The Following Notes on Meetings
with the SLMA Advisory Board
on the topic of the Branch Library Closings
were written by a member of the SLMA Advisory board,
Pat Markey, Attorney at Law
with Robinson Donovan Madden & Barry, P.C.

APRIL 9, 2003

On April 9, 2003, I attended a scheduled meeting of the Library Advisory Board at noon. The discussion centered on formulating a list of priorities for future closings of branch libraries. The proposal was delivered primarily by Emily Bader who repeatedly alluded to an anticipated 20% cut in funding to the Library and Museums Association. It was pointed out by Committee members that the extent of those cuts would not be known until June, 2003. The proposals were presented as contingencies for closings in the event that the cuts were the 20% that was being anticipated. Mrs. Bader indicated that the order of closings would be Mason Square, East Forest Park, Pine Point and Indian Orchard. She suggested that because the 16 Acres branch is heavily used and because the Brightwood branch might be eligible for state and other funds as it is located in the poorest neighborhood in the Commonwealth, they would not be closed. For his part, Mr. D'Amour suggested that if and when libraries closed, it was likely that the first three on the list would be closed at the same time. The impression created was that a decision would be made regarding their closure in June, 2003, when decisions had been made regarding city funding to the Library and Museums Association.

I urged Mr. D'mour to convey to the trustees our strong preference that if the libraries had to be closed at all that the be closed only temporarily. I also expressed that I expected the state's economy to improve at some time in the future and that I could not fathom how a one time 20% cut in city funding would require the permanent closing of 6 libraries. I stated that I would hate for us to the in the position of no longer having branch libraries when additional funds for such libraries became available in the future

The Advisory Committee then passed three (3) resolutions. One instructed the Trustees to not close any libraries without first consulting with the Advisory Committee. A second instructed the Trustees to not sell or alienate any library property without first consulting the Advisory Committee. A third instructed the Trustees to not take any action on any proposal from any entity regarding uses or proposed uses for branch libraries without first consulting with the Advisory Committee. I indicated to Mr. D'mour, who as present at the meeting, Joseph Carvallo, and Emily Bader that what prompted me to introduce my third resolution were rumors which Mary Rivest and Marjorie Guest had earlier reported about the Urban League purchasing the Mason Square Branch Library. In response to Mrs. Rivest's and Mrs. Guest's questions, Mr. D'mour stated in no uncertain terms that there were a number of proposals that were to be discussed at the Board of Trustees 3:00 p.m. meeting later that day. He indicated that he did not know the details of such proposals but that the Board of Trustees would entertain them all. No attempt was made by Mr. D'mour, Ms. Bader, the Committee's chairman, Arthur Jones, or Joseph Carvallo to address Mrs. Rivest's and Mrs. Guest's concerns regarding the rumored sale to the Urban League. Mr. Carvalho was silent throughout the meeting. When Mrs. Bader invited him to speak. He declined to do so.

At the meetings close, Mr. D'mour stated that some of the Advisory Committee's resolutions would be tougher to honor than others and that there was a possibility that the Board of Trustees would have to make a decision on some issues before such time as an Advisory Committee meeting could be scheduled. I stated that I could be available to attend an Advisory Committee meeting on 15 minutes notice. The Advisory Committee meeting ended at approximately 2:15. The Board of Trustees meeting commenced at 3pm.

April 10, 2003

At 5:45 p.m on April 9, 2003, I received a telephone call from Carol Leaders of the library staff advising of an Advisory Committee meeting for 9:00on April 10, 2003 I asked Ms. Leaders what the meeting was about. She told me that her instructions had been simply to call Advisory Board members to advise them of the meeting.

At the 9:00 a.m. meeting of April 10, 2003, Emily Bader, Joseph Carvallo, Lee ____, Arthur Jones, Mary Rivest, Joan Ryan, Carol Leaders, Mrs. Roth, Betty Webb, and I were present. Arthur Jones opened the meeting by advising that the Board of Trustees had met at 3:00 p.m. on April 9, 2003 and voted to sell the Mason Square Branch Library to the Urban League. He indicated that a Purchase and Sale Agreement was signed by the Urban League and the Library & Museums Association at the conclusion of the Trustees' meeting. He stated that approximately 20 trustees voted and that the vote was split. He commented that he did not recall any previous vote of the trustees ever having been split. Arthur Jones reported that he abstained from the vote.

