Boston Public Logo

General and
Contact Information

Store

Restaurants

Hours & Addresses

Directions

Support the Library

Holiday Closings

Borrowing and
Circulating
Information

Board of Trustees

Meetings

2006 Meetings

2005 Meetings

2004 Meetings

2003 Meetings

2002 Meetings

2001 Meetings

2000 Meetings

Subcommittee Meetings

Capital Projects Meetings

Collections Meetings

Education Meetings

Finance Meetings

Mission

2004 Plan

2002-2003 Plan

Long Range
Plan

By-Laws - pdf file

Act of Incorporation

Senior Staff

Affiliates of
the Library

Policies

Job Openings


Related Links

Tours

Mass 24/7 Logo

Spacer Graphic

  General and Contact InformationCentral LibraryNeighborhood BranchesResearch and Specialized ServicesBPL CatalogsElectronic ResourcesGuides to the LibraryNews and EventsQuestions and Suggestions
Spacer Graphic
Spacer graphic Boston Public Library
Meetings
Board of Trustees

September 19, 2000


A Regular Meeting of the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston will be held on Tuesday, September 19, 2000 at 8:00 a.m., in the Trustee's Room, 3rd Floor, Johnson Building, Central Library.

 

Respectfully yours,
Jamie McGlone
Clerk


Agendas: 


Order of Business for a Regular Meeting as a

Corporation on

 

Tuesday, September 19, 2000 at 8:00 a.m.

 

1. Approval of Minutes for the Annual and Regular Meetings of May 23, 2000

 

Mr. Joseph E. Mullaney

2. Confirmation of Room Use Request

 

"VOTED: to approve the request by Ms. Margaret Williams, Director, ReadBoston for use of Library space on September 28, 2000 in connection with ReadBoston’s Fifth Anniversary celebration."

 

Mr. Bernard A. Margolis

3. Approval of Room Use Request

 

"VOTED: to approve the request by the Honorable Thomas M. Menino, Mayor of Boston, for use of Library space on December 6, 2000 in connection with the National League of Cities Conference held in Boston."

 

Mr. Bernard A. Margolis

4. Trustees’ Finance Committee Report

Mr. William O. Taylor

5. Trustees’ Collections Committee Report

Mr. William O. Taylor

6. Trustees’ Capital Projects Committee Report

  • The Trustees’ Finance Committee has reviewed and recommends to the Full Board of Trustees the following award of contract for the McKim Restoration project

     

    "VOTED: that Bernard A. Margolis, President of the Public Library of the City of Boston or designee, be, and hereby is, authorized and directed to receive and use, in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, a contribution of $7,500,000.00 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for the purpose of Phase IIC of the continuing restoration and renovation of the McKim Building."

Mr. Joseph E. Mullaney

7. Trustees’ Education Committee Report

Ms. Pamela Seigle

8. President’s Report

  • Approval of the Boston Public Library Collection Development Policy
  • Approval of the Boston Public Library Long Range Plan prepared for the
  • Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (Ruth Kowal)
  • Approval of Annual Leave Carryover Policy (Ruth Kowal)
  • Approval of Sexual Harassment Policy (David Young)
  • Approval of AFSCME Contract

    "VOTED: to endorse the terms of the AFSCME Local 1526 Agreement for July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2002."

  • Approval of wage increases for Management/Exempt Employees

     

    "VOTED: to endorse the wage increases (the same as those contained in the Agreement with AFSCME Local 1526) for Management/Exempt employees as follows: 3% retroactive to first pay period July 1999; 3% retroactive to first pay period July 2000; 3% effective first pay period October 2001; Effective July 1, 2001 dental/vision plan available to staff through the City’s participation in the Massachusetts Public Employees Fund."

  • Review of Strategic Planning Effort (Strategic Process Team)
  • Review of FY2001 Budget (Kathleen Kirleis)
  • BPL Store
  • Public Awareness Campaign (P.A. d’Arbeloff)
  • Trust Fund Review
  • Report on the Branches (Ruth Kowal)

Mr. Bernard A. Margolis

9. The Boston Public Library Foundation

 

Ms. Marie Pettibone

10. Associates of the Boston Public Library

 

Ms. Vivian Spiro

11. Other Business

Mr. Joseph E. Mullaney

12. Recess of Corporate Meeting

Mr. Joseph E. Mullaney

13. Executive Session (after adjournment of Administrative Agency Meeting)

Mr. Joseph E. Mullaney


Order of Business for a Regular Meeting as an

Administrative Agency on

 

Tuesday, September 19, 2000 at 8:00 a.m.

