TRUSTEES OF FORBES LIBRARY …

                          TRUSTEES OF FORBES LIBRARY
                          Meeting of April 12, 2004


Present: Mr. Bloomberg, Mr. Carrier, Ms. Harding, Mr. Morin, Ms. Moulding, Ms.
Roche. Also Present: Julie Bartlett, Archivist, Calvin Coolidge Presidential
Library and Museum; George Zimmerman, City Treasurer; Anne Keppler, observer
for the Friends of Forbes Library; several members of the library staff and
the public. Absent: None.

The meeting was called to order at 4:05 PM in the Calvin Coolidge Presidential
Library and Museum.

CCPLM Archivist
Mr. Carrier welcomed Julie Bartlett, newly appointed CCPLM Archivist, and
introduced her to the Trustees and officers.

Secretary's Report
Ms. Harding moved that the minutes of the March 22 meeting be accepted as
presented. Mr. Bloomberg seconded the motion, which was passed unanimously.

Mr. Bloomberg moved that the minutes of the April 2 special meeting be
accepted as presented. Ms. Harding seconded the motion, which was passed
unanimously.

Treasurer's Report
Mr. Bloomberg moved that the Treasurer's Report of March 31 be accepted and
placed on file. Ms. Harding seconded the motion, which was passed
unanimously.

FY04 Operating Budget. Mr. Morin said that the employee wages category would
have to be $13,000 under budget each month from April through June 2004,
assuming that all other categories in the Aid Fund stay within budget through
the end of FY04, to avoid a deficit in the Aid Fund at the end of FY04. Ms.
Moulding said that the employee wages category would have been $30,000 under
budget for FY04 if it were not for the $21,000 vacation payout to early
retirees; therefore, it is expected to be $9,000 under budget. She also
expected operating expenses to run $10,000 over budget. Mr. Morin said that
the library will receive $36,000 less than budgeted from the City; Ms.
Moulding explained that this is because the City paid the CWMARS bill
directly. Mr. Morin also noted that income from State grants is about $6,000
less than budgeted, and income from the Clarke and Earle funds is also under
budget. He said that all other funds are positive.

Director's Report
Mr. Carrier said that he had asked Ms. Moulding for a monthly Director's
Report to let the Trustees know what had gone on in the library during the
month and to bring important matters to their attention. Ms. Harding moved
that the Director's Report of April 12 be accepted and placed on file. Mr.
Bloomberg seconded the motion, which was passed unanimously.
                                                                     4/12/04 2.

Friends of Forbes Library
Ms. Moulding reported that the Friends Board had agreed to support an
informational campaign on the consequences of the Northampton libraries'
receiving insufficient funding from the City to meet the Massachusetts Board
of Library Commissioners' municipal appropriation requirement (MAR) and losing
its certification.

Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Trustees was scheduled for Monday, May 17, at 3:45 PM.
Mr. Morin will invite the Banknorth representatives to attend and present a
report for the first quarter of 2004.

Friends Meeting
Ms. Harding agreed to attend the Friends Board meeting on May 5.

Communications
Mr. Carrier presented the following communications: a letter of March 19, 2004
to the Trustees from Alyssa Dee Krauss, commending the library's programs and
staff; a handwritten note of March 22 from Karen A. K----, expressing thanks and
appreciation to staff members Linda, Vanessa, and Hillary, and a letter of
April 12 to the Trustees from the Forbes Library staff, expressing their
appreciation for the Trustees' handling of the decision making process that
led to Ms. Moulding's appointment as Director.

Loan of Coolidge Door. Ms. Moulding presented a letter of April 7, 2004, from
Norman Gross, of the American Bar Association's Museum of Law in Chicago, IL,
requesting the loan of the door to Calvin Coolidge's Northampton law office,
now on display in the CCPLM, for its exhibit titled "America's Lawyer
Presidents: From Law Office to Oval Office," which will run through Spring
2006. She also presented a plan of the exhibit, showing that the door will be
displayed behind acrylic panels. She agreed to make sure that the museum's
offer to cover transportation and insurance costs will cover travel both to
and from the exhibit as well as the exhibit period itself. She also said that
the CCPLM would be prominently mentioned in the exhibit materials.

Upon Ms. Moulding's recommendation, Mr. Bloomberg moved that the Trustees
grant the ABA Museum of Law's request for the loan of the Coolidge door. Ms.
Harding seconded the motion, which was passed unanimously.

City budget meeting. Ms. Moulding presented an e-mail message notifying her
that the meeting of the Mayor and City department heads to discuss the FY05
budget has been changed to April 14, and said that the Trustees are invited to
attend this meeting.

Gallery panels. Mr. Carrier reported the receipt of a letter dated April 7
from Keirnan Murphy, former Trustee and former president of the Friends, which
Mr. Carrier described as a thoughtful and detailed discussion of the display
panels in the Hosmer Gallery, concluding with the view that the space is fine
the way it is now. The Trustees agreed to place the letter on file and refer
to it when this issue is discussed again.
                                                                    4/12/04 3.

