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Boston Public Library Meetings Board of Trustees |
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November 14 , 2006
Order of Business for the Regular Meeting AGENDA 1. Welcome and Introduction of Mr. A. Raymond Tye newly appointed Trustee of the Public Library of the City of Boston Mr. Jeffrey B. Rudman
2. Approval of Minutes for the Trustees’ Meetings of the Corporation and Administrative Agency held on September 12, 2006 Mr. Jeffrey B. Rudman
3. Welcome and Introduction of North End Branch Library Staff and presentation on the Resources and Services of the North End Branch Library by Ms. Janet Buda, North End Branch Librarian. Welcome and Introduction of Ms. Christine Bergstrom, President, Friends of the North End Branch Library. Ms. Janet Buda
4. Chairman’s Report Mr. Jeffrey B. Rudman 5. President’s Report The Fellowes Athenaeum Trust Fund Advisory Committee in a meeting on June 15, 2006 unanimously voted the following resolution: “VOTED: Mr. Bernard A. Margolis
6. Trustees’ Finance and Audit Committee Report The Trustees’ Finance and Audit Committee met on October 16, 2006 and voted to recommend to the full Board approval of the following Core Fixed Income Investment Manager resolution:
“PROPOSED: “PROPOSED: The Trustees’ Finance and Audit Committee on October 16, 2006 reviewed and recommended for approval to the full Board the following award of contract for Digital Commonwealth Web Portal Design Services:
“PROPOSED: Honorable William M. Bulger
Mr. Bernard A. Margolis
7. Update on the Trustees’ Capital Project Committee Honorable Angelo M. Scaccia
8. Update on the Trustees’ Technology Task Force Ms. Zamawa Arenas
9. Update on the Trustees’ Neighborhood Services Committee Mr. James Carroll
10. Update on the Trustees’ Marketing and Fundraising Task Force Ms. Karyn M. Wilson
11. Report on the Boston Public Library Digital Services Program Mr. Bernard A. Margolis Ms. Ruth Kowal Ms. Maura Marx
12. Executive Session Mr. Jeffrey B. Rudman
Minutes of Meeting North End Branch Library Corporation and Administrative Agency Tuesday, November 14, 2006 A meeting of the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston as a Corporation and as an Administrative Agency was held at the North End Branch Library, 25 Parmenter Street, Boston, MA at 3:00 p.m. Present at the meeting were: Trustees Zamawa Arenas, William M. Bulger, James Carroll, Donna M. DePrisco, Jeffrey B. Rudman, Angelo M. Scaccia, A. Raymond Tye, and Karyn M. Wilson. Also present at the meeting were: Library President Bernard A. Margolis; Alice Hennessey; Kendal Price; Jean Capizzi; P.A. d’Arbeloff; David Vieira; Sharyn Neble; Carol R. Goldberg; Sarah-Ann Shaw; Mimi Jones; Inez Foster; Alec Stern; Carol Mahoney; Maura Marx; Anne Barron; Catherine Clancy; Eleanor Howe; Diane Yarrow; Ruth Kowal; Carol Wu, Karen Shafts; Betsey Lippmeier; John Devine; Christine Bergstrom; Peter Greene; Annemarie Veltoria; Alexandra Merceron; Janet Buda; Kimberly McCleary; Elissa Cadillic; Marta Pardee-King; Tom Blake; and Jamie McGlone, Clerk to the Trustees. Chairman Jeffrey B. Rudman presided. Chairman Jeffrey B. Rudman welcomed and introduced newly appointed Trustee of the Public Library of the City of Boston A. Raymond Tye who succeeded former Chairman William O. Taylor. The Chairman noted Mr. Tye’s successful business career and his enormous civic virtue including his spectacular philanthropic service to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Following a round of applause, Trustee A. Raymond Tye thanked the Chairman for his warm welcome and said that it is a pleasure and an honor to serve as a Trustee of the Public Library of the City of Boston. The next item on the order of business was the approval of Minutes for the Corporation and Administrative Meetings held on September 12, 2006. On a motion duly made and seconded, the Minutes for the Corporation and Administrative Meetings held on September 12, 2006 were approved. Ms. Janet Buda, North End Branch Librarian, welcomed the Trustees and attendees to the Library and introduced the Staff of the Branch Library. Ms. Buda provided a history and overview on the resources and services of the North End Branch Library which was first established in 1882 and located in the Hancock School. Subsequently, the North End Branch Library moved to several other locations in the North End and opened at its present location at 25 Parmenter Street on May 5, 1965. The one story brick building was designed by architects Carl Koch and Associates which evokes a Roman villa and captures the spirit of the background of the neighborhood with its deep Italian roots and Latinate feeling. Ms. Buda reported that the North End Branch Library has served a diverse clientele over the years and today the Branch continues to serve the needs of the neighborhood which is no longer dominated by one ethnic group and is very diverse. Consequently, programming has shifted from traditional concepts like book discussions to technology and computer training workshops and the heavy use of electronic resources. The Branch also offers a wide array of children’s programming including preschool film programs, story hours, and Reading Readiness programs and participates