PRELIMINARY MINUTES
STEPHENSON MEMORIAL LIBRARY
TRUSTEES MEETING
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2013
Present: Bob Marshall. Bruce Dodge, Jami Bascom, Neal Brown, Mary Ann Grant, Kristin Readel, Gail Smith.
Absent: Scott Jones.
Minutes taken by Patricia LaPree
7:05 PM – The meeting was called to order by Chairman Brown.
1) Review of preliminary minutes of the meeting on December 5, 2012:
The minutes were reviewed by the Trustees. Bruce made a motion to accept the minutes as written. Neal seconded the motion. The vote to accept the minutes was unanimously in favor of acceptance. ACTION: Pat will forward the minutes to the Town website and to Jami to put in the Secretary’s book.
7:11 PM – Sign and Window project report:
1) Bruce reported that the person he had talked to about doing a laser cut for the Library sign is no longer in business. Bruce will see if he can find another vendor who can do the laser cut so the logo can be transferable to other mediums.
2) Mary Ann reported that $3000.00 dollars from the 2012 Library budget was appropriately encumbered from the fuel line item and approved by the Select Board to be used for the purchase of two more windows for the Library. Two windows have been installed on either side of the fireplace in the Library by Mike Borden .Mike has invoiced the windows that he installed at $500.00 each. ACTION: Two more windows for the front of the Library will be purchased and installed with the encumbered funds.
7:15 PM - Spending and Treasurer’s report:
1) Mary Ann provided the Trustees with the current budget balance to date. The Library checking account balance is $3376.20, the Merrill Fund balances are $4865.98 for the building fund and $4500.00 for books. There is $235.00 left in the computer fundraiser account, and there is $ 124.00 in interest from a trust fund for children’s books and programs. There is approximately $1600.00 left in the Library budget at the end of 2012.
2) Andre Wood has provided a bill for services rendered in 2012 in the amount of $300.00 and that has been sent to the Town office so it will be paid from the 2012 budget .As noted in the window project report above, the invoice for the two windows already installed has been forwarded for payment and an invoice will be generated for the extra windows to be purchased and installed out of the 2012 budget by the January 10, 2013 deadline.
3) A discussion about unspent funds in part time wages resulted in determining that the staff hours did not increase until April 2012 by four hours a month due to the Library being open on Saturdays, and the computer maintenance budget has a surplus because the initial set up of the Alexandria system was funded through a gift. The overall budget for 2012 was 93 per cent used as allocated.
4) Kristin reported that the public use of the copiers at the Library has grown, and the copiers are old. There is revenue from the copiers, and a discussion followed about how to charge for their use in a way that will be self sustaining in the future. Bruce suggested that the staff is in the best position to determine the costs associated with the copier use, and that they should have the authority to enact whatever charges are needed. ACTION: the Trustees agreed to have the Library staff go ahead and determine and implement a price increase.
Bruce made the motion to accept the Treasurer’s report as presented. Jami seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous in the affirmative to accept the report.
7:42 PM - Librarian’s Report:
1) Gail reported that the Joint Loss Committee noted that poor exterior lighting at the Library is a liability issue. The DPW Director has found better lights to replace the current exterior lights at a reasonable price. The Joint Loss Committee will be touring the Library on Friday, January 4, 2013. Bruce made the motion that the cost of the purchase of the lights and the installation be paid for out of the Library checking account. Jami seconded the motion. The vote was unanimously in favor of spending the money to replace the exterior lights. ACTION: Gail will contact the DPW to get the lights purchased and installed as soon as possible and get the
bills for the lights and installation to make sure that they are paid.
2) The staff gets paid when the Library is closed for snow days that are called by the School District. The TA has helped staff to figure out how they get compensated for a snow day that is longer than eight hours.
3) The original front door to the Library has been found to be open when the Library is not open even after it has been locked from the inside by staff at the end of the day. There has been nothing missing from the Library. Staff will point this out to the JLC when they do their tour on January 4.
4) Statistical Information for December 2012 was provided by Gail to the Trustees. Kristin reported that almost 100 per cent of Greenfield Elementary School students are Library patrons as of the end of 2012.
8:05 PM - Status of the exterior painting warrant article:
Neal reported that the warrant article will include the cost for the exterior painting, any associated repairs and some needed tree removal. Discussion followed about the need for an arborist to consult on the tree removal needs.
8:12 PM – Draft of the Trustees report to the Town Report:
Neal provided the draft that he has written inclusive of the information provided by Library staff and Treasurer. He also provided a document from the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association that addresses what should go into an annual report. A discussion followed about the NHLTA’s recommendations and the difference between an Annual report that is written by Library staff with assistance from the Trustees under RSA 202 A: 12 and the narrative that the Trustees provide for the Town Report. ACTION: Neal will finalize the draft as presented and get it submitted to the Town office by the appropriate deadline for the Town Report.
8:36 PM – Other Business:
1) Neal let people know that there is an employee/volunteer holiday party being hosted by the Select Board on January 17 2013.
2) Neal provided another document from the NHLTA concerning whether Library staff are Town employees for general information. Under RSA 202 A: 11, Library staffs are employees of the Library Trustees, and even if they are paid by the Town that is only an administrative function.
3) What are the goals of the Trustees for 2013? A discussion followed about what the Trustees want to accomplish in the upcoming year. Bob suggested a long range maintenance plan for the Library physical plant be developed by the Trustees, and to continue to work with the Emergency Management Director to develop plans for the future use of the Library. Other goals that were discussed include the Library continuing to increase the use of technology and to continue to update its Policies and Procedures. ACTION: Jami and Bruce will schedule another work session on policies in January and will report back to the Trustees at the February meeting. Kristin
offered consultation and assistance to them in the development of policies and procedures.
8:56 PM - Jami motioned to adjourn the meeting at this time. Bruce seconded the motion, and the vote was unanimous in the affirmative to adjourn the meeting.
The next meeting will be on Wednesday, February 6 2013 at 7 PM at the Library.
Respectfully submitted,
Patricia La Pree
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