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Massachusetts Library Trustees Association
MLTAUpdate
Sum
mer 2
010
MLTAUpdate Goes Digital!
Last time you heard from us with a hardcopy
newsletter was early summer 2009!
Thanks to the hard work of MLTA Past Presi-
dent Cindy Schatz, our address survey results now
feature updated e-mails for the debut of our elec-
tronic newsletter! This version of the newsletter
comes to you in full color and yields a smaller car-
bon footprint for us all.
However, you may still want to print out a copy
for your local legislator, fellow library trustees, or
library advocates. If you wish MLTA Secretary
Kendall Inglese to keep you on a snail mail list for
newsletter distribution, please send $10 for the
year’s issues (payable to MLTA) and include the ap-
propriate physical mailing address(es) (up to five
addresses per every $10 fee) where you wish to
receive the hardcopy version of the newsletter. Send
all mailing list correspondence Attn: Dick Senier, MLTA
Vice President, P.O. Box 1503, Wakefield, MA 01880.
Remember that the e-MLTAUpdate is forward-
able. Help keep your advocates, including students,
retirees, business owners, Friends, and Foundation
contacts, “in the loop” about the latest library re-
sources by using electronic outreach along with all
your advocacy efforts. We hope you’ll find the for-
wardability of this electronic newsletter helpful to
broaden your base . . . and MLTA’s sponsors as well.
– The 2010 MLTA Board of Directors
MLTA/MFOL Conference Set for November 6
page 3
Get To Know Director Kendall Inglese
page 4
The State Budge Crunch, Need for Advocacy
pages 5-6
Ideas for Improving Your Library’s Visual Appeal
page 7
WHAT’S INSIDE
Spring 2010 MBLC/MLTA Symposium Focused on Group Dynamics
The MBLC and the MLTA sponsored the Trustee Symposium
Group Process: Working Effectively as a Library Board
presented by Dr. E. Wallace Coyle, President of E. Wallace
Coyle Associates, at the Bedford Public Library on Saturday,
April 10, 2010. Approximately eighty-five individuals attended
the symposium, including MBLC Director Rob Maier, Head of
the Library Advisory and Development Unit Maureen Killoran,
Research Librarian/Friends Liaison Brian Donoghue, and sev-
eral other members of the MBLC.
Dr. Coyle’s talk focused on the following objectives:
• Working effectively in a group process
• Resolving conflict effectively
• Understanding personality types (including our own!)
• Dealing with that “most difficult person”
• Improving communication (what to say and what not to say).
Dr. Coyle, who said to “just call me Wally,” began by discussing
how to deal with “different people.” This part of his talk centered
around identifying four basic personality types. He had the audi-
ence go through an exercise where each individual ranked his or
her own personality characteristics to determine individual
“styles.” Then he showed how these individual styles fit into one of
four major categories.
After a short break, Dr. Coyle showed a video entitled Difficult
People in the Workplace. The video identified some group dynamics,
which were illustrated by three scenarios identified as the “Abilene
Paradox,” the “Calvetti Experiment,” and the “Roads of Boston.”
These scenarios were rather entertaining, as we could all identify
with the situations they described. Dr.
Coyle then discussed how to develop
critical listening skills, how to cope
with difficult behavior, and how to
respond to different personality types.
Dr. Coyle finished by providing nu-
merous tips and strategies for working
on already damaged relationships and
for dealing with problem behavior. He
also gave symposium attendees his
“five Ps” for successful meetings: pur-
poses, people, points/prepared agenda,
process (the most critical, according to
Dr. Coyle), and post meeting (minutes,
next steps, decisions, and “follow-up
and follow-through”).
What’s Buggin’ You? MLTA Wants to Know!
We want to know what challenges your Trustee
Board has been facing. What’s on your plate that
you’re just not sure you have the knowledge or ex-
pertise to resolve?
Send us an e-mail today! We’ll point you in the right
direction for help. We’ll also consider the subject of
your challenge as a topic for a future Roundtable
Discussion Event, Trustee Table Talk session, or a
workshop at this year’s Joint Annual Conference.
Contact MLTA President Jack Donohue or MLTA
Secretary Kendall Inglese today! (See p. 2 for their
e-mail addresses).
