Rumney Library Trustees

Library Trustees' Meeting - 12/14/2011

2012-01-05T10:36:00.000-08:00

The meeting was called to order at 6 PM. Present were Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Leina Smoker, and Susan Turbyne.

REPORTS
1. Review Draft Minutes of Oct. 27, 2011 Meeting – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to accept the minutes of the October 27th, 2011 meeting as approved as read. The motion was passed.
2. Treasurer’s Report
a. Account Balances - $93,315.32
b. YTD Income – Expenses – We reviewed our income and expenses as of December 13th, 2011.
c. Projected YE Expenditures

OLD BUSINESS
3. Status - Town Master Plan Narrative – We plan to continue this discussion in the new year.
4. Status remaining projects for 2011
a. Refinish front doors and Re-keying of entry doors.
Final cost- C&B Woodworking $ 644.46
Re-Keying door + 5 Keys 59.50
TOTAL $ 703.96
b. Re-wiring to eliminate remaining knob and tube circuiting
Rewire single receptacle + add additional outlets
AES Electrical: $ 1251.54
c. Determine allocation of cost for above between Town funded appropriation and Library Endowment Funds – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) that $644.46, the cost of refinishing the front doors, come out of the endowment fund and $59.50, the cost of re-keying the doors and $1251.54, the cost of the rewiring electrical work, come out of the town appropriation. The motion was passed.
5. Boiler maintenance – Roger and Carl Doe will do the efficiency test within the next month.
6. Report: 2012 Library Budget presentation to Selectmen (Nov. 21, 2011) – Tom submitted our budget to the Selectmen in early November and met with the board on November 21st.

NEW BUSINESS
7. Peeling ceilings – Susan has spoken with Mr Bellamy about repairing our ceilings. We would like him to take off the loose paint, patch the holes, and touch up with fresh paint. Tom will contact Mr Bellamy and make the arrangements.
8. Discussion: How should Library proceed regarding Groton Wind Project “mitigation” money available to Town of Rumney. It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) that Tom speak with the selectmen about our applying for the LCHIP grant money for our library accessibility project. The motion was passed.
9. Other Business

Next Meeting - Jan. 18, 2012

Library Trustees' Meeting - 12/14/11

2011-12-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

The meeting was called to order at 6 pm. Present were Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Leina Smoker and Susan Turbyne.

REPORTS
1. Review Draft Minutes of Sept. 28, 2011 and October 13, 2011 Meetings¬
It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to accept the minutes of the September 28th meeting as approved as read. The motion was passed.
It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to accept the minutes of the October 13th meeting as approved as read. The motion was passed.

2. Treasurer’s Report
a. Account Balances - $99,902.83
b. YTD Income – Expenses – We reviewed our income and expenses as of 10/27/2011.
c. Projected YE Expenditures – We reviewed the projected end of year expenditures.
d.
3. Library Director’s Report - Attendence at the library keeps us busy. The new fall/winter hours seem to be popular with our patrons and are much appreciated by the library director. The knitting group is now meeting on Thursday rather than Wednesday afternoons. This is working out nicely because Wednesday afternoon continues to be the busiest part of our week. One other change took place since our last meeting – we are now checking out books etc for three rather than two weeks. This has been well received by our patrons.
This week we completed the remodeling of our video/reading/gathering room. The videos have been rearranged, shelves cleaned up, and two comfy chairs along with a magazine table have been added. We have already received several very positive comments from our patrons.
Rachel attended a workshop on event planning recently and as a follow-up has planned a ‘Read-a-thon’ for the 8 to 12 year olds here at the library this Saturday afternoon from 4 until 5:30. She has several games planned and Jim will pick up and deliver the pizza about 5. I think it will be a fun time for our young readers.
We are considering being at the library on Halloween night from 5 until 6 unless we come to our senses! We have prepared a bookmark and will purchase candy to give out. Any event like this is good, positive publicity for our library.
We continue to receive a bag of dvds from our participation in the Scrooge and Marley dvd coop. We received 30 dvds for September and October and circulated half of them for a total of 25 checkouts. We are constantly monitoring the services we pay for.

OLD BUSINESS
4. Status - Town Master Plan Narrative – We plan to continue this discussion in the new year.

5. Remaining projects for 2011 using remaining Town Appropriation and appropriated Library Endowment Funds
a. Refinish front doors – Craig Bixby will be removing the front doors on November 10th and will proceed with the project.¬
b. Re-keying of entry doors – Tom will speak with Craig Bixby regarding the steps to take to change the locks.
c. Re-wiring to eliminate remaining knob and tube circuiting
Also, Rewire single receptacle + add additional outlets – Tom talked with the AES Electrical after our last meeting and they expect to begin work on Thursday, November 3rd.

6. Boiler maintenance – Roger will remind Carl Doe that the work needs to be done.

7. 2012 Library Budget – Due to Town November 14 – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to submit to the Town of Rumney our request for funds for the 2012 year in the amount of $37,730.00 to be appropriated by the town plus $3000.00 to be taken from our library endowment funds. We will also request that $5,000.00 be added to the Capital Reserve fund for the library accessibility fund. The motion was passed.

A date was not set for our next meeting.

Library Trustees' Meeting - 10/13/2011

2011-10-28T11:14:00.001-07:00

The meeting was called to order at 6 pm. Present were Tom Wallace, Leina Smoker and Susan Turbyne

There were two items of business.
1. We discussed the budget for next year.
2. We discussed some electrical repairs that we would like to have taken care of before the end of the year. Tom moved that we authorize AES Electrical Contractors to proceed with the knob and tube removal per their March 27th 2011 proposal plus additional outlets not to exceed the 2011 appropriation. It was seconded by Leina Smoker and passed.