 

1. Approval of Minutes for the Annual and Regular Meetings of May 23, 2000

Mr. Joseph E. Mullaney

2. The Trustees’ Finance Committee has reviewed and recommends to the Full Board of Trustees the following award of contracts:

  • Contracts associated with the flood

     

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into with OccuHealth, Inc., 44 Wood Avenue, Mansfield, MA 02048, the most advantageous and eligible proposer for the publicly advertised contract for providing an environmental evaluation and monitoring program for the McKim and Johnson buildings of the Boston Public Library, for the period commencing October 1, 2000 and ending June 30, 2001, at the proposal price, at a total cost not to exceed Seventeen Thousand Eight Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($17,800.00), pursuant to the agreement with the City of Boston to reimburse the Library for costs associated with the flood of August 16, 1998."

    "VOTED: to authorize President Bernard A. Margolis, in conformance with a requirements contract process, to invite interested, responsible, and competent persons, firms, or corporations to apply for prequalification on a bidder’s list and thereafter enter into a contract or contracts for binding and recasing services, as required, to treat flood affected print materials where each procurement of service is less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) and the total of all such contracts shall not exceed Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00), pursuant to the agreement with the City of Boston to reimburse the Library for costs associated with the flood of August 16, 1998."

  • Contract for supplying Periodicals and Serials

     

    "VOTED: that, without public advertising, there be entered into with the Faxon Company, Inc. 15 Southwest Park, Westwood, Massachusetts, a contract for (1) supplying periodicals and serials for the calendar year 2001, and (2) servicing the subscriptions for the individual items throughout the year as specified in the Specifications, and subject to the terms, agreements, and conditions set forth in said contract, at a total cost not to exceed Three Hundred Ten Thousand Five Hundred and Three Dollars and Seventy Four Cents ($310,503.74)."

  • Contracts for the purchase of Library materials for the new Allston Branch, (in anticipation of funding approval)

     

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Follett Corporation, in an amount not to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Baker & Taylor, in an amount not to exceed Three Hundred Ninety Thousand Dollars ($390,000.00) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Esteva Servicios Bibliotecarios, in an amount not to exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($20,000.00) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Lectorum Publications, Inc., in an amount not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($10,000.00) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Pan Asian Publications, Inc., in an amount not to exceed Fifteen Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($15,000.00) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Russica Publishing Co., in an amount not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($10,000.00) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

Mr. William O. Taylor

3. Other Business

 

Mr. Joseph E. Mullaney

4. Adjournment

 

Mr. Joseph E. Mullaney


Minutes

Minutes of Meeting In Board of Trustees
Corporation Tuesday, September 19, 2000

    A Regular Meeting of the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston as a Corporation was held in the Trustees Room of the Johnson Building at 8:00 a.m.

    Present at the meeting were Trustees William M. Bulger, James Carroll, V. Paul Deare, Berth» M. Gaines, Joseph E. Mullaney, Angelo Scaccia, Pamela Seigle and William O. Taylor.

    Also present were Alice Hennessey, Special Assistant to Mayor Thomas M. Menino; Mark Sweeney, First Assistant, Corporation Counsel, City of Boston; Vivian K. Spiro, Chair, Associates of the Boston Public Library; Marie Pettibone, Executive Director, and Daria McLean, Director of Stewardship and Events, the Boston Public Library Foundation; Charles Worcester, Assistant Director, and Erin Hester, Senior Project Manager for the McKim Restoration project, Department of Neighborhood Development; Jennifer Grams, Capital Budget Analyst, Office of Budget Management; members of the Library administration, staff, public and Friends’ Groups.

    Chairman Joseph E. Mullaney presiding.

    The Chairman first welcomed Mr. James Carroll as a new Trustee of the Public Library of the City of Boston. Trustee Donna M. DePrisco was unable to attend the meeting for only the second time in five and one half years since her appointment to the Board.

    The first item on the order of business was the approval of Minutes for the Annual and Regular Meetings of May 23, 2000. On a motion duly made and seconded, the Minutes for the Annual and Regular Meetings of May 23, 2000 were approved.

