This week we circulated 1,173 items, received 506 items in transit, and sent 524 items. We requested 448 items and fulfilled 454 hold requests; registered 12 patrons for library cards, and added 171 new items. The most popular book this week is The Richest Woman in America: Hetty Green in the Gilded Age by Janet Wallach. We hosted 30 meetings in our conference, study, and tutoring rooms for 83 people including Grafton Youth Football and Cheer and Grafton Democratic Town Committee, as well as private work, study, homeschool, and tutoring sessions.
Admin
The Director is out on FMLA leave through the end of 2023. In her absence, a number of staff members at the Grafton Public Library and the Town of Grafton Municipal Center are pitching in to assure that nothing falls through the cracks. Thank you to Jen McNeil from the Children’s Room for her continued work updating the website and EventKeeper; Trustees Roger Trahan and Aaron Vandesteen for coming in to sign the bills; Mary Lauria and Kristen Pasacane for their assistance with payroll; Evan Brassard and William Blake for their continued support, especially William who has been an invaluable resource the past few weeks.
Eileen maintained the collection of periodicals, processed incoming mail, sent late notices, prepared bills, paid invoices and assisted with coverage for Borrower Services. Debby compiled the Weekly Report, finished the Director’s Report, and wrote Director’s portions of the November newsletter; worked on preparing payroll, approving and scheduling leave, scheduling; updated events on social media; reached out to various agencies to get several overdue safety inspections completed; and performed a number of tasks for the Board of Library Trustees including preparation documents for, attending, and recording minutes of the October 25 meeting.
Borrower Services
Staff managed the adult circ desk, delivery, museum passes, the lobby, room reservations, and Automatic Materials Handling equipment. We assisted patrons, placed holds, performed readers’ advisory, and supervised volunteers.
Kara checked CWMars top titles against the collection; reviewed industry newsletters to add upcoming titles to purchase lists; ordered requested e-book and e-audio titles; prepared the first adult fiction and graphic novel orders for November; prepared the large print adult fiction order for November & December; and created signage and pulled titles for the November endcap and graphic novel displays. Jane posted the New York Times Best Seller List for print and audio fiction and recommended titles for purchase; corrected patron records with the wrong home library; collected items with alerts from invalid RFID tags; continued weeding adult fiction; and deleted lost fiction titles from the catalog. Ranjita posted the New York Times Best Seller List for print and audio nonfiction and recommended titles for purchase; and performed a routine check of the Library of Things. Sandhya managed out of network requests for materials and followed up on open issues; worked on interlibrary loans and followed up with patrons; cleared expired holds from the hold shelf and followed up with patrons; worked on the home delivery service; planned for and tested adult programming options for November and December; processed museum pass renewals and reviewed upcoming expiration dates; and continued preparing for next season’s Seed Library. Allie posted September and October general e-newsletters to website & printed physical copies; created permanent labels for the New Fiction and New Nonfiction shelves; wrote instructions for printing shelf labels to ensure exact dimension for the plastic shelf strips; edited the general e-newsletter events and updated the High Demand Holds; created a printable Adult Events calendar; displayed New to Fiction October books on top of the fiction shelves; ran a report on patrons interested in the newsletter and added contacts; and received overview and basic training for Technical Services.
Children’s Services
The Children’s Room staff continues working out of the temporary CR space located in the Friends of the Library Corner while we await repairs to damage sustained in the August flood. As we enter our fifth week of displacement, we are feeling the strain and challenges of working with limited space and resources. Staff have continued to field questions and concerns from the public ranging from sympathetic understanding to frustration about the closure of the Children’s Room, our current programming hiatus, and the temporary suspension of the Friends of the Grafton Public Library’s book sale on a daily basis. At this time, the timeline of the project continues to be unclear, making it challenging to alleviate the concerns of the public.