The next meeting will take place on October 27th 2011 at 6 pm.

Library Trustees' Meeting - 9/28/2011

2011-10-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

The meeting was opened at 6:00 pm with Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Leina Smoker, and Susan Turbyne in attendance.

REPORTS
1. Review Draft Minutes of July 20, 2011 Meeting – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to accept the minutes as read.

2. Treasurer’s Report
a. Account Balances – $93,494.91 as of 9/27/2011
b. YTD Income – Expenses – We reviewed our income and expenses as of 9/27/2011.
c. Projected YE Expenditures – We reviewed the projected end of year expenditures.

3. Library Director’s Report
In August we had 665 patron visits and checked out 620 books and 190 videos/dvds. 29 people stopped in to use the internet. Wednesday evenings have been very quiet so I am interested in adjusting our hours for the fall and winter to make better use of my time.
Jan Serfass finished work here at the library on September 17th. She and her husband have now headed along to their new home in Pennsylvania. It was a pleasure working with her this last year. I am postponing looking for a replacement until we discuss our immediate goals for the library.
Rachel Anderson attended a workshop at Pease Library last week on events and came back with several ideas. She is making plans for a pizza read-a-thon to appeal to 8 to 12 year olds to be held late in October.
We have had a large number of items donated so I am currently going through them and deciding what can be added to our collection. We are making room in the computer room for some additional genealogy materials from downstairs as we have had several interested people in lately. We continue to write articles for the Plymouth Record on a weekly basis and host the Ladies Knitting Society monthly.

OLD BUSINESS
4. Status - Town Master Plan Narrative – Susan suggested that we postpone discussion of this narrative until we review our library goals (see #9a).

5. Lighting Replacement Project
a. NHEC Grant status – The scope of our project does not qualify us for the grant.

6. Remaining projects for 2011 using Library Endowm. Funds
a. Refinish front doors – Schedule ?? – Susan will be talking with Craig Bixby the middle of next month to discuss the work schedule.
b. Re-keying of entry doors – Tom will check out locksmiths.
c. Re-wiring to eliminate remaining knob and tube circuiting
Rewire single receptacle – Tom will talk A W S Electrical Contractors and schedule this project.

7. Boiler maintenance – Roger talked with Carl Doe. Carl will do an efficiency test once the cold sets in, clean the furnace and change the filter. We would like to continue this on an annual basis.

8. Town Facilities Committee
a. Report: Tour of Library – August 4 Tom hosted the group, showed them the building from top to bottom, and shared our plans for the handicap access.

NEW BUSINESS
9. 2012 Library Budget
a. Future Direction for Library: We took some time to discuss what we see in the near future for our town library. It was agreed that we do a good job meeting the needs of our patrons but we do want to continue to improve.
i. In order to serve the next generation of library users we need to computerize our collection. People today want to be able to see what we offer by looking on their home computer, reserve the items and know that they will be ready for them when they come to the library.
ii. We would like to make the downstairs attractive, accessible and available for group functions ie book groups, musical evenings, family games nights.
iii. We would like to offer regularly scheduled children’s programs.
iv. Although we would like to offer additional hours, it was decided to keep to the same number of hours but adjust them to accommodate our patrons. It was agreed to change to ‘fall-winter’ hours. Our new hours, starting immediately, are Wednesday 2-6, Thursday 10-12 and 2-6, and Saturday 10-1.
v. We then moved to a discussion of salary and looked at other libraries serving a similar population base and agreed to a raise for our director. It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to make this raise retroactive to September 1st.
vi. We discussed the need for an additional library helper and the skills we would be looking for in this person.
vii. We would like a cozy, inviting place(s) in the library for patrons who would just like to sit and read and have books, magazines, and newspapers available. We see two possible areas where this could happen and it is something we can move on immediately. Leina agreed to do some research on appropriate chairs.
viii. In addition to all of these things we would like to see happen, we will continue to work on a plan to make our library handicap accessible.
b. Next year’s budget – Due to the time, we agreed to postpone discussion of this item until our next meeting in two weeks.

10. Other Business - none

Our next meeting will take place Thursday, October 13th at 6 pm.

Library Trustees' Meeting - 7/20/2011

2011-09-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

The meeting was called to order at 6:33 PM with Tom Wallace, Leina Smoker and Susan Turbyne in attendance.

REPORTS
1. Review Draft Minutes of May 18, 2011 Meeting/It was moved by Tom Wallace, seconded by Leina Smoker, and passed to accept the minutes as read.
2. Treasurer’s Report
a. Account Balances/$96,893.70 as of 7/16/2011
b. YTD Income – Expenses/Six months into the year we have spent 49.1% of our budget.
3. Library Director’s Report/We reviewed the plan for Old Home Day. Our annual book sale will run from 9 until noon. The library will be open from 10 until 2 with our historical scrapbooks on display.

OLD BUSINESS
4. Status - Town Master Plan Narrative/In progress
5. Lighting Replacement Project
a. NHEC Grant status/Tom is compiling usage statistics to present to the Coop.
6. Remaining projects for 2011 using Library Endowm. Funds
a. Refinish front doors/Craig Bixby is scheduled to work on this project late fall.
b. Re-wiring to eliminate remaining knob and tube circuiting/We are waiting for a cost and description of work needing to be done.
7. Boiler maintenance/Roger is communicating with Carl Doe to set up an annual plan.

