Liz Reed, head of adult services at the Norwood Public Library, told trustees March 11 the department has maintained high levels of customer service and program activity through the winter while expanding several targeted services for adults.

The presentation outlined staffing, new and continuing programs, and operational updates that library leaders said are intended to make the library a practical resource for residents navigating government paperwork, legal help and everyday technology problems.

"This can be something from as simple as I need to scan in this pile of 30 pages to a government office so that my family's benefits don't get cut off, to I need to renew my food stamps," Reed said. "Whatever that thing is, it is a crisis for that person in that moment, and our staff just approaches all these situations with calm, composure, and professionalism." Reed identified part‑time adult services staff who have supported the workload during a busy January and February: Megan Erickson, Robin Kessler, Patty Krasilis, Paul Edwards, Cara Dean and Vicky Angelinas.

Reed summarized several program initiatives:
- Sensory‑friendly services for adults: Outreach work led by Darshana (outreach specialist) has created a library reputation regionally for sensory‑friendly programs for adults, including technology classes adapted for learners with sensory needs. Reed said the library is running a second cohort of that technology program and that other organizations on a statewide listserv indicated they would like to replicate it.
- Media literacy series: Reed announced a local run of the Be MediaWise toolkit modules, drawn from a national collaboration organized by the American Library Association, the Poynter Institute and the Stanford Social Media Lab. The series will run monthly beginning this month.
- Seed library expansion: Staff described a large donation of sunflower seed and other seed stock from Moose Hill Farm and Whirlpool. The Norris Seed Library is open for 2025; Reed said the library now offers 66 varieties of vegetables, flowers, herbs and native plants plus an additional 18 native species that must be winter‑sown or cold‑stratified. Library volunteers and participants in sensory‑friendly programs helped pack seed packets at a series of community seed‑packing events.
- Community resources webpage: The adult services team launched a curated community resources page, Reed said, with vetted local, regional and select national resources addressing housing, food insecurity, immigration, elder services, health and LGBTQ support. Reed said staff have already started referring patrons to the page and that web manager James created prominent navigation from the library main menu.

Operational notes included passport and notary services: Reed said Michael Roderick (borrower services) has been trained as a passport agent and the library will add more passport appointment availability. Reed described scheduling approaches intended to distribute specialized duties — such as passport and notary appointments — across multiple staff so no single employee becomes overburdened.

Trustees asked about private spaces for sensitive conversations related to legal or social services. Reed said the library offers study rooms, the trustee room and administrative offices when available and that staff sometimes use an on‑site study pod; she added that last year staff were able to accommodate a patron immediately about 85 percent of the time.

Reed also briefed trustees on building work: architects and consultants will do walkthroughs the following day to advance a contracted renovation project; staff and trustees discussed the recently restored stained‑glass windows now stored in town hall, and Reed said she will consult architects about installation plans once the team completes the site review. Reed said all funds for the architect tasks are coming from already‑appropriated capital outlay funds.

Friends of the Library plans and fundraising were noted: the Friends will meet the following day and will announce some fundraising initiatives, including a May book sale. Reed said she would attend the Friends meeting to discuss programming and volunteer support.

Votes at a glance: the meeting recorded two routine verbal votes — approval of the consent agenda and adjournment — each passed by voice vote with verbal "ayes"; no roll‑call tallies were provided in the transcript.

The trustees closed the discussion by thanking Reed and adult services staff for program growth and for efforts to make library services more accessible to residents with a range of needs.