Saugus Library to enact tougher policies in wake of missing funds

SAUGUS – Saugus Library Director Diane Wallace said she will be implementing stricter guidelines for library staff when it comes to handling money, after former administrative assistant Linda Duffy resigned last week amid an investigation into missing library funds.”We’re in the process of putting into place procedures that Town Hall wants us to put in place for handling cash,” said Wallace during Monday night’s Library Trustees meeting.Wallace, who just took over the position in June, said library staff appeared lax in handling cash and checks.”It looked that way to me,” said Wallace after the meeting. “We just haven’t followed town procedures for handling fine money and stuff like that. We just need to be more diligent about recording things like receipts to people who maybe paid for a lost book ? and getting the funds turned into the town in a timely manner. We’re going to be a accountable.”During Monday night’s Library Trustee meeting, Wallace said there are no plans yet to fill the vacant position.”(Town Treasurer Wendy Hatch) thought we might want to incorporate someone with a little bit of a business background,” said Wallace. “But I didn’t want to jump into anything ? there’s a lot going on and it’s so easy to make a mistake and I’d rather just wait.”Duffy was sentenced to 21 months in prison in 1993 after she was convicted for entering fraudulent insurance claims totaling $120,000.Wallace said she wasn’t sure if a Criminal Offender Record Information check was done before Duffy was hired in 1999, but in her 30 years of library experience, Wallace said CORI checks were commonplace.”Always,” said Wallace when asked if she did CORI checks with new hires in the past. “Volunteers who worked with children we always did CORI checks, it was a policy. I remember when I brought up CORI checks to my board at my last library, that I wanted to do it for volunteers, and they said ‘Oh, no, we all do it. We have to do it for soccer coaches, we have to do it for Cub Scouts.’ I didn’t realize it had become so commonplace.”With the library staff picking up the extra slack in the wake of Duffy’s resignation, Wallace said she’s happy with all of the hard work she’s seen and will be throwing them a small party at the end of the summer to boost morale and show her appreciation.”People are being very flexible,” said Wallace. “We have a great staff. A lot of teamwork and helping each other out. There’s a great group of people here. The patrons really like them. It’s not easy day in and day out when you’re short-staffed all the time.”