NEW BUSINESS
8. Employees salaries reviews/Susan requested that we review the salary schedule in neighboring communities.
9. Library Security
a. Action(s) required: ie. change keys/We plan to change the lock on the front door at the time it is refinished. The same key has been used for many years and we have no way of knowing who has the keys.
10. Town Facilities Committee/Tom will give a tour to the Town Facilities Committee of which he is a member on August 4th at 6 PM.
a. Tour of Library – August 4 @ 6:00 pm
b. Accessibility Alterations – Options
c. Acquire/ swap Church property
11. NHLTA new Trustee workshops/Leina plans to attend the September 20th workshop in Newport.
Sept. 20 (Tues.); 5:00 to 8:00 pm.; Newport
Sept. 21 (Wed.), 5:00 -8:00 pm. Conway, Seabrook & Hooksett
Concord: June 7- 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
12. Other Business/none

The next meeting is scheduled for September 28th at 6 PM
Sept. 28-Prelim Budget

Library Trustees' Meeting - 5/18/2011

2011-07-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

The meeting was opened at 6:00 p.m. with Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Lena Smoker, and Susan Turbyne in attendance.

REPORTS
1. Review Draft Minutes of March 17, 2011 Meeting – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Tom Wallace) to accept the minutes as read.

2. Treasurer’s Report
a. Account Balances - $92,928.95 as of 5/16/11
b. YTD Income – Expenses – We reviewed our income and expenses as of 5/16/11.
3. Library Director’s Report –
a. Rachel Anderson has joined our staff and is working Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings. In addition to her people skills she brings a background in graphic arts. She has already contributed to the weekly Plymouth Record column and completed two projects: setting up Spring Reading for our little ones and developing a new ‘how to’ flyer for our audio books. I am pleased to have her here.
b. A new computer has been purchased – an updated Dell Inspiron using Microsoft 7 rather than XP. I am still learning how to work with the changes.
c. Summer is just around the corner and we are laying plans to encourage the school children to make use of the library. Lena is acting as our liaison with the Russell School.

OLD BUSINESS
4. Status - Town Master Plan Narrative – We plan to review and update our portion of the plan.
5. Lighting Replacement Project – The work is complete.
a. NHEC Grant status – Tom will pursue this issue and see if any part of a grant is possible.

NEW BUSINESS
6. Election of Trustee Officers for 2011 – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) that Roger Daniels continue as chair, Tom Wallace continue as treasurer and Leina Smoker take on the position of secretary. The motion was passed.
7. Remaining projects for 2011 using Library Endowment Funds
a. Refinish front doors – Tom spoke with Craig Bixby about doing this repair. It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to appropriate the amount of $644.46 to do this project. The motion was passed.
b. Re-wiring to eliminate remaining knob and tube circuiting – During the recent electrical project it was noticed that knob and tube is still in place and should be removed. We decided not to take on this project at this time. We will see about getting the one plug in the children’s room reactivated.
8. Boiler maintenance – We discussed annual furnace maintenance. Roger will talk with Carl Doe and come up with a plan.
9. NH Atty. Gen. Library Trustee/ Trustee of Trust Funds Seminars
Shelburne: June 1- 10:30 am. to noon (Libr.) + 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
Concord: June 7- 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
10. Other Business

Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 20th 2011 at 6 PM

Library Trustees' Meeting - 3/17/2011

2011-05-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

The meeting was opened at 1:00 p. m. with Tom Wallace, Roger Daniels and Susan Turbyne in attendence.

REPORTS
1. Review Draft Minutes of January 26, 2011 Meeting
The final lighting cost was corrected to $7034.79. It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Tom Wallace) to accept the minutes as corrected. The motion was passed.

2. Treasurer’s Report
a. Account Balances - $97,672.17 as of 3/16/2011
b. YTD Income /Expenses – We reviewed our income and expenses as of 3/16/2011. We will request the next quarterly payment April 1st.
c. 2010 Town Financial Audit – The Audit took place in February.
3. Library Director’s Report
a. January and February went by quickly. In January we recorded 294 patron visits with 350 books and 147 videos/dvds being checked out. February brought 277 visits with 334 books and 94 videos being checked out. We were closed February 24th and 26th when the electrician was here.
b. We are very pleased with the new overhead lights. They look very attractive and give much needed light. We are looking forward to the final lights being installed soon.
c. The Ladies Book Club met on February 10th at my home to discuss the novel, Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger. We had a good turnout and it was fun having Mr Monninger as our surprise guest. He answered our many questions about the book and his writing career and shared some of his incites on the publishing world.
d. Eighty-two children’s books from the Libri Grant arrived and we have been busy processing them and plan to start displaying them today.
e. Our ‘Winter’ display of picture books has kept our youngest readers very busy. We track the books they read and are pleased that one youngster has read sixteen books from the selection. We have put together a ‘Spring’ display which is ready to go as soon as the snow disappears.
f. We have had two changes in personnel. Lara Croft, after just over one year here at the library, has moved out of the area and resigned her position at the end of January. Rachel Anderson is starting work today.
g. I am working on the Annual Report for the State of NH and plan to have it done within the next two weeks.

OLD BUSINESS
4. Status - Town Master Plan Narrative
We plan to review and update our portion of the plan.

5. Lighting Replacement Project
a. Work Status
AES Electrical completed the wiring and lighting in the lobby, children’s room and reference room. The office and young adult room is still to be done.
b. Bid Alternate No. 1 Option – $ 1,439.00: Complete lighting replace in Stack Area.
It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Tom Wallace) to move ahead with this project. The motion was passed.

NEW BUSINESS
6. Other Business – None

Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 18th, 2011 at 6:00 P.M. at the Library

Library Trustees' Meeting - 1/26/2011

2011-05-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

The Meeting was called to order at 6 PM. Present were Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Leina Smoker and Susan Turbyne.

