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President Corrilla Hastings opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m.
There was no Secretary’s Report.
Treasurer Kathy Hughes reported that May’s Lawn sale netted $65.91. Forty people have renewed their Friends of the Library membership’s to date. The Renovation/restoration fund has reached the amount of $12,673.45.
Marcia Granville read a teaser for the play, ‘The Trouble with Books’ by Anna Freeman, displayed a poster and urged everyone to attend on October 11th. The Library Brown Bag Lunch is planned again for next April.
Corrilla Hastings announced the success of this summer’s reading programs.
The next Library Trustees meeting will be held on October 1st at 4:00 p.m.
The next Friends of the Library meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on November 13th.
Mary Stuart introduced the speaker for the evening, our new Library Director, Blynn Currier.
He started by telling of the books he has pulled from the shelves - more than 5000. Some of these were in the book sale. The Franklin/Somerset County Literacy Volunteers will take the rest for their book sale in the spring. None have been thrown away. One of the criteria for pulling a book off the shelf is age. Travel books printed in the 1940s, for instance, are no longer useful. They will be replaced with current material. If a book has not been taken out in many years, it is removed. There are multiple copies of others. Some which have one or two faithful readers each year will also be removed. However, these will be readily accessible through the free inter-library loan.
The collection includes some books on tape. More will be added as well as a tape recorder. Patrons without a recorder will be able to borrow it along with the tapes.
Home delivery is another service of the library.
Genealogy material has been gathered from the mezzanine and other areas of the library and arranged in one room. It will be added to by copies of material at the History House. The Genealogy room will open October 1st.
Text books no longer in use at the public schools will be acquired for use by home-schoolers.
Mr. Currier plans for library staff to go to the schools, read stories and register students.
Children of all ages will be able to have their own library cards.
Next spring, all six towns in SAD #54 will be coordinated in the Summer Reading Program under a steering committee which will include Corrilla Hastings and Children’s Librarian, Katherine Connell
Anyone in the school district will be able to use the library free of charge.
Françoise LaBonte is taking classes to learn on-line cataloging. She then teaches the rest of the staff. Meanwhile, Mr. Currier is investigating available software to find the best for the job.
Our Library Director is working closely with the school system. Personnel from the tech school electrical department will consult on the library wiring needs. It has already been determined that the 100 amp electrical entrance is much too small for current usage. The Electronic Office teacher will come and show the placement of computers which will be best for usage. Both services will be at no cost to the library.
Semper Fidelis has decided to adopt the Children’s Library for two years. The group will paint walls, make curtains, supply rugs, etc.
Better shelving options for the Children’s Library are being sought as well.
In March the Library will host the SPARK meeting, which generated ideas for children’s programs. There are plans to have Story Hour on Tuesday afternoons in addition to Wednesday morning.
The Library is going through many changes now. Mr. Currier warned that it will get messier before everything is complete.
After the talk, refreshments were served.