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Trustees
Overview
The Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees is a governing board made up of nine members. Members are elected to four-year terms or appointed by the Mayor of the City of Amesbury, with the approval of the City Council of Amesbury and the Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the library’s historic building and finances while maintaining a commitment to the library’s mission to provide safe space for lifelong exploration and learning, public understanding, freedom of expression, experiencing beauty, and wonder through the best possible resources, facilities, and services for the Amesbury community. This involves advocacy in the community, at city council meetings, with other city departments and officials, and to state legislators.
The board has the duty to determine the rules and regulations governing library operations and services. Board members sit on subcommittees, including preservation, finance, long range planning, director review, communications, and ad hoc committees as needed.
Bylaws
For more details on the Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees, its duties, and how it’s organized, please read the board’s bylaws.
Contact
If you have feedback, questions, or something that needs to be shared with the Amesbury Public Library's Board of Trustees, email librarytrustees@amesburyma.gov.
Current Trustees
| Member | Term Expiration |
|---|---|
| Jessica Ducrow, Vice Chair | 12/31/2027 |
| Makeighlee Marstaller, Chair | 12/31/2029 |
| Ann Langlois, Secretary | 12/31/2029 |
| Mary Chatigny | 12/31/2027 |
| Alex Matthews | 12/31/2029 |
| Alyson Osgood | 12/31/2029 |
| Brenda Rich | 12/31/2027 |
| Jane Siebecker | 12/31/2027 |
| Vacant | 12/31/2029 |
Meeting Dates, Agendas, and Minutes
Meetings
All meetings are open to the public.
- Second Wednesday of every month (except August) at 7:00 pm
- Amesbury City Hall auditorium
62 Friend Street
Amesbury, MA 01913
You can also find upcoming trustee meeting dates on the city’s calendar.
Agendas and Minutes
A meeting agenda will be posted on the city website at least 48 business hours in advance of the meeting's start time. Meeting minutes will also be available on the city website following approval. Minutes from meetings in prior years are available by request through the Amesbury Public Library, contact history@amesburylibrary.org.
Sub-Committee Mission Statements
The mission of the Preservation Committee of the Amesbury Public Library is twofold: to oversee the historic collection, artifacts, and paintings belonging to the library and to sustain the interior/exterior of the library structure within the restraints of dealing with a historical building and limited funds. The frequency of meetings is usually two to three times a year, depending on building and preservation issues warranting attention. Meetings are recommended in the spring and fall.
The Finance Committee represents the trustees’ assessment of the needs of the town’s citizens for a full-service library. The committee meets with the library director to develop the main aspects of the proposed budget. It will represent the trustees throughout the entire budget process. The committee will have at least three trustees as members. It will meet as needed during the budget cycle. The committee will invite budget requests from other trustee committees subject to board approval. A meeting is recommended in January in order to ready the fiscal budget for approval by the full board in February.
The mission of the Long-Range Planning Committee is to work with the library director and staff to assist and implement the goals and vision of the Amesbury Public Library's long range plan (LPR). The long-range planning committee will work with the finance committee whenever possible to budget for the implementation of the goals of the LRP. The committee will make every effort to meet two to three times a year and request updates from the director on the LRP. Meetings are recommended in the spring and fall.
Three board members sit on the Director Review Committee. This committee meets in August, once with fellow committee members and once with the library director, to conduct a performance evaluation of the director. The review process begins with both a committee evaluation (the three members individually fill out the review form and meet to combine the three evaluations into one document) and a director self-evaluation. Once both review documents have been filled out, the committee members meet with the director to discuss both sets of scores and to produce a final review document. Following these meetings, the committee presents the results and recommendations to the full board at the September monthly meeting.
The mission of the Communications Committee of the Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees is to promote, educate, and inform the public about the current state of the library and opportunities to support the library and its future. In addition, the Communications Committee will support existing and prospective trustees by orienting them and providing guidance on communications, as well as providing communications support and messaging for the library as needed. The frequency of meetings is usually quarterly, depending on communications-related issues that may arise.
Appointed task force to assist the director in procuring quotes and making decisions on contracted work for APL building and grounds (assigned as needed).