Trustees adopt director goals: space assessment, storage plan, website migration and entrance review

The Town of Southborough Library Trustees voted to accept the Library Director’s annual evaluation and four specific goals for the coming year: research hiring a space-assessment consultant, evaluate additional storage options, migrate the library website and research options to improve the lower entrance and parking lot.

Director Ryan and trustees discussed scope and cost at length. Ryan said a professional space assessment with architectural or library-experience consultants can be costly — "they went into, I believe, the, like, 5 figures to pay for the study," he said — and that the town has state aid funds available that could potentially pay for consultant work. Trustees agreed the director should prepare proposals and cost estimates rather than begin immediate construction work. The board assigned target dates: website migration by Oct. 25, 2025, and the larger facility and storage items with a Feb. 28, 2026 completion target for research and recommendations.

The trustees moved, seconded and approved the goals on a roll call vote. During discussion trustees and the director also sketched specific near-term storage possibilities — moving seasonal program chairs into outdoor or ground-level containers, evaluating a small shed or using existing green storage containers on library grounds, and examining the historic shelving and possible reconfiguration — and flagged accessibility, circulation flow and emergency-vehicle access as constraints to be addressed with DPW or facilities staff. Ryan said the current website vendor will be unavailable in October, making the migration time-sensitive.

The trustees asked the director to return with written proposals and cost estimates as part of the library’s planning and state-aid reporting.