and entries are to be submitted
to Director Aveline by either email, mail or in person. The Digital Arts Teacher
at Berlin High has agreed to put together a flier and all the details will be
released shortly. Carol Welz volunteered to be a judge for the contest.
Chairman Powell asked if any library board member would like to attend
a conference on Thursday, October 25. It is a Trustee Leadership Conference
th
and if anyone is interested they should please notify Director Aveline.
Chairman Powell will call Donna Moore to see if she is interested.
10. ADJOURNMENT:
John Day made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:05 PM. The motion
was seconded by Elizabeth Bennett and unanimously approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Juliet K. Benjamin, Recording Secretary