in system-wide programs including the Homework Assistance Program and Read Your Way to Fenway. Ms. Christine Bergstrom, President, Friends of the North End Branch Library welcomed the Trustees and attendees to the Library and provided a history and overview of the activities sponsored by the Friends’ Group which was founded in 1992. The Friends of the North End Branch Library have undertaken efforts to improve the interior and exterior of the Branch including procuring bookcases, tables, and chairs and plans are underway for landscaping improvements to the front of the Library. Chairman Jeffrey B. Rudman thanked Mrs. P.A. d’Arbeloff, Executive Director, the Boston Public Library Foundation for a splendid job coordinating the fourteenth annual Collaborative Creative Writing and Design Program in concert with the Boston Public Library and public, private and parochial school students from throughout Boston. Mrs. d’Arbeloff shared with the Trustees copies of A Symphony for our City depicting the award-winning essays and inspired works of art based on the theme celebrating the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s landmark 125 th season. Chairman Rudman thanked Mr. David Vieira, President, City Wide Friends of the Boston Public Library, for coordinating and inviting him to the outstanding Annual “World of Friends Conference” held at the Parker Hill Branch Library on October 28, 2006. President Bernard A. Margolis, in his report to the Trustees, reviewed a wide array of ongoing Library programs, services, and usages including a 10% increase in total circulation during October 2006 reflecting increases of 13% in the Branches and 5% at the Central Library. The Library concluded the first quarter of FY 2007 with total circulation up 7% including a 10% increase in the Branches and a 4% increase at the Central Library coupled with significant increases in usage of the Library’s electronic and internet resources. On the programming front, President Margolis reported on the overwhelming success of the grand opening night reception of “John Adams Unbound: Featuring the personal library of President John Adams” held in the McKim building on September 21, 2006. This has been reviewed as one of the most spectacular exhibits in the history of the Boston Public Library since its founding in 1848. John Adams Unbound marks the first public exhibition of the complete personal library of founding father and lifelong book collector John Adams. This landmark event is the culmination of a three-year project to catalog, preserve, digitize and provide access to the extraordinary personal library of America’s second president which has been held by the Boston Public Library since 1894. On the legal services front, the President reported that the Boston Public Library, along with over a dozen other public libraries, was issued a subpoena in the case of McGraw Hill and a variety of publishers and authors who are suing Google for their process of digitizing books and materials. The City of Boston’s Corporation Counsel has been assisting the Library and will be filing a response to the case. The President reported on the recent arrest of a patron at the Central Library for accessing pornography noting that the Library has been extremely vigilant to ensure that the Library’s resources are not being used for any illegal purposes. Both the Boston Police and the Boston Municipal Police have been assisting the Library with the case and it is expected that the person will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. President Margolis updated the Board on the ongoing E. Forbes Smiley III libraries map theft case noting that all of the libraries involved have compiled lists of additional maps believed missing and which may indeed be part of the original Smiley map theft case reflecting over 200 additional maps of which 30 are from the BPL. President Margolis reported on the activities of a Mayoral sponsored city-wide committee designed to eliminate the achievement gap among children in Boston. To further those ends, the President noted that he is serving on the 0-5 Committee which has developed ambitious ideas to help address this very serious achievement gap. Additional, Ms. Ruth Kowal has been participating in the City’s new Citizen Relationship Management System Group (CRM) pertaining to improving the way the City of Boston interacts and interfaces with its citizens. The Boston Public Library is also collaborating with the Boston Public Schools to greatly expand the current twenty eight Boston Public School Libraries now operating on the BPL’s Integrated Library system which enables the students to have access to all of the BPL’s resources. On the fundraising front, President Margolis reported that the BostonPublicLibraryNormanB.LeventhalMapCenter has been informed that they will be awarded a Save America’s Treasures grant which will be matched by Fidelity Foundation reflecting a total grant award of over $400,000.00. On the exhibitions front, President Margolis reported that the New York based Florence Gould Foundation has doubled their initial pledge of $75,000 to $150,000 in support of the “Voyager and Visionary ALEXANDRE VATTEMARE (1796-1864) and the Origins of International Cultural Exchange