Minutes
Board of Trustees
Mathews Memorial Library
Date August 13, 2013
CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson, Carolyn Taylor called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m.
ATTENDING: Joanna Brown, Doreen Folzenlogen, Charles Ingram, Mary Sampson, also in attendance: Bette Dillehay, Library Director, and Maree Morgan, President of the Friends.
MINUTES: Were reviewed and accepted as written.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR: This is a report of the activities during the period ending June 30 – August 13, 2013
Financial Report
This is the first financial report for the new fiscal year. Mrs. Dillehay explained the $568 expenditure under Professional Services, which is the tuition donation given to Diane McKnight. Diane will complete her certification for paraprofessional in library services. The library will get a reimbursement from the endowment fund that the library has with the community foundation that is set for educational purposes.
Operating expenses for the first month of the new fiscal year totaled $7,267, of which $3,481.92 is for the annual subscription to the library OPAC (online patron access catalog) system. Under Acct. # 8102 there are two line items, Furniture and Fixtures (one time), $20,000 is reallocated from 2013 to be used for the cost of equipment and furniture in the existing youth section.
Including the $20,000 in funding approved for additional appropriation by the Board of Supervisors and $1,175.40 in reimbursements minus expenses, the library budget for operating expenses is currently $100,842.84.
The FY2013-2014 budget for salaries and related benefits is $255,487, an increase of $25,761 over the previous budget of $229,726, this is due to the action of the board to give an across the board increase of 3 percent. The current amount spent from this budget is $17,204.45.
Patron Update
The total number of patrons now stands at 10,204, an increase of 37 during the current report period.
Staff Update
The efforts to fill the position of Head Teen/Adult Services has been renewed and the focus is on finding someone to be head of Teen Services and also be an assistant to the director in providing Ault Services. Mrs. Dillehay said that there have been eight responses to the new Ad. She hopes to begin the interviews right after Labor Day. With the opening of the new Youth Wing there is some concern about staffing but Mrs. Dillehay believes the staff will manage with the same flexibility that they usually demonstrate. She stated that there is a more orderly schedule of staffing in place following the intense support required for the youth summer program. The recently imposed limit of 29 hours per week for part-time personnel requires some adjustment in order to be open 7 days a week.
Strategic Plan
The Board was given copies of the up-dated strategic plan for the library that was submitted to the Library of Virginia. The library is required to create and update such a plan each year to reflect a five-year period. Mrs. Dillehay stated that the emphasis of the Mathews Library plan continues to be on core values that are patron oriented. Also added to the Goals is the plan to: Maintain the current high-level use of technology in providing customer access to information.
Mrs. Dillehay informed the board that the Library of Virginia has approved the Plan.
2013 Summer Programs
Celebrate Our World. Was a great success, 85 young people were registered for the program with an average of 40 to 45 attending daily. Attendees and their parents expressed their delight with statements such as:" Why did it have to end so soon", from one child, and one parent said that:" it was the best program her children had participated in." The staff and volunteers filled each day of the four-week program with fun and creative activities for the young people between the ages of 6 to 14. The last day was topped off by a trip to Mt. Trashmore, which reinforced understanding of the wonders about which they were learning. The staff members and volunteers are to be thanks and congratulated fora job well done with special thanks to volunteer Jane Synek for her work with the youngest age group.
Soothin' Summer Sounds
According to Mrs. Dillehay, these programs are doing better than they have ever done in the past. Attendance has increased for all the performances. Audiences have been treated to Flamenco Guitar by Leah Kruszewski, Celtic Music by Poisoned Dwarf, and also cool Jazz by Dr. Art Muroff. Bagels and Fraylox, a Klezmer Band will perform the final event in the series.
The increase in attendance is attributed to the e-mails that were sent out to patrons who registered their addresses with the library.
The members of the Friends of the Mathews Memorial Library are to be thanked for making all of our high quality summer activities possible.
Report from the Friends
Mrs. Morgan started her report by thanking the County Board of Supervisors for appropriating a dollar per dollar matching fund up to $50,000 to the building project. A letter went out to 250-300 people on the 26th of July to solicit funds
and since that appeal, several thousand dollars have been received. A calling was made which also brought in donations. A letter will go out to businesses small and large, at the end of the month a letter will be going out to those who have donated to update them on the progress of the project. To date $1,192,993 has been raised. The committee is hoping to raise $1,300,000, and Mrs. Morgan feels sure that the community will come through with the $50,000 to earn the matching funds, this along with other outstanding donations will bring them closer to that amount.
Mrs. Morgan and the committee are very pleased with the construction process, and expect a finish date to be sometime in mid-Sept. The dedication is planned for the weekend of November 16th. Orel Book Store is doing well and is still open every Saturday from 10 – 2. Last year the Book Store raised over $14,000 for the benefit of the library and the goal is to do the same this year. Looking ahead to this winter the friends have asked the county's permission to decorate the Christmas tree in the courthouse square and do a program, this will be discussed at the next board meeting. Mrs. Morgan closed her report by thanking the Board of Supervisors for the help that the matching funds will give to make up the last 10% of the amount needed to complete the project.
Old Business: The floor was opened for volunteers for the nominating committee. The offices of secretary and vice president are to be filled. No decisions or volunteers were forth coming during this meeting.
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New Business: Chairperson Taylor brought to the board's attention the complaint made by a patron in the form of a letter to the editor in the August 8, 2013 Gloucester- Mathews Gazette Journal. A patron who did not understand that the library does not have the facilities to accommodate tutors wrote the letter. In her attempts to assist and inform the tutor Mrs. Dill hay, was unfairly criticized and verbally disrespected. Board member Stephen Wilson has written a letter in defense of Mrs. Dillehay that explains the unfortunate ordeal. His letter voices the sentiments of the Board and reiterates our support and confidence in her leadership.
Public Comment: There was no public comment.
Adjournment: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:04 pm.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for September 10, 2013
Mary E. Sampson, Secretary