REPORTS
1. Review Draft Minutes of December 16, 2010 Meeting – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to approve the minutes as amended. The motion was passed.
2. Treasurer’s Report
a. 2010 Town Report – Financial. Tom submitted the proper reports to the town office.
b. 2010 Town Financial Audit is scheduled for March 1-3. A questionnaire has been completed and signed and will be returned to Plodzik-Sanderson.
c. Account Balances - $102,770.95
d. YTD Income – Expenses – We reviewed our expenses as of January 24, 2011.

Library Director’s Report - Lara Croft’s last day is Saturday as she is moving to the southern part of the state. It has been a pleasure having her here this past year. At this time I have no one in mind for her replacement.

The report for the Rumney annual report has been sent in. I am starting work on the report for the NH State Library which has approximately 100 questions to be answered. Tom will provide some of the financial information.

We are continuing to re-label our collection and enter the books into a computerized database. We are currently working on the biographies.

OLD BUSINESS
3. Status - Town Master Plan Narrative – This report is not needed for the time being so we plan to review and update our part of the plan.
4. Accept additional 2010 Donation – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to accept the $25.00 donation from Joseph and Florence Leverone. The motion was passed.
Joseph/Florence Leverone – 12/31/2010 - $ 25.00
5. Lighting Replacement Project
a. Final Contract – Amt. $ 7,034.79 (vs. $ 7,190.11 due to math. error)
b. Work Schedule
• We will close the library if needed.
c. Bid Alternate No. 1 Option is pending Town Meeting approval

NEW BUSINESS
6. Transfer 2010 YE Disbursement Acct. Balance ( $ 1080.77) to Marion Learned Endowment Fund ( Citizens Bank CAP Sub-Account)
It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to move $1080.77 (entire balance) from the Citizens Bank Disbursement Account to the Marion Learned Endowment Fund.
7. Accessibility Alterations: Report/ Display for Town Meeting on March 10th
Tom will inquire about having a table at the polls and at the town meeting to promote interest in the library and in our future plans.
8. Other Business – none.

The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 16th 2010 at 6 PM

It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to adjourn at 6:45 PM. The motion passed.

Library Trustees' Meeting - 12/16/2010

2011-03-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

BYRON G. MERRILL LIBRARY - BOARD OF TRUSTEES – JANUARY 26, 2011

The Meeting was called to order at 6 PM. Present were Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Leina Smoker and Susan Turbyne.

REPORTS
1. Review Draft Minutes of December 16, 2010 Meeting – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to approve the minutes as amended. The motion was passed.
2. Treasurer’s Report
a. 2010 Town Report – Financial. Tom submitted the proper reports to the town office.
b. 2010 Town Financial Audit is scheduled for March 1-3. A questionnaire has been completed and signed and will be returned to Plodzik-Sanderson.
c. Account Balances - $102,770.95
d. YTD Income – Expenses – We reviewed our expenses as of January 24, 2011.

Library Director’s Report - Lara Croft’s last day is Saturday as she is moving to the southern part of the state. It has been a pleasure having her here this past year. At this time I have no one in mind for her replacement.

The report for the Rumney annual report has been sent in. I am starting work on the report for the NH State Library which has approximately 100 questions to be answered. Tom will provide some of the financial information.

We are continuing to re-label our collection and enter the books into a computerized database. We are currently working on the biographies.

OLD BUSINESS
3. Status - Town Master Plan Narrative – This report is not needed for the time being so we plan to review and update our part of the plan.
4. Accept additional 2010 Donation – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to accept the $25.00 donation from Joseph and Florence Leverone. The motion was passed.
Joseph/Florence Leverone – 12/31/2010 - $ 25.00
5. Lighting Replacement Project
a. Final Contract – Amt. $ 7,034.79 (vs. $ 7,190.11 due to math. error)
b. Work Schedule
• We will close the library if needed.
c. Bid Alternate No. 1 Option is pending Town Meeting approval

NEW BUSINESS
6. Transfer 2010 YE Disbursement Acct. Balance ( $ 1080.77) to Marion Learned Endowment Fund ( Citizens Bank CAP Sub-Account)
It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to move $1080.77 (entire balance) from the Citizens Bank Disbursement Account to the Marion Learned Endowment Fund.
7. Accessibility Alterations: Report/ Display for Town Meeting on March 10th
Tom will inquire about having a table at the polls and at the town meeting to promote interest in the library and in our future plans.
8. Other Business – none.

The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 16th 2010 at 6 PM

It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to adjourn at 6:45 PM. The motion passed.

Library Trustees' Meeting - 12/1/2010

2011-01-27T09:03:00.001-08:00

BYRON G. MERRILL LIBRARY – BOARD OF TRUSTEES – DECEMBER 1, 2010

The meeting was opened at 6:30 pm with Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Leina Smoker, and Susan Turbyne in attendance.

REPORTS
1. Review Draft Minutes of October 27, 2010 Meeting
a. It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to accept the minutes as written. The motion passed.
2. Treasurer’s Report
a. Account Balances - $99,592.38 as of 11/30/10
b. YTD Income – Expenses: We reviewed our expenses as of 11/30/10.
c. Projected 2010 Expenditures – We reviewed our projected expenses for December.
3. Library Director’s Report
a. We were open eleven days in November with 375 patron visits and 440 books and 168 videos were borrowed. We remained open until 8 on Thanksgiving Eve as we usually do on Wednesdays and were quite busy.
b. Lara has completed her student teaching and has been working here a few hours on Wednesdays and Saturdays since she began in September. I do not know what her plans are for the months ahead. I am looking forward to having her or her replacement work the full week in the months ahead.
c. As you can see, we have moved from the fall season into the holiday season and will be displaying the remaining Christmas books and movies tomorrow. The lights in the window and on the tree upstairs are set to come on at 2 and go out at 10 each day.
d. We are looking forward to our Holiday Open House from 6 until 7:30 on Wednesday, December 15th. ‘Rhubarb Pie’ will be entertaining us with music and we are planning to serve punch and cookies. Hope you all can come.
e. We received information that the state library is putting together a group of libraries to subscribe to ancestry.com - our cost would be $100 for the year and I would like us to consider it. An individual membership is more than $100 a year.