Children’s Room staff attended the Grafton Friendly Trick or Treat event hosted by the Grafton Recreation Department, planned and prepped for Halloween trick or treating, began program planning for the new year, began our yearly Summer Reading promotional material order, placed book and materials orders, reorganized and maintained the temporary collection, stored excess materials that we not able to fit on current shelving, lesson planned for November outreach programming, assisted patrons with hold requests and reader’s advisory, created an organization system for toys stored in our book bins, communicated with patrons, updated displays with seasonal items, and assisted patrons.
Teen Services
Allison worked with Cynthia to train in Technical Services to continue the work of the department after Cynthia’s last day on October 27. Sarah S. ran manga club, coordinated with teen volunteers, shelved new manga titles, and read reviews for upcoming titles. Shawn interacted with teens and supervised the Teen Room during after-school hours.
Reference Services
Heidi and Eric assisted with tech and reference questions, circulation, room reservations and museum passes. Heidi hosted the Inspirational Book Group and Guided Meditation discussion of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success, by Amy Morin and worked on event PR and collection development. Eric ordered new materials for the adult non-fiction collection, put out new books, trained on Technical Services and Cataloging, and planned November book displays.
Technical Services
This is Cynthia’s last week! She was offered an amazing opportunity and has accepted a position with CWMars. This week she ordered new books and unpacked items as they arrived; worked on cataloging new YA manga, DVDs, and adult nonfiction; added grids to items in Ingram; and trained staff and prepared documentation to help with a smooth transition upon her departure.
This week we circulated 2,013 items, received 702 items in transit, and sent 607 items. We requested 542 items and fulfilled 433 hold requests; registered 8 patrons for library cards, and added 233 new items. The most popular book this week is The Richest Woman in America: Hetty Green in the Gilded Age by Janet Wallach. We hosted 25 meetings in our conference, study, and tutoring rooms for 60 people including Brownie Troop 65197, office hours for Senator Michael Moore, and Grafton Girls Softball, as well as private work, study, homeschool, and tutoring sessions.
The Grafton Public Library was closed 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. for staff development on Thursday, October 19. The event was attended by all available staff and was a chance for staff to collaborate across departments.
The Children’s Room and Community Rooms continue to be closed awaiting reconstruction to remediate flood damage. Assistant Town Administrator William Blake is in communication with and will be notified by MIIA insurance adjusters when work can begin. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Admin
The Director is out on FMLA leave through the end of 2023. In her absence, things are running smoothly with no disruption to service as GPL staff and Town of Grafton employees are pitching in. Special thanks to Jen McNeil from the Children’s Department for updating the website and making a number of corrections and additions to EventKeeper, trustees Roger Trahan, John Bubriski, and Carrie Hogan who have come in to sign warrant sheets so that bills can be paid on time, Town Accountant Mary Lauria for assisting with payroll submission, and to William Blake and who has been maintaining communication with department heads and providing staff and facilities support.
Eileen maintained the collection of periodicals, took care of incoming mail, sent late notices, prepared bills, paid invoices, picked up lunch for staff development, and assisted with coverage for Borrower Services. Debby planned and coordinated details for Thursday’s staff development; compiled the Weekly Report; worked on payroll, scheduling, social media, and tasks for the Board of Library Trustees; and completed a number of tasks left on the Director’s To-Do List.
Borrower Services
Staff managed the adult circ desk, delivery, museum passes, the lobby, room reservations, and Automatic Materials Handling equipment. We assisted patrons, placed holds, performed readers’ advisory, and supervised volunteers.