Resignations of Trustees. Mr. Carrier presented a letter addressed to him from
Allison Lockwood, stating her intention to resign as a Trustee of Forbes
Library effective April 7, 2004. Mr. Bloomberg moved that Ms. Lockwood's
resignation be accepted with regret. Ms. Harding seconded the motion, which
was passed unanimously.

Mr. Carrier presented a letter addressed to him from Richard C. Garvey,
stating his intention to resign as a Trustee of Forbes Library effective April
7, 2004. Ms. Harding moved that Mr. Garvey's resignation be accepted with
regret. Mr. Bloomberg seconded the motion, which was passed unanimously.

Mr. Carrier read the following statement:
     It is with great sadness that I acknowledge today the resignations of
     Richard Garvey and Allison Lockwood as trustees of Forbes Library.
     Between them, they represent over sixteen years of volunteer service as
     trustees. Their steadfast support, fundraising ability, and numerous
     votes for Phase One and Phase Two of the renovations were largely
     responsible for both projects going forward and being successfully
     completed. Their insightful ideas and hard work on behalf of the Calvin
     Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum, as well as for the Hampshire
     Room for Local History have been instrumental in placing both areas near
     the top of our agenda during the past few years. Further, their faithful
     monthly attendance, representing the Trustees at the meetings of the
     Friends of Forbes Library, have greatly improved communication between
     both bodies. Their skillful fundraising efforts are also largely
     responsible for our ability to begin the current parking and grounds
     improvements. On a personal note, as president of the board, I will miss
     their experience, generosity, dedication, sense of humor, and most of
     all, their wise advice. In addition, we all know their knowledge of local
     history and their love and concern for this institution is unsurpassed
     and irreplaceable. On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I wish to
     extend my heartfelt thanks to them and wish them the best in the future.

Mr. Carrier asked Ms. Harding to take over as chair of the meeting, then moved
that Ms. Harding be elected Vice President of the Trustees. Mr. Bloomberg
seconded the motion, which was passed unanimously. Mr. Carrier then took up
the chair again.

Mr. Carrier asked Ms. Moulding to ask City Clerk Wendy Mazza about the proper
procedure for filling the two vacant positions.

FY05 Operating Budget
Ms. Moulding reported that she had met with the Mayor and Mr. Musante to
present a draft of the library's FY05 budget request. She said that they
asked for some changes in the narrative, but not in the figures. She believed
that the Mayor is committed to maintaining the library's State certification.

Oriental Rugs
Ms. Moulding reported on her discussions with Basha of Amherst regarding the
purchase of an oriental rug for the Art and Music periodical room. Mr.
Carrier suggested that the rug now in the Art and Music periodical room and
the one in the CCPLM be traded in, and that a more suitable rug for the CCPLM
and one for the Watson Room also be purchased. Ms. Moulding said that funds
for new rugs would come from the budget for furnishings within the Second
Century Fund, but suggested that a request could also be made to the Friends.
                                                                    4/12/04 4.

Credit Card Acceptance
Ms. Moulding suggested that the library explore the option of accepting credit
cards. She believed that, although there would be expenses involved, credit
card acceptance would make it possible for patrons to pay for images or
research services over the Internet. She said that patrons have expressed a
wish to be able to pay fines and lost book fees with credit cards, and that
CWMARS is exploring software to make this possible. The Trustees asked Ms.
Moulding to gather more information on this option.

Clarke and Earle Funds
Mr. Zimmerman arrived at the meeting at 4:55 PM. He and the Trustees briefly
discussed options for handling the management of the library's funds as a
whole, and discussed their role in setting policy for the investment of the
Clarke and Earle Funds. Mr. Carrier explained that although the Clarke and
Earle funds benefit the library, they were left to the City, and that the City
considers the income from them to be part of its appropriation to the library;
therefore, the City has the strongest interest in their management. The
Trustees' concern is getting an accurate estimate of disbursements from the
funds each year and then getting those disbursements in a timely manner.

Mr. Zimmerman suggested a disbursement amount of $16,000 per year ($4,000 per
quarter). Mr. Carrier asked whether disbursements could be made at this time
to add up to that amount for FY04, as this would help with the expected
shortfall in the FY04 operating budget due to the reduction in State grant
funds. Mr. Morin said that the library has received only $1,375 from the
funds in FY04 ($820 from the Clarke Fund and $555 from the Earle Fund). Mr.
Zimmerman agreed to consider this request, and asked Mr. Morin to send him a
history of disbursements back to the last time when the library was receiving
them regularly. Mr. Carrier said that the Trustees would appreciate an annual
report on the status of the funds.

Mr. Zimmerman left the meeting at 5:10 PM.

Director's Evaluation
The Trustees and Ms. Moulding discussed the Director's Evaluation form, which
Mr. Carrier said has been part of the Director's employment contract. The
Trustees agreed to add two more options to each Performance Appraisal
category, "Unknown" and "Not Applicable." They also agreed that the
Director's goals for the year should be placed at the beginning of the form.
Ms. Roche agreed to make these revisions in the form.