    The Chairman provided background information on two requests for room use noting that the Library President has conveyed to him that both requests could be accommodated without disrupting the ordinary functions and operations of the Library. Following discussion among the Board, on a motion duly made and seconded, it was

 

"VOTED: to approve the request by Ms. Margaret Williams, Director, ReadBoston for use of Library space on September 28, 2000 in connection with ReadBoston’s Fifth Anniversary celebration."

"VOTED: to approve the request by the Honorable Thomas M. Menino, Mayor of Boston, for use of Library space on December 6, 2000 in connection with the National League of Cities Conference held in Boston."

    Mr. William O. Taylor, Chairman of the Trustees’ Finance Committee, reported that the Finance Committee met last on September 5, 2000 and received a status report from the New England Pension Consultants (NEPC) representatives on the ongoing search for a Small Cap Investment Manager on behalf of the Boston Public Library.

    Mr. Taylor noted that the search for a Small Cap Investment Manager is being undertaken in order to fund a new allocation for the Trustees’ Endowment Fund, in which the target allocation for small cap is 10% of the Fund’s assets or approximately $5 million. Following a review of the potential financial advisors, the Committee members agreed to interview three Small Cap Investment Managers in early October 2000 and subsequently make a recommendation to the Full Board at the November 2000 Trustees’ Meeting.

    Mr. William O. Taylor, Chairman of the Trustees’ Collections Committee, reported that a Committee meeting was held on September 6, 2000 with representatives from the Boston Public Library, the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the City’s Office of Budget Management.

    The Committee members reviewed two potential sites for the development of the Boston Heritage Center project, which would address both the Boston Public Library and the City Archives long-term storage, preservation and archival needs through the building of a new state-of-the-art storage facility in Boston.

    Meanwhile, efforts are underway to have appraisals conducted on the current storage facilities in Norwood and Charlestown while discussions continue with Harvard University concerning the future status of the New England Deposit Library (NEDL) storage property located in Brighton.

    Mr. Joseph E. Mullaney, Chairman of the Trustees’ Finance Committee, provided background information on the proposed authorization for the Library President to receive and use $7,500,000 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts earmarked for the continuing restoration and renovation of the McKim Restoration project. The required match of $2.5 million is on deposit with the City and this resolution would permit the appropriate transfer and expenditure from these funds.

    Then, on a motion duly made and seconded, and on the recommendation of the Trustees’ Finance Committee, it was

 

"VOTED: that Bernard A. Margolis, President of the Public Library of the City of Boston or designee, be, and hereby is, authorized and directed to receive and use, in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, a contribution of $7,500,000.00 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for the purpose of Phase IIC of the continuing restoration and renovation of the McKim Building."

    Ms. Erin Hester, Senior Project Manager, reported on the progress of the McKim Restoration project, Phase IIB (Courtyard/McKim Roof) noting that while the project is moving forward toward a successful completion, they continue to experience some difficulty with the untimely delivery of custom-made materials and getting supplies for the job due to a robust economy and a busy construction industry.

    Meanwhile, planning efforts are underway in collaboration with the Boston Public Library Foundation to schedule a special event for the opening of the Courtyard, which is slated for early Fall 2000.

    In addition, the architects from Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott, Inc. continue to work on the design review process for the next phase of the McKim Restoration project, Phase IIC, which is in the early stages of design development and looks not only at the technical side of the design solutions but also at the programmatic operational solutions as well.

    The design review process for Phase IIC, which is slated for completion in late Spring 2001, includes much of the remaining spaces of the McKim building, with the exception of the third floor, and also includes restoration of the Sargent Gallery and the Cheverus Room.

    Presently, in collaboration with a Library Staff Committee, the architects and restoration experts in paint analysis, lighting, wood and mural preservation, have made good progress on mapping out how the next phase of the project would be rolled out in anticipation of a construction starting date of late 2001, which would be followed by a two year construction period slated for completion in late 2003.

    Ms. Pamela Seigle, Chair of the Trustees’ Education Committee, reported that the members of the Education Sub-Committees worked over the Summer in preparation for a meeting which will be held between the Trustees of the Boston Public Library and the Boston School Committee in January 2001.

    The principal purpose of the meeting will be to highlight a Cooperation Agreement, between the Trustees of the BPL and the Boston School Committee, which would outline specific action steps to be taken to foster meaningful collaborations between the Library, Schools, and among other cultural and educational institutions for the education and enhancement of services for the children of Boston.