P.O. Box 1503, Wakefield, MA 01880 ♦ www.masslib.org/mlta
MLTAUpdate ♦ Summer 2010 2
Now a distinguished past president of the MLTA, Cindy Schatz, of Wakefield, is
busier than ever with Girl Scouts and hometown community Fourth of July festivi-
ties, but we can still count on her contributions as an active member of the Board
(see her article entitled Legislative Update: Challenging Budget Times on p. 5).
New MLTA President Jack Donohue, of Worcester, has taken over the reins
(see President’s Message on p. 3) and is planning to include the latest on issues fac-
ing library trustees across the state at the MLTA/MFOL Joint Conference on
November 6. As a science teacher and a former high-tech executive, Jack will add
an educational and state-of-the-art twist to the conference that will be worth the
trip for you and members of your trustee community to investigate!
MLTA Directors Gary Jones, of Brookline, and Kendall Inglese, of Lynnfield,
continue serving as MLTA’s treasurer and secretary, respectively. Gary is working
on an archive idea he had for some of our longtime library trustees, and Kendall is
working on production of the newsletter with MLTA Newsletter Editor Samantha
Dias, of Ludlow.
Colorful Dick Senier, of Orange, continues on as MLTA vice president, and Di-
rectors Don and Teena Cherry, of Leicester, are again chairing the November
MLTA/MFOL conference this year.
Maureen Killoran, MLTA’s MBLC liaison, is retiring in 2010! We anticipate a
special tribute to honor the thirty-two years of great service she has pro-
vided to the state.
We also say farewell and good luck to Mike Kelly, formerly of Lunenburg, who
moved to South Carolina.
Two director positions are available for any current or former library trustee you
know. Please help us find a new director. Also, if you’d like to volunteer your library
as the location for an upcoming MLTA Board of Directors meeting, contact Director
Nancy Gilbert, of Shrewsbury, at (508) 845-1666 or [email protected].
News from Your Board of Directors Your MLTA Board
President
Jack Donohue/508-791-5773
Vice President
Richard Senier/978-544-2107
Treasurer
Gary Jones/617-731-1611
Secretary Kendall Inglese/781-334-5131 [email protected]
Directors
Rob Aldape/978-568-9147
Don & Teena Cherry/508-892-1349
Ann Marie Conant/978-649-2432
Edith Entwistle/781-272-1445
Sue French/413-224-1050
Nancy Gilbert/508-845-1666
Bill Lekas/978-649-2993
Brian Lowney/508-672-6086
Michael McMahon/413-569-6531
Seeking 2 more directors!
(Skype may be used to
attend meetings.)
Past President
Cindy Schatz/781-246-1273
Others
Newsletter Editor
Samantha Dias/413-530-3032
MBLC Trustee Liaison
Maureen Killoran/1-800-952-7403
MLTA P.O. Box 1503 Wakefield, MA 01880 www.masslib.org/mlta
MLTA Board of Directors by the art gallery at a June 2009 Directors meeting at Norfolk Public Library. Pictured from left to right: (back row) Brian Lowney, Dick Senier, Teena Cherry, Michael J. Kelly, Rob Adalpe, Jack Donohue, Don Cherry; (front row) Kendall Inglese, Edith Entwistle, Cindy Schatz, Nancy Gilbert, Maureen Killoran. Not pictured: Ann Conant, Sue French, Bill Lekas, Mike McMahon, Elaine Melisi, and Sam Dias.
Keep Informed with MLA’s Project Alert
Please register with this free alert service, from which you will receive
infrequent e-mails letting you know about legislative issues needing your
immediate attention.
• To subscribe or change your address information, see
http://ma.ala.capwiz.com/ala/ma/mlm/signup/.
• To contact the list owner, e-mail [email protected].
• To write to a physical address for Project Alert, send mail to the following:
Massachusetts Library Association, P.O. Box 1445, Marstons Mills, MA 02648.
!
