Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

Proposed: Library Program Policy

Program Selection Policy

The purpose of this statement on program selection is to establish policies to guide staff and to inform the public about the principles upon which programs are developed. A policy cannot replace the judgment of librarians, but stating objectives and criteria will assist them in choosing a wide selection of programming ideas. The goal in program selection is to provide informational, educational, cultural, and recreational events for the Saratoga Springs Public Library community.

Responsibility for Programming

Final responsibility for the selection and development of the programs lies with the Library Director who operates within the framework of policies determined by the Library’s Board of Trustees. The Director authorizes librarians and other qualified staff to apply this policy in implementing and creating programs. The Head of the Youth Services Department oversees the library’s children’s and young adult programs, the Head of Adult Services oversees the library’s adult programs and the Head of Access and Outreach oversees the library’s English Language Learning, Adult Basic Literacy and outreach to seniors and the entire community beyond the walls of the library building.

Objectives

The library recognizes an immediate duty to make programs available for the enlightenment and recreation of the community. In addition, the library strives to offer programs that reflect the diversity of our community and the world, offering varying viewpoints and cultural perspectives within the limitations of space, staffing, and budget.

Criteria of Selection

Selection of programs are based on these specific criteria:

• Community needs, interests, and demands.
• Support all types of literacy (ex. Early, Digital, Language).
• Recommendations of reviews from professional colleagues and organizations.
• Reputation and qualifications of the presenter, performer, author, etc.
• Literary, artistic, historical, scientific, or intellectual merit.
• Price and availability of library resources (space, staff, and technology).
• Suitability of subject and style to intended audience.
• The Library is committed to applying sustainability practices by making choices that are good for the environment, make sense economically, and treat everyone equitably.

The importance or weight of each of these factors will vary from one program to another; other programs may be considered, and may be judged differently for adults, teens, and children.

Librarians may work with other agencies, organizations, institutions, or individuals to create programs that serve the community.

Access to Programs

• Library sponsored events are always free and open to the public. The library may restrict program attendance to district residents as deemed necessary.
• Programs can be limited to specific age groups for the safety of the participants or for the intended purpose of the program.
• Program attendance can be limited based on room size, supplies, and appropriateness to the activity.
• Early literacy and programming for babies, toddlers and preschoolers are listed by age (i.e. 3-5 with a caregiver).
• School aged programming is by grade (i.e. grades K-6).
• Teen programming is grade 7 and up, but can be restricted within that range i.e. gr 9-12 if appropriate.
• Parents and legal guardians have the responsibility to monitor the use of the library by their children.
• The Library does not act in loco parents and is not responsible for inadvertent viewing at the library.

Registration

• Registration should only be used when it is necessary to purchase materials, meet a performer maximum or for a specific need.
• Registration information will be collected and used only for that program. Personal data will be routinely removed, leaving only necessary statistical information.
• In the event a program is cancelled, efforts will be made to let the public know and registered participants will be notified. Registrants are expected to cancel if unable to attend.
• Teen programming is grade 7 and up, but can be restricted within that range i.e. gr 9-12 if appropriate.

Accessibility and Accommodations

The Library is committed to meeting the accessibility needs of all program attendees and will respond to requests for accommodation as best as we can.

Censorship, Intellectual Freedom and Challenges to Programs

The Board of Library Trustees of the Saratoga Springs Public Library includes as a part of its statement on materials selection and collection development the American Library Association’s “Library Bill of Rights,” and these other statements regarding intellectual freedom:

• Freedom to Read Statement
• Freedom to View Statement
• Free Access to Libraries for Minors

The library rejects any censorship of programs which meet the criteria of this statement. The Library will abide by the policies contained in its Censorship Statement. Objections to any program should be made in writing and will be evaluated according to the Library’s Guidelines and Procedure for Reconsideration of Library Materials.

Library programming will not exclude topics or speakers because they might be controversial.

Revision of Policy

This policy will be revised as times and circumstances require.

