Director's Report

Medway Public Library

Director’s Report

June 3, 2012

Building Maintenance

DPS opened a hole in the wall in the Technical Services office, but found no evidence of water coming in. They did find an electrical outlet that was unsealed. DPS obtained a price quote on two new aluminum (but bronze in color) downspouts. The carpet became damp again during the recent rainstorm.

Staff

The Town has switched to an online timesheet system. We have run into a few glitches, mostly because the library schedule is different from that of Town Hall. Our work week now starts on Friday instead of Saturday, resulting in uneven work weeks for full-time staff who are off Friday when they are scheduled to work the next day. Town Hall is working on how to resolve this.

Part-time staff will be covering almost all the on-desk hours for a staff member who will be out on medical leave for about 10 weeks. This will result in our going over-budget for part-time salaries. The scheduling will work as long as no one else is sick or takes vacation - but, given the season, I expect to need to find additional coverage for vacations. I have asked Human Resources what we would need to do in order to have circulation staff from neighboring libraries fill in as necessary.

Programming

Lorie is finishing up the brochure for the summer programs. In addition to the summer reading program and Paws to Read, there will be a program on owls, a family song and story program, a weekly science program for elementary age students, a weekly baby and toddler story and music program, and a young adult book group/advisory council.

Overdrive

As of June 6th, the Minuteman digital media catalog will have a new interface. Teen’s and children’s books will be separated out for browsing. We can put the link on our website, so children and teens could go directly to their catalogs. Minuteman is still researching the possibility of limiting searches to the children’s or teen’s catalogs.

The Digital Media Committee is asking for an increase in their budget from $200,000 to $460,000. Based on that figure and current usage by Medway patrons, the cost to the Medway Library could be as much as $6,524 in FY13. There was much discussion at the Membership meeting concerning the possibility that Minuteman might choose to switch to a different eBook vendor at some point, in which case none of the Overdrive books would be available to our patrons any longer. There is also the problem that most of the “Big Six” publishers will not market to libraries. However, Membership did vote to cease the boycott of Harper Collins.

During the month of June, Overdrive is offering a promotion for their Advantage program, which many Minuteman libraries currently use. Only residents of the town are able to download books obtained through the Advantage program. Most libraries are primarily buying multiple copies of popular books, to reduce waiting lists for their patrons. The enrollment fee is $1,000. Normally, enrolling libraries get half of that back as a credit toward book purchases, but this month enrolling libraries would get the entire amount back as a credit.

Other

Joanne Russo (Town Treasurer’s Office) reports that she has transferred funds back into the Tuchinsky bank account so that it now matches the figure MUNIS shows. She asked me to check the next bank statement to verify that it is all set.

A vendor approached me about putting an espresso coffee/hot chocolate machine in the library. She says it will cost the library nothing, and they supply all the cups, etc., and replenish coffee and supplies regularly. It is best to place it near a water source, such as in the Cole Room, but not essential. She would be happy to come and talk to the Trustees about it if there is interest.

The new shelving has been installed in the YA room, and volunteers are in the process of shifting the books and interfiling the paperbacks.

-Margaret Perkins

The Medway Board of Library Trustees, The Medway Library Community and certainly the citizens of Medway all want to express their appreciation to MaryAnn Cabibbo for her long tenure of service as a Library Trustee. She was a dedicated worker on the Library Board and a continuing advocate for Public Libraries especially Medway's. Over the years she has worked as a volunteer for the Friends of the Medway Library in various capacities. MaryAnn will be missed as a Trustee and we can be assured that she will always be ond of our most ardent advocates. We wish her well and know that her legacy of dedicated service will shine in many of our past and future endeavors.

June 5, 2012

Letter to Trustees from the Friends of the Medway Library

We would like to thank the library trustees, Margaret, and all the other librarians for help in accomplishing many of our goals. Specifically, Wendy has sent out publicity about our activities as well as physically labored in the Cole Room setting up for programs and clearing out the basement area to make room for new shelves in the Book Room. Margaret has given us more space to set up the ongoing sale and allows us to put up publicity flyers. The librarians have been willing to answer questions about Friends children events as well as collect the ongoing book sale money. You have let us refurbish areas of the downstairs lobby as well as add plants to both entrances. And all have graciously given us feedback for our ideas.

Our goal is to support the library. So we are delighted to present a check for $15,000.

Also, this fiscal year Friends specifically has funded

a portable projector and blue ray player housed in the children’s activity room

a beanbag chair for the children’s room

materials for story time

a digital frame for the downstairs lobby which displays photos of library events

planters and flowers for both entrances (thank you newest trustee Diane Burkhardt)

parts of various library programs such as the astronomy evening

refreshments for Southern Rail concert

We obtained a grant from the Middlesex Bank for the MFA pass

We buy Southwick zoo discount passes

In addition to financial support, Friends has sponsored many children’s programs such as the Gingerbread Festival and the vacation films. We hope to continue these initiatives and, in fact are planning a Lego building club in the fall.

The Friends now publishes what we hope is both an informative and entertaining monthly newsletter that is sent to all members as well as placed in the library. We started a “Meet the Librarian” series and well as the “Did you Know?” box which highlights special library services. Eventually we want to have a Friends blog that has these newsletters as well as continuous photos and articles about library and Friends events.

We have numerous other initiatives we would like to try but are limited because we have only about a dozen Friends volunteers who are able to actively participate in our fundraisers and programs. Our hopes are that our cooperative efforts will bring more people into the building and they will continue to view the library as a warm and inviting educational, informational and cultural environment.

Meg Hamilton and Diane Busa

Co-presidents

Friends of the Medway Library