MLTA ♦ P.O. Box 1503, Wakefield, MA 01880 ♦ www.masslib.org/mlta
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BY JACK DONOHUE Here we are well into summer, and libraries across the state
continue to struggle to support our users. With Governor
Deval Patrick’s proposed budget for FY2011 having an al-
most one-third cut to State Aid to Regional Libraries, things
will get tougher. The governor’s proposed granting of unlim-
ited waivers to the Municipal Appropriation Requirement
(MAR) means that cities and towns will have more leeway in
cutting library hours. Now is the time to start working with
your elected representatives at the local and state levels to
let them know how many people you serve and in how many
ways. Waiting until budget hearings start will mean that you’ll be only one of
many voices asking for consideration in the budget process.
Some of the ways you may want to get the information out is by having basic
numbers about what has happened to your budgets over the past few years com-
pared with the number of users coming into your library. Simple one-page hand-
outs can be very effective if the message is clear and to the point. If you are asked
to make a presentation to your city council or board of selectmen, consider asking
one of your constituents who owns a business or has a teaching background who
uses PowerPoint® in their line of work to help put together a presentation. Make
sure you acknowledge their contributions during your presentation. You’ll be giv-
ing credit where it is due as well as creating an ally.
The battle for necessary funding will be ongoing. Based on the gloomy finan-
cial projections, this fight will only be the first of many to come. Talk to your us-
ers; get them as concerned as you are about where library support is headed.
With many libraries now providing Wi-Fi access, your library’s actual number of
users may be significantly higher than you realize. Try to identify who these peo-
ple are, and let them know you’re there to help (as you always have been!). These
may be your neighbors who need Internet access but who have had to eliminate it
from their household budgets.
Circulation is also increasing across the state with some incredible numbers
being reported. Comparing FY2008 to FY2009 shows circulation increases of 59
percent in Great Barrington, 52 percent in Chesterfield, 51 percent in Clinton.
Significant increases of 14–35 percent have also occurred in Millville, Groveland,
Hopedale, Provincetown, Lancaster, Lynn, Dracut, Marshfield, Middleborough,
North Adams, Somerville, Woburn, Chelsea, Watertown, and Needham.
Now that the Regional Library System has been replaced, we are going from
six service centers down to two in Waltham and Whately under the new Massa-
chusetts Library System. Also, five libraries in the state have become disaster
recovery centers in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Ad-
ministration (FEMA).
Keep in mind that the MLTA is here for you. If you want to share any ideas
that work for you or if you are looking for help, please contact the MLTA. We’ll be
happy to lend a hand of support in these trying times.
Mission of the Massachusetts Library Trustees Association
The Massachusetts Library Trustees
Association serves as a resource for trus-
tees to become knowledgeable advocates
to improve their community libraries.
To accomplish this goal, the MLTA:
• serves as a forum for exchange of
information among the trustees
• provides workshops and seminars
and disseminates information on a
variety of topics to the trustees
• advocates for library legislation at
the local and state level
• works with the Massachusetts
Board of Library Commissioners
(MBLC) to improve libraries in the
Commonwealth, concentrating on
communications among the trustees
(e.g., producing the Trustees’ Hand-
book with the MBLC).
Where Are We Going?
To learn more about the status of the Massachusetts
Library License Plate program, check out the next
issue of the MLTAUpdate newsletter.
Save the Date! MLTA/MFOL Joint Annual Conference Scheduled for Nov. 6
The Massachusetts Library Trustees
Association and the Massachusetts
Friends of Libraries announce that their
Joint Annual Conference will be held on
Saturday, November 6, 2010, at Worces-
ter Technical High School.
Worcester Technical High School is
conveniently located just off of Route 9
in Worcester, with easy access to several
major highways. This year’s conference
is developing to be one of the largest and
best ever!
The following are some of the planned
features of this year’s conference:
• Expanded and more diverse session
offerings
• Increased time between sessions
• Plenty of FREE parking
• A concierge service to help you plan
conference day activities for you and
your family
• Streamlined registration and confer-
ence day check-in
• Comfortable table seating for lunch
and morning coffee
• A state-of-the-art venue jjj
More information about the event will
be provided in the near future. We look
forward to seeing you at this year’s
MLTA/MFOL Joint Annual Conference!
