Great Barrington Board of Library Trustees Meeting — October 13, 2026

The Board of Library Trustees met on October 13, 2026, beginning at 5:32 p.m. Present were Laura Mars, Donna Jacobs, Russell Samora, Sharon Shalo, Lauren Clark, and Patrick Hollinger. Frederica Siegel, co-chair of the Ramsdell Building Committee (RBC), appeared as a guest. The board approved the September minutes, discussed the state historic commission process and the town manager's proposed bathroom-only CPC grant, and voted to move ahead with its own Community Preservation Committee application. No public or media comments were made.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the September 10 meeting minutes unanimously; trustees noted minor spelling errors to be corrected.
• Deferred approval of the October special meeting minutes and the joint meeting with the Select Board to November.

Ramsdell Building Committee Report and Archives Discussion

• Frederica Siegel reported on a September 29 call between Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) official Ed Bell and architect Michael Belfour. RBC prepared a summary of the call, PDR approved it, and Siegel recommended the trustees send it to Bell so the later conversation — which moved away from his earlier nine-page letter — would be on the record.
• Siegel said she and her RBC co-chair are committed to seeing the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) process through the cost estimate phase until the percentage MBLC will fund is known; there is no cost to the town because MBLC has already supplied funds for that work.
• Bell's October 1 letter recommended that the library apply for a 'Roving Archivist' grant funded by the Massachusetts State Historical Records Advisory Board to assess storage, preservation, and access for historical records. Siegel and her RBC co-chair said neither the trustees, RBC, local Historical Commission, nor Historical Society should be the applicant. Siegel opposed Historical Commission member Malcolm Fick as the applicant because he is not a neutral party, and pressed the trustees not to ignore the grant opportunity.
• Lauren Clark asked whether MHC had provided written confirmation of the call; Siegel said Bell would not write such a letter. Sharon Shalo questioned relying on a summary of the conversation, argued Bell was overstepping by assigning the trustees responsibility for archives they do not own, and cited 2014 minutes showing only temporary storage was granted for those materials at Ramsdell. Patrick Hollinger said the trustees should write to the head of MHC because 'if it is not written down, it never happened.' Laura Mars described her June 2025 efforts to interest Malcolm Fick in off-site storage options, saying the Historical Commission did not follow through.

CPC Grant and Bathroom Renovation

• The co-chairs reported that they plan to make RBC chairs the sole contact for PDR and CHA and keep trustees as the town contact, to reduce confusing communication.
• Town Manager Liz proposed a $350,000 CPC grant for a standalone downstairs bathroom renovation. The co-chairs wrote to her saying the trustees intended to continue with their own CPC application for the full renovation. The first CPC application is due November 6 at 4 p.m., and all CPC applications must now go through the town manager's office.
• Trustees discussed whether to compete with or accept the $350,000 proposal. Some argued a smaller award could be folded into the larger project and was more palatable; others argued the trustees should request as much as possible and not negotiate against themselves. Patrick Hollinger also argued the town manager lacks authority to decide CPC projects, and another trustee said a larger request would send a stronger signal to funders. A motion was made and seconded to thank the town manager for the $350,000 proposal while proceeding with the trustees' own CPC application. The motion carried; at least one trustee voted present, citing unresolved questions or a preference for partnering with the town manager.
• Patrick Hollinger warned that Massachusetts Architectural Access Board rules require full accessibility work once renovations exceed 30 percent, making a piecemeal bathroom renovation noncompliant; he said the town has been in violation for years and that Michael Belfour had also called the plan not viable.

Reports

• Director's report: A new full-time main-desk employee starts at the end of October; interviewing continues for another full-time position; three full-time and two part-time vacancies remain. A new digital service, 'Common Shelf,' was recently launched.
• Treasurer's report: None.
• Friends of the Library: Book sales were busy Friday and Saturday but washed out Sunday and Monday; weekend sales will continue while weather holds. The last poetry reading of the year took place, and Lee Bank's annual grant supporting children's books was received.
• Liaison reports: The Historical Commission last met July 24; the October 5 meeting was missed due to a conflicting Select Board meeting. Its agenda included authorizing funds for archival materials at Ramsdell and a review of MHC's response to the library trustees. The Finance Committee had no relevant items.

New Business and Other Discussion

• Sharon Shalo asked about the planned Halloween parade participation. After noting that Sarah Parker stepped down as head of HIC, Sharon volunteered to contact Betsy and Ed about using older book carts and will send an organizational email.
• An author-photographer who photographed every Berkshire County library is planning a May talk for the 'Quiet Places' book; the program is likely to be held at Ramsdell.
• Trustees discussed a next joint meeting with the Select Board, believed to be scheduled for October 26; Lauren Clark will confirm and circulate the correspondence. Trustees hoped the next session would be more collaborative.
• Trustees reviewed open meeting and conflict-of-interest training. They learned that trustees are treated as town employees for fundraising purposes, may raise funds for projects, and cannot raise money to influence voters; and that expressing opinions to a quorum by email can violate the open meeting law. Trustees also discussed documenting their authority to fundraise, citing prior state ethics findings and the precedent of fundraising for Mason Library.

Key Outcomes

• Approved September 10 minutes unanimously; deferred the October special and joint Select Board minutes to November.
• Voted to proceed with the trustees' own CPC grant application alongside the town manager's $350,000 bathroom proposal. The deadline is November 6 at 4 p.m.; the board still needs to ask the town manager how far in advance applications must reach her office.
• Agreed to continue pursuing the cost estimate and MBLC funding percentage before making final project decisions.
• No formal vote was taken on the response to Ed Bell's October 1 letter or on who should apply for the Roving Archivist grant.
• Trustees will sign the MBLC extension letter, seek clarification from Town Manager Liz, and arrange in-person presence at an MBLC meeting; Patrick Hollinger offered to attend.
• Sharon Shalo will coordinate Halloween parade logistics with Betsy and Ed.