August, 28 2025 | RCML BOT Meeting Minutes

RCML BOT Meeting Minutes for August 28, 2025
Micheline Bissell called the meeting to order at 4:34 pm
Trustees in attendance: Micheline Bissell, Dorien Morin, Cynthia Bryant(zoom)
Librarian Fern Steficek and Trustee candidate Katrina Hotchkiss

• Changes to the Agenda:  Add OPEN sign/flag discussion.  Approved by Dorien and Cynthia
  
• July BOT meeting minutes submitted by Micheline
  
  • Cynthia moved to approve the minutes as is.  Dorien seconded.  Carried
    
• Treasurer’s report submitted by Cynthia.
  
  • Dorien moved to accept the report  and Micheline seconded.  Carried
    
• Librarian’s report(7/1/2025 thru 7/31/2025) submitted by Fern & reviewed
  
  • Museum passes now have barcodes(like a book) and lending info with be in Koha
    
  • Welcome Letter to new residents(Town) has been updated with all our new info.
    
  • Craft Night, Movie Night, VT Humanities Speaker and Book club well attended
    
  • Lots of new books were added to the collection and circulating.  Exciting displays
    
  • Fern acquired a FREE Puppet/shopping stage and put out the word in our newsletter for donations or we possibly make puppets.
    
  • Dorien moved to accept the report and Micheline seconded.  Carried
    
• Enter executive session at 4:42pm
  
• Leave executive session at 5:02pm
  
• Old Business
  
  • Shelves were installed late August by Jeff Bissell  (completed)
    
  • Pittsfield Bazaar 9/27 – Bake Sale mentioned in Newsletter.  Link to a signup sheet will also be shared with Book Club members.  Culled books will be wrapped in brown paper bags as Mystery and sold (by donations only).  Wood carving will be donated and used along with a jar of items(guess the amount).  Tables, table linens, canapy pop-up, apple/peach boxes needed for the books.  Signage will be needed to entice foot traffic to our table.
    
  • Halloween event 10/31 – Fern to order 50 books across multiple genres.
    
  • Library OPEN flag to be ordered by Fern.  
    
  • Fern has been asked to document the results of the 30 survey responses we received.
    
• New Business
  
  • Fern submitted their resignation letter on 8/28 at 8:49 am  Their last day is 9/27/25.  Micheline to contact the SB.
    
  • Bookmarks, Magnets & library cards order will pause as our hours and email address will/may change.
    
  • Community activities- perhaps Friendsgiving (potluck) in November and maybe a cookie swap?  Katrina mentioned that Killington does a large cookie swap, so maybe we find something else.
    
  • New Trustee (Katrina Hotchkiss) was approached, she’s interested and she attended our meeting.  Micheline will notified the SB as they need to appoint and Katrina will need to be sworn in by the Town Clerk.
    
  • We will continue looking for a 5th trustee (req’d by state law).  Dorien has a potential candidate.  More to come.
    
  • Elected Trustees vs Appointed Trustees.  Tabled until September’s meeting
    
  • VLCT Training – tabled for review at a later time.
    
  • Marketing strategies were discussed.  More discussion needed, however Dorien will create a template for FB/Instagram usage.  Canva yearly subscription will be needed.
    
  • DOJ requirements for state and local gov websites.  Tabled for a future discussion.  We have until 4/26/2027 to be compliant.
    
  • Hoopla – contact has been made.  Open ended contract (current) received and stored.  Billing procedures understood.  Hoopla will invoice RCML $400 for the  2025-2026 fy.  Our balance ‘should’ cover a year’s worth of patron usage.
    
  • Book Club – Micheline has been coordinating book club for about 7 years.  She has decided to step down.  She is actively searching for someone (from book club) to take over the monthly event. This person need not be a resident of Pittsfield.
    
  • Computer licenses, Windows upgrade(V11) and email addresses all have to be addressed.  Brian Wilson, our IT contact, will begin working on our upgrades.
    

• The Meeting adjourned at 5:58 pm
  
• Next BOT meeting date and time: Monday, 9/29 @ 4:30pm  
  
  • Respectfully submitted by Micheline Bissell