3
A volunteer activist for a decade,
Kendall Inglese has served six years as
a Lynnfield Library trustee and two
years as MLTA secretary. Raised in
Madison, Wisconsin, she graduated
from Mount Holyoke College, where
she owned and operated the Coffee
Grind as a student and rowed in the
Head of the Charles® Regatta. Early
in her career, she managed restau-
rants in Faneuil Hall, Brookline, and
Lexington. She worked fifteen years as
a marketing manager on direct mail
campaigns at Amergent (formerly Tar-
get Marketing) for nonprofits such as
New England Aquarium and Trout
Unlimited. She received a Gold Star
Award for Cultural Council arts pro-
gramming in 2005. Since 2005, she
has consulted part time and volun-
teered with local groups such as Vet-
erinary Scholarship Trust, Stoneham
Theater, North Shore Medical Center’s
Healing Garden, and Integrated Med-
Alliance. She is studying at Salem
State to teach history and offers “Art
Smart” local history workshops to stu-
dents in grades 3–8. Married to Vin-
cent Inglese, a retirement planner at
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Bos-
ton, she has two grown children.
Q: How and why did you become a
library trustee?
A: In 1999, I came to the Lynnfield Li-
brary as a town building committee
member, motivated to improve and
renovate school space through state
grant opportunities. At the time,
school improvements were top priority
for our town. Our team of capital
needs leaders thought, “Why not also
ask for library money?” Both school
and library buildings were fifty years
behind. We looked at sweeping
changes in new building space and
proposed a $2 million dollar new li-
brary building as part of a debt exclu-
sion that included many other town
projects. As a nonprofit marketing
professional, I had witnessed the im-
pact of well-designed space on the vi-
tality of communities, and I knew we
could make a difference if we invento-
ried our town talents. I had already
helped rebuild parks in our neighbor-
hood; the effect was transformational. I
realized I had to work as a trustee to
move the library project forward.
Q: Why do you care about school
and library building spaces?
A: Because they create community. Our
lovely 1714 Meeting House is only open
for free for an occasional event a few
times a year. We had no other meeting
room—not even in our library, so much
of the town’s cultural value was lost to
younger generations. With dynamic
teams of construction pros and some
savvy officials, we used the power of
inventory to establish middle ground.
Results: four new schools, a big senior center,
and (a spinoff) new multitown YMCA.
Good library space speaks to every age
and is the “indoor option to parks.” Pre-
schoolers and job seekers, retirees and
newcomers, grant writers and business
folk all need their own nooks. It’s a new
age; most of us are “smart browsers.” Des-
ignating meeting space and times to talk,
to sip coffee and think, to bring a child “to
the table” is essential to engage town do-
ers. The library is now a place to go and a
place to stay. For youth, it’s where they
learn independence. It’s also “got media.”
Old interior design says “got books only.”
Our library plan is currently at a
crossroads: decide between an addition
or a reconfiguration of existing space.
Talk of double-dip recession, casinos
coming, and regions and branches clos-
ing have slowed progress.
Q: Describe some of the most im-
portant features of a library for you.
A: In addition to good space design, I’d
cite perspective. A great collection
breeds perspective. Experienced staff
broadens its users’ horizons.
4 MLTAUpdate ♦ Summer 2010
Get to Know an MLTA Board Member: Kendall Inglese by Cindy Schatz, MLTA past president
Seavey Bowdoin proudly serves as trustee at Lynnfield Public Library, a 150+-year-old library and home of one of the best genealogy collections. Seavey’s long-time commitment to service and library advocacy have been tremendous sources of inspiration for Kendall.
MLTA Secretary and Lynnfield Trustee Kendall Inglese archives a 200-year-old book on the 300-year-old Lynnfield Common. (Note: even in subzero weather, library work goes on.)
Also, its range of resources. The li-
brary is the only place you don’t have to
buy anything. Unfortunately, many of us
busy residents take the town library for
granted, running in to use it only on occa-
sion, researching a purchase or health
decision, attending a kids’ program (such
as our Concerts on the Common), but
never actively advocating for its survival.
Of course, there’s also the value of borrowing. Often I would use the NOBLE
network and go to another library closer
to work. Even if you can’t get into your
town library, you can get into the virtual
library 24/7 with your local library card.