    Meanwhile, Ms. Seigle noted that a draft of the Cooperation Agreement has been crafted and a meeting will be scheduled within the next month with Dr. Thomas Payzant, Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools, President Margolis, and key School and Library administrators, to highlight and clarify the purposes of the agreement.

    The Cooperative Agreement will have several focuses including: to strengthen the relationship between the Library and the Schools to ensure that the Library effectively focuses on teaching and learning in the Boston Public Schools; and second, to clarify the roles and responsibilities relating to those specific initiatives and activities. To further that end, Ms. Seigle said that an Education Sub-Committee meeting would be held in December 2000 and invited those interested to attend the meeting.

    President Bernard A. Margolis, in his report to the Trustees, reported on a wide range of important activities ongoing at the Library. First among them, was a presentation on the Boston Public Library Collection Development and Management Policy, which was developed by the leadership of Mr. Gunars Rutkovskis of the Research Library and included many participants from throughout the Library over the course of a year.

    The Collection Development and Management Policy is an extensive document which reviews in great detail the approach a Library takes to "growing" its vast collection of materials, outlines the areas of collecting, and provides the tool for staff members engaged in building its collections. In addition, the policy is a basic "road map" for a Library and is valuable in deciding how acquisition funds and resources are used in building its rich collections.

    The President noted also that this document is a requirement for the Boston Public Library’s participation in many State-supported Library programs and grant initiatives, particularly through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and recommended it to the Board for approval.

    In response to an inquiry from the Chairman, the President provided further background information on the proposed collection development policy noting that while it reflects a brand new document it does bring together some disparate pieces that have been in existence in the past and represents a new structure for presenting how the Library dispatches its collection.

    In addition, the President noted that the proposed policy is unique in light of the fact that the Boston Public Library is a very large Research Library with holdings of over 37 million items and its depth of focus is on building very rich collections, including an emphasis on collecting periodicals, newspapers and rare materials relating to Boston, Massachusetts, and New England. In response to an inquiry from Mr. Deare, the President said that the policy corresponds to the revised language for Trust Funds tying into how those trust funds are dispatched to build the collections.

    The Vice Chair queried whether there would be an opportunity for more discussion regarding the assumptions on which the policy is based with respect to how the collections are built, including the branch libraries. The President noted that the assumptions are the same except for a significant acknowledge in the policy about how the Library develops online electronic resources. Following further discussion among the Board, it was agreed to defer formal action on the approval of the Collection Development and Management Policy until the next Trustees’ Meeting scheduled for November 20, 2000.

    The President provided background information on the Boston Public Library Long Range Plan prepared for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, which reflects a reformatting and reorganization of the Strategic Plan that was presented at the Spring Trustees’ Meeting. This reformatting is required by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners in order for the BPL’s plan to be in conformity with State requirements and also for the Library to make application for State and Federal funds through the Board of Commissioners.

    Ms. Ruth Kowal, Director of Operations, reviewed the basic elements of the plan at greater length and provided insight on some of the potential programs and initiatives that would be available to the Library through the MBLC including: multicultural community projects that promote cross-cultural sharing; customer service campaigns for libraries; information literacy and research skills; programs for serving people with disabilities; preservation of library and archival material; and digitizing historical resources.

    The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is also considering some new programs in the next grant round for FY2002 that would be of great interest to the Boston Public Library including: the Homework Zone; Web-based Information Center; Business and Career Services; and a management grant tailored for planning and organizing archival materials which are non-book materials.

    In response to a question from the Chairman, Ms. Kowal noted that, similar to the Collection Development Policy, the Library has had parts of a long range plan that had been submitted in the past to the Board of the Library Commissioners; however, the Board has been eager for the BPL to pull those materials together into a more consolidated program that lines up with the Library’s Strategic Plan.

    Following discussion among the Board, on a motion duly made and seconded, it was

 

"VOTED: to approve the Boston Public Library Long Range Plan, 2000-2003, prepared for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners."

    Ms. Kowal presented background information on a revised proposed Policy on Annual Leave Carryover for Management and Exempt Employees noting that this revision incorporates information gathered since the last Trustees’ meeting by surveying several public libraries in Massachusetts and is consistent with the policy elsewhere in City government. The purpose of the recommended policy is to clarify and codify the handling of annual leave carryover for management and exempt staff and to bring it into line with the language as set forth in the PSA and AFSCME bargaining contracts.

