The BPL Trustees held a meeting on September 28, 2021 and discussed the following topics:
New Committees
The meeting began with an announcement of the inauguration of two new board committees: The Strategic Community Engagement Committee, tasked with bringing various communities together, and the “Reformatted” Collections Committee, a revised version of the existing Collections Committee. Both will be formed on October 8th.
Programming
Michael Colford, Director of Library Services, then provided an update on programming. He addressed youth programs, a major focus of the BPL’s offerings, which include virtual and outdoor Story Times for children, Countdown to Kindergarten at 16 branches, Future Readers Club, kindergarten camps, courtyard events, and homework assistance.
Colford also reviewed adult programming, including a lecture series entitled Joy & Renewal for the winter/spring, and high-profile author talks. Tech Goes Home continues offering basic technology skills, with computer and WIFI access provided. Colford also mentioned ongoing ESL support, early literacy, playwriting boot camp, and three programs with Grub Street, a local nonprofit focused on writing and literacy.
BPL Fund Relaunch
BPL President David Leonard then addressed the relaunch of the BPL Fund (led by BPL Executive Director Paula Sakey) calling for a board vote on (1) a Memorandum of Understanding clarifying the relationships between and among the BPL, the BPL Fund, and the City, (2) a Gift Acceptance Policy outlining when and whether to accept a gift, and (3) a Named Giving Policy outlining naming rights for substantial gifts. These policies were unanimously adopted and will clear the way for communicating with potential donors to the BPL Fund.
Summer Utilization
Leonard reviewed summer utilization numbers, estimating there were about 500,000 transactions per month for July and August, including visits, book use, and program attendance. The numbers are not yet back to 2019 levels but are heading in the right direction.
Cybersecurity Incident
Leonard reported that in August, the BPL experienced a significant cybersecurity incident which forced many services offline for 6-7 days, and required staff to quickly pivot to paper-based services. There is no evidence that the personal information of patrons or staff was compromised and no reason to suspect internal wrongdoing. Data was restored with minimum loss. The board planned to discuss the matter further in a short executive session following the meeting. A public law enforcement investigation is ongoing. At the end of the discussion, Alyssa Cadillac, President of AFSME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO), offered praise for staff in stepping up to keep the library functioning and for IT staff who worked tirelessly to resolve the incident.
Pandemic Impact
Turning to the ongoing impact of the pandemic on current operations, Leonard mentioned that as of this summer’s reopening, the City requires all employees to report to work in person, and masks must be worn by staff and patrons at all BPL locations. Roughly 20% of staff positions (around 86) remain unfilled partly as a result of the 2020 Covid-initiated budget freeze, and retirements. Accordingly, ramping up staffing is a top priority at this time.
Branch Activities
The McKim courtyard fountain project is complete and several concerts have been hosted there. The Hyde Park Branch reopened in early summer after challenges with construction and supply issues. The Adams Street Branch had a ribbon cutting this summer as well.
A Roxbury Branch at Nubian Square opening ceremony will take place on October 23rd and the Roslindale Branch is opening is delayed due to shelving availability issues.
The Programming Study for our South End Branch is planned for this fiscal year, which runs from July ‘21-June ’22. Leonard indicated that the City Facilities Director has confirmed it will be started during this time period.
Agenda Items for Future Trustees Meetings
Future Trustees meetings will focus on racial equity, and will welcome representatives from the nonprofit DEI organization YW Boston. The McKim Master Planning (and capital) Campaign is also on the agenda for future meetings.
Financial
Evelyn Arena-Ortiz, Chair of the Finance/Audit Committee, introduced Matt Hunt from the audit firm to update the board on the recent financial audit, which resulted in an unmodified opinion. The review was free from any material errors or issues. The general fund is up 6% over last year with a 25% increase in expendable trust funds due to stock market gains.
Public Comments
Public comments focused mainly on the concern among many branch librarians that the current collections process does not allow them to align branch collections with their communities’ unique needs (10 of the 14 commenters addressed this).
Marleen Nienhuis, founder and former President of FOSEL, spoke about recent staff changes at the South End Library, and the importance of considering the needs and interests of library patrons and the broader community in making such decision. Nienhuis said:
I hope my comments will inspire you to reconsider the notion that what happens to local libraries and their staff is not just an internal matter. Branch library staff everywhere in Boston have long-standing relationships with library users based on mutual trust and understanding…I and many other patrons hope you will reconsider how to respect and value the importance of the relationships between branch staff and library users.
Sadiki Kambon of the Nubian Square Coalition spoke about the naming of the Roxbury Library at Nubian Square and requested that the BPL declare the naming vote null and void and schedule a session to allow sufficient input from the community.
The next Trustees meeting is scheduled for November 16, 2021 at 8:30 am.