Distribution of Minutes
Ms. Roche described how the Trustees' minutes are distributed. After each
meeting, she first sends a rough draft to the Director, both as a reminder of
what occurred at the meeting and to solicit corrections, then prepares a
polished, signed version for submission to the Trustees for their approval.
The Trustees discussed her report as well as a selection from "Ask the
Advocate," from the Municipal Advocate, presented by Ms. Moulding. Mr.
Bloomberg expressed appreciation for the detailed minutes the Trustees have
received, but believed that in some circumstances, "less is more." He pointed
out that any record of the Trustees' meetings, including Ms. Roche's
handwritten notes, is public record. Ms. Roche turned over several notebooks
containing notes of Trustees' meetings to Ms. Moulding, who will find out
whether there is any legal requirement to keep them.
                                                                    4/12/04 5.

Ms. Moulding said that the approved minutes are made available to the public
at the reference desk and on the library's Web site (rather than on the bulle-
tin board, as originally planned). The Trustees agreed that the submitted
minutes, clearly marked "Draft," would be posted in the staff room, but that
minutes would not be disseminated to the public until they are approved,
although earlier versions would be provided upon request. Mr. Carrier urged
that minutes of executive sessions be kept, although they could be minimal.

Assistant Director/Reorganization
Ms. Moulding presented a proposal for a reorganization of administrative
duties that would place responsibility for adult circulation and patron
services, including Art and Music circulation, with the Assistant Director.
She said that any item can now be checked out at any circulation desk in the
library building. She would consider physically consolidating Art and Music
circulation at the main desk as well, but considered the Children's Room a
different matter because of the special needs of its patrons. Mr. Carrier re-
quested that responsibility for public relations be specified in the plan. He
also asked that the plan specify that the Assistant Director will assume the
responsibilities of the Director in the Director's absence, and that it make
clear that the Assistant Director has authority over the library staff.

Ms. Moulding also presented a preliminary plan for budget adjustments that
would allow additional hours for the CCPLM archivist and higher salaries for
the department heads by reducing the salaries of the Director and Assistant
Director. She said that she and Martine Hargraves of Lilly Library plan to
speak with Glenda Stoddard of the City Personnel Office about the possibility
of regrading professional librarian positions. She believed that the
department heads' current salaries are low for professional librarians, and
presented statistics to back this claim. Mr. Carrier asked her to provide
statistics specific to Western Massachusetts, rather than the state as a
whole. Mr. Carrier expressed reservations about raising the salaries of some,
but not all, library staff, especially in the current climate of City budget
cuts. He also cautioned against planning a FY05 budget that would "devour
every penny" of anticipated income, leaving nothing for unexpected
circumstances. Ms. Moulding believed that the proposed adjustments would be
appropriate as part of a reorganization of, and reallocation of funds within,
the library administration, and expressed the hope that the needs of other
staff would be addressed next. The Trustees agreed to place the
reorganization plan on the agenda for their next meeting.

Director's Goals
Ms. Moulding presented a list of goals for the Director. The Trustees asked
her to break it down into short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals, and to
get this revised list to them as soon as possible.

Parking and Grounds Improvements
Mr. Carrier reported that he had filled in for Mr. Garvey on the Parking
Committee. He said that the Northampton Department of Public Works is likely
to lose all its part-time help in FY05, and so would have to finish its work
on the library's parking expansion by the end of FY04; Denig Design will cost
out what remains to be done after that time. He believed that a figure would
be available at the next Trustees' meeting.
                                                                    4/12/04 6.

Repointing
Ms. Moulding reported that the architect for the repointing project had
suggested architectural improvements to the Children's Room entrance and had
said that historic preservation grants might be available for that purpose.

Ms. Harding moved that the Trustees authorize Mr. Carrier to sign documents
and authorize bills and payments on their behalf in matters relating to the
repointing project. Mr. Bloomberg seconded the motion, which was passed
unanimously.

Web Page
Mr. Carrier agreed to place his address and phone number on the Library Web
page as a contact for the Trustees.

Director's Contract
The Trustees agreed to place the matter of the Director's employment contract
on the agenda for their next meeting. They discussed the provision of a
disability income policy, which was provided for Mr. Bisaillon. Mr. Carrier
agreed to serve as negotiator for the contract.

Sales and Gifts
The Trustees endorsed Ms. Moulding's proposal to use a gift of $1,000 from
Isabel Holden in honor of Ms. Moulding's appointment as Director to establish
a fund for staff development.

Trustees' Award
Mr. Carrier asked that the Trustees' Award ceremony on May 26 be publicized
and noted that it is open to the public. They asked Ms. Roche to send Ms.
Moulding a list of former Trustees so that invitations can be sent to them.

Mr. Carrier stressed that for as long as there are only three Trustees, all
will have to take on an extra share of work. He also urged all those present
to encourage good candidates with time, energy, and skills to run for the two
vacant positions.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:20 PM.