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Welcome to the Boxford Library Trustees blog. If you would like to make a comment, please give your real first and last name, as at a public meeting. This blog may be subject to the State Open Meeting Law.

George Fischer for Trustee

Boxford Library Trustee Candidate:  George A. Fischer

My earliest recollection of books is my father’s library of volumes on literature, language and science. As an ESL person, I came to realize the power of the written word to educate, entertain and inspire.

Growing up in NYC, the library was a favorite place to visit. I probably read every book on astronomy and mathematics which the local branch had to offer.

My wife, Phyllis, and I raised six children in Boxford and our family made extensive use of the library.  We are long-time supporters of the Boxford Town Library as volunteers with the Friends of the Library and as financial contributors.  For many years we organized the library Fourth of July parade float and the book sale, and assisted with other fund raising events, notably for furnishings for the previous library expansion.  We have a personal collection of over 1,500 books.

I am a Professional Engineer with 55 years of experience in design, manufacturing and quality control.  Over the years I gained extensive experience in planning, consensus building, facilitation, and fundraising; and have been involved in various building and facility utilization projects.  As a Library Trustee I shall work toward bringing the residents of Boxford a suitable and adequate library with provisions for new electronic forms of communication, and with a building design in keeping with historic Boxford Village.

The goal for all of us is to create a Boxford Town Library of which future generations and we can be justifiably proud.

Thank you for your consideration.

George Fischer

Eileen Guerin for Trustee

Boxford Library Trustee Candidate:  Eileen Guerin

My name is Eileen Guerin, and I ask for your vote at the Boxford polls on May 18, 2010.

During my early career, I worked in the Finance industry as a systems professional, spending fifteen years at Fidelity Investments in the mutual fund portfolio accounting, and later the defined contribution retirement investment areas.  I retired from Fidelity in 1996 as a vice president for retirement fund accounting, upon the birth of the second of my two children.

My family and I have lived in Boxford since 2000, and I have been active in various groups in town, including BTA/BOLT, Cub Scouts, and as a Windrush Farm volunteer.  I earned a Masters’ Degree in Education at Gordon College in mid-life, and am certified as a middle school mathematics teacher.  I currently work as a part-time mathematics tutor.

I would like to serve the Town of Boxford as a member of the Board of Library Trustees for the following reasons:

• My family and I are highly satisfied clients of the Boxford Town Library, and have an interest in continuing the excellent service afforded to the town by the library staff
• As the mother of two teenagers enrolled in local schools, I have insights into the varied usage by adults and youth of library resources in all media, including book, periodical and various other electronic forms
• My recent experience as a graduate student, (Gordon College Masters program in Education, 2002-2008, degree granted- 2008) has afforded me valuable insights into the new realities of academic research, particularly in the provision of online journal and reference resources
• My more distant library experience includes several years of work as a student in the Circulation Department at Harvard’s premier Widener Library, which has left me with a lifelong love of books and libraries, and with a preference for excellence in library administration
• I have an interest in seeing necessary improvements made to the physical plant of the Boxford Town Library, including the possibility of a new library if that is the will of the townspeople

Thank you for your consideration.

Eileen Guerin

Art Sibbach for Trustee

Boxford Library Trustee Candidate: Art Sibbach

Although I’ve spent most of my life in Massachusetts, I’m a relatively new resident of Boxford.  I joined the Boxford Library Solutions Team last year to help build consensus around a proposal for a new library.  Through the work that the BLST team has completed I’ve learned a lot about Boxford, and the issues that make building a new library in town so contentious.  As a library trustee, I plan to continue to work towards building consensus throughout the community for support of a new library.

The public library has always been an important part of my life.  My first recollection was borrowing “Curious George goes to the Hospital” when it was first published.  Since then I have borrowed and returned many materials, and made use of the research facilities that a library avails to the public.

To quote Charles Schultz’ character Linus, on receiving his first Library Card; “I have been given my citizenship in the land of knowledge”.  A wealth of information is available at any library, to anyone who simply asks for it.  The programs that the Boxford Library provides go way beyond being a place to borrow books & videos.  Children’s story time, arts & crafts projects, speakers, and holiday festivities are all part of the library.

As a trustee I hope to preserve the library and all its functions for the enjoyment and education of future generations.  We the people of Boxford deserve a library of the quality that was envisioned when the Cummings family donated their home to become a town library.  Boxford’s library needs have since outgrown the space provided by that home.  We can best honor their bequest by preserving their home, and their dream of a library that meets the needs of all the town’s people, for now and in the future.

I am an electrical engineer, and have spent nearly 30 years in the aerospace & defense industry.  I am currently in a manufacturing engineering position with General Electric in Lynn.

My favorite part of life is spending time with my wife Donna and son Erik.  In my spare time I also enjoy photography, gourmet cooking, travel, hiking and I am a PADI certified Master Instructor of Scuba Diving.

Thank you for your consideration.

Art Sibbach

Trustees & Boxford Library Solutions Team (BLST)

The Trustees have encouraged the formation of the Boxford Library Solutions Team (BLST).