Mr. Carvallo then spoke about the decision to sell to the Urban League. I asked him a number of questions including whether he was on the Board at the Urban League. He became defensive. He then indicated that he had resigned his position a month to a month and a half earlier. I asked him how long he had been on the Board. He indicated that he had been on the Board for 10 years. He stated that the Urban League had approached the Library and Museums Association in November, 2003 about purchasing and building on space adjacent to the Mason Square branch. He indicated that over time, the two (2) entities began discussing the Urban League purchasing the Mason Square branch outright. He did not indicate when those discussions first took place. He stated that it was those discussions which prompted him to resign from the Urban League Board of Trustees.

Mr. Carvallo explained that there were two (2) scenarios under which the Urban League could purchase the Mason Square Branch Library. Both involved a closing taking place on >June 1, 2003. One scenario involves the Urban League paying a total of $700,000.00 to the Library & Museums Association on June 1, 2003. The other involves it paying a total of $800,000.00, with some amount - I believe Mr. Carvallo mentioned a figure of $600,000.00 - payable on June 1, 2003 and the remainder of the $800,000.00 on >June 1, 2004 Approximately $440,000.00 of the purchase money would be deposited into the Annie Curran Endowment to replenish principal which had been withdrawn for renovations to the Mason Square branch which were completed in October, 2002. The remaining $260,000.00 or $360,000.00 would be paid into a Library & Museums Association Plant Fund utilized for maintenance of branch libraries. The total cost of the October, 2002 renovations to the Mason Squarebranch was $1.2 million. According to Mr. Carvalha, of that amount, $500,000.00 was funded through a City of Springfield bond, approximately $440,000.00 came from the Annie Curran Fund, and the remainder came from the SLMA facilities and plant fund. He also admitted that the Mason Square Branch Library had an assessed value of $1.1 million. I am not clear as to whether that figure represented its value before the October, 2002 renovations were completed or after.

I asked Mr. Carvallo where the Urban League funding for the purchase was coming from. He had previously mentioned the Davis Foundation. He indicated that he had no idea where the funding was coming from and that how funding was obtained would be up to the Urban League.

Mrs. Bader indicated that interest from the Annie Curran Endowment would be used for library services at the Mason Square Branch Library operated by the Urban League and that that fund would continue to be administered by the Library & Museums Association. The endowment funds would be used to purchase books and materials for the Mason Square Branch Library which would be owned by the Library & Museums Association. Mrs. Bader indicated that a part-time librarian would be appointed to work with school groups and pre-school groups at the Urban League's Mason Square branch "by appointment". The Annie Curran Fund pays approximately 65,000 in annual interest according to Mr. Carvallo.

Mrs. Ryan then delivered an eloquent resignation from the Advisory Board. She stated that the Advisory Board, in her experience, had never been permitted to serve in an advisory capacity.

Just before I left, I expressed that I was disappointed that neither Mr. D'mour, Mrs. Bader, Mr. Carvalho, nor Mr. Jones had seen fit to advise the committee of the topic that was to be discussed at the Board of Trustees, April 9 meeting. I stated also that I was disappointed in the role that the Advisory Committee had been permitted to play in advising the Trustees generally. I indicated that as best I could tell, the Advisory Committee's real purpose was not to advise but was rather to create the illusion that the Board of Trustees and the Library & Museums Association were democratic institutions. I indicated that I had heard comments before coming onto the Advisory Committee to the effect that the SLMA was not such an institution. I stated that I had not believed those claims but that now I did. I indicated that I was particularly shocked that we had not been advised of the Mason Square sale in advance in light of the chagrin which we had expressed as a committee after not having been advised of the three (3) library closings. I then directed a question to Mrs. Bader, Arthur Jones and Mr. Carvallo. I asked them directly why we had not been advised yesterday that the sale of the Mason Square branch was to be discussed by the trustees 45 minutes after our meeting concluded. Mr. Carvallo began to answer. Mrs. Bader interrupted him and stated that it had been her intention to bring that matter before the Advisory Board on April 9, 2003. She provided me with a one page outline which she had intended to present to the Advisory Board. The outline addressed services which would be covered after the Urban League sale by the Annie Curran Endowment. She stated that she had been prepared to present that document and its contents to the Advisory Board at its noon meeting on April 9, 2003 . She indicated that she did not do so because it appeared to her that Mr. D'mour did not want the matter raised before the Advisory Committee.