Kara helped plan for upcoming staff transitions; prepared adult fiction orders for November; prepared the large print adult fiction order for November & December; prepared an order of graphic novels and manga for November; prepared for the move of the second and first floor desks; and helped organize storage and free up workspace in the Technical Services office. Jane posted the New York Times Best Seller List for print and audio fiction and recommended titles for purchase; corrected patron records with the wrong home library; collected items with alerts from invalid RFID tags; collected items with alerts from old displays; and continued weeding adult fiction. Ranjita posted the New York Times Best Seller List for print and audio nonfiction and recommended titles for purchase; processed ComCat requests; and performed a routine check of the Library of Things and First Aid Kits throughout the building. Sandhya managed out of network requests for materials and followed up on open issues; worked on interlibrary loans and followed up with patrons; cleared expired holds from the hold shelf and followed up with patrons; worked on the home delivery service; hosted the final session of the Diamond Art program; hosted a craft session for attendees at staff development; prepared graphics and selected materials for the November endcap display; planned for and tested adult programming options for November and December and ordered supplies; processed museum pass renewals and reviewed upcoming expiration dates; and continued preparing for the next season of the Seed Library. Allie created and adhered shelf labels for Blu-ray, DVD, Video Games, and Manga sections; requested additional shelf labels; worked on the November newsletter by requesting content from staff members and creating a new design, including new graphics, an updated Upcoming Events section, and an updated High Demand Holds section; created graphic for November’s Native American Heritage Month staircase display and a printable general events calendar for November; worked on the New Fiction shelf display, including processing new adult fiction; researched an older mystery book series for a patron; and discussed Art Rail additions with a trustee.
Children’s Services
The Children’s Room staff continues working out of the temporary CR space while we await repairs to damaged sustained in the August flood. As we enter our fourth week of displacement, we are feeling the strain and challenges of working with limited space and resources. Staff have continued to field questions and concerns from the public ranging from sympathetic understanding to frustration about the closure of the Children’s Room, our current programming hiatus, and the temporary suspension of the Friends of the Grafton Public Library’s book sale on a daily basis. At this time, the timeline of the project continues to be unclear, making it challenging to alleviate the concerns of the public.
Children’s Outreach programming is back in full swing with staff providing outreach to NGES preschoolers, Silver Spruce, and hosting a table at Octoberfest.
Teen Services
Allison worked with department heads to help plan for staffing issues in the coming weeks. Sarah S shelved new books, facilitated Dungeons and Dragons, ran Anime Club, and coordinated with teen volunteers. Shawn supervised the Teen Room during after school hours and provided much needed support to Borrower Services staff when there was an altercation between patrons on Tuesday.
Reference Services
Heidi and Eric assisted with tech and reference questions, circulation, room reservations and museum passes. Heidi hosted the Daytimers’ Book Group discussion of Other Birds, by Sarah Addison Allen, the GPL Mystery Book Group discussion of Artifacts by Mary Anna Evans; and worked on a grant and event PR. Eric also set up their new desk space and helped clear out the reference desk before it was moved.
Technical Services
This week, Cynthia ordered new books and unpacked items as they arrived. She cataloged new YA graphic novels, adult fiction, and audiobooks; worked on fixing problem items and replacement items; added grids to items in Ingram; sent in requests for records to the CatCenter; and covered the desk for Borrower Services.
Monday, January 1 CLOSED – New Year’s Day
Monday, January 15 CLOSED – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Friday, January 19 DELAYED – Professional Development Day – open at 2 p.m.
Monday, February 19 CLOSED – President’s Day
Thu, March 7 CLOSED – Professional Development Day
Monday, April 15 CLOSED – Patriots’ Day
Saturday, May 25 CLOSED – Memorial Day weekend (unpaid)
Monday, May 27 CLOSED – Memorial Day
Wednesday, June 19 CLOSED – Juneteenth
Wednesday, July 3 EARLY CLOSING – Close at 5 p.m.
Thursday, July 4 CLOSED – Independence Day
Thursday, August 29 CLOSED – Professional Development Day.
Saturday, August 31 CLOSED – Labor Day weekend (unpaid)
Monday, September 2 CLOSED – Labor Day
Monday, October 14 CLOSED – Indigenous People’s Day
Thursday, October 17 CLOSED – Professional Development Day
Monday, November 11 CLOSED – Veterans’ Day Observance
Wednesday, November 27 EARLY CLOSING – Close at 5 p.m.
