Trustees set public goals as they move forward with new director
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Forbush Memorial Library Trustees set goals of increasing the options of services for the public and to create a public campaign to inform residents of the needs of the building.

The trustees set up the list of goals to begin during the next year for themselves and for new library director Margaret Howe-Soper. Many of the goals are intertwined and the trustees are going to update each other on the progress of these goals monthly.

Trustee Cynthia Hastings-Brutvan said she wanted to ensure action on these goals by creating plans "instead of it being a logy goal in a book or on a table."

The goals range for more services and programs for the customers of the library to completing the building and building a better relationship with the Historical Society.

"I'd like to see us actively engage in fundraising," said Hastings-Brutvan.

She said wanted to make this something the library trustees do in an organized and educated manner. Hastings- Brutvan volunteered to look into classes and seminars that the trustees can take.

"My goal is customer service in general," said Trustee Beth D'Onfro. "We need to give them what they want."

D'Onfro said customer service is moving beyond the pleasant attitudes and the helpful manner of the staff, which she said is at a recent high. But said the goal is to make sure the library has the right books, accessible hours and interesting programming.

Trustees talked about making the suggestion box more promising, conducting surveys, and conducting short conversations with customers.

D'Onfro agreed to work with Howe- Soper and the children's librarian to develop more young-adult programming and to work on strategies to publicize the events.

Hasting-Brutvan said she wants to see more publicity about unusual and interesting events at the library.

"I feel very strongly that one of your goals needs to be to energize the children's room," said Hasting-Brutvan to Howe-Soper.

Howe-Soper said the staff is in the process of developing a list of ideas and planning for next year.

"As interim I was trying to keep the place together and improve staff morale," she said.

Howe-Soper was hired last month as the new director of the library. The development of the goals for her and the library was one of her requests in taking the position.

The trustees also voted to make the library director an ex officio - a nonvoting member - of the subcommittees instead of a voting member. They made the change because trustees thought it wasn't good practice to have the director voting on policy she would be implementing.

Howe-Soper supported the change. The change may need to be approved by the Personnel Board and the Board of Selectmen.

Howe-Soper added goals of her own to the list including getting the staff more training on Internet databases, increase the amount of outreach to the community and develop a broader technology base at the library including wireless access.

In other business:

+ The trustees meet with Friends of the Library President Martha Rainville for an update on the groups work. Rainville asked the trustees to help bring up the groups membership, especially of members that want to get involved on an organizational level.

+ The Friends are sponsoring an ice cream social and a book sale on Saturday, June 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the front yard of the library.

+ Altobelli said there are not any plans for the temporary structural support for the roof yet.