Proposed: Guidelines and Procedures for Reconsideration of Programs

The Library will re-evaluate the selection of a program upon submission of a properly completed Request for Reconsideration of Library Programs form. These forms are available at the Information Desk. Forms will be accepted from adult cardholders who are residents of the Library’s legal service area.

Forms must be completed in their entirety, including the date, and the cardholder’s name, address, phone number, library card number, signature, and rationale for reconsideration and requested action.

The Director, in consultation with the appropriate Department Head, will make a decision regarding the program’s disposition. The Director’s determination may be appealed to the Library Board of Trustees, whose decision is final and binding. The program will remain on the calendar during the reconsideration process.

Future requests for reevaluating the same program will be addressed only if the grounds for reconsideration are substantially different from previous requests.

Procedure:

1. Completed forms should be delivered, as appropriate, to the Head of Adult Services, or Head of Youth Services, with a copy to the Director.
2. Within two weeks, the Department Head, in consultation with the Director, will make an initial assessment of the request and contact the cardholder in writing.
3. If the cardholder is not satisfied with the Department Head’s assessment, they may appeal in writing to the Director within two weeks. In such cases, the Director will convene a committee of appropriate professional librarians to review the request.
4. The committee will consider the program’s critical reception, demand by the public, and judge the overall merit of the program based on the breadth of programs that the library provides throughout the year, rather than as a standalone program. The committee will prepare a report for the Director of its recommendation regarding the program.
5. Informed by the committee’s recommendation, the Director will make a decision on the disposition of the program in question, and will inform the cardholder in writing within thirty days.
6. If the cardholder is not satisfied with the Director’s decision, he or she may appeal in writing to the Library Board of Trustees within two weeks.
7. The Board will respond in writing, generally by the conclusion of the second regularly scheduled meeting follow receipt of the appeal. The Board’s decision is final and binding.

Prepaid Checks #74832 - 74838

Warrant Checks # 74839 - 74934

Budget Expense Report

Income Report

Data and Relevant Calculations

Notes

Disbursements as of July 13, 2026: $229,456.40

Bank Balances:

• Money Market: $4,927,690.71
• Checking: $71,835.73
• Total: $4,770,070.04

Transaction Notes: (ACH: Automatic Clearing House)

• 6/9: SALS - Check # 9922216830 - $308.00 - Notary Reimbursement for KR and RR
• 6/9: Saratoga Arts - Check # 15671 - $2,750.00 - Stories in Sound Program July 27, 28, 29
• 6/9: Friends - Check # 900780 - $750 - Rent
• 6/12: SSCSD - ACH - $453,621.20 - Taxes
• 6/22: Common Roots Foundation, Inc. - Check # 1408 - $700 - Read to Recovery Donation
• 6/30: Friends - Check # 900786 - $2,000.00 - Donation for towels and flowers

Director’s Written Report

Personnel Update

Included on this month’s board agenda are requests to appoint two full-time Operations Department personnel. Following Ric Taras’s recent retirement, his position as Operations Working Supervisor was posted, and a committee consisting of Jen Ferriss, Kelly McCombs, Jamie Chabot, Dan Salmon, and Paul Mays of Butler Rowland Mays Architects interviewed three candidates for his successor. We are pleased to be united in our choice to offer a promotion to Rob Peck, a full-time Building Maintenance Worker in the department to fill the position. Rob’s promotion created a vacancy for a full-time position in the department, which are pleased to offer to part-time Building Maintenance Worker, Koby Tricell. A part-time vacancy has been created by Kolby’s transition to full-time, and is currently posted.