In addition, libraries are the place to em-
brace grant opportunities! Visit
www.MassCulturalCouncil.org, and book
arts and literature events!
Q: What do you cherish most about
your local library?
A: First, its heritage, vision, and location.
Our library is 153 years old. Its children’s
room was one of the first schoolhouses!
And our library overlooks one of the old-
est meeting houses in the U.S.—older
than Faneuil Hall! Our building also
faces south, and I hope we can take ad-
vantage of solar technology. Our library
is the heart of the town, and our library
is central to kids’ learning during the
“other half of the day.”
Next, our staff. We succeeded as a
library board in properly compensating
our staff, and we got a great return on
that investment! Even with today’s cuts,
our staff’s positive approach is key.
continued on page 8
5 MLTA ♦ P.O. Box 1503, Wakefield, MA 01880 ♦ www.masslib.org/mlta
Legislative Update: Challenging Budget Times by Cindy Schatz, MLTA past president
Line Item Account Name Actual Appropriations & Proposed FY2011 Budgets
MLTA Analysis
7000-9101 Board of
Library
Commissioners
FY2001 $ 1,229,472
FY2009 $ 1,042,269
FY2010 $ 938,042
FY2011 Governor’s Budget $ 938,042
FY2011 House Budget $ 914,448
FY2011 House Budget = a decrease of
$127,821 from the FY2009 budget— more than
12 percent in two years!
7000-9401 State Aid to
Regional Libraries
FY2001 $ 16,930,454
FY2002 $ 17,623,954
FY2009 $ 17,166,071
FY2010 $ 12,327,160
FY2011 Governor’s Budget $ 8,781,475
FY2011 House Budget $ 8,781,475
“ . . . and provided further, that the
board of library commissioners shall
provide funds for the continued opera-
tion of no fewer than two regional
library systems to serve the different
geographic regions of the Common-
wealth, one of which shall serve Eastern
Massachusetts and one which shall
serve the Western Massachusetts re-
gional library system.”
FY2011 House Budget = a decrease of
$8,384,596 from the FY2009 budget—nearly
49 percent in two years!
= used to be six regional library systems!
7000-9402 Talking Book
Library (Worcester)
FY2001 $ 342,550
FY2009 $ 421,143
FY2010 $ 421,143
FY2011 Governor’s Budget $ 421,143
FY2011 House Budget $ 421,143
= No change from past two years.
7000-9406 Talking Book &
Machine Lending
(Perkins)
FY2001 $ 1,750,000
FY2009 $ 2,241,016
FY2010 $ 2,241,016
FY2011 Governor’s Budget $ 2,241,016
FY2011 House Budget $ 2,241,016
= No change from past two years.
7000-9501 State Aid to
Public Libraries
FY2001 $ 9,949,804
FY2009 $ 9,989,844
FY2010 $ 6,823,657
FY2011 Governor’s Budget $ 6,823,657
FY2011 House Budget $ 6,823,657
FY2009 = In eight years, the legislature only
raised state aid by $40K (approximately $14
per library per year)!
FY2011 House Budget = over a 31 percent cut
in two years! (Same as last year).
7000-9506 Library Technology &
Resource Sharing
FY2001 $ 4,420,235
FY2009 $ 2,799,104
FY2010 $ 1,929,238
FY2011 Governor’s Budget $ 1,929,238
FY2011 House Budget $ 1,929,238
FY2011 House Budget = over a 31 percent cut
in two years! (Same as last year.) Approximately
56 percent less than in 2001!
7000-9507 Public Library
Incentive Grant Program
This line has disappeared entirely from the budget. It provided matching funds raised by
libraries, Friends, and Foundations.
While library use goes up in a recession and while patrons
need access to the Internet and other media in addition to
books, transactions go way up as our budgets go way down!
Although the numbers look bleak, a special provision
was incorporated into the budget this year. An amend-
ment was added to the budget providing “that the house
of representatives shall commission a study by the Leg-
islature Library Caucus to assess the costs, benefits, and im-
pact of changes in regional library systems in the Common-
wealth and to provide a recommendation on the role of
the library of last recourse with regards to funding, ju-
risdiction, and purpose.”
