Outgoing BPL Board of Trustees Chair, Bob Gallery (center) and BPL President, David Leonard (right)
The March 23 meeting of the BPL Board of Trustees opened with Acting Chair, Evelyn Arana-Ortiz, thanking Mayor Walsh for his service and welcoming Acting Mayor Kim Janey and all the new BPL Trustees: Navjeet Bal, Joseph Berman, Joyce Linehan, Michael Rush, and Christian Westra. A farewell to outgoing Chair Bob Gallery followed. Arana-Ortiz characterized the Board as one of the strongest and most diverse in the Commonwealth, and praised Gallery for his contribution to creating a more unified and cohesive community among the Trustees, the libraries, and the associated Friends groups. Gallery expressed his gratitude to the Board for their collaboration and his intent to stay involved.
Governance & Development Committee
Trustee John Hailer provided an update from the Governance & Development Committee, noting the nomination of Priscilla Douglas to serve as the Chair of the Board from March 23, 2021 through May 18, 2021, the date of the next annual meeting and formal election process. The Board voted unanimously to accept this nomination.
President’s Report
BPL President David Leonard began the President’s report by expressing his wholehearted support for Douglas’s nomination and his desire to collaborate with Douglas and the Board going forward.
Douglas spoke briefly, indicating her strong approval of the BPL’s performance during the pandemic and emphasizing the seamless, continuing service being provided to existing patrons as well as expansion to new patrons. She acknowledged the need to recover from Covid, racial inequities, and economic divides, and achieve a “new normal,” in which the library will meet people wherever they are.
Continuing his Report, Leonard welcomed City Councilor Frank Baker, who proposed the dedication and renaming of the community room at the Adams St. Branch Library as “the Pat O’Neill Community Room.” O’Neill was a neighborhood association leader in Dorchester who worked energetically and selflessly for the betterment of the library, neighborhood, and City. She passed away last spring.
Leonard denounced the violence in Atlanta and Colorado, and highlighted the need for the nation to confront and address the issues of gun control, misogyny, and racism (including anti-Asian discrimination). He noted that bringing a permanent Chinatown library branch to fruition is a key BPL priority.
Leonard introduced two new BPL managers, John Towle, Chief of Staff & Strategy, and Brett Curry, Facilities Manager – Branches. With the City’s hiring freeze lifted, he stated that other open positions will be filled as soon as possible. Although BPL’s push for early vaccine eligibility for library staff was unsuccessful, Leonard noted that all personnel will be eligible on April 19th. Although the vaccine is not a precondition for reopening, it will bring a sense of safety to many in the coming weeks. Leonard expects to have more news about reopening at the May Trustees’ meeting. In the meantime, there will be modest additions to services across the system.
Leonard discussed the evolving Strategic Road Map, the BPL’s five-year plan, which will be presented at an all-staff meeting the week of March 29th and will be brought up for a vote of the Trustees at the May meeting. Key focus areas are
· Becoming an antiracist organization and building a culture of respect
· Offering programming and services that build and maintain equity
· Building, maintaining, and activating collections
· Expanding reach, awareness, and impact with fiscal sustainability
· Creating inspiring spaces, well maintained and modern infrastructure
· Creating patron and staff connections and services through technology
· Continuing to expect the unexpected
There will be four phases to be implemented over the next five years.
Finance & Audit Committee Update
Kurt Mansperger, BPL Chief Technology Officer, presented the BPL 2021 Technology Plan. The following is a list of its key goals:
· Focus on impact and outcomes using data analytics
· Extend the library’s reach equitably, with external WIFI, Chrome Book lending, hot spot program, etc.
· Expand educational opportunities – extend technical training for staff and patrons
· Develop spaces that meet evolving patron needs – more comfortable and after hours, improving video conference capability at all branches
· Enable One Library through a communications platform, internal document management, and relationships
· Drive organizational efficiency – improve existing work flows, onboarding, promotions, etc.
· Improve IT fundamentals – staff development, data center, information security
The Board voted to accept the Plan.
Investment Performance
Arana-Ortiz reviewed the investment funds’ performance, noting an 18% year-to-date return as of the end of January 2021, and more than an 8% return over the ten year period for the $73 million currently invested. Some re-allocation among funds is planned.
New Business
The Trustees wish to have a separate, more in-depth discussion of the library’s antiracist evolution and the issues related to the library’s stance on keeping “publisher-removed” Dr. Seuss books in special collections and available to patrons.
Public Comment
David Vieira of City Friends welcomed the new Trustees and expressed his personal opinion that the BPL should not provide commentary about any books including the “publisher removed” Dr. Seuss books.
Individually, the following people expressed their concern about the process of naming the former Dudley Square Branch the Roxbury Branch and their desire to have the library rename the Roxbury Branch the Nubian Square Branch.
· Paula Coar of the Roxbury/Nubian Square coalition
· Jamada Smith
· Samuel Pierce
· Marie Ferman, resident of Roxbury and President of the Black Business Development Group
· Dr. Reginald L. Jackson, a member of the Roxbury/Nubian Square Coalition
Nora Vincent, resident of West Roxbury, spoke about the use of the words “Becoming an anti -racist organization and building a culture of respect” and stated the importance of using the word “becoming,” citing the need to continue the evolution.
The next meeting is set for May 18th at 8:30am.