Board of Trustees' Meetings and Minutes

Minutes of December 5, 2011

2012-01-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Association was held at the library and called to order by Board of Trustees Chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 P.M. on December 5, 2011. Present were Trustees John Landrigan, Jane Darby & Mike Marshall and Librarians Nanci Myers & Anne Ballam. Absent were members Vesta Smith, Sue Lewis and Ken Frank and therefore Chairman Landrigan declared a quorum for voting was not present.

Minutes of the November 7, 2011 meeting were read. Approval was deferred until next month.

Town Funding Request for 2012: John presented a copy of the letter he submitted to Town Manager Glenn English, with copies to select board members, in which the Haverhill Library Association asked, and gave reasons, for an increase in funding next year. John reports that Mr. English informed him that he was going to recommend level funding for all nongovernmental agencies.

Building: Exterior brick work on the building has stopped for the year.

Financial Report: There was no income in November, but we expect to receive payments from the Town of Haverhill and the Mildred Page Bequest in December. John explained that the last entry on the ‘Profit Loss Statement’, a shortfall of $4,767.25, shows how much over budget the library is without the special amounts received and expended for building repairs in 2011. When the final payments from the Town of Haverhill and Page Fund are received, John estimates our year-end deficit will be approximately $2,000.

Librarian’s Report: Nanci and Anne submitted a written report of numbers of uses of the library for May through October. Nanci reports that Stephen Hebebrand has done an excellent job of shoveling snow.

Fund raising / Programming: The Board noted the upcoming Books & Music Holiday Tea to be held December 10 at Bill & Mary Emig’s home.

Board Development: A discussion was held concerning potential new board members.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 P.M. The next meeting will be held at the library at 7:30 P.M. on January 2, 2012.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael Marshall

Minutes of November 7, 2011

2011-12-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Association was held at the library and called to order by Board of Trustees Chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 P.M. on November 7, 2011. Present were Trustees John Landrigan, Vesta Smith, Sue Lewis & Mike Marshall and Librarian Nanci Myers.

Minutes of the October 3, 2011 meeting were approved.

State Library Van: John presented a copy of a letter in support of continuation of funding for the Inter Library Loan van which he sent to the NH State Library on behalf of our board. Nanci showed copies of a petition signed by library patrons and a letter written by one patron which had also been forwarded.

Building: Russ Wilcox submitted a bill ($5,189.86) for work completed thus far on the east gable end and rear of the building; he will complete the west end next year. The letter for matching Byrne Foundation funds is still planned, but has not been sent yet. We still need to find a new contractor for the slate roof repair.

Financial Report: We received only $29.48 income (from ‘Earnings from Investments’) during October. Before the end of the year, we expect to receive significant further payments from the Town of Haverhill and the Mildred Page Bequest. Because not all of the work on the building planned for this year has been completed, we will not expend all the funds expected this year for that project and part of the $25,000 transferred from our investment portfolio remains available for use next year.

Librarian’s Report: Nanci did not have a report available but felt that attendance and circulation are down slightly. She reported CD’s and DVD’s are popular and we had a discussion of Kindle e-readers and titles, which our library does not have. Nancy said that Piermont Library does have Kindles and they are popular there.

Fund raising / Programming: Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is scheduled for the next book discussion on November 14. John’s planned October essay writing workshop did not attract enough participants to go forward. Mary Emig has offered to volunteer the use of her home and supplies for a Tea which would benefit the library. If approved by Mary, we plan to hold this Tea on December 10. We discussed possible program activities to be held during the event such as book displays, book recommendations and perhaps live music by David Heintz’ band students.

New Business: John prepared a proposed Budget for 2012. After discussion, it was amended to increase from $14,000 to $15,000 the amount to be requested from the Town of Haverhill. John said he will prepare a presentation to the Select Board supporting this increase. Vesta moved, and Sue seconded, a motion to accept the amended budget. John submitted a calendar of meetings and events for next year. A planned discussion of Board development was deferred to the next meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 P.M. The next meeting will be held at the library at 7:30P.M. on December 5, 2011.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael Marshall

Minutes of October 3, 2011

2011-11-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

The October monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Association was held at the library and called to order by Board of Trustees Chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 P.M. on October 3, 2011. Present were Trustees John Landrigan, Vesta Smith, Ken Frank, Jane Darby & Mike Marshall and Librarians Nanci Myers and Anne Ballam.

