Category: Meeting Minutes

April 2025

Reading Public Library

Board Meeting Minutes

April 29, 2025

  1. Call to order 6:09/ Attendance: Tony Pikramenos, Rich Grogan, Bill Baker, Janet Malcolm, Libbet Downs, Heather Evans

  1. Minutes approved from last meeting: Janet motions, Heather seconds, all in favor, approved

  1. No changes to current agenda

  1. Secretary’s Report: No new update

  1. Treasurer’s Report: Budget is on track for the fiscal year

  1. Librarian’s report:

   – Poetry potpourri program was in early April and it was lovely

  – The poetry stroll is up in the village for the month of April

– Tony continues to read to 1st and 2nd graders at RES every other week

– Seed library is up and running!

– Podcast continues and Kevin Kaija is the guest for tomorrow’s recording

– Woodstock Magazine article will be featuring the Night Mail podcast in early June

– Cemetery commission, the ATV group , Reading Rec, and Green Space are utilizing library space for meetings

— Tony met with the Green Space committee to discuss possibilities for tree options for the annual Christmas tree lighting

– Electric Bill reports $72 in savings for the month

  1. Unfinished Business:

  1. Maintenance:

– Plumber had to come in and fix the library toilet

– Tony talked to Bill Springer and he will continue to mow this summer.

  1. Bill motions to increase Tony’s wage by $2/hour effective July 1st. Heather seconds, all in favor, approved.

8. New Business: Libbet agrees to be an authorized user for the library checkbook along with Bill.  Heather spoke with Jane Cleveland who would like to donate an apple tree to the library.

9. Summary of Decisions: Bill will reach out to Mascoma bank to add Libbet as an authorized user for the checkbook. Tony’s wage increase approved.

10. Adjourn at 7:10/  Next meeting Tuesday May 27, 2025.

Respectfully submitted by Janet Malcolm

March Minutes

Reading Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting
MINUTES
Tuesday April 1, 2025
1. Call to Order / Roll call
a. Meeting started at 6:05 PM
b. Heather Evans, Libbet Downs, Bill Bakker and Tony Pikramenos in attendance
2. Approve Minutes from Last Meeting
a. Motion by Heather, second by Libbet, minutes approved
3. Public Comments
a. No members of public present
4. Query for Changes to Agenda Items
a. No changes proposed
5. Secretary’s Report
a. No report at this meeting
6. Treasurer’s Report
a. As we enter the third quarter, the Treasurer and Librarian will meet to discuss the
end of the fiscal year and remaining budget
7. Librarian’s Report
a. Donations from annual appeal are up to $6880.00
b. A poetry reading event will be taking place on Saturday, April 5
c. A poetry stroll around the village is being planned
d. Seed library is almost ready for this year
e. Reading elementary students in grades 1 and 2 continue to come to the library
every other week
f. A new microphone was purchased for the podcast
g. Electric bill showed a savings of $69 this month from the solar array
h. The podcast will be featured in an article in an upcoming issue of Woodstock
Magazine
8. Unfinished Business
a. Maintenance
i. The board continues to look for someone to repair the soffit
b. Library Board Election of officers – Board elected the following for the next year
1. Chair – Bill Bakker
2. Secretary – Janet Malcolm
3. Treasurer – Bill Bakker
9. New Business
a. CD renewal – The Board voted to renew the CD with Mascoma as recommended
by the town
10. Next meeting will be April 29 at 6PM
Regular meeting adjourned at 6:57
Executive session started at 6:59 and concluded at 7:14

February 2025

Reading Public Library
Board Meeting Minutes
February 25, 2025
1. Call to order 6:10/ Attendance: Tony Pikramenos, Vanessa Maxham, Bill
Baker, Janet Malcolm, Libbet Downs
2. Minutes approved from last meeting: Bill motions, Vanessa seconds, all
in favor, approved
3. No changes to current agenda
4. Secretary’s Report: No new update
5. Treasurer’s Report: Budget is on track.
6. Librarian’s report: RES elementary students continue to come on
Tuesdays at the library for story time. Podcast continues with new
guest interviews. $900 in new books that are being processed to go on
shelves. Astronomy club member Rick Bates working together with
Tony for a grant for an observatory in Weathersfield.
7. Unfinished Business: Maintenance: No new business
8. New Business: Vanessa Maxham is resigning as library chair
to avoid a possible conflict with a job opportunity
9. Summary of Decisions: Vanessa Maxham resigned as chair of library
board
10. Adjourn at 6:43: Next meeting March 25, 2025.
Respectfully submitted by Janet Malcolm