Encroachment / Spill

During the weekend of the Belmont Stakes, a grease/oil bin shared by Noah’s, Fillies on Phila, and Bailey’s overflowed, spilling cooking oil into the library parking lot. The oil receptacle sits next to a dumpster behind Fillies that is shared by the three restaurants, and there is conjecture about whether it overflowed by filling with rainwater when it was left open by restaurant workers, or whether it was jostled by a garbage truck emptying the dumpster. In any event, the spill was spotted by library workers after several vehicles had driven through it. These staff attempted to soak up the spill with kitty litter. The manager of Bailey’s indicated that the receptacle was shared among the three, and contacted KPM Restoration for cleanup. Because of the size of the spill, and much of it being directed toward the storm sewer, I notified the DEC. Oil barrels, trash, and other items not belonging to the library were removed from library property. The spill has hastened the demise of paint demarcating the fire lane, which will need to be re-striped.

New York Library Association Membership

We have renewed out annual institutional membership in the New York Library Association, which includes individual memberships for a number of library staff. There is a Trustee membership category that could be supported by the library; however, a Trustee must apparently be the main point of contact for board membership.

Policy Review

As our new fiscal year begins, we will renew our efforts at periodic review of library policies. Included in this month’s packet is a draft of a new policy that particularly addresses criteria for library programs, as this method of delivering content becomes an increasing aspect of our work.

Recently-planned programs about potentially controversial topics highlight the need for a dedicated policy.

Meetings, Programs, and Community Activities:

Once again, I drove the library van in the Flag Day parade on June 13, following a contingent of library staff and their family members.

Along with Heather Crocker and Jennifer Ferriss, I met with representatives of the City to touch base about potential changes to the traffic pattern on Henry Street to accommodate bike lanes between Lake Avenue and Congress Park.

On a day notable for a tornado watch, my June 18 discussion of Lives in Ruins: Archeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble by Marilyn Johnson drew a smaller group of 8 intrepid attendees rather than the typical 15. The July discussion selection, The Dig: A Novel Based on True Events by John Preston is similarly inspired by this year’s summer reading theme, “Unearth a Story.”

Assistant Director Report to the Board

Space Usage Study

We completed the fifth month of data collection and are beginning to identify several recurring trends during the third week of each month.

• Peak building occupancy typically occurs during the late morning (10 a.m.–12 p.m.) and early afternoon (1 p.m.–4 p.m.).
• The most consistently busy hour is 10 a.m.–11 a.m.
• Wednesday appears to be the busiest day overall, followed by Tuesday and Thursday.
• Saturday is the busiest weekend day, with peak activity occurring between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
• Traffic noticeably declines after 6 p.m. on most days.
• Wi-Fi user counts frequently exceed 100–200 users on busy days. Computer use on the second floor remains steady throughout the day.
• Programs drive visitation. For example, 331 people were in the building on Wednesday, March 18, between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Of note: There were several instances where no data was collected. We also have lump sum reporting for reference questions and in-house checks.

Digital Literacy Grant

The library is the recipient of a Digital Literacy Grant administered through the Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) and the United Way of the Greater Capital Region, in collaboration with the Capital District Regional Planning Commission, the Upper Hudson Library System, and the Schenectady County Public Library.

As part of this grant, we will receive a mobile Chromebook lab with five devices and a Tech Tub charging station to store and charge them.

American Library Association Annual Conference

I appreciate the opportunity to attend this year’s American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Chicago.

Networking and participating in ALA Council, the organization’s governing body, occupy much of my time at the conference. I also have opportunities to meet with businesses and nonprofit organizations that support library work, as well as attend continuing education sessions.

One highlight was attending Emily Martin’s presentation on our Read to Recovery program. She devoted considerable effort to the presentation, and it showed. Although I may be biased, it was one of the most interesting sessions I attended.

I want to share some key resolutions that were passed at the ALA Council.

