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James A. Tuttle Library
45 Main Street, Antrim, NH 03440
Board of Trustees Meeting
February 9, 2009
Present: Nancy Benda (Treasurer), Janis King, Connie Kirwin (Secretary), Sandy Snow, and Margaret Warner (Chair)
Guests: Lacey Brown (Secretary, Friends of Library), Colleen Giffin and Ron Haggett
Minutes of the 1/12/2009 meeting were approved as submitted.
Treasurer’s Report:
- Presented final report submitted to the Town for 2008 Town Report.
- The 2008 town funded expenses were 3% over budget due to an overage in payroll and fuel. There was an increase in oil use and in the price per gallon.
- Presented information on the spreadsheet that was created to track weekly staff hours and given to the Director. The sheet will be maintained by the Director or a designated staff person by entering staff hours reported on the time sheets and then submitting to the Town and the Treasurer on a weekly basis.
- Adjusted the 2009 library trust funds budget to reflect actual expenses from 2008.
- Added total bills paid by town funds to the monthly treasurers report.
- Discussion on interest earned from trust funds. It was suggested that the Chair of the Trustees of the Trust Fund be invited to address the library board at a future meeting.
- Treasurer’s report accepted as submitted.
Guest: Lacey Brown, secretary of the Friends of the Library group.
- The next Friends meeting will be February 19, 2009.
- The Friends Group had a table at Winterfest at GBS/AES school.
- Lacey presented some ideas to support the library: volunteer service; outreach to home-bound patrons; fund raising for specific projects; sponsor programs for adults such as author talks and musical programs; and children’s programs.
- Currently have temporary officers with anticipated permanent officers to be elected when the group completes their registration as a 501C3 non-profit organization, hopefully by the June 2009 meeting.
- Nancy noted that when the Friends Group is registered then the money raised needs to be deposited in a separate bank account.
- Margie reported that the Chamber of Commerce which had offered to contribute to the library cannot fund the request for portable seating and perhaps this could be a special fund raising project for the Friends Group.
- It was determined that the Library staff is currently covered by workman’s compensation when performing any authorized library function such as outreach to home-bound patrons or driving to a store to buy supplies for the library. It was decided that clarification is needed to determine if volunteers will also be covered under the Town’s liability insurance.
- Need to create a volunteer policy in anticipation of Friends Group support. Volunteers need to be screened the same as staff pre-employment screening.
- It was suggested that to focus on the adults and adult programming will also encourage children to use the library. A focus on children’s programming doesn’t necessarily bring in the adults.
- It was suggested that the Friends Group should focus on marketing the library using the website; add a “contact-us” section, conduct surveys, submit calendar listings. The Town website is a resource that should be used more frequently to expand exposure in the town.
- It was suggested that a representative of the Friends Group attend the Trustee meeting and report on a monthly basis.
- It was decided that the minutes of the Friends Group should be published on the website and in the future also copied to the Trustees.
Informational Items:
- Brian Beihl suggested a contest for painting the shrubbery protection covers that the Boy Scouts constructed; either a contest open to the Boy Scouts or open to all children in town. It was suggested that if the idea fails then the Valley Street crew could paint the covers.
- Roof maintenance: the Valley Street crew cleared the snow from the roofs. It was determined that in the future if they are not available then other arrangements need to be made thru the Town building maintenance agreement.
Director’s Report:
Discussion on the bounced checks policy that was submitted by the Director. Missing from the policy is the recommendation made at the December meeting that patron privileges should be suspended until restitution is made. There was discussion on fees to be charged and it was decided that only the bank fee will be recouped. The Director will be asked to resubmit the policy for the next meeting.
- Website maintenance: it was noted that the minutes of the Friends Group meeting currently on the website are from their October 2008 meeting and that the Group has also met on December 4, 2008 and January 15, 2009. It was suggested that the minutes be archived on the website and kept current. It was decided that the Secretary of the Friends Group follow the same procedure as the Secretary of the Board of Trustees and send the minutes directly to the Town Clerk to be published on the website.
- Website maintenance: 2009 holidays needs to be updated per the decision made by the Board of Trustees at the January meeting.