    In addition, Ms. Kowal noted that adoption of this policy would establish a target for the reduction of significant annual leave balances for a small number of long-term Library employees and provide a path for the Library’s financial liability resulting from annual leave balances in excess of the permitted amount.

    The recommended policy states that annual leave carried over, and not used within the authorized time period, would be forfeited in both time and pay and that any employee with an annual leave allotment in excess of the maximum permitted amount would be expected to reduce their leave to the authorized level within a reasonable period of time.

    Several Board members underscored the desire to include language in the policy addressing the fact that the business requirements of the Library would have to be taken into consideration prior to the granting of any annual leave carryover/deferment requests beyond the permissible allotment.

    Following further discussion among the Board, on a motion duly made and seconded, and subject to the addition of language in the policy reflecting that the operational needs of the Library are to be taken into consideration, it was

 

"VOTED: to approve the Boston Public Library Policy on Annual Leave Carryover for Management and Exempt Employees."

    The Chairman requested that the Clerk place the Annual Leave Carryover Policy on the Trustees’ Meeting agenda one year from now to review its implementation.

    On a similar vein of personnel issues, the President first introduced the Library’s new Director of Human Resources Mr. David Young who presented background information on the Boston Public Library Sexual Harassment Policy and Investigation Procedure for the Board’s approval.

    By way of background, Mr. Young reported that in a November 3, 1997 Executive Order, the Honorable Mayor Thomas M. Menino issued a Sexual Harassment Policy and Investigation Procedure for the City of Boston in accordance with the applicable law. The proposed policy for the Boston Public Library under consideration reiterates that Executive Order and Sexual Harassment Policy and Investigation Procedure, which have been reviewed by the City’s Legal Counsel and shared with the Library Unions for discussion in February 2000. In summation, Mr. Young said that this proposed policy would bring the Boston Public Library into compliance with the law and with the City’s Sexual Harassment Policy.

    Mrs. Gaines noted that the proposed policy states, in the notification procedures section, that the employee may notify their immediate supervisor, BPL Director of Human Resources, or the City’s Director of Human Resources regarding any incident. Mrs. Gaines suggested that notification of the BPL’s Director of Human Resources should be the first step for Library employees because the Library is a separate entity.

    Mr. Young replied that at the current time under the City policy the employee could either proceed to the City or to an outside enforcement agency such as the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, which permits full access and options for reporting any incidents.

    Following further discussion among the Board, on a motion duly made and seconded, it was

 

"VOTED: to approve the Boston Public Library Sexual Harassment Policy and Investigation Procedure."

    The President provided background information on the approval of a contract between the Library and City and AFSCME Local 1526, representing the largest portion of Library staff with 330 members, reporting that the round of collective bargaining was completed two weeks ago, which was followed by a ratification vote held last Thursday resulting in an overwhelming vote of approval of 212 in favor to 4 opposed.

    The recommended Library AFSCME contract mirrors the City-wide AFSCME settlement reflecting a 3% wage increase each year for three years for the period July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2002, with retroactivity to the beginning of the contract, and includes the addition of dental and vision benefit coverage effective in July 2001. Following discussion among the Board, on a motion duly made and seconded, it was

 

"VOTED: to endorse the terms of the AFSCME Local 1526 Agreement for July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2002."

    The President brought forward for the Board’s approval a recommendation to apply the same contract compensation provisions for the Management and Exempt Employees of the Library, which would permit the 41 management and exempt employees to receive wage increases concurrent with that negotiated for the AFSCME members. In addition, both contracts would be funded by the City of Boston. Following discussion among the Board, on a motion duly made and seconded, it was

 

"VOTED: to endorse the wage increases (the same as those contained in the Agreement with AFSCME Local 1526) for Management/Exempt employees as follows: 3% retroactive to first pay period July 1999; 3% retroactive to first pay period July 2000; 3% effective first pay period October 2001. Effective July 1, 2001 dental/vision plan available to staff through the City’s participation in the Massachusetts Public Employees Fund."

    The President updated the Board on the Library’s Strategic Planning effort noting that a draft review of the Strategic Goals for the Boston Public Library was distributed to the Trustees in advance of the meeting and represents a recasting of all of the strategic initiatives presented in a chronological format.

    In addition, the President noted that the document includes a review of the Strategic Goals with an articulation of the action steps and the staff and the Library management staff members who have volunteered to serve as "champions" for the goals coupled with an outline of the results and benefits of achieving each goal.