• The Librarian’s and Library Workers’ Bill of Rights was adopted as an official statement of principle and practice. Please read the press release discussing the Library Workers’ Bill of Rights and consider endorsing and adopting the work at a future meeting.
• ALA Council affirmed that libraries serve as essential civic and economic infrastructure in communities. The Committee on Legislation and the Committee on Advocacy are working with the appropriate ALA offices and federal elected officials and staff to help gain support for funding aging buildings to make them modern, accessible, energy efficient and resilient to extreme weather.
• ALA Council adopted the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Working Group’s AI Guidance for Libraries document. It is a living document and a future iteration will address copyright issues and have a greater representation of school librarians’ perspectives.
• ALA Council unanimously approved the Resolution on Library Card Access Policies as a Form of Social Equity. The resolution calls for further consideration of findings from the Library Card Access Research Report published by the Brooklyn Public Library and Avenue M Group in April 2024. The Saratoga Springs Public Library has already implemented many of the report’s recommendations.

Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Ferriss

IT Group Update

Patron Door Count: 22,808

Board Report

Will push one more month as Brendon finishes up the forms required for stitching together a web-based report. We will be able to test run with some training and redo’s with next month’s report in time to forget everything for the September double report.

Reprise

We are looking to bring back / beef-up our loanable hotspot offering. We started off with several for loan we are down to a few. We were going to phase it, but the few units we have are in constant use and there did seem to be a need/want. We found a lower cost carrier that we could replace the units for significantly less than direct from T-Mobile so we are going to give it another go.

Cookies Update

The Joint Automation (JA) team and Clarivate have successfully updated the cookie functionality for our new library catalog website. We have tested this, and it is working for us, retaining the selections that our patrons choose while not interfering with the function of the site.

Copiers - Update

Our new copiers are in place and working well. They are very similar to the previous batch and work nearly identically to the old units. We added scan to email on the upstairs copier as another free benefit. While we already have free scanning, the device is old and uses a roller system exclusively and doesn’t work with ID’s or small papers very well. The new copier will allow patrons to use the flat bed or feeder to scan documents at no charge.

Respectfully,
Don and Brendon

Digital Communications Report

Prepared by Gina Michelin, Community Relations Coordinator

Constant Contact (Email Newsletter)

Audience engagement remained strong into June, maintaining a 62% open rate, which outperforms the typical non-profit industry average of around 20%. While overall email volume and deliveries shifted lower following the heavy campaign pushes of the previous months, the click rate stabilized at 3%.

Breakdown of Email Engagement

• Opens by Device: Mobile (51%) / Desktop (49%)
• Clicks by Device: Mobile (58%) / Desktop (42%)

Facebook

The “less is more” strategy continued into June. While post volume increased slightly compared to May, content efficiency improved significantly, with the engagement rate per reach increasing by 57% to 3.3%. However, overall reach and year-over-year views experienced drops.

Breakdown of Post Interactions (Month-over-Month)

• Reactions: 712 (May) → 758 (June) (+6.5%) (758 reactions computed from 791 total engagements minus 26 comments and 7 private messages)
• Shares: 127 (May) → 72 (June) (-43.3%)
• Comments: 11 (May) → 26 (June) (+136.4%)

Instagram

Instagram metrics showed a strong recovery in visibility during June, reversing the declines we saw in May.. Total views rebounded with a 26.5% month-over-month increase, and the overall engagement rate per reach grew to 6.8%.

Breakdown of Post Interactions (Month-over-Month)

• Likes: 265 (May) → 371 (June) (+40.0%)
• Shares: 27 (May) → 43 (June) (+59.3%)
• Comments: 20 (May) → 4 (June) (-80.0%)

YouTube

Following a strong surge in May, YouTube traffic experienced a typical seasonal cooling trend in June. However, the audience baseline remains interactive, and showed a slight lift in the baseline click-through rate compared to last year.

June Top-Performing Videos on YouTube

Traffic for the month was heavily anchored by our seasonal promotional campaign for Summer Reading, alongside steady baseline views from core youth programming content - “Slippery Fish” is still strangely a huge hit and our most viewed video.

SSPL Summer Reading Video 2026 - 78 views and 2.22 hours watch time. This targeted campaign video was our primary driver, generating an exceptional 17.95% click-through rate.

