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Library director outlines hiring needs, system migration hiccups, grand-opening week and renovations
Summary
Director Elizabeth told the trustees that staffing strains from a prior hiring freeze remain, the consortium migration is largely complete but still producing functionality issues, Prosser's grand-opening week is June 22'29, and McMahon-Wintonbury exterior renovations are expected this fall; trustees were briefed on metrics and accessibility work.
At the June 9 meeting of the Bloomfield Public Library Board of Trustees, Director Elizabeth delivered a comprehensive operations update covering staffing, the town budget outcome, a consortium software migration, accessibility work and upcoming community events.
Elizabeth said the library endured a hiring freeze during building and transition phases that left gaps staff are now trying to fill. "When we moved, even before we moved out of Prosser Library, we had a hiring freeze...there's been an incredible strain on the staff," she said. She explained page positions are six hours per week, part-time librarians and library assistants were posted with a range (10'15 hours), and two requested full-time positions had been treated as budget modifications and were not funded; the board did receive an increased part-time budget so staff will recruit multiple part-time hires, prioritizing teen and youth services and support for back-of-house tasks.
On budget, Elizabeth said the town referendum did not overturn the adopted budget and staff will proceed with the status-quo budget plus the part-time improvement. She thanked staff for supporting public access to mandated budget documents and said trustees and staff will continue to monitor operational impacts across departments.
Staff and trustees discussed an extensive migration of the catalog and patron systems undertaken with the consortium (LCI). "We're in the transition time," one staff speaker said; the migration team and vendor continue to address lingering hiccups, add Connecticut-specific functionality and train staff and patrons on new online patron accounts. The board was told the new app—featuring a barcode reader—is improved but its vendor rollout had not fully occurred as of the meeting.
Elizabeth and staff cited key usage metrics: library cards exceed 7,300; 89 programs in the period recorded just over 1,100 attendees; digital circulation is increasing as patrons learn the resources; and visits last month were about 9,100. Staff clarified that auto-renewals are part of physical circulation (except for new books on shorter loans) and that some reporting numbers remain delayed while the new system stabilizes.
On facilities, Elizabeth urged trustees to publicize Prosser Library's grand-opening week (June 22'29), which includes a state-of-the-library reception, a Juneteenth concert, a Prosser prom, book dances and a banned-books photo shoot (registration capped at 50). She said McMahon-Wintonbury Library's exterior renovation received town-council approval to use bond interest for completion and staff hope for a soft completion this fall; the grand-opening date is TBD because of landscaping and weather considerations.
The director also noted accessibility work: the Department of Justice has moved a compliance date for some online ADA requirements, the Connecticut State Library is assisting, and staff are addressing color-contrast issues on the website. Staff recommended testing color contrast for both web and printed materials.
What happens next: trustees will continue to advertise the grand-opening events, staff will proceed with hiring multiple part-time positions as funding and applicants allow, the migration vendor and consortium will work on remaining fixes, and the McMahon exterior work will continue toward a fall completion target.