    The President welcomed the Board’s input and feedback on the Strategic Planning process and the accompanying reporting mechanism tailored to keep the Board informed on the progress and accomplishments of the strategic goals. In a review of the goals, the President reported that some of the earliest goals have already been implemented and the Library is off to a great start in keeping to its proposed timetable.

    The Chairman remarked that the Strategic Planning process is truly an ongoing effort that needs constant attention, review and evaluation and noted that the Strategic Goals document is a very valuable tool for tracking the progress of the strategic planning effort. The Vice Chair echoed those remarks and expressed appreciation to the President for responding to the request for presenting the goals in chronological order and would like to gain an understanding of how the goals are being prioritized as the strategic process moves forward.

    Ms. Kathleen Kirleis, Chief Financial Officer, presented a brief review of the Library’s FY2001 budget. The CFO distributed some background information on the City of Boston’s FY2001 Budget from the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, which provides information City-wide about how the budget overall was approved.

    The Boston Public Library received a 3% increase in the FY2001 budget appropriation, which is consistent with what many of the other departments received City-wide. In addition, the State finalized funding for the BPL’s Library of Last Recourse program and the Regional Services program, which was also consistent with last year’s funding appropriation. Meanwhile, the Library is in the process of applying for State Aid, which should result in an appropriation of over $750,000 for this fiscal year.

    The CFO stated that efforts are underway toward rolling out a new budget reporting system at the Library, in collaboration with the branch librarians and individual Department Heads from throughout the Library system, in order for them to gain a better understanding of their budgets and for identifying issues for the next fiscal year, including the identification of capital projects for submission in the FY2002 budget.

    The President reported on the new BPL STORE which is an initiative being launched on a two-year experimental basis at the Boston Public Library. By way of background, 43,790 people accessed the Library’s WebPage in August of 1999 compared to over 80,300 "hits" in August of 2000, reflecting an exponential growth in web-related and e-commerce activities.

    The creation of the BPL STORE would enable the Library to respond, in part, to patrons who are accessing the Library electronically and would be designed to provide alternatives for access to periodicals, books and research reports so that people might secure these for their personal use by purchasing them or recommending them to the Library for inclusion in our regular Library collections.

    To further that end, the Library has been working in collaboration with Rowe.Com and has outlined a plan which provides for their investment in software development and the support for the operational elements of the BPL STORE at no cost to the Library. The Library would receive a financial contribution each and every time purchases are made which in turn would support the Library’s programs, services and collections while expanding the BPL’s role as a central information distribution hub.

    Ms. P.A. d’Arbeloff, Communications Officer, reported that Mayor Thomas M. Menino at a press conference on Labor Day 2000 launched the first community outreach media campaign for the Boston Public Library. Tailored to create a more professional and coordinated image for the Library, the advertising campaign was developed pro bono by Arnold Communications and is designed to reach out to both users and non-users about the resources and services provided free to all by the first public library established in America in 1848.

    Phase One of the campaign began with the unveiling of a new Library logo and theme entitled "At the Boston Public Library, Books Are Just the Beginning!" as well as ads for television, print, Internet, transit and billboards. The campaign then will expand to include multilingual brochures on how to use the Library, new Library cards, a redesign of the BPL Website, and the creation of an electronic events Board that will be located in the Lobby of the Johnson building.

    Ms. d’Arbeloff shared with the Board some of the final advertising copies of the print media ads which were on display in the Trustees’ Room that focus on creating an overall awareness of the Boston Public Library, including great Children’s programs, Internet access, 27 Branch libraries in the City, and the low fine policy for overdue books.

    In addition, the Communications Officer shared with the Trustees a sampling of the public service television spots that will begin appearing next week on all of the local television stations as well as Cablevision which convey the message that Boston’s libraries are welcoming, accessible places that offer a wealth of information, resources and services.

    Ms. Kathleen Kirleis shared with the Board a preliminary review of the Boston Public Library’s 176 separate Trust Funds that she and the President have completed relying on the pro bono work of Hale and Dorr attorneys in an effort to further refine the Trust Fund review based on their legal advice.

    The list of Trust Funds categorizes the funds based on additional work and actions which need to be undertaken to ensure that the Trust Fund files are complete and that the Library is accomplishing the purposes established for each fund. In a review of the list, a number of the funds now require Trustee action in order to increase flexibility in their use, others require further legal research and analysis, and a large number are acceptable as currently structured.

