Snow Library trustees begin AI guidelines process, approve April minutes 6-0

ORLEANS — May 5, 2026 — Snow Library trustees open AI guidelines debate and receive strong Friends financial report. The Snow Library Board of Trustees voted 6-0 Tuesday to approve the April 7 minutes and heard Library Director Tavi Prugno describe an April 24 Massachusetts Library System workshop that exposed a deep split among librarians over AI adoption. Prugno said an outside programmer's unsolicited proposal to teach patrons to compose orchestral music using AI — without any musical training — prompted the library's interest in formal guidelines. Trustee Bill Powers, who has an AI background from MIT, will convene an initial working session with Prugno to draft a framework; the board agreed "guidelines" is a more appropriate starting point than a formal policy given how quickly the field is changing. Friends Representative Linda Wander reported net income of approximately $79,400 for July 2025 through March 2026, roughly $17,000 ahead of the prior year, with approximately $2.5 million invested at Cape Cod 5. Snow Library also received $15,898.85 in total FY26 state aid from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.