The purpose of the Boxford Library Solutions Team  (BLST) is to reach consensus in the community for a library proposal to pass at town meeting and at the polls. The 15-20 committee members are a diverse group of Boxford residents representing all interests of its citizens.

The BLS Team Blog can be found at: BLSTeam.Wordpress.com/

Board of Library Trustees Membership List

Pauline Jenkins–978-561-1761

Susan Daley–978-887-2063

Carole Davis–978-352-2250

Heidi Ellard–978-887-0777

George Fischer–978-887-8189

Jane Moody–978-887-9171

Art Sibbach–978-887-0149

Trustees’ Blog Updated

This Trustees’ Blog is being updated. We expect to have short biographies of the current Trustees’ soon.

Some of the information about a possible new Boxford Library will be posted by the Boxford Library Solutions Team (BLST) at:

www.BLSTeam.WordPress.com

Band Aid

Why can’t we just fix the current library buildings?

The bigger question of what we would lose by simply renovating the Libraries actually has a more complex answer than losing half our current space.  According to the study by Gienapp Design Associates 2001, Library Feasibility Study, we would have:

68% reduced shelf space

50% reduced children’s seating

50% reduced juvenile seating space

50% reduced children and teen computer work station space

33% reduced adult computer work station space

57% reduced conference/meeting space

100% reduced space for chairs and sofa in browsing/new collection items space

If you are given to numbers that comes to an average of 58% of our library.  If you’d just like to sit down and read a magazine  it is more like 100%.

Let’s think about our programs.  Most of them take place in the children’s area, the conference/meeting space, and the browsing area.  If you average it that’s a 69% impact of lost space for programs.  At this juncture we would have no room for anything except stacks; our library would become a repository for books, lacking space for the patrons and programs that make it a community that takes place in reality, not in virtual space.

Inter-Library Loan Privileges Could be Lost?

Could the library lose the Merimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC) certification that allows us to request books from other libraries if we were forced to close the West Library?  The concern was that if we lost the square feet in our branch library that it would affect our reciprocal relationships with other libraries.

The library certification, is issued by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners,  MBLC, and requires three things:

1. Maintain a material appropriation based on the average of the last 3 years X 2.5%

2. Lend freely

3. A minimum number of hours open to the public

Basically the bottom line is budget.  Our budget must grow, on a three year average, by 2.5%.  So when the trustees were asked by the Board of Selectmen and The Finance Committee to review our budget for savings to offset the dramatic decline in state revenue projected  for FY2010 we had to look for an answer.

To find the 5% they asked for we had little choice but to close the West Library.  It was a contested, unpopular decision that we made with heavy hearts.  But the tune of these financial times left us very little logical recourse.  We can return some $20,000 dollars to the town to help balance the budget for the short term, but it leaves our budget unable to meet Municipal Appropriations Requirement. (that 2.5% increase)

So, yes, we could lose our certification, and the ability to borrow books within the MVLC and throughout the state.  Boxford residents would either have to purchase the books they want, or travel to another library and use them on site.    The library will apply for a waiver, in the fall of 2009, and would know by the spring whether we had been approved.  Waivers are granted on a case by case basis, so we can be assured that our library will be considered on it’s merits and the services offered the patrons.

Outside the box

From Susan Daley:

I believe the most important question about our library services today and for the future is: “How could this new Library benefit me and my family? All the other questions are important but deep down everyone wants to know what they will get out of a new library.

Think of places and activities that are missing in our town:

• A place families can feel their teens are safe

• Teen study nights with the help of volunteers

• Teen movie night: we’ve started this already, but we could start gaming nights with competitions with more space. Kids can bring their own games and we can purchase games to be checked out.

Programs for the 3^rd to 6^th graders that are as rich and varied as those for preschool through 2^nd graders:

• Lego groups

• Model building groups

• Craft activities to compliment the curriculum at school. Did you see the display from the Masco science club recently? Or the Cole School class interpretations of children’s books during Books In Bloom?

• Summer reading collections that could house books from the Spofford library on summer loan. Current shelf space prohibits this right now.

• Report night to help students practice the format they are using at school. If they can choose a fun subject to experiment with, perhaps the “Assignment” will be less daunting.

• Story time where the 3^rd through 6^th graders read to their peers, and to younger children.

• Seasonal outdoor activities to relate to school reading.

There are people in town that would very much like to be with others. An after hours program room can bring people together.

• Movies for senior citizens with oldies but goodies like John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Rita Hayworth, James Stewart, Doris Day, and Cary Grant to name a few.

• Scrapbooking/Cardmaking classes

• Quilting group meetings

• Round table discussions: What is on your mind? The subject is predetermined and those interested will come and share their opinions. As we approach town meetings or large projects this activity could help all groups build consensus…

• Book groups

• Visiting authors

• Music nights: 50′s. 60′s 70′s, 80′s music night

• Author talks? (for children, tweens, teens, and adults)

• Community events such as musical programs/concerts?

• Enhanced art programs (need space!!)

• More adult programs/lecture series?

This is OUR gathering space, and the sky is the limit! Let’s think outside the box, and then drag it inside the building! Yes its a library, but libraries are so much more than books.