Morse Institute Library
Board of Trustees
Meeting Minutes
July 14, 2009
Trustees Present: Harriet Buckingham, Elliot Goodman and Dr. Joseph Keefe
Trustees Excused: Kathleen Donovan and Dr. Gerald Mazor
Administration Present: Jane Finlay, Acting Director
Marie Nardi, Community Relations Coordinator
Staff Present: Dale Smith – Children’s Department Supervisor
Dell Redington – Circulation Department
Other: Linda Stetson, Director Designate effective 7/20/09
1. The President expressed the thanks of the Board of Trustees to Ms. Jane Finlay, Acting Director for her service in that role from October 2008 through this month. He noted that Ms. Finlay’s
leadership of the staff and her commitment to the patrons and the citizens of Natick were worthy of praise. “We will hold in heart and mind our gratitude to you for all that you have done for the
Morse Institute Library and the Town of Natick.”
2. The Acting Director gave the following report:
• The Website Committee is working to create the parameters and design for the new website. The Friends of the Library are contributing $3,000 of the $3,500 start-up and maintenance fee due to
Piper Mountain Webs, LLC.
• Martha Jones attended the Minuteman Library membership meeting. The members voted to purchase a network collection of “Overdrive” downloadable audio and video materials. There are
25,000 titles available and libraries may upload their own content.
• The Minuteman Library Network FY 2010 membership fees, due by August 1, 2009, are level with FY 2009.
• Two Anita Green pages were hired the end of June: Jamie Wallace and Gretchen Schmid, both of whom have volunteered at the library in the past. Abby Reidy, previous Young Adult Librarian, is
no longer on the library payroll. She will be working July and August to fulfill the Equal Access Grant initiatives. Ayako Barnum, previous part-time reference staff, had a baby girl, Lillian, on
June 6, 2009.
• Morse Institute’s circulation was up 15% from FY 2008. Reduced summer hours went into effect Monday, July 6, 2009. Through Labor Day hours are: Monday-Thursday 10:00 am – 8 :00 pm,
Friday 10:00 am – 5 pm, Saturdays 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, Sunday CLOSED.
• The Patriotic Hootenanny, June 28, 2009, was a greater success than ever; in its 9th year it stands to be one of the most well attended and enjoyed events ever. Many thanks to
Trustee Harriet Buckingham and staff members Dale Smith, Liz Bailey and Rose Huling for their enthusiastic and professional stewardship of this event.
3. Ms. Finlay provided the Trustees with a copy of the Board’s meeting schedule for the period July 2009 through June 2010. She also noted that the Board was exempt from any reporting
requirements pursuant to the Form 990 regulations.
4. Ms. Finlay also introduced the topic of the “Scooter” raffle, a product of a generous gift of a patron. Ms. Nardi, Community Relations Coordinator, will assume responsibility for this activity.
5. Mr. Goodman reported that his review of the recently enacted bill addressing the fiduciary responsibilities of Trustees of nonprofit organizations would have no impact on the library and its
Trustees.
6. The Board conducted an extensive discussion of the means whereby it could fund the Library’s opening for four hours on thirty-six Sundays during the fiscal year 2010. The Library would be open
for four hours on thirty-two Sundays between September 13th and May 30th and an additional four Sundays between Memorial Day and June 30th of 2010. The cost of providing these hours of
operations would be $36,750 or $1,050 per Sunday.
The influx of state aid in 2009 combined with the late Director’s having harbored state aid funds will allow the Trustees to move in this direction and pay the overtime costs associated with the
move. It should be noted that these funds will not be available to the extent previously existing to fund programs and materials.
The Trustees voted unanimously to use the state aid reimbursement for the purpose of opening for thirty-six Sundays for four hours each Sunday between
September 13, 2009 and June 30, 2010.
7. The Trustees asked Ms. Nardi and Ms. Stetson to present a plan for implementation of the Library’s Annual Fund effort at the August meeting which will take place on August 11th at 4:00 pm.
Meeting Adjourned: 5:30 p.m.
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