Boston Public Library Trustees as a Corporation and Administrative Agency Meeting

I.    Chair’s Report

Priscilla H. Douglas, Chair

A.    Call to Order

1.    EDI statement

2.    Introduction of new BPL Trustees 

i.    Jose C. Masso III

ii.    Lynn Perry Wooten

B.    Review and Approval of Minutes for the Trustees Meetings held on May 24, 2022.

C.    Introduction of New Affiliate Board Chairs

1.    Charles Cooney (LMEC) (in absentia)

2.    Alyce Lee (Associates)

D.    FY23 Trustees’ Theme: Engage, Amplify, & Partnership

1.    Trustees as Library Ambassadors

2.    Discussion by Trustees

E.    Updates to Trustees’ Committee Structure

1.    Facilitate Deeper Topic Engagement (Full Board vs. Executive Committee)

2.    Executive Committee membership

i.    Planned Strategic Planning Sub-Committee (TBD) 

3.    Community Engagement Committee: Name, Membership, Future Topics:

i.    Library’s Outward Communication Strategy

ii.    Neighborhood Outreach Strategy

iii.    Strategic & Local Partnerships Strategy

4.    Discussion by Trustees

II.    President’s Report

David Leonard, President 

A.    Recent highlights

B.    Current challenges 

C.    Where are we: Current Roadmap and needs for Strategic Plan 

D.    Invitation to follow the Library’s News (multi-channel).

E.    Proposed topics for FY23 board meetings:

1.    Invited guests (urban public library trends and best practices) 

2.    Collections Usage: patterns & metrics

3.    Library Services initiatives & metrics

4.    Equity & Outreach metrics

5.    Technology, Digital Services, & Engagement with metrics

F.    North End/Il Panino Agreement

VOTED:  ‘that, the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston vote to approve an extension to the 2017 lease agreement for the North End Branch and Il Panino.” 

G.    West End Branch 

VOTED:  “that, the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston authorize the President of the Library to collaborate with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and other agencies as needed, for the redevelopment of the current site of the West End Branch Library under the city’s ‘Housing with Public Assets’ program,’ such redevelopment to include a new branch library as part of the development based on the recently completed programming study.”

III.    Trustees Finance and Audit Committee

Evelyn Arana-Ortiz, Committee Chair                                                                                                                   Ellen Donaghey, Chief Financial Officer 

A.    Approval of Catering and Food Service Vendor

Ellen Donaghey, Chief Financial Officer and Emily Tokarczyk, Director of Special Events

VOTED: “that, the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston approve a contract with The Catered Affair, 70 Ledgewood Place, Rockland, MA 02370  for a term of three years beginning November 1, 2023 with ((2) one-year additions.”

B.    Review of Boston Public Library Draft Audited Financial Statements for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2022.                                                                                                                                                                                                     

VOTED:  “that, the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston approve the Boston Public Library’s Draft Audited Financial Statements for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2022.”

C.    Report of “Gifts, Grants, Donations to the Boston Public Library” Fiscal Year 2022

IV.    Trustees Fellowes Athenaeum Trust Advisory Committee

Evelyn Arana-Ortiz, Committee Chair

A.    Program grant selections for FY23

V.    New Business

VI.    Public Comment

“Please sign up for public comment the first 30 minutes of the meeting to support effective time management. On occasion, additional public comments on matters formally on the agenda may be allowed at the discretion of the Chair, and time allowing. Members of the public are also reminded that comments may alternatively be submitted in writing to the Clerk of the Board for distribution to the Trustees.”

VII.    Adjournment

Priscilla H. Douglas, Chair

*Next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. in Central Library