Exhibit”. This international exhibition was conceived and co-produced by the Biblioth èque Administrative de la Ville de Paris and the Boston Public Library and is slated to open in Paris January 2007 and then at the Boston Public Library in mid-June 2007. The French Ambassador to the United States has confirmed his attendance at the BPL opening and an invitation has been extended to actress Candice Bergen whose father Edgar had a ventriloquist routine in the 1930’s and learned his ventriloquism through reading about Alexandre Vattemare. On the public services front, the Boston Public Library recently launched a new service which enables the public to register for library cards online and is growing exponentially to the point where there are more card registrations being handled online than in person. On the Associates programming front, the President reported on the incredibly successful dinner hosted by the Associates of the Boston Public Library featuring Mr. David McCullough that benefited the David McCullough Conservation Fund which has grown to over $750,000.00 Additionally, the outstanding Annual 2006 Associates Literary Lights for Children was held on October 29, 2006 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel with a book signing that followed in the McKim building celebrating children’s literature and its creators. Ms. Ruth Kowal provided background information on the proposed “Boston Public Library FY2008 Action Plan” which is required to be approved and adopted by the Board and submitted to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners in order for the Boston Public Library to be eligible to receive federal grant funds and State aid. Additionally, Ms. Kowal noted that the proposed “Boston Public Library FY2008 Action Plan” serves as an invaluable road map for the Library in terms of focusing staffing efforts for FY2008 and reflects a continuation of initiatives launched in FY2007 and grouped around the newly created Trustees’ Committees and Task Forces. Following further review and discussion, Chairman Jeffrey B. Rudman suggested that the technological orientation aspects of the “Boston Public Library FY2008 Action Plan” be vetted with the Trustees’ Technology Task Force, Chair Zamawa Arenas, with involvement from both Ms. Maura Marx, Digital Services Manager and Mrs. P.A. d’Arbeloff, Executive Director, the Boston Public Library Foundation. Following further review and discussion, and subject to those modifications, on a motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously “VOTED: to approve and adopt the “Boston Public Library FY2008 Action Plan”. President Bernard A. Margolis and Ms. Carol Wu, Chief Technology Officer for the Boston Public Library, reviewed background information on the “Boston Public Library/Metro Boston Library Network Technology Plan, July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008” which has been developed in concert with the initiatives of the “Boston Public Library FY2008 Action Plan” and to be vetted with the Trustees’ Technology Task Force. Following further review and discussion, and subject to those caveats, on a motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously “VOTED: to approve and adopt the “Boston Public Library/Metro Boston Library Network Technology Plan, July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008”. President Margolis and Ms. Inez Foster reviewed background information on the initiatives of the Trustees’ Fellowes Athenaeum Trust Fund Advisory Committee which met on June 15, 2006 and unanimously voted to approve and adopt the Fellowes Athenaeum Trust Advisory Committee Project Management Guidelines and forward them to the full Board for approval. Following discussion, on a motion duly made and seconded, and on the recommendation of the Trustees’ Fellowes Athenaeum Trust Fund Advisory Committee, the following resolution was unanimously approved as follows: “VOTED: to approve and adopt the Fellowes Athenaeum Trust Advisory Committee Project Management Guidelines as amended by the Fellowes Athenaeum Trust Fund Advisory Committee and to forward the Fellowes Athenaeum Trust Advisory Committee Project Management Guidelines to the full Board of Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston for approval.” Trustee Karyn M. Wilson, Chair of the Trustees’ Marketing and Fundraising Task Force, reported on the initiatives addressed at the Inaugural Meeting of the Trustees’ Marketing and Fundraising Task Force held on October 26, 2006. Chair Wilson reported on the members’ great energy around the notion of supporting the Trustees, Foundation and Library in promoting the institution with a view to enhancing its visibility while creating a more conducive environment for fundraising. To further those ends, Chair Wilson reported that the Task Force has been reviewing a list of marketing needs that have been identified for the Library which will be augmented by existing library research data that would ultimately result in the launching of a comprehensive advertising and promotional campaign developed for the Boston Public Library. The Honorable William M. Bulger, Chairman of the Trustees’ Finance and Audit Committee, reviewed background information on the Committee’s