Minutes of the August 29, 2011 meeting were approved.

Building: Ken provided an update on building repairs. Russ Wilcox has worked on the east gable end of the building and is now working on re-pointing bricks on other parts of the building. Ken will check on when work on the west gable end will be done. Hayward Slate has neither signed a contract with the library nor taken any steps to begin work; Ken will seek another slate roof contractor. John told the board he learned that the North Haverhill Library has some slate left over from recent repairs that we may be able to obtain. John reports he is still pursuing the challenge in fund raising by the Byrne Foundation and will be sending out letters soon.

Financial Report: John provided financial statements for the end of September, noting that our fund raising is falling behind projections. He will look into the possibility of saving some money through a pre-buy of gas. A review of the 2012 budget will be held at the next monthly meeting.

Librarian’s Report: Nanci reported she had been extremely busy and that library use has increased over the last several months. She has found an Information Technology person who will look into problems with the library’s routers. Ken Frank will donate a refrigerator for use at the library; Mike will look into obtaining cups & lids for use with the new Keurig coffee machine. Nanci reports she knows someone who may be able to get author Chris Bohjalian to present a program at our library

Fundraising / Programming: The Fall Book Sale has earned almost $600, but that is still less than projected. Many books are left over; Mike will bring worthless books to the recycling center in Newbury and books in good condition (but which are not considered to have any value to our sale) to a book picker. The plight of the West Hartford, VT library suffering great losses in the recent floods was discussed and it was decided the Anne would look through our children’s books to see if there are any we might donate. The next book discussion will be on October 10 for Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. John still plans to start an essay writing workshop on October 11. The next installment of the Book Club for Writers will be held on October 27. Ken volunteered to donate two turkeys to be raffled; no action was taken on that for the present time. The possibility of the library sponsoring the Fall Festival next year was discussed and will be considered further. Although our fund raising efforts have not reached our goals for this year, it was agreed that there was not anything we could do this years

New Business: The board decided not to respond to a manuscript concerning the town’s libraries by Robert Fillion. Alumni Hall Director Keisha Luce approached the library with a proposal that Alumni Hall, the Haverhill Library Association and Haverhill Historical Society have a joint community program at Christmas. Vesta suggested the library could serve tea at Alumni Hall during some event and Jane suggested a guided historical walking tour of the neighborhood; no action was taken on these ideas. The board voted to send a letter to the State of NH in support of maintaining the State Library Van and Inter-Library Loan Program. Nanci reported she has obtained about 25 signatures on a petition to the State and some patrons have indicated to her that they will send personal letters.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 P.M. The next meeting will be held at the library at 7:30P.M. on November 7, 2011.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael Marshall

Minutes of August 29, 2011

2011-10-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

The September monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Association was held at the library and called to order by Board of Trustees Chairman John Landrigan at 7:35 P.M. on August 29, 2011. This meeting was held one week earlier than normal due to September 5th being Labor Day. Present were Trustees John Landrigan, Vesta Smith, Sue Lewis, Jane Darby and Mike Marshall.

Minutes of the August 1, 2011 meeting were approved.

Written financial statements were not available, but John Landrigan reported that, as approved at the August 1 meeting, he had transferred $25,000 from our investments with Fidelity and had paid the first bill for the brick repair.

John Landrigan informed us that a written work by Robert Fillion about the town’s libraries has been received with information from Mr. Fillion that he intends to publish the work in about two months.

The Fall Book Sale will be held on September 10 this year. Phil and Kevin Currier have already helped to carry donated books upstairs and will help also on the day of the sale. Plans were made for sorting books and having personnel available the day of the sale.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:07 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael Marshall

Minutes of June 6, 2011

2011-07-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Haverhill Library Association
Minutes of June 6, 2011 meeting

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Association was held at the library and called to order by Board of Trustees Chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 P.M. on June 6, 2011. Present were Trustees John Landrigan, Vesta Smith & Mike Marshall and Librarian Nanci Myers.

Minutes of the May 9, 2011 meeting were approved with the notation that the book discussion of Will in the World, How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare would be held on June 29, not 28. A discussion was held regarding the best way to answer a letter from Robert Fillion requesting research material.

