REPORT
Staff/Committee Report:
title
Director’s Report to the Library Commission
May 15, 2023
Budget News:
• I am beginning the process of inquiring about the possibility of migrating to a new consortium. There are four library consortiums in Connecticut. For FY24, LION is charging $51,788 for us to belong which is a 3% increase over last year. The benefits of LION seem to be decreasing while the membership costs continue to rise. I feel it is my due diligence to reach out to inquire about other comparable options. I will present my research obtained at a future meeting for discussion.
• The Mayor has signed off on the lease for two new photocopier machines for each library building. I’ve attached the Ricoh photocopier spec sheet in case anyone is interested on the details of the new machines. These new state of the art machines can print and copy in color and black and white, fax, scan, email, and much more! I am aiming for delivery towards the end of June followed by install as close to July 1 as possible so we can have a smooth transition of responsibility from the Commission to the Town.
Library News:
• The ACLB presented their free webinar on Library Board Basics last month. Did anyone attend or watch the recording that was shared via email? I watched the recording and wanted to share a few take-a-ways:
o The Commission Member page on our website has been updated with the link to the ACLB resource website, United for Libraries, and the State of CT Libraries Help Center
o Library Commission Members - if you are out in public and you see the Mayor or a Town Councilor, thank them for funding the library
o Be an advocate for the library in your community - have an “elevator speech”
o Start relationship building for small local organizations for possible fundraising
o Know what is expected of you as a Library Commission member
§ Regular attendance at meetings
§ Come prepared to meetings, read over the agenda and supporting documentation/attachments
§ Members understand and accept that the Commission acts as a unit
§ Know, review, and update Commission bylaws
§ Regular self-assessment
o New commission member orientation (done by Director in partnership with Commission Chair or Vice Chair) that includes:
§ ACLB Handbook
§ Duties of officers
§ Annual calendar
§ List of Commission members, names, terms, contacts
§ Bylaws of Library Commission
§ Minutes from the prior year
§ Organizational chart for the library
§ Job descriptions of Library employees
§ Evaluation of Library Director
§ Statistical reports
• Stacey Burt and Matt Novosad represented the Ledyard Public Library at the Connecticut Library Association conference on May 1, 2023.
• As you all know, we did receive a grant. I am still being asked to keep the news quiet for now and would like to honor that request. I will present further information and details at our June meeting.
• The Fiber optic project at Gales Ferry is complete. The connection was lit and all seems to be working well so far.
• We have a vacancy for one of our Library Assistant positions. Sarah Desormier submitted her resignation last week, but is going to continue to volunteer her time on the board of the Friends of the Ledyard Libraries.
• Matt Novosad, Assistant Librarian I, has been working hard to revise portions of our website. All of our e-book and digital resource links on the right side of our homepage now have updated logos, FAQ pages, and clickable download buttons for the apps.
• Erin Quada, Library Technician II - Youth Services, has hit the ground running and is working hard to eliminate the cataloging backlog. She has also taken on additional projects such as running reports to clean up the catalog and redefine location codes which drive our circulation statistics.
• Heather Doughty, Administrative Assistant, has trained all Library Assistant’s on processing materials so we can adjust workflow. It was a smooth process thanks to Heather’s attention to detail and the transition went very well.
• It was brought to my attention that we did not have any adult and limited children’s physical books written in Spanish in our collection. That has been resolved and a new World Language collection is coming soon to the Ledyard Public Library!
• I’ve planned an all staff meeting on Friday, June 2, so the Bill Library will close at 1:00 p.m. that day. Sgt. Ryan Foster from Ledyard Police Department will be presenting on the ALICE program which focuses on active “Violent Critical Incidents” and will encompass all types of workplace incidents not strictly and active shooter incident. We will also use the remaining time that afternoon for library professional development. Although this is not required, it is highly recommended for library staff to attend. All attendees will be paid for their time.
• There are now six public computers at each library building rather than nine at Bill Library and eight at Gales Ferry Library. The decision to cut down on the number of public PCs was mainly due to the age of technology. We had several Windows 7 PCs from 2013 that were obsolete and could not be updated. They posed a security risk for the public, library, and town. Although our patrons still regularly use and rely on the library for public computer access, trends are evolving. Some patrons prefer using our free Wi-Fi with their own devices in the library. We will continue to reassess the number of public PCs in each library, but so far, this adjustment is working out very well.
Building News:
• The Gales Ferry Children’s Room now has a bulletin board that will be used for rotating displays.
• The pump to drain our basement sink at Gales Ferry was clogged, but Public Works was able to come up with a working solution without having to replace the entire part!
• To be proactive with safety measures, we have replaced the old swivel office chairs for the public computers at Gales Ferry. Swivel chairs on wheels are unsafe for those who may be unsteady on their feet. Sturdy wooden chairs from Bill Library replaced the swivel chairs at Gales Ferry and also helped free up more floor space at Bill Library. Now both buildings are consistent in public computer offerings.
Town News:
• The Town of Ledyard FY24 annual town budget meeting is tonight, May 15.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jennifer Smith
Library Director
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