Great Barrington Board of Library Trustees Meeting Summary – May 13, 2026

The Great Barrington Board of Library Trustees met on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:41 p.m. The meeting focused on the Ramsdale Renovation Project and the expiring Ramsdale Building Committee, the library website, and officer nominations, with additional reports from the library director and Friends of the Library.

Attendance and Minutes

• Trustees and the library director attended; Lauren Clark joined the meeting at 5:38 p.m. Guests included Sharon Gregory in the audience and Frederika Siegel online.
• The board corrected and then approved the April 15 minutes. Corrections included removing a duplicated phrase, replacing “director” with “trustee,” fixing typos in “initiative” and “liaison,” and adding a note that Pamela Means will perform at the library in September. Pat abstained.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public offered comments during the citizen-speak portion of the meeting.

Chair’s Update

• The chair called the defeat of the Proposition 2½ override “resounding” and said the town must come to terms with budget constraints this year. She urged the board to plan outreach and conversations so community support for library projects, especially Ramsdale, is not taken for granted.
• A draft memo to the Community Preservation Committee was set aside pending board consensus; the chair said she personally would wait a month or two before acting.
• The board will revise and update its meeting room and exhibits policy. Dawn and Laura will form the subcommittee, with work scheduled for the July agenda.
• The board welcomed new Trustee Donna Jacobs (listed in the roll call as Donna Jacobson) and said goodbye to departing Trustee Sandy Pantorno. The chair read Pantorno’s farewell statement, which stressed listening, respect, and continuing advocacy for the libraries.

Library Director’s Report

• Library Director Dawn Jardine reported that the elevator is still out of order; Otis has been unable to diagnose the problem after two visits. The lower level currently requires stairs or going outside to access.
• An art show featuring work from W.E.B. Du Bois Middle School and Hillcrest is on display throughout the library.
• Jardine will be on vacation the first week of June; Donna will be the point person during that time.

Friends of the Library

• The Friends are assembling rolling carts so book-sale books can be rolled in and out on weekends and covered at night. Volunteer sign-up details will be circulated by email; the goal is to cover the six-week period while organizer Ed Abrams is away.
• The April poetry reading drew about 45 people. The May date was to be announced.

Ramsdale Renovation Project

• Ramsdale Building Committee Chair Ruby reported that the Massachusetts Historical Commission had not received the project’s design. The committee is now pursuing two tracks: submitting an alternate plan that includes the 1930 addition and explaining why it could not be retained, and working with the local historical commission to support the submitted plan. Architect Michael will prepare the evidence without charging extra unless the work exceeds his contract.
• Parking discussions with town official Chris Randall are continuing. Options include angled parking and possibly one-way street changes. Dawn said a meeting with Town Manager Liz and nearby property owners would happen after two municipal votes scheduled for June 1 and June 8. Dawn also clarified that the 22-foot width is needed only where parking is located, not necessarily along the whole driveway.
• The current Ramsdale Building Committee expires June 30. Dawn has discussed restructuring with Town Manager Liz, including a possible standing building committee modeled on Westfield. MBLC requires the library director and two trustees on the committee. No decisions have been made; Dawn will meet with Liz again in June.
• Ruby noted that the committee had held more than 30 meetings and that its members deserved thanks.
• Laura and Lauren reported that the Housatonic Improvement Committee has not yet finalized Ramsdale outreach materials or FAQs. They also raised concerns that the proposed Long Table street closure has not included outreach to residents on the affected street.
• The board discussed the risk of losing institutional knowledge when the current committee dissolves. After debate, the consensus was to ask the town manager to include more members of the original Ramsdale Building Committee than the MBLC minimum when the committee is reconstituted. Dawn agreed to convey that concern before or at her June meeting with the town manager.

Website Redesign

• The deadline for the state grant was extended to April 2028, but the project must be completed within 22 weeks of the grant award, so the board needs to be ready before applying.
• Dawn outlined three options: rebuild the site for about $13,050 plus add-ons (roughly $15,000 total), patch the existing site, or add accessibility subscriptions ($1,490 per year plus Recite Me at about $1,000 per year). The current site is five years old, heavily overcoded, difficult for staff to update, and lacks a functioning calendar.
• The board agreed the site should be rebuilt rather than repurposed and unanimously approved a motion directing Dawn to write and issue an RFP for a new website. Staff needs, public input, references, and independent maintenance were identified as evaluation criteria.

Officer Nominations and Other Business

• Officers will be elected at the June meeting because the town election had been held the previous day. Three trustees were nominated for two co-chair positions, and Trustee Sharon was nominated as secretary/treasurer. The board also discussed possibly expanding the six-member board or creating an advisory committee.
• Liaison appointments are expected to be made by the new co-chairs in July.
• The food and potable water purchasing issue was tabled to June, as were the homebound delivery update, the trustee/RBC collaboration statement, and the MOU update from the town manager.
• The FY27 meeting schedule will be confirmed next month; the November date needs adjustment because it falls on Veterans Day.

Key Outcomes

• April 15 minutes approved as amended, with one abstention.
• Unanimous vote to direct the library director to draft an RFP for a new website.
• Consensus that the reconstituted Ramsdale Building Committee should retain key members from the current committee for institutional knowledge; Dawn to communicate this to the town manager.
• Officer election deferred to June, with three co-chair nominees and one secretary/treasurer nominee.
• Food/potable water policy, homebound delivery update, collaboration statement, and MOU update tabled to June.
• The board adjourned by unanimous consent at 7:41 p.m.