Work has not yet started on repairs to our roof and gable ends and there was no new information offered about a cleanup day for the library’s grounds. John reported that he sent letters requesting funding for the building repairs to six foundations and received two replies. The Cogswell Benevolent Trust has requested more information and the Byrne Foundation sent us a check for $3,000 with an offer to give us $2,000 more if we can match it in fundraising. We discussed the possibility of making another appeal to our Annual Appeal list and also to area businesses in an attempt to raise these matching funds. Discussions of the proper way to acknowledge donors to such an appeal were held with the possibilities using the Library’s web page, FaceBook, newspaper ads and/or a sign in the library for that purpose. Even with more successful fundraising, it appears that the balance of funds to pay for the roof and brick repairs will have to be withdrawn from our investments.

John explained that a deposit of $240, received from the Annual Appeal, does not appear in the financial report; the actual total received from the Annual Appeal is $1,700, not $1,460, and therefore the Total Income figures for May and Year to Date are under-reported by $240. John noted that the report shows a large gap between income and expenditures, but that will close with the expected large payments still to be received from the Mildred Page Fund and Haverhill Corner Precinct.

John plans to man a book sale table at the Haverhill Congregational Church’s strawberry festival. A book discussion of Will in the World, How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare will be held on June 29 to mesh with Alumni Hall’s summer Shakespeare festival. The status of the Autumn Festival formerly sponsored by RSVP is still unknown and we will wait to see what happens before we attempt to make plans to hold another pig roast such as we did at last year’s festival. Looking ahead, the Board agreed to hold an Author’s Luncheon with Jane Cleland on April 15, 2015.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 P.M. The next monthly meeting will be 7:30 P.M. at the library on Monday, July 11, 2011, which is one week later than usual due to the Fourth of July holiday.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael Marshall

Minutes of May 9, 2011

2011-06-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Association was held at the library and called to order by Board of Trustees Chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 P.M. on May 9, 2011. Present were Trustees John Landrigan, Vesta Smith, Sue Lewis, Ken Frank, Kathy Schiffman, Jane Darby & Mike Marshall and Librarian Anne Ballam.

As the first order of business, John welcomed new member Sue Lewis to the Board.

Minutes of the April 4, 2011 monthly meeting were approved.

John presented a draft copy of a grant letter and a list of prospective sources from which to obtain money for repair of the building’s bricks and roof. Ken discussed the availability of Russ Wilcox and Doug Hayward and a motion was passed to have Ken notify both to coordinate their efforts and proceed with the work. Ken noted the need for a cleanup day of the grounds and drainage work and estimated the cost of materials for such work to be less than $1,000; he will coordinate the date, materials and volunteer labor. Jane Darby will look into the status of plumbing issues.

John submitted financial reports and talked about income from the Writing Workshop, Mildred Page Bequest and Annual Appeal. John proffered a draft letter thanking those who donated to the Annual Appeal.

Anne Ballam presented a written Librarian’s Report dated May 9, 2011 which covered the first four months of 2011. Anne also provided a schedule for the 2011 Summer Reading Program, which will coordinate with a July and August Shakespeare program by Theatre Under the Stars next door at Alumni Hall.

Plans were finalized for the upcoming author luncheon. A book discussion of Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare will be held at the library on June 28 to coincide with Alumni Hall’s Shakespeare program. It has been learned that RSVP is looking for another group to take over sponsorship of the Autumn Festival; no action was taken and we will wait to see what happens and revisit the issue at next month’s meeting. The Board also took no action regarding library participation in the 250th Haverhill-Newbury Anniversary to be celebrated in 2012.

Under new business, John advised the group that the Haverhill Academy building was for sale, this in light of past interest for some to obtain it for library use. No action was taken.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 P.M. The next monthly meeting will be 7:30 P.M. at the library on Monday, June 6, 2011.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael Marshall

Minutes of April 4, 2011

2011-05-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Association was held at the library and called to order by Board of Trustees Chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 P.M. on April 4, 2011. Present were Trustees John Landrigan, Vesta Smith & Mike Marshall and Librarian Nanci Myers.

Minutes of the March 7, 2011 monthly meeting were approved.