Thanks to Representative Mark V. Falzone for heading
up this initiative. See our list of state representatives and
senators who are active in this caucus on p. 6, and consider
contacting some of them today.
MLTAUpdate ♦ Summer 2010 6
Library Caucus
Although this list is complete as of July 2010, it is important to note that many other legislators also work cooperatively with members of this caucus on legislation affecting libraries across the Commonwealth.
Legislator’s Name, District Room No.
Phone No. (617- )
E-mail Address
H
O
U
S
E
Kevin Aguiar, 7th Bristol
James Arciero, 2nd Middlesex
Jennifer Benson, 37th Middlesex
Garrett Bradley, 3rd Plymouth
Michael Brady, 9th Plymouth
Linda Dean Campbell, 15th Essex
Christine Canavan, 10th Plymouth
Stephen Canessa, 12th Bristol
James Cantwell, 4th Plymouth
Katherine Clark, 32nd Middlesex
Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, 10th Hampden
Geraldine Creedon, 11th Plymouth
Steven D’Amico, 4th Bristol
James Dwyer, 30th Middlesex
Carolyn Dykema, 8th Middlesex
Lori Ehrlich, 8th Essex
Lewis Evangelidis, 1st Worcester
Mark Falzone, 9th Essex
John Fernandes, 10th Worcester
Gloria Fox, 7th Suffolk
William Galvin, 6th Norfolk
Sean Garballey, 23rd Middlesex
Mary Grant, 6th Essex
Patricia Haddad, 5th Bristol
Kate Hogan, 3rd Middlesex
Donald Humason, 4th Hampden
Michael Kane, 5th Hampden
Jay Kaufman, 15th Middlesex
Kay Khan, 11th Middlesex
Peter Koutoujian, 10th Middlesex
Paul Kujawski, 8th Worcester
Jason Lewis, 31st Middlesex
Barbara L’Italien, 18th Essex
James O’Day, 14th Worcester
Matthew Patrick, 3rd Barnstable
Denise Provost, 27th Middlesex
Angelo Puppolo, 12th Hampden
John Rogers, 12th Norfolk
Michael Rush, 10th Suffolk
Byron Rushing, 9th Suffolk
Rosemary Sandlin, 3rd Hampden
Tom Sannicandro, 7th Middlesex
John Scibak, 2nd Hampshire
Carl Sciortino, 34th Middlesex
Frank Smizik, 15th Norfolk
Ellen Story, 3rd Hampshire
22
34
130
479
39
174
146
489
39
254
39
237
39
39
473F
472
473B
527A
136
167
448
134
236
481
33
542
473B
34
146
254
466
33
238
254
540
473F
146
162
544
121
134
146
42
134
274
277
722-2140
722-2320
722-2130
722-2520
722-2014
722-2877
722-2575
722-2460
722-2014
722-2220
722-2014
722-2305
722-2014
722-2014
722-2210
722-2013
722-2263
722-2020
722-2396
722-2810
722-2582
722-2400
722-2430
722-2180
722-2060
722-2803
722-2263
722-2320
722-2011
722-2220
722-2017
722-2060
722-2380
722-2220
722-2090
722-2210
722-2011
722-2040
722-2637
722-2006
722-2400
722-2011
722-2370
722-2400
722-2676
722-2012
Rep.StevenD’[email protected]
Rep.BarbaraL’[email protected]
Rep.JamesO’[email protected]
S
E
N
A
T
E
109B
213B
312D
416B
213A
313C
109E
424
722-1540
722-1291
722-1544
722-1639
722-1120
722-1646
722-1200
722-1612
Stephen Brewer, Worcester, Hampden,
Hampshire & Franklin
Gale Candaras, 1st Hampden & Hampshire
Harriette Chandler, 1st Worcester
Cynthia Creem, 1st Middlesex & Norfolk
James Eldridge, Middlesex & Worcester
Robert Hedlund, Plymouth & Norfolk
Thomas Kennedy, 2nd Plymouth & Bristol
Susan Tucker, 2nd Essex & Middlesex
Take a New Picture by Kendall Inglese, MLTA secretary & Dick Senier, MLTA vice president
As Carly Simon says, “Take a new picture.” (Note: Simon’s CD with this hit was one of the
highest circulated in Massachusetts.) How do residents—voters—judge your library?
