Library Board of Trustees Meeting

The Board reviewed routine budget, staffing, collections, and facilities matters and prepared for an upcoming public forum on the Library Facilities Master Plan. Director Aimie Westphal highlighted the June 18 public forum at the Costello Transportation Center and reported outreach for that event; she also noted a memo submitting a Library Custodian proposal for FY25 to the City with no decision yet. The trustees received updates on the Strategic Group/Bruner Cott visioning meeting and voiced support for the firm’s community-listening approach to the FMP.

Trustees received the Director’s and Facilities reports detailing recent and ongoing building work: emergency exterior lighting installation, repairs to an exterior ramp door, seasonal heat and AC preparations, pest mitigation (squirrels in the attic, wasps in the youth space), assessment and interim fixes for water infiltration in the Tech Services office and associated downspout work, and pending roof flashing repairs. Capital/preservation notes included climate-control work for special collections (cartridge replacement with continuing issues), a window restoration project on hold, and an awarded emergency lighting grant with exterior work approved to move forward. Staff and programming highlights included additions to the Library of Things, re-cataloging work in the Amesbury Room, successful outreach programs (Storytimes at Cider Hill, Tiny Art show, popup library at Heritage Towers), a staff professional development day, and a grant to Youth Services for programming. Subcommittees (Long Range Planning, Communications, Preservation) reported next steps, and the board scheduled a trustee retreat for July 14; there were no public comments.