Boston Public Library Board of Trustees Annual Meeting

Evelyn Arana, Interim Chair

John Hailer, Committee Chair

A. Update of Appointments/Reappointments of Trustees

1. Outgoing

• Navjeet Bal
• Jim Canales
• Cheryl Cronin
• Dr. Ray Liu
• Christian Westra

2. Reappointed

• Joe Berman
• Jose C. Masso III
• Senator Mike Rush

3. Newly Appointed

• Marta Daneshvar
• Meredith DeWitt
• Paul Lee
• Alexander Leventhal
• Wadi Muhammad

​​​​​​​B. Nomination for Officers 2026-2027

1. Chair: Marta Daneshvar

2. Vice Chair: Evelyn Arana 

3. Clerk: Pamela Carver

VOTED: “that, the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston approve the recommendation of the Trustees Governance and Development Committee for the Officers of the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston of Marta Daneshvar as Chair, Evelyn Arana as Vice Chair, and Pamela Carver as Clerk for a period of one year from May 2026 through May 2027.”

A. Enabling Vote for the Signing of Payrolls

VOTED: “that, the President, Director of Library Services, Director of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Staff, or the Clerk of the Corporation be, and hereby are, authorized to sign on behalf of the Corporation, bills, special drafts, and payrolls of the Library.”

B. Enabling Vote for the Signing of Contracts Approved by the Board

VOTED: “that, the President, Director of Library Services, Director of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Staff, Chief of Collection Management (for contracts related to Collections only), Chief Technology Officer (for Information/Technology Contracts under the guidance and approval of the Chief Financial Officer only) or the Clerk of the Corporation be, and hereby are, authorized to sign any and all contracts, except as otherwise authorized, voted to be made by the Board in the name and on behalf of the Corporation and any and all communications in connection with the award of contracts so voted or recommended to be so voted and to authorize payments under contacts so voted.”

C. Enabling Votes for the Acceptance on Behalf of the Corporation of those Gifts, Payments made in Recognition for Special Services Rendered, and Payments Received for Publications and Prints Executed under Library Sponsorship

VOTED: “that, the President, Director of Library Services, Director of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Staff, or the Clerk of the Corporation be, and hereby are, authorized to accept on behalf of the Trustees gifts, payments made in recognition for the special services rendered, and payments received for the publications and prints executed under library sponsorship and, in connection with the acceptance of the same, to endorse on behalf of the Trustees checks so received, said amounts to be reported to the Board at the September Meeting.”

D. Enabling Vote for Acceptance on Behalf of the Corporation of Gifts to be Added to Funds Already Established in the General Investment Account

VOTED: “that, until the next Annual Meeting, by delegation of the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston, the President, Director of Library Services, Director of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Staff, or the Clerk of the Corporation, hereby are, authorized to accept on behalf of the Trustees gifts to be added to funds already established in the General Investment Account, the acceptance of said amounts to be reported to the Board at the meeting following any such acceptance.”

E. Enabling Vote for the Distribution of Income

VOTED: “that, the President, Chief Financial Officer, or Chief of Staff, be and hereby is, authorized and directed to distribute and pay to the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston the income of the General Investment Account for the period from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026; and further,

VOTED: that, the President,  Chief Financial Officer, or Chief of Staff, be and hereby is, authorized to cause to be paid to the Rector of Trinity Church for the period from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 income on the Children's Fund now held in the custody of the Collector- Treasurer of the City of Boston pursuant to the provisions of the 11th Clause of the will of Josiah H. Benton, as required by the 19th Clause of said will; and further,

VOTED: that, the President, Chief Financial Officer, or Chief of Staff, be and hereby is, authorize and directed to cause to be distributed and paid to the Rector of Trinity Church, to be held by said Rector pursuant to the provisions of the 12th Clause of the will of Josiah H. Benton, as defined by the Agreement of Compromise, dated January 15, 1935 and made in connection with the administration of the trust created by such Clause, four-tenths of the income of the Benton Book Fund for the period from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, inclusive, now held in the custody of the Collector-Treasurer of the City of Boston, and to the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston the remaining six-tenths of said income for said period to be applied to the purchases provided in said Agreement of Compromise.”

F. Enabling Vote on Trust Funds

VOTED: “that, the President, Director of Library Services, Director of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Staff, or the Clerk of the Corporation, until the next annual meeting, is authorized to spend for the purpose of buying library materials any authorized and proper purpose income from those Trust Funds held by the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston, where no specific vote of the Trustees is required by the Trust instrument.”

Evelyn Arana, Interim Chair