recommendation to the full Board in a meeting held on October 16, 2006 pertaining to the selection of a Core Fixed Income Investment Manager. Following further discussion, on a motion duly made and seconded, and on the recommendation of the Trustees’ Finance and Audit Committee, it was unanimously voted to approve the Core Fixed Income Investment Manager resolution as follows: “VOTED: to authorize Library President Bernard A. Margolis, or his designee, to enter into negotiations to retain the services of Income Research & Management, Inc. as a Core Fixed Income Investment Manager for the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston.” President Margolis provided background information on the proposed establishment of The Weiss/McNulty Fund which is being created as the result of a discussion the President had with the two donors about their desire to become philanthropists. The young couple began with donating $500 a month to the Library a few years ago requesting that the funds be earmarked to support the establishment of a long-term preservation and restoration fund for the rare book treasures of the BPL. Following further discussion, on a motion duly made and seconded, and on the approval of the Trustees’ Finance and Audit Committee, it was unanimously voted to approve the following resolution pertaining to the establishment of The Weiss/McNulty Fund: “VOTED: that Bernard A. Margolis, President of the Public Library of the City of Boston, or his designee, be and hereby is, authorized to accept a gift in the amount of $10,000.00 (Ten Thousand Dollars and No Cents) earmarked for The Weiss/McNulty Fund and to use the proceeds from the fund to support the establishment of a long-term preservation and restoration fund for the rare book treasures of the Boston Public Library. The funds are to be used primarily for this purpose but are not intended to limit the Library’s need to expand this scope if, in the judgment of the President of the Library, the need should arise. This restriction may be modified or eliminated despite further contributions to this fund or reliance by any outside party on the original vote.” The Honorable William M. Bulger and President Margolis reviewed background information on the proposed award of contract for Digital Commonwealth Web Portal Design Services for the Boston Public Library which was reviewed and recommended for approval to the full Board in a meeting of the Trustees’ Finance and Audit Committee on October 16, 2006. President Margolis noted that the proposed award of contract is part of a grant to support the collaboration between the Boston Public Library and several other libraries in the State to create the Digital Commonwealth which is a concept under which libraries of all sizes can take their digital materials and uniformly store them online for public access. Following discussion, on a motion duly made and seconded, and on the recommendation of the Trustees’ Finance and Audit Committee, it was unanimously voted to approve the following award of contract for Digital Commonwealth Web Portal Design Services for the Boston Public Library: “VOTED: to authorize Library President Bernard A. Margolis, or his designee, to enter into a contract for Digital Commonwealth Web Portal Design Services for the Boston Public Library for the period November 1, 2006 through July 30, 2007, with Source Lab, 88 3 rd Place, #2, Brooklyn, NY, 11231. The total cost of the contract is not to exceed forty nine thousand nine hundred dollars and no cents ($49,900.00). The Boston Public Library Evaluation Committee performed an evaluation of the proposals presented by two vendors as described in the Request for Proposals (RFP), and through this process, determined the proposal presented by Source Lab represented the best value for the Boston Public Library.” The Honorable Angelo M. Scaccia, Chairman, Trustees’ Capital Projects Committee reviewed the highlights of the Inaugural Meeting of the reconstituted Trustees’ Capital Projects Committee held on November 1, 2006. Chairman Scaccia reported that the Trustees’ Capital Projects Committee voted unanimously to approve and adopt the proposed Draft Committee Charter for the reconstitutedTrustees’ Capital Projects Committee. The purpose of the reconstitutedTrustees’ Capital Projects Committee is to assist the Library in its continuous review of the capital budget and to review the range of capital projects being planned and undertaken while assisting in determining and prioritizing future capital needs and initiatives. The Chairman reported that the McKim Restoration project, Phase IIC is completed which included the renovation of several significant public spaces including: the original Trustees’ Room, the Cheverus Room, the Abbey Room, the Sargent Gallery, and the Changing Exhibits Room located on the first floor of the McKim building. Following a round of applause, Chairman Scaccia noted that the City will be recommending receiving credits for several pending punch list capital items which will be applied to the construction contingency balance of over $1.4 million that will be carried over to McKim Phase IID. The City Treasurer has granted the Library permission to begin the architect designer selection process for