Thursday, November 28 CLOSED Thanksgiving Day
Friday November 29 CLOSED Thanksgiving (mandatory personal day)
Tuesday, December 24 CLOSED – Christmas
Wednesday, December 25 CLOSED – Christmas (observed)
Tuesday, December 31 EARLY CLOSING – Close at 5 p.m.
Wednesday, January 1, 2025 CLOSED New Year’s Day
ServPro will be on site on Monday September 25 through Friday September 29 to begin removing flooring, wall, and millwork damaged by water during the flood August 18. We will need to close areas of the building for this work to be completed. The Children’s Room will close to pack, store and relocate items on Thursday September 21, and remain closed for the duration of the work, with a reopening date to be determined.
Affected areas include the Children’s Room, Children’s Program Room, Children’s Room Storage Closet, Children’s Workroom, Community Room, A/V Storage Closet, and Kitchen.
There is likely to be significant noise and disruption due to this demolition work, all week, between 10am and 4pm. Visitors should manage expectations accordingly. Please obey all staff directives and signage during this reconstruction period.
The Community Room continues to be unavailable and we are not taking any new bookings until the reconstruction project is completed.
A selection of Children’s Materials will be available in the Friends Corner (Thank you to our Friends for temporarily giving up this space!) until the Community Room work is completed. Puzzles, toys, crafts and activities will not be available. All Children’s Programming is suspended through October. Unfortunately, this means the Library will need to be a an errand, not a destination, and visitors should manage expectations accordingly.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope to complete this restoration work quickly! Thank you for your patience and patronage.
UPDATE: The Community Room has been reopened for the scheduled Friends Book Sale Setup. Teen Room’s Maker Space iMac computers and Gaming Room televisions were restored when electrical use was approved. The Children’s Room is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday September 5.
The Library sustained significant flooding on Friday morning August 18 as a result of intense rainstorms, with water sheeting off the wetlands side of the building and flowing into the Community Room, A/V closet, Kitchen, Children’s Room, Children’s Program Room, and Sprinkler Room.
We do not yet have an update from the Town’s fire department or building official when these spaces will be habitable – Town and Library staff responded heroically, and ServPro was on site over the weekend to install industrial dryers.
Currently, the rugs and walls are dry, electrical has been restored, and an insurance claim has been filed.
The Children’s Room, and Children’s Program Room will be CLOSED to the public until further notice. The Friends Book Sale will proceed as scheduled, and we are currently accepting donations.
A collection of Children’s Materials will be available for browsing in the Historic Reading Room on the Common (upper) Level, accessible by elevator and from the Common Entrance.
We will share more information as soon as we have new information, and will make every effort to reschedule meetings and programs in other spaces.
We thank you for your flexibility and understanding of these circumstances beyond our control.
Please join us in celebrating Senior Library Associate Marilyn Wilcox, who will be retiring on June 30 after nearly 19 years of service in the Children’s Room at the Grafton Public Library. We will be honoring her with a reception on Friday June 30 from 10am-12noon at the Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common, and the community is invited to attend.
Miss Marilyn staffed the children’s room service desk, navigated two library moves and several library renovations with grace and patience. She did a LOT of meticulous shelving and shelf-reading, helped with programs and displays, provided storytime, and served as volunteer coordinator. Miss Marilyn has provided a warm, welcoming presence to families, fostered compassion and kindness towards co-workers, and delivered excellence in connecting the right person with the right book at the right time. She was awarded a level II Paralibrarian Certificate from the MA Library Association in May 2022.
We wish her well and she will be greatly missed! We will both celebrate our joy in the next chapter of her life, and drown our sorrows in her leaving, with cake! Please RSVP via the event on our Facebook Page or directly to Beth Schreiber at 508-839-4649 x1836 or by email at schreiberb@graftonlibrary.org.
Due to decreasing COVID-19 case counts in Grafton, we are able to reduce our Children’s Room “Masks Required” mandate to “Masks Recommended.” Masks can be provided if needed.
Computers, manipulatives, and in-person programming for school-age children is now available, as well.
The remainder of the Library remains Mask Optional.
