In their June 11 meeting, the Trustees of the Bedford Free Public Library conducted a review of Library Director Richard Callaghan’s performance over the past year, rating his accomplishments as “outstanding” in six of the seven categories evaluated and “exceeds expectations” in one.
In their overall comments, the Board noted “Richard’s problem-solving chops have certainly gotten a run for their money this year. At the same time, the many years’ delay the library experienced before the issue of our failing HVAC system was addressed by the town can serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of being a squeaky wheel in the face of indifference or intransigence.”
The Trustees acknowledged the Director’s thorough preparation of the paperwork required to secure funding from the State, the Minuteman Library Consortium, and the Town of Bedford – the “sine qua non” for the functioning of the Library.
As the HVAC project moves forward, the Trustees note they will continue “to rely on Richard’s stewardship to follow through on additional concerns community members have brought to the Board. These include upgrading both the hardware and the software of the public-use computers, providing for greater diversity in library holdings and programming, and exploring ways in which the Library can more creatively engage directly with the community.”
“We look forward to taking the pulse of the community as the Library moves forward with developing and implementing a new five-year plan.”
In the category of “Job Related Expertise,” the Trustees commented: “Richard has been at the helm of the BFPL for 19 years now. It is safe to say few Library Directors possess commensurate extensive experience and wealth of knowledge.” They noted his expertise in bringing on board top-notch staff and seeing that services and collections are extensive.
In the metric “Initiative, Creativity and Problem Solving,” the largest piece was the HVAC project. “Faced with a significant shortfall of funding originally allocated for the repair of the HVAC system, Richard worked with the Trustees, the new Town administrators, and the Facilities Department in preparing a successful campaign to bring our request for additional funding to the Special Town Meeting last fall.”
Other accomplishments of the Director highlighted by the Trustees in their evaluation included:
- Increased online programming by collaborating with other Minuteman Consortium libraries in providing weekly Zoom presentations by authors.
- Hired a new Children’s Librarian and an office manager, replacing a long-term employee who retired.
- Provided outreach to the community via The Bedford Citizen, the Council on Aging newsletter, the Library website, and social media.
- Partnered successfully with the Friends of the Library, whose support through their regular book sales makes many special programs possible.
Trustees who participated in the performance review included Chair Rachel Fields, Padma Choudry, Elizabeth Hacala, Abby Hafer, and Renae Nichols. Because they were newly elected in March, Trustees Emily Prince and Gyasi Burks-Abbott did not take part in the review.
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