    Mrs. Gaines inquired why the Fellowes Athenaeum Fund established for the provision of literary instruction at the Dudley Branch Library was identified in the category for which further legal review would be required. The CFO replied that a legal review is required to ensure that the Boston Public Library is carrying out the mission for which the fund was established and to explore other avenues to fulfill the purposes of the Trust Fund.

    Ms. Ruth Kowal updated the Board regarding on the activities in the Public Services area of the Library and the ongoing recruitment efforts for Children’s Librarians in the branches. With regard to the former, Ms. Karen Duff, Coordinator of Children’s and Youth Services, has reported on a very successful Summer Reading program for the BPL this year, including the participation of over 3,000 children, and also the continuing successes of the Homework Assistance program and the Online Tutoring program.

    On the recruitment front, Ms. Kowal reported that the BPL is experiencing the national shortage of Children’s Librarians noting that, as recently as two weeks ago, there were six Children’s Librarians vacancies in the branches as well as an additional two Children’s staff vacancies due to long-term medical leaves. Subsequently, several of those vacancies have been filled and there is optimism that the remaining vacancies will be successfully filled in the near future through enhanced national recruitment efforts coupled with the exploration of alternative staffing patterns.

    Ms. Marie Pettibone, Executive Director of the Boston Public Library Foundation, distributed copies of the Foundation Goals for 2000 and reported that the Foundation is gearing up for a very active year in which the top priority is to raise the remaining $2.5 million State challenge match earmarked for the McKim Restoration project.

    Among the Foundation Goals established for the Year 2000, the BPL Foundation Board seeks to reaffirm the mission of the Foundation, revitalize its Board leadership, refocus efforts on fundraising, and create more cultivation opportunities for new donor prospects through collaborations with other cultural groups.

    The BPL Foundation Board next meets on October 10, 2000 at the Boston Public Library and will include a tour of the Library, announcements on the array of upcoming Foundation events scheduled for the Fall, and a special preview of the John Hancock: the Forgotten Patriot exhibit slated to be launched the following evening in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Department.

    Ms. Pettibone reported that the Foundation has been building internal infrastructure this Summer and introduced Ms. Daria McLean who has assumed the position of Director of Stewardship & Grants while Mr. Derek Latham has been hired as the Communications Manager for the Foundation. In addition, efforts are underway to develop internal systems with the primary focus on stewardship, cultivation of current and new donors, as well as grant writing opportunities.

    The Chairman encouraged the Trustees to attend the upcoming Foundation Board Meeting noting that he and the Library President plan to give a presentation on the progress and future plans of the McKim Restoration project. The Chairman also expressed appreciation to the Foundation for all the wonderful work they have accomplished on behalf of the Boston Public Library.

    Ms. Vivian K. Spiro, Chairwoman of the Associates of the Boston Public Library, reported that the Associates had the privilege this Summer of working with Mr. David Burnham who offered very graciously to work pro bono to guide them in the development of a strategic planning process.

    In existence since 1972, the Associates are presently undergoing a change process in an effort to reaffirm its mission to determine how they can best serve the needs of the Library and work more synergistically with the Trustees, Library support organizations, and other community and cultural organizations.

    Meanwhile, the Associates will continue with their four signature events including Literary Lights for Children, which is scheduled for Sunday, September 24, 2000 at the BPL. The proceeds from this event will benefit the Children’s Services of the Boston Public Library and will go to support the Summer Reading program.

    Ms. Spiro invited the Trustees to the Associates Annual Meeting scheduled for November 7, 2000 at the BPL, which will include a special event entitled the National Book Awards for 1900. The program looks back on books that were published one hundred years ago which changed the way people thought about literature, themselves and society.

    There being no further business, the Board voted to go into a recess of the Corporate Meeting at 9:37 a.m.

Minutes of Meeting In Board of Trustees
Administrative Agency Tuesday, September 19, 2000

    A Regular Meeting of the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston as an Administrative Agency was held in the Trustees Room of the Johnson Building at 9:37 a.m.

    Present at the meeting were Trustees William M. Bulger, James Carroll, V. Paul Deare, Berth» M. Gaines, Joseph E. Mullaney, Angelo Scaccia, Pamela Seigle and William O. Taylor.