OLD BUSINESS
4. 2010 Improvement Projects - Update
a. Refinish Entry doors – We contacted Paul Turley but nothing can be done until next year.
b. New Lighting Project – We have placed bid forms at several locations in the area and they are due back by Dec. 8 @ 4:30 p.m.
5. Review/ Discuss 2011 Budget Process
a. Budget to Selectmen – Tom emailed our budget request to the selectmen on October 29th.
b. Budget Committee Review – We are waiting for the date.
c. Publish for Town Warrant/ Town Meeting in March

NEW BUSINESS
6. Review Town Master Plan Narrative – A group of citizens are currently working to update the Town Master Plan. We reviewed the article on the library and felt that it needed to be reworked in places. Susan asked if this could take place after the holidays.
7. Review/ Discuss 2010 Year End Spending – We discussed these two projects and decided to postpone any decision until we have seen the bids on December 8th.
a. New lap top computer for Library Director
b. Lighting upgrade project
8. Other Business
a. Ancestry.Com – Roger Daniels moved (and Leina Smoker seconded) that we appropriate the annual fee of $100.00 to participate with NH libraries accessing this service. The motion was passed.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 PM.

Library Trustees' Meeting - 10/27/2010

2011-01-27T09:01:00.001-08:00

BYRON G. MERRILL LIBRARY – BOARD OF TRUSTEES – OCTOBER 27, 2010

The meeting was opened at 6:30 pm with Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Leina Smoker, and Susan Turbyne in attendance.

REPORTS
1. Review/Approval of Minutes from 10/6/2010 – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to accept the minutes as written. The motion passed.
2. Treasurer’s Report
Account Balances: Total Assets - $103,567.65
3. Library Director’s Report – October has been busy. Thus far this month 243 people have come in and checked out 377 books and 110 movies. Our second program in the Lakes Region Reads was held last Thursday night next door at the historical museum. The choir from the Wentworth Community Church entertained us with a selection of songs from the 1940s – it was most enjoyable. Facilitator Marcia Schmidt Blaine led the discussion of 1940s memories here in Rumney. Roger Daniels was able to tape the program which will be available for future generations. Six of our patrons traveled to Meredith this past Sunday afternoon to meet Annie Barrows, the author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Our Ladies Book Club will meet on November 4th to discuss this novel. Our cataloguing projects continue with attention being given to the 800 section.

OLD BUSINESS
4. 2010 Improvement Projects -
Refinish Entry doors – Contractor has been contacted, have not heard back
New Lighting Project – Tom contacted the Coop but our project is not big enough to qualify for their grant at this point.

NEW BUSINESS
5. 2011 Budget
Operating Budget - It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to approve the amount of $36,130.00 for the town appropriation of our budget for the next year. The motion passed.

Library Trust Fund Expenditure Authorization - It was also moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to request $3000.00 for lighting upgrades, $500.00 for front door refinishing, and $500.00 for collection development to come from our endowment funds. The motion was passed.

Accessibility Project Capital Reserve - It was also moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to request $5000.00 to be added to the Library Accessibility Capital Reserve Fund. The motion was passed. Tom will submit the paperwork to the town.

6. New/ Revised Town of Rumney Policies - We reviewed the policies and discussed some possible conflicts with public library application.

7. Other Business – The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 at 6:30 pm.

The meeting was adjourned at 8PM.

Library Trustees' Meeting - 10/6/2010

2011-01-27T08:55:00.000-08:00

BYRON G. MERRILL LIBRARY – BOARD OF TRUSTEES – OCTOBER 6, 2010

The meeting was opened at 6:30 with Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Leina Smoker, and Susan Turbyne in attendance. Also in attendance was Jan Serfass.

Review/Approval of Minutes – June 2, 2010 - It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to accept the minutes as written. The motion passed.

Welcome Leina Smoker – Since our last meeting, Jan Serfass resigned as a trustee. We thank her for seven years of service to our library and community. We welcomed Leina as the new member of the board and we look forward to having her work with us. The NHLTA Library Trustee Manual has been ordered for her.

Secretary function – For the time being Susan will be doing the minutes for our meetings.

REPORTS
Treasurer’s Report
Account Balances – Total Assets: $95,905.96
YTD Income – Expenses – We have spent 64.6%, $21,702.40, of our approved budget as of September 30, 2010
Projected 2010 Expenditures were discussed.

