MINUTES
STEPHENSON MEMORIAL LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2012
Present: Neal Brown, chairman. Jami Bascom, Mary Ann Grant, Kristin Readel, Gail Smith, Bob Marshall
Absent: Bruce Dodge, Scott Jones
Minutes taken by Patricia LaPree
7:07 PM: The meeting was called to order by Neal.
1) Review of the June 6, 2012 minutes. Changes to be made are as follows: third paragraph in subsection 2 on page one, last line, insert “ the Library checking account” before “as of May 31…”.In the next paragraph, subsection 2, add a $ before “113.88…800.00.” In the same paragraph, change “$113.88 after him expenditure” to “…the expenditure”. On page 2, subsection c, change “signed ad...” to “signed and”. In paragraph 4, Updating Library Policies, line 8, change “…use policy. And…” to “...use policy, and…” On page three, first paragraph line 1, change “Dave Buchannan” to Dave Bridgewater”. In paragraph 4, line one, insert New Hampshire Library Trustees Association before “…workshops”.
7:17 PM: Neal asked Mary Ann to sit in for Bruce Dodge tonight as a voting Trustee. Mary Ann agreed to do it.
7:18 PM: A motion was made by Jami to accept the June 6 minutes as amended, Neal seconded the motion, and the vote was unanimous in the affirmative. ACTION: Pat will amend the Minutes as noted and send them to be posted on the Town website.
7:19 PM: Treasurers Report:
a) The regular Library checking account has a current balance of $3501.93.
b) The Merrill Fund: Book balance is $5676.38, Building balance is $4863.91 and Technology balance is $113.88.
c) Mary Ann will generate an invoice for the Town to have the Library be reimbursed for clerical wages in the amount of $150.00 paid in January, February and March 2012.
d) Review of the Town budget for the first half of fiscal year 2012. A discussion ensued about line items that are currently over or under fifty per cent expenditures as of June 1 2012. Bob asked about whether the furnace has been serviced, and what that will cost because it will come out of the buildings and maintenance budget. The contract with Sanford, which includes cleaning of the ductwork, is $275.00. The service will be scheduled closer to the fall. In the computer equipment line item, Bob asked about the purchase of scanners as approved last month. Kristin reported that Andre Wood configured a scanner for the volunteer who is assisting with cataloging the Library this summer and that is
working fine. Kristen says she needs USB speakers for the staff computer so staff can utilize training videos on line. ACTION: Neal will review the computer line item budget and if money is available, Kristin will buy the speakers. Also discussed was the appropriate use of the Merrill building fund. Neal asked how specific the parameters for the fund are, e.g. could it be used to paint the exterior of the building. ACTION: Mary Ann will contact the Trust Fund trustee and ask specifically whether the fund monies can be used to paint the building. Jami asked where the information about the various Trust funds for the Library are kept, and Gail showed her where all the information is kept in her office so it is available for the Trustees to review.
e) Mary Ann suggested that the Trustees begin working on the 2013 budget in August. ACTION: Neal will send a copy of last year’s budget to the Trustees for the August meeting and goals for 2013 will be on the agenda.
7:45 PM: Librarian’s “Korner”:
a) Kristin reported that the statistics that she got out of the Alexandria system indicate the number of checkouts per day. Bob asked if the system can generate the statistics that Gail has been collating by hand each month in her statistical report. Staff asked for specific data that the Trustees want to have, and the Trustees agreed that what Gail generates is fine, and to generate the data through Alexandria will take a burden off the staff. Staff is still in training with the new system, and being able to use the training videos available on line will help them to obtain the statistics from the system.
b) There have been connectivity issues at the Library, and Andre has been assisting staff with the issues.
c) The new scanner station has been set up for the transfer of data and is working well. The volunteer is at the Library twenty hours a week for four weeks, and is making great progress in cataloging the Library.
d) Air Conditioning at the Library. During the heat wave this month, the interior of the Library was 90 and staff considers that extreme heat to be a problem for themselves and patrons. A discussion ensued about the use of floor fans in the basement bringing cool air upstairs, use of window fans or a window a/c unit in the Library as solutions. Bob suggested that Sanford be asked to give a bid for central air in the building, window units or any other possibilities for a solution. ACTION: Staff will contact Sanford and ask for the highest and lowest bid for the job and Gail will contact Pinney to do an estimate.
8:10PM: Other Business:
1) Grounds committee meeting report. Mary Ann reported that the groundskeeper for the Town will weed wack the Library grounds, and that Aaron Patt, Town Administrator, requested that there be potted plants in the courtyard area rather than plantings.
2) The sign project is in the works. Bruce sent a request to the Trustees to decide whether they want a flat sign made until the three dimensional one is complete. The Trustees will get a time frame for how long it will take for the final sign to be made, and there is no need for a flat sign in the interim.
3) The Weston Lab visit was postponed. New dates are July 3, 5, 11, 12, and 19. The trustees who can go will check their calendars and respond to Neal by e-mail as soon as possible.
4) There will be a scheduled budget planning meeting, the date of which will be available for the August Trustees meeting agenda.
8:25PM: Revamping Library Policies:
Bruce provided a document to the Board with his top five policies. Other Board members noted that their lists were similar to Bruce’s list. Discussion ensued as to how and where to start the process, and whether to work on one policy at a time or do it another way. The Library’s current policies were drafted in 1991 and revised in 2008. There are by-laws and a mission statement. Jami suggested a place to start is to do an audit of the current policies. Kristin provided copies of the current policies to the Trustees. The decision was made to form the sub- committee. ACTION: Bob will convert the current policy document to a Word document and send it the Trustees before the next meeting. ACTION: A sub- committee will be formed with Mary Ann Grant, Bruce Dodge and Jami Bascom as member and Kristin Readel as
staff liaison.
9:00 PM: Old Business.
1) Discussion about painting the exterior of the Library. It has not been painted for ten years. It will not qualify as a Capital Improvement Project because it is maintenance. ACTION: Neal will talk with the Town Administrator about painting and repairs to the Library and then Neal will initiate the bidding process for those repairs and maintenance.
2) Neal has the diagram that Bill Harper, contractor for the foundation work in the past, made far a simple fix to the foundation problems that persist. Action: Neal will talk to the DPW Director about the foundation issues.
9:12 PM: The motion was made to adjourn the meeting at this time by Jami and seconded by Mary Ann. The vote was unanimous in the affirmative. The next meeting will be August 1, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Library.
Respectfully submitted,
Patricia LaPree
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