This Month’s Takeaways…

Less is More

Holding post volume steady at 61 posts on Instagram and 68 on Facebook allowed us to maximize audience focus. Instagram views grew by 26.5% month-over-month and interaction metrics surged by 38.2%, affirming that more targeted content is better than over-publishing.

Hashtag Performance Tracking

The hashtag #SSPL served as a major engine for Instagram visibility this month, generating 3,102 total interactions. We have consistently used this hashtag in every post, and obviously will continue to do so. Its sudden spike as a visibility engine in June isn’t due to where it was placed, but how the audience interacted with the content attached to it during the month. On Instagram, when a post receives more engagement (likes and shares), the algorithm treats its associated hashtags as “trending” or highly relevant topics. This pushes those posts higher in the feeds of users who follow or interact with the library, creating greater visibility that builds on itself.

Campaign-Summer Reading 2026

Looking back across the data, while standard YouTube metrics experienced a month-over-month dip, the performance of the “SSPL Summer Reading 2026” promotional video proved that campaigns get noticed, pulling a notable 17.95% click-through rate from impressions. This confirms that seasonal marketing initiatives are a reliable strategy for getting focus back onto our YouTube channel. That said, our YouTube video posts have been sporadic since the Pandemic days. So, it’s all relative.

Access and Outreach Services

Circulation and Technical Services

Circulation for June 2026:

• Total circulation (physical items and Libby eBooks and eAudiobooks): 35,815
• Total physical item circulation: 30,087
• Total eBook circulation (Libby, Hoopla, Comics Plus): 3,551
• Total eAudiobook circulation (Libby, Hoopla): 4,155
• Streaming video downloads (Kanopy, Hoopla): 381
• Streaming music downloads (Hoopla): 44
• Digital magazine circulation (Libby): 2,717

In June 2026, Circulation and Technical Services:

• Processed 221 library card applications.
• Issued 187 parking permits.
• Received and processed 2,937 items from other libraries to fill holds.
• Pulled and transferred 2,229 items to fill holds at other libraries.
• Filled 4,534 total holds.
• Processed 399 withdrawn items.
• Received, processed, and added 1,357 physical items to library collections.

Compare to June 2025 Circulation (shown below):

• Total circulation (physical items and Libby eBooks and eAudiobooks): 36,980
• Total physical item circulation: 30,769
• Total eBook circulation (Libby, Hoopla, Comics Plus): 3,889
• Total eAudiobook circulation (Libby, Hoopla): 4,039
• Streaming video downloads (Kanopy, Hoopla): 474
• Streaming music downloads (Hoopla): 42
• Digital magazine circulation (Libby): 2,653

Outreach Services

Senior Services, Persons-at-Home (Sarah Derven)

During June Sarah:

• Visited 13 Outreach Sites
• Lead 6 Memory Care Writing Groups
• Visited and Delivered Materials to 10 Individuals
• Served 244 Patrons
• Loaned 777 items
• Made 66 Phone Calls
• Selected and Placed 267 items on Hold
• Renewed 150 Items

Community Events, Partnerships, Mobile Library (Jennifer Ogrodowski)

• Shelters of Saratoga Book Group and Game Night
• Saratoga Farmers Market
• Greenfield Senior Center
• Her Story Book Group
• Wesley Craft Day
• Juneteenth Celebration at the YMCA
• Pride Festival
• Belmont Family Fun Day at the Racing Museum
• School Visits
• Senior Giveback Day

• Attendance: 644
• Items Loaned: 5
• Cards Issued and Renewed: 3

This year’s Pride Festival was wonderfully well attended. Jen O and Sarah Derven gave out several crates of withdrawn books to happy festival goers and engaged in some great conversations with community members.

The 5th annual Juneteenth celebration was held at the YMCA. It was a beautiful celebration of freedom with performances by dancers, singers, and poets. Local politicians were also in attendance as well as other community organizations.