Library Director’s Report
We are very much involved in ‘Lakes Region Reads’ which is taking place at this time. The basic premise of this project is that readers at eighteen of our area libraries are reading the novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, the story of the people on the island of Guernsey during WWII. The story, through letters, tells of the heroism of the people as they survived German occupation. Our library display to call attention to this period in history includes our collection of Life magazines from 1941-1945, town reports from that time, and some of our books and videos.
Over forty events have been planned. Some of the events are:The Kick-off Event took place this past Saturday at the Wright Museum in Wolfeboro, NH, a museum illustrating 1940s home life and celebrating the heroic efforts of ordinary people during this time. Well-known journalist Mike Pride discussed his book We Went to War featuring narratives from NH veterans and their World War II experiences. Free copies of the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society were given out and ice cream was served. It was an enjoyable afternoon. The next event is planned for this Saturday in Stow MA and will feature antique vehicles, military vehicles from this era and some re-enactments. On Friday, October 15th, in Gilford, visitors will be able to see what a day in the life of a soldier was like, sample MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), and try on a uniform.
Ann Barrows, co-author of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, will hold a question and answer presentation at the Inter-Lakes High School auditorium and there will be an opportunity for book signing.
The culminating event on November 6th will be a Big Band Concert at the Tilton Veterans Home. The Lakes Region Big Band will headline a USO-themed concert to celebrate our veterans with music from the Big Band era.
Three events were planned here in Rumney. These events are a joint effort between our library and the Rumney Historical Society and are supported in part by a grant from the Humanities Council of New Hampshire. The first event took place last month when historian Marcia Schmidt Blaine did a power point presentation on life here in Rumney during the WWII years. The event was well attended and well received and everybody enjoyed the homemade pies we served after the program. Marcia is returning on Thursday, October 21st, for a follow-up program when local residents will share some of their reminisces of the war years. We have been handing out free copies of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society at the library and will gather for a book discussion on Thursday, November 4th. Jim is hoping to make potato peel pie for the occasion.
In addition to our everyday tasks we have several cataloging projects in the works - juvenile non-fiction (Jan) - John Serfass will be adding front pieces to the display to better show the books, the 800s (Lara), and the 900s (me).

OLD BUSINESS
Unanticipated Income – It was moved (Roger Daniels) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to accept the donations (from donations and the Old Home Day Book Sale) received since June 2nd, 2010, in the amount of $613.25. The motion passed.

2010 Improvement Projects - Update
Refinish Entry doors – Work on doors has not been done. Susan will speak with Paul Turley again.
New Lighting Project – Tom has been meeting with people from Laconia Electric to
get suggestions for our lighting. He has also investigated an energy improvement grant with the NH Electric Coop – they would pay for 50% of the cost of lighting. Bill Johnstone from NH Electric Coop will visit the library tomorrow morning to assess our needs.

NEW BUSINESS
LIBRI Foundation Book Purchase -It was moved (Roger Daniel) and seconded (Leina Smoker) to use $350.00 from the Old Home Day Book Sale for the Libri Foundation book purchase. The motion passed.

2011 Budget – Tom and Susan attended the selectmen’s meeting on September 20th to discuss the budgets for the next year. The selectmen have asked that the proposed budgets be submitted by November 1st.
2011 Operating Budget – We need to think about next year’s requirements. We discussed increasing hours.
2011 Library Trust Fund Expenditure Authorization – We need to think about projects and money needed.
Accessibility Project Capital Reserve – We are going to request $5,000.00 to go into the fund.
Other Business – The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 27th at 6:30 pm.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 pm.

Library Trustees' Meeting - 6/2/2010

2011-01-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

6/2/2010
In Attendance: Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Jan Serfass, Susan Turbyne

Minutes were reviewed from the April 7, 2010 meeting. Roger made a motion to accept as amended. Tom 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.

Treasurer's Report: Tom gave an accounting of expenditures to date. As of 6/1/2010 there was $96,100.01 in all accounts.

Library Director's Report: Susan noted that Dorothy Kelsall retired from the library in April after serving 15 years at the checkout desk. Jan will send a note and some flowers as a Thank You. Pat Reynolds will begin working part time to help out at the desk. The book club met with 9 women discussing “Mao’s Last Dancer”. The Knitting Club is still meeting once a month and a Tea & Poetry afternoon was held in April. Susan finished the Master Plan and submitted it to the town. A Pajama Party was well attended by the children. The blog and Facebook were updated and Susan has been submitting articles to the newspaper on various activities being held in the library.
The Trustees and Susan discussed a problem with overdue books. After several attempts by phone and letters, Susan will send a certified letter stating state laws concerning books that are not returned to the library and the fines that accrue.

Old Business: Painting of the computer/teen room is completed and the bookshelves are finished. The refinishing of the front doors has been contracted and will hopefully get done soon. Tom and Susan are still working on the new lighting for over the desk.
Old Home Day is August 14
Historical Society Ice Cream Social is July 24 at 1:00

With no other business the meeting was adjourned at 7:30.
Next meeting. September 8, 6:30 PM

Library Trustees' Meeting - 4/7/2010

2010-06-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

In Attendance: Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Jan Serfass, Susan Turbyne

Minutes were reviewed from the March 3, 2010 meeting. One correction in spelling. Roger made a motion to accept as corrected. Tom 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.

Treasurer's Report: Tom gave an accounting of expenditures to date. As of 4/7/10 there was $91,560.24 total in all bank accounts.

Library Director's Report: The Library has been a busy place with the Knitting group and the Women's Book Club meeting monthly. Susan reported on the state wide efforts to have everyone read “To Kill A Mockingbird”. There was a viewing of the movie and a final discussion on the book. There were 13 events in the state of NH on one particular night. The next group read book is “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” in the fall. The next Women's Book club reading is “Water for Elephants”. There is also plans to hold a “Tea and Poem” afternoon.
The Mango Language program purchased was $200 and several patrons have taken advantage of the program.
Tracey Duffy has refreshed the Teen/NH room with a new coat of paint. John Serfass made some new oak shelves for the archival binders.
Susan attended the Scrooge and Marley group in the new library in Gilmanton. She also has been purchasing books to fill in series within the teen books.
Old Business: Susan has been working on the “Town Master Plan”.

New Business: The Library budget was approved at the Town Meeting along with the request to use $3000 of Endowment Funds for special projects. Paul Turley gave an estimate to refinish the front doors.
The Library received two donations: $75 from the Beckett School and $25 from the LaRochelle Family. Jan made a motion to accept donations. Roger 2nd. All in Favor.
Tom will construct a conceptual plan of the handicapped accessible to have for future reference.
Jan will be moving out of the area so the Trustee's will need to replace her and will start thinking of people to consider.