    Also present were Alice Hennessey, Special Assistant to Mayor Thomas M. Menino; Mark Sweeney, First Assistant, Corporation Counsel, City of Boston; Vivian K. Spiro, Chair, Associates of the Boston Public Library; Marie Pettibone, Executive Director, and Daria McLean, Director of Stewardship and Events, the Boston Public Library Foundation; Charles Worcester, Assistant Director, and Erin Hester, Senior Project Manager for the McKim Restoration project, Department of Neighborhood Development; Jennifer Grams, Capital Budget Analyst, Office of Budget Management; members of the Library administration, staff, public and Friends’ Groups.

    Chairman Joseph E. Mullaney presiding.

    The first item on the order of business was the approval of Minutes for the Annual and Regular Meetings of May 23, 2000. On a motion duly made and seconded, the Minutes for the Annual and Regular Meetings of May 23, 2000 were approved.

    Mr. William O. Taylor, Chairman of the Trustees’ Finance Committee, provided background information on the proposed award of two contracts associated with the BPL flood of August 16, 1998, a contract for supplying Periodicals and Serials, and six contracts associated with the purchase of Library materials for the new Allston Branch Library in anticipation of funding approval.

    Mr. Taylor reported that the Trustees’ Finance Committee reviewed the proposed award of contracts and recommends them to the Full Board for approval. On a motion duly made and seconded, and on the recommendation of the Finance Committee, it was

  • Contracts associated with the flood

     

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into with OccuHealth, Inc., 44 Wood Avenue, Mansfield, MA 02048, the most advantageous and eligible proposer for the publicly advertised contract for providing an environmental evaluation and monitoring program for the McKim and Johnson buildings of the Boston Public Library, for the period commencing October 1, 2000 and ending June 30, 2001, at the proposal price, at a total cost not to exceed Seventeen Thousand Eight Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($17,800.00), pursuant to the agreement with the City of Boston to reimburse the Library for costs associated with the flood of August 16, 1998."

    "VOTED: to authorize President Bernard A. Margolis, in conformance with a requirements contract process, to invite interested, responsible, and competent persons, firms, or corporations to apply for prequalification on a bidder’s list and thereafter enter into a contract or contracts for binding and recasing services, as required, to treat flood affected print materials where each procurement of service is less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) and the total of all such contracts shall not exceed Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00), pursuant to the agreement with the City of Boston to reimburse the Library for costs associated with the flood of August 16, 1998."

  • Contract for supplying Periodicals and Serials

     

    "VOTED: that, without public advertising, there be entered into with the Faxon Company, Inc. 15 Southwest Park, Westwood, Massachusetts, a contract for (1) supplying periodicals and serials for the calendar year 2001, and (2) servicing the subscriptions for the individual items throughout the year as specified in the Specifications, and subject to the terms, agreements, and conditions set forth in said contract, at a total cost not to exceed Three Hundred Ten Thousand Five Hundred Three Dollars and Seventy Four Cents ($310,503.74)."

  • Contracts for the purchase of Library materials for the new Allston Branch, (in anticipation of funding approval)

     

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Follett Corporation, in an amount not to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Baker & Taylor, in an amount not to exceed Three Hundred Ninety Thousand Dollars ($390,000.00) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Esteva Servicios Bibliotecarios, in an amount not to exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($20,000.00) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Lectorum Publications, Inc., in an amount not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($10,000.00) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Pan Asian Publications, Inc., in an amount not to exceed Fifteen Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($15,000.00) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

    "VOTED: that, there be entered into a non-advertised contract, as authorized under G.L. c.30B, Section 7(a), referred to as "Procurement of Library Books", between the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston (a Corporation under Chapter 114 of the Acts of 1878), and Russica Publishing Co., in an amount not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($10,000.00) for books and other related Library materials, during the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001."

There being no further business, the Chairman said that the Board would go back into the recess of the Corporate Meeting and go into Executive Session to address personnel items and a matter relating to the possible acquisition of land for the Boston Heritage Center project. The Meeting of the Administrative Agency adjourned at 9:55 a.m.

Spacer graphic  

Spacer graphic


 


Top | Home | General/Contact | Central | Neighborhood | Research | Catalogs | Electronic | Guides | News | Questions
 
Site Search/Site Map
 


The Boston Public Library   •   617-536-5400   •    info@bpl.org
Central Library -- 700 Boylston St., Boston MA 02116
spacer graphic
Last Updated January, 2004 • © 2003  Boston Public Library