Adult Literacy and English Language Learning (Mary Ann Rockwell)

In addition to our regularly scheduled English Language Learning (ELL) and adult literacy classes, Mary Ann has expanded our ELL offerings by introducing a new book discussion group, Learn English: Read a Book. In May, participants read and discussed Charlotte’s Web, and in July, they will read To Kill a Mockingbird. Reading full-length books is an effective language-learning tool, helping participants build vocabulary, develop a more intuitive understanding of grammar, and strengthen reading and listening comprehension through exposure to natural language patterns. This new program provides learners with an engaging way to practice English while fostering conversation and community.

Continuing Education

I was grateful for the opportunity to attend StokerCon, including the StokerCon Librarians’ Day conference and the Bram Stoker Awards, and would like to thank the Library Administration and Board of Trustees for their support. This year, I also served as a Horror Writers Association conference volunteer, assisting with conference preparation, including organizing advance reader copies (ARCs), assembling attendee swag bags, and supporting registration. During the conference, I presented on two panels: one for Librarians’ Day on promoting horror programming and collections in libraries, and another alongside New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix on building relationships between authors and libraries. I also met with authors appearing at our August 4 HWA-sponsored Summer Scares event, cosponsored by the Friends of the Saratoga Springs Public Library and Bailey’s Café, to coordinate event logistics, while also beginning recruitment for a Friends-sponsored “Halfway to Halloween” literary pub crawl planned for next spring. In addition, I connected with authors scheduled to appear at the Saratoga Book Festival. These relationships continue to create new programming opportunities, strengthen partnerships, and support the Friends of the Library and, by extension, the Library itself.

Respectfully submitted by:
Trevor Oakley, Head of Access and Outreach Services

Youth Services Department

Programming and Outreach

• Teen programs: 8
• Teen attendance: 300
• Teen room attendance: 209
• Teen Volunteer hours: 148
• Children’s programs: 104
• Children’s Attendance: 1,863

Unearth a Story has begun. In the first 12 days, over 600 kids and 75 teens signed up for the summer reading program. This is a huge jump compared to 2025. In May and June, the librarians completed 101 school visits, seeing over 2,000 students; they worked so hard, and it is paying off in increased participation.

Kristine also provided books in Spanish with summer reading information to the English as a New Language (ENL) classes.

Summer kicked off with two big dinosaur programs for kids and a special visit from Saratoga Clay Arts, who even brought actual pottery wheels. Patrons seem really happy to be back and ready for a fun summer.

AnnaRae started the summer with a scavenger hunt, and about 350 kids have participated (this does not even count the parents and caregivers who searched along with them).

The added baby story time was extremely popular - it was worth the extra time. Saturdays have also been drawing a nice crowd.

The annual teen lock-in was during Belmont weekend, so the outside of the library matched the excitement inside. It was possibly the best one yet, and teens had a great time making slime, playing games, running around the stacks in the dark, and eating all the snacks. Special thanks to Dan and AnnaRae for working so late and to Jess and the cleaners who worked around everyone.

Summer teen volunteers had their informational meeting and have already begun their volunteer work. AnnaRae limits the number of teens that she takes based on the amount of work available.

AnnaRae visited Pride Fest with Sarah and Jen O. from Access and Outreach Services (AOS); she said they handed out so many free books!

Take-and-Makes have been very popular recently - many patrons who do not regularly come to programs have been stopping by. The teen Candy Sushi is ever popular, and Alex has been putting out over 100 for kids every month.

Updates and Projects

The BOCES (Boards of Cooperative Educational Services) interns completed another school year. They seem unlikely to be returning next year due to changes in their program, but we remain open to having them again. They do a variety of projects, from preparations for crafts to cleaning books and toys, as well as some light dusting.

Getting ready for summer reading and keeping things neat and tidy have been the biggest projects.

Collections and Displays

June’s teen book displays were “Once Upon a Pride,” and “Not Another Straight Story” for Pride Month and the Teen Advisory Board display “June Journals.”