What snapshot do they see from your portals?
• Phone message during off hours: A list of services is helpful publicity.
• Library Web site
• Friends Web site
• Foyer: An index of services can be listed within the first few steps via a kiosk or a flat
screen. Also, what is the view from the door? There may be some unsightly turnoffs;
the lighting or worn carpet may signal “Go away!” while you are saying “Come in!”
• Switch it up: In January, save a special display for this time or offer one-time events for
people cooped up during the winter.
(Remember that occasional users may
stop in at such events and judge your
library once at 6:30 p.m. from the foyer.)
• Signage: Use positive language (e.g.,
“no cell phones” or simply “quick and
quiet”? Which sounds punitive?). Do
you have a library international sign on
your main street? Busy people do not
respond to an unfamiliar building, but
a book silhouette prompts the driver . . .
in any language or age group.
• Staff: Despite higher volume and lower
budget, is there enough help available
to patrons when they need it?
• Meeting space: Can town boards and
town leaders meet on occasion at your
library board room? What about Scouts or school contacts?
• Town Web site: Is your library visible and part of newcomer hits? Are your signature
events on town calendars?
• Cable TV: Over the summer or winter, this is a hidden treasure trove for publicity, repeat-
ing your message and services. To be effective, be sure to include e-mail and telephone
contact info and your seasonal hours. Also include your library’s street address if your ca-
ble TV goes to many towns.
• Events that engage every age: Inclusive and relevant programming (e.g., health, retire-
ment, family, job hunting, poetry, or choir activity) fosters the idea that the library is “not
just books.”
• Flyers around town: Place flyers where twentysomethings, preschool parents, new resi-
dents, school-age parents, and early retirees will see them. Flyers should be posted in
places where these groups of constituents regularly shop or meet.
Join or Renew Your MLTA Membership Today!
You can benefit from membership in MLTA. If you're a current or former library trustee, librarian, friend of the library, or have a sincere interest in Massachusetts libraries, you're eligible for membership. Simply complete this application and mail it today to
MLTA, P.O. Box 1503, Wakefield, MA 01880. Make check payable to MLTA. Membership term is one year from month of enrollment.
� New membership � Renewal
Name ______________________________________ Phone _______________________ E-mail _________________________ Street ______________________________________ City _________________________ State _________ Zip ____________
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� Present Trustee � Former Trustee � Librarian � Friend � Other (specify) ______________________________
Membership type: � $25 Individual � $20 Individual (65 or older) � $100 Lifetime � Save $25 for full board membership
STAY CONNECTED: Check with your director or board chair about MLTA group membership. Your dues cover MLTA’s confer-ence and newsletter costs. If you want to continue to have hardcopy newsletter issues mailed to you, please add $10, and be sure to include accurate address information for snail mail.
Outstanding Trustee
Nomination Form
I nominate _____________________________ as an Outstanding Trustee in the category(ies) of:
� construction/renovation projects � community/library support of new programming, technology, equipment, etc. � financial support for the library at budget level � fundraising projects � behind-the-scenes support for the
library, staff, and/or patrons � other _____________________
This nominee is a � present trustee � past trustee who has served for _____ years.
Your name ____________________ Phone ________________________ Signature _____________________
Please attach a letter describing accom-plishments that support this nomination.
� Check here if this is a self-nomination (don’t be shy; sometimes great work goes unrecognized because others are just too busy to nominate), and include names and phone numbers of at least two people who can confirm your accomplishments.
Nominations accepted year round.
Mail to: MLTA, P.O. Box 1503 Wakefield, MA 01880
This snapshot of the Norfolk Public Library patio is an inviting example of a three-season library space. Outdoors counts! Are your portals this inviting?
MLTA ♦ P.O. Box 1503, Wakefield, MA 01880 ♦ www.masslib.org/mlta 7
What programs, special events, and fundraising efforts are happening at your library?
Did someone find a clever way to resolve an issue or concern at your library? Has someone recently been honored?
