Williams Chapin Library Seeking Volunteers

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The newly reopened Chapin Library at Williams College is seeking volunteers to aid staff and visitors.  

Chapin Library and Archives & Special Collections volunteers share information about the facilities and assist staff in maintaining a presence in the galleries in the new Sawyer Library, which contains both permanent and changing exhibitions and collections. A monitor's desk is located in the grand Chapin Gallery, with two other galleries nearby and contiguous.

Each volunteer will receive training in duties, procedures and other information he or she will need to know.

Volunteers are needed Mondays and Fridays from 10 to 1:30 and from 1:30 to 5. A minimum commitment of one calendar year is preferred.

Responsibilities:

• Share information with visitors about the Chapin Library and Archives & Special Collections and their exhibitions

• Report feedback to the librarians and archivists and identify potential areas of improvement

• Maintain a physical security presence within the Archives/Chapin galleries

• Answer or direct general visitor questions about the Chapin Library and Archives & Special Collections floor plan, exhibitions and collections

• Ensure visitor observance of Chapin Library and Archives & Special Collections rules


• Assist staff in maintaining the overall condition of the galleries

Qualifications:

• Enjoys interacting with people, with clear and friendly conversation skills

• Able to speak comfortably to groups

• Personable and outgoing

• Enjoys learning new subjects, reflecting Archives/Chapin collections and exhibitions

• Able to learn new material rapidly, willing to spend time and effort to do so

• Able to work independently, but also to accept supervision

• Reliable and responsible

Please submit a statement of interest to Wayne Hammond, assistant chapin librarian, at whammond@williams.edu.


Tags: school library,   volunteers,   Williams College,   

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Mount Greylock School Committee Votes Slight Increase to Proposed Assessments

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to slightly increase the assessment to the district's member towns from the figures in the draft budget presented by the administration.
 
The School Committee opted to lower the use of Mount Greylock's reserve account by $70,000 and, instead, increase by that amount the share of the fiscal year 2025 operating budget shared proportionally by Lanesborough and Williamstown taxpayers.
 
The budget prepared by the administration and presented to the School Committee at its annual public hearing on Thursday included $665,000 from the district's Excess and Deficiency account, the equivalent of a municipal free cash balance, an accrual of lower-than-anticipated expenses and higher-than-anticipated revenue in any given year.
 
That represented a 90 percent jump from the $350,000 allocated from E&D for fiscal year 2024, which ends on June 30. And, coupled with more robust use of the district's tuition revenue account (7 percent more in FY25) and School Choice revenue (3 percent more), the draw down on E&D is seen as a stopgap measure to mitigate a spike in FY25 expenses and an unsustainable budgeting strategy long term, administrators say.
 
The budget passed by the School Committee on Thursday continues to rely more heavily on reserves than in years past, but to a lesser extent than originally proposed.
 
Specifically, the budget the panel approved includes a total assessment to Williamstown of $13,775,336 (including capital and operating costs) and a total assessment to Lanesborough of $6,425,373.
 
As a percentage increase from the FY24 assessments, that translates to a 3.90 percent increase to Williamstown and a 3.38 percent increase to Lanesborough.
 
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