Kid’s displays-summer reading, Pollinators, World Cup, Horse Racing, Flag Day, Independence Day, Dinosaurs, Pride, Father’s Day, Juneteenth and author spotlights for Deborah Underwood and Sally Lloyd Jones.

The bulletin boards are all promoting summer reading – both the program itself and the programming.

Continuing Education

AnnaRae continues to serve on the Youth Services Section (YSS) Scholarship Committee.

Kristine will be presenting at the end of August about the library’s work on decodables.

What We’re Reading

• AnnaRae is reading Before We Wake by Sophia Glock
• Alex is reading Phoenix (Ride On #1) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
• Kristine is reading Pony by R.J. Palacio

Respectfully submitted by Catherine Brenner, Head of Youth Services

Adult Services Board Report

Service Statistics

• Service Desks (Ref, Computer, Info, Saratoga Room and Volunteers) = 3,084 service interactions
• Notary Appointments: 30
• Interlibrary Loans: 23

Digital Resources’ Statistics

• Electronic Databases:
  • ABC Mouse, 394
  • Ancestry, 656
  • Book Browse, 116
  • Consumer Reports, 519
  • EBSCO, 248
  • Heritage Quest, 227
  • Mango/ Little Pim, 76/0
  • Morningstar, 2
  • NOVEL, 79
  • ProQuest NYT, 236
  • Tech-Talk, 47
  • Value Line, NA
• Electronic Periodicals:
  • I do not have stats for electronic periodicals this month.
• LibGuides:
  • During the month of June our 150 LibGuides were viewed a total of 4,776 times.
  • Top guides
    • Summer Reading 2026 for Kids and Teens guide with 812 views.
    • Teen Services guide with 713 views.
    • Emily’s Book Club is my Alibi guide with 277 views.

Program Statistics

• Electronic Databases:
  • ABC Mouse, 394
  • Ancestry, 656
  • Book Browse, 116
  • Consumer Reports, 519
  • EBSCO, 248
  • Heritage Quest, 227
  • Mango/ Little Pim, 76/0
  • Morningstar, 2
  • NOVEL, 79
  • ProQuest NYT, 236
  • Tech-Talk, 47
  • Value Line, NA
• Electronic Periodicals:
  • I do not have stats for electronic periodicals this month.
• LibGuides:
  • During the month of June our 150 LibGuides were viewed a total of 4,776 times.
  • Top guides
    • Summer Reading 2026 for Kids and Teens guide with 812 views.
    • Teen Services guide with 713 views.
    • Emily’s Book Club is my Alibi guide with 277 views.

Interesting Additions

• On June 3, Katie attended the Saratoga County Volunteer Alliance. They discussed different volunteering topics during each session, hoping to help other local organizations engage our community. This month’s discussion was about how we recruit volunteers and a general overview of each organization’s onboarding process. Katie mentioned that our recruitment is very much word-of-mouth, especially since libraries are naturally seen as hubs for volunteer opportunities. Kate, who is the volunteer coordinator over at Gateway House of Peace, mentioned that she uses Idealist to post volunteer opportunities at her organization, and this is something that Katie would like to explore and bring up to management after doing some more research.
• Rebecca was approached by a woman at the end of Bagels and Barks who thanked her for organizing the event and said she has met other grandmas there and now they all hang out together outside the library with their grandkids – so cute!
• Kali and Jamie interviewed 4 candidates for the vacant part-time computer clerk position with Kelly from Human Resources.