Tell us about it! We’ll include your news in an article about library activities in our fall issue. The fall issue deadline is October 15.
Send letters, questions, news, photos, and articles about library concerns and events to Kendall Inglese at [email protected] or to Sam Dias at [email protected]. MLTAUpdate is published quarterly and has one special issue per year.
continued from page 4
Q: What have been your contribu-
tions as a library trustee?
A: I’ve worked on vital programs on the
Town Common (outside the library) to
compensate for lack of space indoors.
I’ve worked with Lynnfield’s Cultural
Council and Recreation Department to
initiate family programs such as a tree
lighting ceremony, townscape tree trol-
ley tours, and a gingerbread contest
that have become annual hits. The
board hired a new director, completed a
long-term plan, upgraded the HVAC
system, and procured new furnishings
and carpeting. Another project in the
works: a “brighten the children’s room”
makeover of existing space. We’ve had
amazing leaders in our Friends and on
our staff who planned library programs
and media upgrades that tripled our
Friends’ membership.
Q: How has the Massachusetts Library
Trustees Association helped you?
A: The MLTA affords me the chance to
see how other libraries have succeeded
and failed. Learning from other trus-
tees’ stories about what works and what
doesn’t saves time and money.
Q: What do you admire about Mas-
sachusetts’ libraries?
A: The ABCs: they’ve got accountability,
balance and character. Towns are de-
fined by how they spend the public’s
dime. Town leaders only mentor when
they acknowledge current needs of the
community across various ages and
interests. The MBLC long-term plan
survey of all residents is key.
In Lynnfield, with limited commu-
nity space, there was often debate about
funding. Through honest dialogue, we
all came to the center with a real long-
term plan. That’s what makes libraries
such unique venues. As Benjamin
Franklin said, public libraries were es-
tablished to “settle an argument,” to
provide neutral facts, and light the way
to common knowledge.
Libraries in our state reflect a unique
personality and speak to a wide range of
people. Having been raised in the
newer, more homogenized Midwest, I
am amazed to find Massachusetts’
unique history and resources so under-
stated! The first park (the Boston Com-
mon in 1643), the first tennis courts
(Nahant), the best schools and medical
facilities in the country! Even the oldest
public library in the U.S. is right here in
Franklin (1778)! Celebrating each li-
brary’s anniversary, personality, and
age as assets and not as liabilities can
shed perspective on how libraries define
and strengthen our communities. Our
recent fiftieth Friends reception brought
me into a room full of special mentors—
so many professional-level doers who
give as much as our staff. I count them
as assets in the budget.
Q: Do you have concerns
about the future of libraries in
the Commonwealth?
A: As the saying goes, “You don’t know
what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Libraries
are where information is free to patrons
and where resources are abundant and
current enough to make information
neutral and verified. What else is more
important in a democracy? Each public
library is a reflection of its town and a
way to preserve our American character
on the whole.
What I’ve found is that besides the
gym or auditorium, it’s the library that
is “the other town floor” in more ways
than one might realize. Libraries are
where generations even thirty or forty
years apart have dialogue. It’s where
families learn from their peers and
town leaders, if they have the space to
share and purpose to talk. It’s where
kids see adults’ interests outside of
school and sports. It’s where technical
assistance in the digital world is free.
Libraries bridge generations and income
levels. Take that away, and you take away
the opportunities America has to offer.
MLTAUpdate ♦ Summer 2010 8
September 11 10:00-noon
MLTA Board Meeting
Swansea Public Library
October 18-20
NELA Annual Conference
“Outside the Box: Results,
Support, Sustainability”
Boxborough Holiday Inn
November 2
State Election Day
November 6
MLTA/MFOL
Joint Conference Worcester Technical
High School
New convenient venue!
Morning & afternoon
sessions to address
the latest issues
concerning libraries!
Upcoming Events
Don’t forget to vote!
Please join us!
MFOL President Alice Welch spoke as the MFOL representative at last year’s MLTA/MFOL Joint Conference. She was recently named to the MBLC.
Shirley Raynard, President of the Friends of Flint Public Library in Mid-dleton, shows her enthusiasm during the 2009 MLTA/MFOL Conference.