Meeting Minutes November 2024

Reading Public Library
Board Meeting Minutes
December 3, 2024
1. Call to order 6:07/ Attendance: Tony Pikramenos, Vanessa Maxham, Bill Baker, Janet Malcolm, Brian Cali, Libbet Downs
2. Minutes approved from last meeting: Vanessa motions, Bill seconds, all in favor, approved
3. No changes to current agenda
4. Secretary’s Report: Working on thank you notes for the generous donations given to the library.
5. Treasurer’s Report: Budget is on track
6. Librarian’s report: Poetry books were bought for the 3rd and 4th graders from RES who read poetry at the poetry reading. The appeal letter donations thus far are $4,775!
Halloween festivities were a great success! Tony is reading at the library to the 1st and 2nd graders every other week and the kids are loving it. Tree lighting Sunday December 8th at 6 pm sponsored by the Reading Rec and Library.
7. Unfinished Business:
– Maintenance: No new update
– Brian Cali energy report check in-Brian Cali with the energy committee, generously gave his time to share with us the energy report update. -Regarding the solar array – energy first goes to fire house- then whatever fire house doesn’t need goes to the grid for the town to use– GMP gives town credits who then decides where the credits go (you have one year to use these credits) 10% of these credits goes to the library. Energy committee reviewed the annual use of electricity of the building which helped in deciding how many credits each town building will get. These ratios can be adjusted over time.
MERP grant- (MERP goal is to help buildings become more energy efficient and more climate resistant thus reducing use of fossil fuels). The town was given the MERP grant! The energy committee will manage, keeping in line with the MERP goals, this grant money for the town buildings.
The energy committee will be working on next steps for using the MERP grant funds pending approval from selectboard.
8. New Business:
No new business
9. Summary of Decisions: MERP grant was approved. Cookies and treats needed from library board for the upcoming tree lighting.
10. Items for Next Month: Maintenance
11. Adjourn: Next meeting: TBD
Respectfully submitted by Janet Malcolm

Meeting Minutes October 2024

Reading Public Library
Board Meeting Minutes
October 29, 2024

1. Call to order 6:03/ Attendance: Tony Pikramenos, Vanessa Maxham, Bill Baker, Janet Malcolm, Heather Evans
2. Minutes approved from last meeting: Vanessa motions, Bill seconds, all in favor, approved
3. No changes to current agenda
4. Secretary’s Report: No new report
5. Treasurer’s Report: Budget is on track. Budget request is needed towards the end of November. Heather motions to level fund the budget for the next fiscal year, Janet seconds, all in favor.
6. Librarian’s report: Appeal letter went out. Poetry reading on October 5 th was wonderful and had a great turnout. Kids and adults shared poems. Thank you Brook James and Lisa Kaija for helping run this beautiful program! Pumpkin carving is Thursday October 31st. Tony and Lisa Kaija will help the Pre-k at RES with painting pumpkins and the K-2
will come to the library to carve. K-2 has been to the library twice for reading time with Tony.
7. Unfinished Business: Maintenance: No update on MERP grant at this time.
8. New Business: No new business
9. Summary of Decisions: Level fund the budget. We will have one meeting during the holiday season on December 3.
10. Items for Next Month: Maintenance
11. Adjourn: Next meeting December 3,2024.
Respectfully submitted by Janet Malcolm

Meeting Minutes August 2024

Reading Public Library
Board Meeting Minutes
September 3, 2024
Call to order: 6:05pm
Attendance: Tony Pikramenos, Vanessa Maxham, Heather Evans, Bill Bakker, Libbet Downs. Janet was unable to attend.
Minutes approved from last meeting: Heather motioned, Bill seconded, all in favor, approved.
No changes to the current agenda.
Secretary’s report: none
Treasurer’s report: nothing of note
Librarian’s report: Outdoor movie night (Despicable Me I) took place on Sept 1. It was well attended once again, about 45 people!
The seed library is winding down for the season. The local snowmobile/atv club continues to meet at the library. During the Fall Festival (October 5th) there will be a poetry reading at the library at 2pm, and baked goods will be available. The Night Train Podcast continues.
Make-a-Plate will be happening again in October! Pumpkin carving with the kids from the elementary school is coming up! Thank you to Mr. Barbour for once again growing the pumpkins at
the community garden. Bill Springer maintained the lawn again this summer and we are very thankful.
Unfinished Business:
Maintenance-The architectural engineer came out on August 1 regarding the ongoing energy audit.
We are now waiting on a report.
New Business: none
Summary of Decisions: none
Items for next month: nothing notable
Next meeting: Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Adjourn: 7:10 pm