Notice was taken that scaffolding with yellow tape has been placed to provide protection from the weakened brick structure on the Alumni Hall side of the building. John is still working on identifying prospective grant sources and applications for funding the needed brick and roof repairs. The members present thanked Mike for the donation and installation of stair treads. Hood Plumbing and Heating submitted a bill for a service call in response to slow draining of the toilet. However, Nanci reported that they did not do any repair work during that visit; their service man told her that the problem might improve with warm weather and the pipes needed replacing. Further discussions with Hood’s will be held to determine if their bill should be paid.

John presented a statement reflecting the Association’s finances at the end of the first quarter, noting we are in reasonable shape. Trustees John Landrigan, Vesta Smith and Jane Darby attended the Precinct of Haverhill Corner’s annual meeting in March and were successful in having the Precinct’s contribution to the library raised from $500 to $1,500. In light of the fundraising success of the March 12 supper-raffle-book sale, John offered up his thanks to all who participated.

There are no Board of Trustee recruitment developments.

John provided a rough draft of the New Hampshire Public Library Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2010. Nanci commented on the need for a thorough physical inventory to re-establish a base figure of our holdings and the members present agreed that should happen this year. Nanci also reports she is getting short on shelf space and has unsuccessfully been looking for a few shelf boards that were removed some time ago. Nanci will contact Grafton County Corrections for a status on the projects with which they have already agreed to help and see if they can also remedy the shelf issue.

The March 12 chicken pie supper was reviewed and possibilities for changing the date and menu were discussed. In anticipation of our Annual Appeal mailing, John will distribute a mailing list to be reviewed for corrections, additions and deletions and will have the letter prepared soon after that. A new edition of John’s six-week fiction writing workshop, with 4 or 5 people already signed up, will begin on Tuesday, April 12. A book discussion, on Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, will be held on Monday, April 18. The date of the author’s luncheon was set for Saturday, May 21 after John reported John Walter’s availability and willingness to appear that day. Possible library participation in the 2012 celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Haverhill and Newbury was discussed.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 P.M. The next monthly meeting will be 7:30 P.M. at the library on Monday, May 9, 2011, which is one week later than usual due to schedule conflicts.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael Marshall

Minutes of March 7, 2011

2011-04-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Haverhill Library Association
Minutes of March 7, 2011 meeting

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Association was held at the library and called to order by Board of Trustees Chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 P.M. on March 7, 2011. Present were Trustees John Landrigan, Kathy Schiffman, Ken Frank, Jane Darby & Mike Marshall and Librarian Anne Ballam.

Minutes of the February 3, 2011 monthly meeting were approved after two changes were made. Marcia Belyea, not Welch, will resume bookkeeping. The correct time of adjournment was 8:55 P.M.

John is still working on grant proposals to pay for brick stabilization on the gable ends of our building. Ken reported that he talked to Russ Wilcox, who told him he has inspected the building twice and it is in bad enough shape that he could not reinforce or stabilize it. Ken will erect barricades around the affected area until the weather improves and Russ Wilcox can safely remove the weakened sections.

Marcia Belyea has taken over bookkeeping duties and the librarians are now receiving stubs with their checks. Referring to the financial statement, John noted that a large portion of the high amount ($2,380.60) of the February payroll taxes paid was to bring tax year 2010 up to date.

There is nothing new to report regarding recruitment of new Board of Trustee members.

Hood’s Plumbing & Heating has not provided a promised estimate for drain repair work. Nanci will follow up when the weather gets warmer. Anne Ballam reported she is applying for a new library debit card. She also reported that snow falling from the roof is damaging the light beside the front door and suggested the light be moved. In preparation for a State Library report due in April, it is noted that numbers are down for children’s reading programs.

A book discussion, on Daisy Miller by Henry James, will be held on March 21, 2011. The next version of John Landrigan’s six-week fiction writing workshop is tentatively scheduled to begin on March 22. Because author Jane Cleland will be unable to attend our next author’s luncheon, a discussion of possible alternatives was held and it was decided that John would contact John Walters, an author and former NHPR radio host. John Landrigan will explore the possibility of Ernest Hebert appearing at a joint venture with Alumni Hall. Plans for the March 12 supper, book sale and basket raffle were finalized.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 P.M.