McKim Phase IID utilizing the $1.4 million in funds carried over from McKim Phase IIC along with $700,000 previously raised for McKim Phase IID. McKim Restoration project, Phase IID preliminary planning efforts have begun with a focus on the project scope, which will include the renovation of five primary public spaces, including the Print Gallery, Music and Fine Arts Departments,Rare Books and the NormanB.LeventhalMapCenter on the McKim third floor. The McKim Phase IID project schedule and financing will be driven in part by fundraising efforts and in conjunction with the architect designer selection process. Funding for Phase IID will have a heavy reliance on potential individual donors and federal and state sources estimated at a total project budget of $25 million. The designer selection process for the development of the Boston Public Library Heritage Center was concluded and the firm of Fletcher Harkness Cohen Moneyhun, (FHCM) Architects has been chosen. Meanwhile, the internal BPL Heritage Center Committee is researching optimal storage designs and archival retrieval systems which will be incorporated into the design development process. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners approved a construction grant application for a new Mattapan Branch Library totaling $4.5 million in anticipation of a construction starting date in the spring of 2007. The site for the new Library located at the corner of Blue Hill Avenue and Babson Street was acquired by the City in early January 2006. On the branch libraries capital front, 18 Branch Libraries are in various phases of capital work and Critical Repair Fund projects totaling $184,989 are complete or are in process for FY 2007 earmarked for capital projects not exceeding $100,000. The Budget Office had allowed the Library to carryover $101,727 from FY 2006 reflecting a total budget of $351,727 available for FY 2007. Trustee James Carroll inquired about the status of the BostonPublicLibrary Heritage Center project and the pending sale of the Charlestown Service building along with the timetable for the subsequent relocation of all Library materials from the remote storage site. Chairman Jeffrey B. Rudman requested that the items be placed on the Agenda for the Trustees’ Meeting scheduled for January 16, 2007. Chairman James Carroll reported on the Inaugural Meeting of the Trustees’ Neighborhood Services Committee which was held on September 25, 2006 and whose purpose is to assist the Trustees and Library management by providing advice for decision making regarding the scope of services rendered to the various neighborhoods of the City of Boston. The Committee’s purpose additionally is to bring expertise to analyzing how and where services are delivered to the neighborhoods, defining scope of neighborhood services, advising on hours of service and connecting and collaborating with other neighborhood providers as part of a long term vision for library services. Chairman Carroll noted further that the Trustees’ Neighborhood Services Committee consists of a broad range of representatives of the various constituencies that are invested in the Library and adopted a revised “Statement of Purpose” for the Committee at its Inaugural Meeting. Chair Zamawa Arenas reported on the Inaugural Meeting of the Trustees’ Technology Task Force which was held on October 12, 2006 and was slated to meet immediately following the Trustees’ Meeting. Chair Arenas noted that the Task Force is fortunate to have a broad group of very engaged and committed individuals whose purpose is to assist the Library in developing and executing a robust technology infrastructure. The Trustees’ Technology Task Force purpose is also to bring expertise to the process of maintaining existing technology resources and bringing new and innovative technology to the delivery of Library services and materials coupled with ensuring that the Library is at the leading edge of using technology in order to expand the utility and effectiveness of the Library’s collections and staff to meet the changing needs of the public. Ms. Maura Marx, Digital Services Manager, presented an overview on the emerging Boston Public Library Digital Services Program which was previewed in a report delivered to the Board in advance of the meeting. Ms. Marx reported on two of the mass Book Digitization Programs the Boston Public Library is considering for bringing its digitization program to a leading national model: Google Book Search and theOpen Content Alliance. Ms. Marx provided a thorough review of the two mass book digitization programs and highlighted their similarities and differences in light of the future digital needs facing the Boston Public Library. Following discussion among the Board, the two mass Book Digitization Programs will be vetted with the Trustees’ Technology Task Force for a recommendation to the full Board of the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston. There being no further business, the Meeting of the Corporation and Administrative Agency adjourned at 4:45 p.m. and reconvened in Executive Session adjourning at 5:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted,
Jamie McGlone Clerk to the Trustees
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