Fitzwilliam Town Library Board of Trustees

Minutes for December 2, 2024 Meeting

Members present: Chair Robin Marra, Richard Marshall, Carole Beckwith, Nan Fey-Yensan, Beth Lorenz, Alternates Amanda Blicharz and Pam Troccia, Director Cindi Beede and Director Emerita Kate Thomas  

1. Call to Order – 5:42 pm (there was a gathering of the Friends to acknowledge Kate and Cindi prior to the start of the meeting)

1. Approval of minutes of the nonpublic minutes of the October 30, 2024 meeting – Motion to approve, Carole/Seconded Beth; unanimous approval by all present

1. Approval of minutes of the November 4, 2024 meeting – Motion to approve, Richard/Seconded Beth; unanimous approval by all present

1. Approval of minutes of the nonpublic minutes of the November 4, 2024 meeting – Motion to approve, Beth/Seconded Nan; unanimous approval by all present

1. Approval of the manifest – Approved by all present

1. Chair’s Report – The Chair expressed gratitude to Kate Thomas for her many years of service as Director of the Fitzwilliam Town Library and extended congratulations to Cindi Beede, our new Director of the Fitzwilliam Town Library, effective last month.

1. Library Director’s Report
   1. November circulation was 1528, down by about 23% compared to this time last year; 11 adult programs and 12 children’s programs were held with a total attendance of 260; space was provided for 5 meetings with 32 attendees, and patron attendance in the building for the month was 916.
   2. The Budget Committee (Director, Chair and Treasurer) has met and has made last minute revisions to the budget; the scheduled presentation is December 5, 2024 at 7:00 pm.
   3. Kate is working two days a week to assist in the transition
   4. Cindi continues to attend various workshops and is schedule to participate in a three-session training for new Library Directors in January/February (through the ALA)
   5. Display cases ordered for the Locke Collection have been installed; Richard will speak to the town about potential for insurance coverage increases and/or security upgrades once the collection is on display  
   6. The work upstairs has been finished with the exception of painting; Cindi will pursue a painting contract to finish the work; other improvements include replacement of the rest room door knob (locking device) and the installation of improved lighting in the main meeting room (it is a tremendous improvement)
   7. The vacuum cleaner is marginally functional and will require replacement asap
   8. Annual meeting of the Friends and the holiday concert was a great success with almost 30 attendees (prior to tree lighting)
   9. The Annual Appeal is on-going; it is estimated that so far, about $4,000 has been raised by the Friends on behalf of the Library
   10. The Giving Tree is up and the children’s book drive has begun; all books must be dropped off by December 18th

1. Old Business

1. Special Projects and Funds: Richard reviewed current expenses related to improving the upstairs space and the purchase of the display cases required to exhibit the Locke Collection; a discussion ensued related to which funds to utilize to cover any overages on these projects
2. 2025 Budget
   1. The budget hearing is this Thursday, December 5^th at 7:00 pm; Richard will work with Cindi to button down data from 2024 which will be used to illustrate the high utilization of the Library and service load it continues to carry for the Town
   2. Robin distributed a budget summary developed for the Budget Committee for the Trustees to review

1. New Business
   1. Technology – Carole indicated that she had learned of other towns hosting technology education programs for patrons and suggested the Library offer some; Cindi indicated that she has already put a placeholder related to the topic for February 2025; tech topics will need to range from basic use of the Library’s digital resources to more advanced technology to accommodate the wide range of existing needs, knowledge and skills of our patron base
   2. Open house planning – The Trustees would like to host an open house in January to both thank Kate for her service and to welcome Cindi as our new Director; details will be forthcoming (it is anticipated to be a 2-hour open house on a Saturday afternoon with finger foods, etc.) 

1. Ongoing Business (e.g., Friends of the Library; Buildings & Grounds) and/or announcements
   1. The Friends Annual Appeal continues and is going well (see above- $4000 estimated so far)
   2. The giving tree has been up for a week; the Library is working with the FDNA to give books as gifts to children during the holidays/delivered with holiday food drive (so far, it is estimated that almost 45 families have signed up for the December food shares).
   3. Building and grounds – see Director’s report

1. Date/time for next meeting will be January 6, 2025 @ 5:30 pm (Carole will take minutes in Nan’s absence)

1. Adjournment at 6:22 pm; Nan moved to adjourn/Beth seconded; Unanimously approved.

Respectfully submitted:

Nan Fey-Yensan, Secretary

December 3, 2024