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Norfolk Public Library
Board of Library Trustees
A regular meeting of the Norfolk Library Board of Trustees was held on March 16, 2011, at the Library. In attendance were Robin Glasser, Director, Sarina Bluhm, Associate Director, Cathy Elder, Chair, Friends of the Norfolk Library, and the following trustees: Harvey Boulay, Kenneth Nelson, and Dr. Kumkum Malik.
Mr. Nelson called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m.
Approval of Minutes. Deferred until April meeting
Director’s Report: Mrs. Glasser reported on the following;
- The last half of the distribution monies from the Board of Library Commissioners was received.
- Norfolk Reads Together underway. Director reported that very complimentary remarks have been received about it.
- Training for staff for the Library to issue passports was discussed. Only new passports will be issued, and it is a service that the Town Clerk has hitherto delivered. Full time staff will need training. This time around, on the first Saturday of April, which is Passport day, The Town Clerk will do it, with the staff observing.
- I Bistro: Committee is looking for a new interface, and will decide between Sirsi and III. Either one would take care of quirky searches. III further integrates resources-books and electronic. There will be a demonstration in June, and then a decision will be taken.
- Director would like to ask the Friends to fund a service for downloading books, to encourage use of downloadable audio books from Overdrive – a service provided by SAILS to all member libraries.
Associate Director’s Report.
Mrs. Bluhm submitted statistics for usage in a table format which allows for comparison across Library lending services self check, computer usage, total circulations, etc.), in addition to the newly installed “people Counter.” We are now able to know how many patrons entered the Library, regardless of whether they used the lending service or not.
Friends Report.
- Funding has been approved for Early Learning Center; a new computer in the pre-school area.
- A Membership Drive is underway. Rates are being changed to affect every category except Seniors.
- The Book and Bake Sale is next month on April 16. Credit card capability is being explored.
Norfolk Library Planning Group
- The trustees agreed that it is time to add the services we are providing to our Master Narrative about the usage of the Library, and it’s Community function. The statistics show what the Library has already begun to achieve in this respect: serve as a center for patrons. Even though Circulation numbers are down, the number of people entering the Library is up. The Library will undertake to study the feasibility of solidifying and expanding upon this role in visible ways.
- Three categories were identified in this meeting:
- Making things accessible to those who cannot afford it: for example the workshops held for town residents by Doctor Malik addressing the needs of mothers.
- An Education component.
Access Component: the Library gets materials through the Virtual Catalog.
The Trustees will begin to design the direction of the Library to further become a place “where reading is just the beginning.” The vision that was articulated at this initial, exploratory meeting was that the Library has become a place for more than borrowing books; the Trustees should steer and increase this direction.
Next regular trustee meeting – April 20, 2011.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 pm.
True copy respectfully submitted
Kumkum Pareek Malik, Clerk
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