Meeting Matters
FORBUSH MEMORIAL LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2008
Compiled by Caitlyn Kelleher Journal Reporter

Top Story:

The Forbush of Memorial Library Board of Trustees focused most of their meeting on the ongoing renovations at the Forbush Library Building on Main Street and the move to the temporary location on Simplex Drive.

Library Director Margaret Howe-Soper said the number of people visiting the library in the last two weeks has increased. She said all of the services at the temporary facility are open and ready for use. The Trustees commented positively on the wellorganized and well-marked areas inside the library facility.

The Trustees are hoping that more people will come to the library starting with the ice cream social on Saturday. Trustee Beth D'Onfro said she has found some young adults to help with musical acts, juggling and other entertainment.

D'Onfro asked Trustees if they wanted to try to get a bus stop at the temporary library facility next fall for the high school and middle school students.

Howe-Soper said she had two major concerns about this possibility. She said her first concern is what happens if students are still at the library at 8 p.m. when the library closes, because the area is fairly deserted.

Trustee Chairman Dana Altobelli said the board would create and publish a policy that would include calling the police to pick up the unattended children. He agreed the children could not remain outside the facility and that it was not the staff's job to remain with the children.

Howe-Soper was also concerned because the library would be closed on Mondays and she did not want children left unattended.

Altobelli said D'Onfro should talk with the superintendent of schools to determine if a bus stop was possible with the bus company and then if it is a possibility then the Trustees would take up the matter in more details.

In other business:

• The Library Trustees voted to change their meetings from the first Tuesday of the month to the second Tuesday for the remained of 2008 in order to accommodate the billing from the construction company. The meeting schedule is July 8, Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 4, and Dec. 9.

• The Trustees are considering creating a policy that would eliminate the ability of residents from cities or towns non-certified libraries to borrow from the Forbush's collection.

The move comes as Fitchburg Library stands to loose the certification in January 2009. The Trustees asked Howe-Soper to draw up the formal policy and focused their decision on the fact that they would not be reimbursed by the state for serving these customers.

Other area libraries already have a formal policy on these issues.