With no other business the meeting was adjourned at 7:30.
Next meeting. June 2, 6:30 PM

Library Trustees' Meeting - 3/10/2010

2010-04-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

In Attendance: Roger Daniels, Tom Wallace, Jan Serfass, Susan Turbyne Minutes were reviewed from the January 27, 2010 meeting. Roger made a motion to accept as read. Tom 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.

Treasurer's Report: Tom gave an accounting of expenditures to date. As of 3/1/10 there was $95,420.12 total in all bank accounts.

Library Director's Report: Susan reported on the state wide efforts to have everyone read “To Kill A Mockingbird”. The kickoff was successful with several patrons reading the book. She held a 106th birthday party for Dr. Suess with many children attending and enjoying the festivities.

Old Business: Town voting will be held on Tuesday, March 9 and the Town Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 11. Susan is working on the Library report for the Town Master Plan.

New Business: Susan introduced the Mango Language program which is available for purchase by the library. It would allow patrons to access a program with a particular code supplied by the librarian in order to learn a foreign language in the confines of their own home. Six languages are available to learn it's vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and culture. Susan felt it would be a benefit to the town residents and also to keep the library up to date on new programming. Tom made a motion to purchase the program for $250 with Jan 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.

Susan received an estimate of $200 to refinish the front doors to protect them from the weather. Discussion was tabled for later decision.

Tracey Duffy has volunteered to paint the NH/Teen room free of charge. Library will buy paint and supplies.

Tom and Susan will be researching on replacing the lighting over the front desk to update for energy efficiency.

New Policy- “Out of Town Patron Policy” The Trustee's discussed charging out of town patrons for the privilege of borrowing books from the BGM Library. Jan made a motion to charge non-Rumney patrons $10 per year per person for a library card. Roger 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.

With no other business the meeting was adjourned at 7:45. Next meeting. April 7, 6:30PM

Library Trustees' Meeting - 1/27/2010

2010-04-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

January 27, 2010 6:30 PM
In Attendance: Tom Wallace, Roger Daniels, Jan Serfass and Susan Turbyne

Minutes were reviewed. Roger made a motion to accept minutes with Tom 2nd. (All in favor. Motion carried.)

Treasurer’s Report: Account Balances as of 1/27/10 totaled $94,466.78 (This includes all endowment funds and checking account funds.) The amount budgeted for fuel oil in 2009 was higher than was used overall (fuel oil prices came down) so $1,456.58 was returned to the Town of Rumney. Tom noted that the Library would be audited on March 1, 2010.

Library Director’s Report:
New staff member, Lara Croft, was hired to replace Karen Flynn. Lara comes with a Master’s in Education from Plymouth State Univ. and has been very helpful to Susan already. She will be updating the website and Facebook pages for the BGM Library.
Big Read – Susan reported that the BGM library would participate in the state wide “Big Read” beginning on Feb. 24. The book is “To Kill A Mockingbird” with a discussion to follow the movie being shown on March 24 . Everyone is invited.
Policy Development – Need to discuss how to handle out of town patrons at next meeting and set a policy for checking out books, etc.

Old Business:
Gary Miller has been hired to clean the Library once a month @$75.
Budget hearing is schedule for Feb. 8,
Town Meeting March 11
2010 Expenditure Planning – Projects discussed were new lighting over main desk, refinishing front doors, chimney cement is cracking out, paint young adults room

New Business:
The Trustee’s presented Susan with a children’s book in memory of her daughter Jennifer Wentz.
The Library has been contacted by NH Atty. Gen. office asking about status of the legal entity created in 1983 for this Fund. Response letter sent by Tom was reviewed.
Susan will work on the Library “report” for the Town Master Plan.
Vote: Roger made a motion to accept a $25 donation from Florence Leverone in 2009. Tom 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.
Vote: Roger made a motion to accept a $50 donation from Marion Patterson in memory of Jennifer Wentz. All in favor. Motion carried.
Vote: Transfer unspent 2009 Other Income and 2010 accepted donations from Checking Account to Endowment Disbursement Acct. Unspent 2009 Other Income Donations $25.00 Old Home Day Book sale $419.07 2010 Accepted Donations $75.00 Total $519.07
Roger made a motion to transfer. Jan 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.

Tom has been drawing up some preliminary building options to work towards making the building handicapped accessible sometime in the future. Ideas and options will be discussed at further meetings.

Meeting adjourned at 8:00 PM Next meeting March 29, 2010

Library Trustees' Meeting - 10/26/2009

2010-02-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

Byron G. Merrill Library
Trustee’s Meeting
October 26, 2009

In Attendance: Tom Wallace, Roger Daniels, Jan Serfass, Susan Turbyne

Minutes from the Sept 28, 2009 meeting were read. Roger made a motion to accept minutes with Tom 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report – Tom reported that we have used 69% of the years budget to date and have received the fourth quarter town appropriation.

Library Director’s Report – Susan was invited to the Russell Elementary School and read to the Kindergarten class. Since there was a vacancy due to Rachel Funk’s leaving Susan recruited the school librarian, Karen Flynn, to work six hours a week in the library. Wed. 4-8 and Sat. 10-12. She will be working in the children’s section.

