All Things Digital

Jones Library:  Amherst's living room

The Jones Library is submitting a $35,000 request to Joint Capital Planning Committee, the guardians and first hurdle for FY17 equipment requests, for a new computer server and consulting help to expand the capabilities of Digital Amherst, which is currently at capacity.

This will allow Special Collections to continue adding material for convenient online availability, especially Audio Video materials that are a bit of a data hog.

One such item is the recorded voice of poet Robert Frost speaking at the Jones when a room in his honor was first dedicated.

 The new server is estimated to last at least five years before hitting capacity. Most of the JCPC request ($22,000 of the total) is for one time start up consulting costs but the ongoing annual maintenance duties will be handled in-house by the town Information Technology Department.

Jones Library Board of Trustees meeting this morning

The Jones Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously to support the $35,000 request which is separate from the $2,468,186 overall FY17 budget, a 2.34% increase over last year.

This falls within Finance Committee guidelines of no more than a 2.5% increase from last year.

In addition Library Director Sharon Sharry told the Trustees she is setting up a Go Fund Me internet donation campaign with a target goal of $40,000, which represents the amount lost from the operation budget when the draw from the endowment was reduced to 4% from the previous 4.5% mark.

The Jones Library Endowment now stands at $7.25 million.

The Board of Trustees also voted unanimously to support placing the $2.46 million FY17 budget before Town Meeting. Library Director Sharon Sharry said of the annual budget, "We're in a fine place this year."

  Jones Library FY17 Budget