ADAMS, Mass. — With both Selectmen and zoning board approval, the library will purchase a new custom sign to place on its front lawn.

 

The library's board of trustees voted last Thursday to allow Library Director Holli Jayko to spend up to $2,500 from gifts on a new sign for the library.

 

"All we have to do now is contact the sign people and have them begin work," Jayko said.

 

The sign, to be designed by Neathawk Designs, will cost $1,861.18, but Jayko wanted some extra funds to cover solar lighting and incidentals.

 

Adams Community Bank gifted the library $5,000, of which some will be used for the sign. However, the Historical Society also pledged to pay a portion of the total because their name, too, will be on the sign. 

 

Historical Society member and Library Trustee James Loughman said members have yet to discuss an amount but he imagined they would be willing to cover a third or possibly half of the total cost. He said they will discuss it at a future meeting instead of handing over a blank check.  

 

The trustees also approved the hiring of new Children's Librarian Juliana Mathews, who the Selectmen officially confirmed earlier in the week.

 

"She is reliable, easy to work with, she has an impeccable work ethic and she is qualified for the position," Jayko said.  

 

Mathews is an internal hire and will be a part-time employee. The library plans to hire one more part-time library aide to fill out the once full-time position to save to town money.

 

The trustees made it known to the town that they were not totally in favor of dropping the position to two part-time positions 

 

Jayko said it has posed some scheduling issues and she still has concerns about only having two full-time employees in the building.

 

"It's been difficult and I don't want to have two bodies in there at a time because it is a waste of resources," she said. "So it is difficult to schedule ... I have been working on it for over a month." 

 

Trustee Eugene Michalenko said, in the end, the town has all of the hiring power and the trustee vote really didn’t matter. He added to the motion that the trustees do not support dropping the position to part time.