What We’re Reading

• Katie is reading On a Quiet Street, by Seraphina Nova Glass.
  A year after a devastating death in their quiet neighborhood, three women are presented with a mystery that affects all of their lives in ways that they never would have expected. The author does an excellent job of connecting these three very different lives, offering a worthwhile ending.
• Kali is reading The Stars Look Like Home, by TJ Klune.
  Emily’s summary of The Stars Look Like Home made me want to read this book immediately, so I downloaded an uncorrected digital copy of the book from Netgalley. So far, it is a very touching story; just the thing I needed to read right now.
• Jamie is reading Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke.
  Unfolding in dual timelines, a modern day, “tradwife” believes she has woken up in 1885. This book was a wild ride from start to finish and left me thinking about it long after I closed the cover. A truly unlikable and unreliable narrator.
• Caitlin is reading The Johnstown Flood, by David McCullough.
  Published back in 1968, it’s about a flood caused by a dam break in the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania in 1889. It’s full of information about industry during the era, Andrew Carnegie, the Pennsylvania Railroad, dam construction, and journalism, while still being very readable and suspenseful. I would suggest it to fans of Erik Larson and David Grann.
• Rebecca is reading Honey in the Wound, by Jiyoung Han.
  Very well written historical fiction with magical realism blended in about multiple generations of women in a Korean family during the Japanese occupation of Korea.

Operations Department

As you are aware, with the departure of the previous working supervisor, there is something new for the next person to pick up. It is nice to be entrusted with that task, and I look forward to learning more about the system in place.

Since May, our temperatures started picking up, and the cooling system has started putting in work. Our cooling tower has recently been a focus for upgrades towards controls and communication with the newer digital building maintenance system interface. We had a couple of issues where control communications were dropped momentarily. Since the upgrade with the new controllers, we have been issue-free. We also have passed the current New York State required testing and operation certifications for Bacteriological and Legionella treatments.

Other than the everyday tasks of the library, the weather has allowed outdoor maintenance and repairs to be in full swing with mowing, repainting curbs, maintaining equipment, and even some concrete repair.

Respectfully Submitted,
Rob Peck - Operations Supervisor

Human Resources Summary

Staffing

• Resignation
  • Angelo Lefebvre, Shelver, Youth Services (P/T), effective July 15, 2026.
  • Christine Dreidel, Library Clerk, Access and Outreach Services (P/T), effective July 22, 2026.
  • Abigail Silin, Library Clerk, Adult Services (P/T), effective July 1, 2026.
• Request to Appoint
  • Robert Peck, Working Supervisor, Operations (F/T), $56,171.17/yr, effective July 6, 2026.
  • Kolby Tricell, Building Maintenance Worker, Operations (F/T), $24.46/hr, effective July 6, 2026.
  • Alex Collins, Library Clerk, Adult Services (P/T) - $20.06/hr, effective July 14, 2026.
• Hiring
  • Library Clerk, Access and Outreach (P/T) – currently canvassing.
  • Building Maintenance Worker, Operations (P/T) - collecting applications.

Recruitment Update

• Working Supervisor: Received 10 applications and scheduled interviews with four candidates. One candidate withdrew prior to the interview, and the remaining three candidates (one internal and two external) were interviewed. Rob Peck was selected and promoted to the position.
• Adult Services Library Clerk: Canvassed the Civil Service eligible list and identified four reachable candidates. All four candidates were interviewed (all very strong candidates!), and Alex Collins was selected to fill the position.

Recruitment efforts continue to be successful, and I am especially pleased to share two well-deserved internal promotions. Congratulations to Rob Peck on his promotion to Working Supervisor and to Kolby Tricell on his promotion from part-time Building Maintenance Worker to full-time Building Maintenance Worker.

One of the most rewarding parts of my role is bringing new employees into our library family, and every so often there are hires who stand out in an exceptional way. Rob and Kolby are two of those individuals. They consistently bring a positive, welcoming attitude to work, are incredibly hardworking, and genuinely enjoy being part of the Library team. It has been a pleasure to be involved in both their original hiring and now their promotions. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to support their growth and look forward to seeing their continued success in these new roles.

Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

Annual Sexual Harassment Prevention Training will be assigned to all employees next week through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) training platform. Employees will be provided with instructions for completing the required training, and I will track completion to ensure compliance with New York State requirements.

Respectfully submitted by:
Kelly McCombs, Human Resources Manager