Wakefield trustees accept reports and approve $3,000 for staff training

Wakefield Library Trustees unanimously accepted the secretary’s report and the monthly staff reports and approved a $3,000 appropriation from unrestricted gift funds to send staff to the Massachusetts Library Association conference.

The board called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and voted first to accept the secretary’s report after a motion and second; trustees Susan, Amy, Karen, Chris, Dan, Adam, Laura, Scott and the chair recorded “yes,” and the motion passed unanimously. The trustees then discussed staff reports covering collections, facilities and technology before again voting unanimously to accept the monthly staff reports.

During the meeting trustees debated the logistics of temporarily closing the library for staff training but noted the board’s annual allowance for one closure and said they would coordinate around service needs. A motion to appropriate $3,000 from unrestricted gift funds to send eight to ten staff members to the May conference in Danvers was moved and seconded; Chris seconded the motion, and a roll-call vote recorded unanimous approval by the same trustees.

Trustees also reviewed an updated director contract and asked staff to prepare a final, cleaned-up version for signature at the next meeting to allow time for review and for trustees to consider a parallel review of the director’s job description. The board agreed to delay formal contract signing until the April meeting.

Adjournment came with a unanimous vote. The next regular meeting is scheduled for April 15; the Friends of the Library meet April 9.