Minutes July 2024

Reading Public Library
Board Meeting Minutes
July 30, 2024

1. Call to order 6:01/ Attendance: Tony Pikramenos, Vanessa Maxham, Bill Baker, Janet Malcolm, Heather Evans, Bill Neukomm
2. Minutes approved from last meeting: Vanessa motions, Bill seconds, all in favor, approved
3. No changes to current agenda
4. Secretary’s Report: No new report
5. Treasurer’s Report: Budget is on track.
6. Librarian’s report: Movie night was wonderful and there was a large turnout- about 45 people. Another movie scheduled for August!
7. Unfinished Business: Maintenance: Bill Neukomm spoke about the option to have an architectural engineer who is available on 8/1/24 to evaluate the weight load that the upstairs can handle for insulation. According to our energy audit, this will have the biggest impact in making the library more energy efficient. Janet motions to approve the weight bearing assessment, not to exceed $3000. Bill seconds the motion. Three in favor
and one abstained.
8. New Business: No new business
9. Summary of Decisions: Architectural engineer will come 8/1/24 for the assessment.
10. Items for Next Month: Maintenance
11. Adjourn: 7:07
Respectfully submitted by Janet Malcolm

February 2024 Minutes

Reading Public Library
Board Meeting Minutes
February 27, 2024
1. Call to order 6:00/ Attendance: Tony Pikramenos, Vanessa Maxham, Bill Baker, Janet Malcolm, Heather Evans, Libbet Downs, Bill Neukomm
2. Minutes approved from last meeting: Janet motions, Bill seconds, all in favor, approved
3. Public comment: Bill Neukom spoke about the SESM grant application to the state. The energy committee will submit this grant application for the heat pumps which will cover 80% of the total cost and the library would cover the remaining 20%. The library board is excited for this plan as the energy committee is hard at work to help the library building become more energy efficient.
4. No changes to current agenda
5. Secretary’s Report: No new report
6. Treasurer’s Report: Budget is on track.
7. Librarian’s report: Tony has made some purchases that students, homeschooled and public school, can check out to use as resources! Application in process to Vermont kit club. Tony worked together with the Weathersfield library on a grant application for AAS solar eclipse task force- 152 entries and 35 were given the grant and we received the only one in Vermont! This entails nearly $5,000 to purchase a telescope and accessories! Application for eclipse kits from ECHO museum for the school. Tony is also applying with Fiber Connect for a grant.
8. Unfinished Business: Maintenance: No new report
9. New Business: No new business
10. Summary of Decisions: All in agreement for Bill and the energy committee to proceed with grant application.
11. Items for Next Month: Maintenance
12. Adjourn: 7:07
Respectfully submitted by Janet Malcolm

Board Meeting Minutes 1-17-24

Reading Public Library
Board Meeting Minutes
January 9 , 2024

1. Call to order 6:12/ Attendance: Tony Pikramenos, Vanessa Maxham, Bill Baker, Janet Malcolm, Heather Evans, Libbet Downs
2. Minutes approved from last meeting: Heather motions, Bill seconds, all in favor, approved
3. No changes to current agenda
4. Secretary’s Report: No new report
5. Treasurer’s Report: Budget is on track.
6. Librarian’s report: Tree lighting co-sponsored with the Rec went great despite the rain. The Night Mail podcast is continuing into the new year. The library meeting space will be utilized by the Reading Rec regularly. Also, a group of locals will be using the library space to talk about community affairs about once a month. We received generous donations for a total of $1,350.
7. Unfinished Business: Maintenance: Septic will be emptied shortly. Tony talked with David Morse about the soffit work and said he will talk to Nate about prioritizing this for the Spring.
8. New Business: We had a thoughtful review of the library’s current Operating Policy and are in unanimous agreement that the policy’s original statement on inclusivity ensures free and open access to all.
9. Summary of Decisions: None
10. Items for Next Month: Maintenance
11. Adjourn: 6:35
Respectfully submitted by Janet Malcolm

Meeting Minutes November 2023

Reading Public Library
Board Meeting Minutes
November 28 , 2023

1. Call to order 6:10/ Attendance: Tony Pikramenos, Vanessa Maxham, Bill Baker, Janet Malcolm, Heather Evans
2. Minutes approved from last meeting: Vanessa motions, Bill seconds, all in favor, approved
3. No changes to current agenda
4. Secretary’s Report: No new report
5. Treasurer’s Report: Budget is on track.
6. Librarian’s report: Jane Cleveland gave Tony a couple articles about the history of our town. November 15 the energy audit took place. Report may take up to two months.
The plates are back from make a plate day. The Christmas tree lighting with the Rec/library will be on Sunday December 10 at 6 pm. Tony is attending an informational meeting this Thursday at 2 pm with the VT Kit Club.
7. Unfinished Business: Maintenance: No new report
8. New Business: None
9. Summary of Decisions: None
10. Items for Next Month: Maintenance
11. Adjourn: 6:40
Respectfully submitted by Janet Malcolm