Old Business: With the decline in oil prices the library will possibly have a surplus in the budget line for the Boiler (heating & oil). The Trustee’s will refund the town any monies leftover.
Library Endowment Funds have been spent on refinishing the floors and additional projects might be finished by the end of the year including new lighting above the main desk and boiler repairs.
New Business: Tom and Susan drew up and presented the 2010 proposed budget, which is due to the town Nov. 2. The proposed budget totals $36,605 with $33,605 to be raised by taxes and $3,000 to come from Library Endowment Funds. Jan made a motion to accept budget as presented with Roger 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.
There was a discussion of making the library handicapped accessible which would involve alterations to the building according to ADA codes. To plan ahead, the Trustee’s agreed to ask the town to present a warrant article to start a Capital Reserve Fund in the amount of $5000 for FY 2010 for Accessibility Alteration at the Library.

Credit Card Policy: The Auditor’s felt it necessary to have a credit card policy in place for the card that Susan uses to purchase books and supplies. With the policy drawn up and proposed, Jan made a motion to accept the Credit Card Policy with Roger 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned 8:00 pm
Next meeting: January 10, 2010

Library Trustees' Meeting - 9/28/2009

2009-10-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

In Attendance: Tom Wallace, Roger Daniels, Jan Serfass, Susan Turbyne

Minutes from the August 17 meeting were reviewed with two minor additions. Tom made a motion to accept minutes as amended with Roger 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report: Through Sept 25, the Library has spent 62% of its budgeted money. Tom noted that the new budget line “Programs” was added to recognize special performances and programs throughout the year. Library assets to date total $96,319.43 (checking, CD’s and Endowment Funds).

Library Director’s Report: Rachel Funk had come in on a September Saturday morning to hold a children’s program and will do so for the next few months. There was a nice crowd of children attending. Susan requested new hours for the library due to the Interlibrary Loan van that comes through the area on Wednesdays. Tom made a motion to change the “Open” hours from Tuesday to Wednesday, 12-8, Thursday 10-12 & 2-5 and Saturday, 10-12. Roger 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried. Susan contacted the State and the Interlibrary van will stop at her house on Wednesdays around 8:00 a.m.
The Library floors were redone by Michael Caristi and he has done an excellent job. Susan has asked that the remaining floors be refinished before the end of the year.
Volunteers have helped restock the videos and weeded out old ones, input the ISBN numbers into the spreadsheets and many other assorted jobs. There is work to be done in the Children’s Room books relabeling and purging old books.
Staffing is still a concern with Rachel’s absence but Susan feels she needs more time to adequately come up with a job description. Jan will check with Plymouth State University about possible interns.
Old Business: Furnace Inspection – Inspector found several problems with valves and grommets that need to be fixed. He questioned if there was an annual tune-up done. Roger will call Carl Doe to see if he will come in to fix the problem areas. Paint on the ceilings is beginning to peel off in sheets and will need to be addressed soon.
Out of the requested $5000 from Endowment Funds: Refinishing of wood floors was $952 and Wentzel Electric added outlets for the new computers for $819.98. New lighting is being looked at along with refinishing the remaining floors.
New Business: Budget is due to the Town Office by November 2. Susan and Tom will work on that and present it at the next Trustee meeting for approval. Selectmen have tentatively scheduled Nov. 23rd for review of proposed Library budget. Tom and Susan will attend. The Trustee’s had a brief discussion on what it would take to make the Library building ADA compliant. Tom will talk to the Selectmen about possibly establishing a capital fund to begin saving for building on an addition for handicapped accessibility.

Meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
Next meeting – October 26 at 6:30 p.m.

Library Trustees' Meeting - 8/17/2009

2009-09-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

Byron G. Merrill Library

Trustee’s Meeting

August 17, 2009

In Attendance: Tom Wallace, Jan Serfass, Roger Daniels, Susan Turbyne

Minutes from the May 4, 2009 meeting were reviewed. Tom made a motion to accept minutes as presented with Roger 2nd. All in favor. Motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report: Through August 17 the library has spent 55.9% of its budget. We currently have $88,827.99 in Endowment Funds with $57,826.41 of that to remain in required principal. CD’s amounts total $72,886.41

Old Home Day - book sale netted $419.07

Fuel Oil – Price is locked in at $1.899 per gallon for the ’09-’10 winter season.

Trust Funds – 2008 Interest Income from Town held Trusts (Charter Trust) received as follows: Wm. Doe Trust = $155.02 and Adelaide Bond Trust = $178.60

Library Director’s Report: There were no problems in administration during Susan’s absence for the month of July. Rachel and Dorothy did an excellent job of keeping the library running smoothly. Old Home Day was a success as usual with many visitors stopping in. Volunteers Toni Lewis, Ann Trotter, Jennifer Wentz, Tom Wallace and Jim Turbyne helped out with the book sale. A “Thank You” party was held in the afternoon for Rachel Funk, the children’s coordinator and assistant in the library. She is taking a new job out of the area and will be leaving the position in the BGM library.

Susan talked about the open staffing position due to Rachel’s departure. We discussed the needs and wants of the library director and what was needed for the growth of the library and it’s programs. Two part time workers? One for the children’s section and one able to do computer entry? A college student looking for an internship or experience? Susan asked that the hiring be put on hold until she sorts out exactly what she needs in an assistant(s).

Susan questioned the hours and days the library is open, perhaps changing the days to coincide when the Interlibrary Loan van comes through the area on Wednesdays. Can we have the van stop at the Library? No decision was made at this time.

Susan will be out of town on Sept 10-12 and will look for extra help for Dorothy on those days.

Old Business: The Library is authorized to spend up to $5000 on improvements. Some additional electrical work was completed by Wentzel Electric for $819.98. Mr. Bob Caristi was contacted to sand and refinish the floors in the AV room and computer room. Work to be done on Sept. 23. The Library will be closed on Sept. 24th to move furniture back.

Tom made a motion to adjourn at 7:45. Roger 2nd. All in favor. Meeting adjourned.

Next meeting – Sept 28.