- Question on reference in Director’s report to discussion with teachers to change school visits because of new staff schedule. It was suggested that a change be made from 3 people to 2 people on one Friday morning to add this person to the Monday morning schedule to accommodate the once a month visit from the school or have the third person scheduled for Monday come in early to accommodate the once a month visit from the school. Kathy will be directed to make the requested change in staffing. Margie will discuss this directive with her.
- There is concern about the comments that are spreading among townspeople that the Trustees have cut staff hours. The Board has not cut regular staff hours or library services, including school visits, and people should be reassured of this. The only cut in staffing hours was the Saturday part time (12 hrs/month) clerk position which has not affected either service to the town or the schools.
- Discussion on statistics cited in the annual report for average weekly patron visits compiled by the Director. It was determined that the sampling should not include the estimated 500 people who visited the library during the ice storm since this was an unusual circumstance. The average weekly patron visits will be corrected to 293 and resubmitted to the Town to be published in the town report. Margie will make the changes.
- Discussion on circulation statistics cited in the annual report compiled by the Director. The question on the table was: should downloadable audio books be added to the circulation count since these books are electronic and are not “handled” by the library staff nor are they part of the library’s collection? It was determined that downloadable audio books should be considered a service provided by the State Library and the data on activity should be noted in the report under the heading of services. This change will also be part of the revised library report and resubmitted to the Town to be published in the town report. Margie will make the changes.
- It was suggested that library reports, statistics, etc. be stored on the Library server. A Trustee folder needs to be created on the server. Connie asked if the Trustees can have space on the shelves in the staff room on the second floor because she has 15 years of library committee reports, minutes, etc. none of which is confidential. All confidential files are locked at Town Hall. It was agreed that this would be permissible since there is sufficient shelf space available.
Old Business:
- Discussion of February staff schedule: it appears that there will be two Saturdays where there will only be two staff people covering a 6-hour day. Based on discussions at previous meetings, it was understood that the Director would work on Saturday to cover and ensure 3-people staffing since Saturdays are the busiest days of the week and lunch breaks would also be covered. Since the Library is only open 4 hours on Wednesdays and 3 hours on Fridays, it was determined that two people could cover those days and the Director could cover the third staff position on Saturdays when needed. It was also suggested that an alternative would be for the Director to cover the two Saturdays for an hour so that the staff could take uninterrupted lunch breaks. Margie will contact Kathy on Thursday with the Trustee’s request as discussed.
- Reviewed leftover 2008 “To Do” list items. (1.) Waiting for meeting space capacity (2.) Still waiting for loan agreement on the carpets and information on Library insurance coverage (3.) The Chamber of Commerce was thinking about having an historical photo framed for the Library (4.) Sandy will spend time with Kathy on the acquisitions report (5.) It was suggested that the gift certificate that the Trustee’s received last year be used to purchase seating for the entrance lobby (6.) No update on the addition of subcategories to the circulation report (7.) Melissa knows how to program the heating/air conditioning. It was suggested that she write up directions. Sandy will discuss with Melissa on Tuesday.
New Business:
- Discussion on personnel policy. There are six policies that are different from the Town’s personnel policy and per the RSAs this is permissible. Three specific policies were discussed: (1.) we do not have an earned time policy therefore holiday time must be taken during the same work week and it was noted that employees are not authorized to work on a holiday. If a situation should arise where a staff person needs to work on a holiday then prior approval by the Board of Trustees is required. Part time employees are paid pro-rated holiday time. (2.) Vacation time must be scheduled and approved one month in advance. Exceptions will be addressed on an individual basis. (3.) Family leave policy was added in coordination with Town policy. It was moved to accept the changes to the personnel policy as discussed. The motion was seconded
and unanimously accepted. Janis will make the changes and e-mail an updated Personnel Policy to the Board.
- Reminder of the 2009 Budget hearing Tuesday Feb 10. There was discussion on the Trustee’s warrant article for a permanently installed generator for the Library. The Board of Selectmen is requesting funds to purchase two or three portable generators. The Library article will remain on the warrant pending the outcome of the Budget hearing and further discussions with the Board of Selectmen.
- Town elections are March 10 and Town Meeting is March 12.
Next meeting: March 9, 2009 at 7:30 pm at Tuttle Library.
Respectfully submitted,
Connie Kirwin, Secretary
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