The next monthly meeting will be 7:00 P.M. at the library on Monday, April 4, 2011.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael Marshall

Minutes of February 2, 2011

2011-03-01T11:56:00.000-08:00

Haverhill Library Association
Minutes of February 7, 2011 meeting

The Monthly Meeting of the Haverhill Library Association was held at the library and called to order by Board of Trustees Chairman John Landrigan at 8:00 P.M. on February 7, 2011. Present were Trustees John Landrigan, Jane Darby, Vesta Smith & Mike Marshall and Librarians Nanci Myers & Anne Ballam.

Minutes of the January 3, 2011 monthly meeting were not available for review. Minutes of the January 17, 2011 Annual Meeting were approved.

Nanci reported that a work crew from the Grafton County Jail had been there earlier in the day and had removed old runner hardware from the stairs and applied a coat of primer to the stairs and rails. They had also repaired walls and primed the door of the bathroom. It is expected they will return tomorrow to finish the job. John reported that no work on brick stabilization has been done yet and we need to find a means of paying for that work. John has identified five or six foundations as possible sources of funding, will investigate them further and report on his findings next month.

Marcia Belyea will resume bookkeeping for the Association and was present tonight to receive information. John plans on attending the Haverhill Selectboard meeting tomorrow night to support our library’s request for increased funding. John presented the Profit and Loss Statement for January and noted it shows little activity since it is the beginning of the year. John reported that the Library’s Fidelity Fund is doing well. John included a copy of the Haverhill Library Association, Inc. Conflict of Interest Policy, required as an annual reminder by the State of New Hampshire.

Possible candidates for Board membership were discussed and efforts will continue to involve members of the community. John did send an email to former Board Members. There was agreement on creating a list of members and their terms of office.

Nanci and Anne reported on their efforts at program development and the enhancement & continuation of existing programs, especially in the case of children & youth and homeschoolers. Anne reported themes have been decided upon for the summer reading program; ‘You are here’ is the theme for teenagers and books will be ordered by March 1.

John reported that the Book Club for Writers and Winter Book Discussion Series in January went well. The next Discussion Series will cover Billy Budd on February 21.

Plans were refined for the March 12 supper, book sale and basket raffle.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 P.M.

The next monthly meeting will be 7:00 P.M. at the library on Monday, March 7, 2011.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael Marshall

Minutes of January 17, 2011

2011-02-02T07:37:00.000-08:00

Haverhill Library Association
Minutes of the Annual Meeting, January 17, 2011

The Annual Meeting of the Haverhill Library Association was held at the library and called to order by Board of Trustees Chairman John Landrigan at 7:00 P.M. on January 17, 2011. Present were Trustees John Landrigan, Vesta Smith, Ken Frank and Mike Marshall and member of the public Linda Landrigan.

A review of activities of the past year was made. Ken Frank and Mike Marshall joined the Board of Trustees. Minutes of monthly board meetings were posted on the library’s website. The Board met with Alumni Hall Director Keisha Luce to discuss the relationship of our two organizations. A regular column containing library news is being published in the Haverhill Corner Congregational Church’s monthly newsletter. The library has obtained a new e-mail address. The library’s financial status weathered a difficult start, but the year ended without a draw-down of our investments and the Board voted raises for the librarians. During the year, Ken Frank fixed the trap door and conducted a facilities inspection. The inspection revealed the slate roof and gable ends brickwork need attention; Ken Frank obtained estimates for the needed work. Community member Mike Welch refinished the floor of the downstairs hallway. Community service projects undertaken include establishment of a toner cartridge recycling collection box, establishment of ‘listserv’ - an online community discussion site and art & photography exhibits at the library. For the kids, there was a weekly story time, a summer reading program, a tour of the Conklin Farm, a bike parade and Halloween party. For adults there were two book discussion series, the continuation of a creative writing group started in 2009, a creative writing workshop and we hosted the first meeting in Haverhill of the New Hampshire Writers Project Book Club for Writers. Library fundraisers were a Chicken Supper / Book Sale / Raffle event in March, a book sale at the community Strawberry Festival in June, a Mystery Tea in August and a very successful pig roast / pulled pork lunch and book sale at the Autumn Festival. The Board noted the valuable contributions of volunteers throughout the year: Carolyn Danielson, Mike Welch, Dennis Mason, Lori Heels and Hugh Underhill.

In his role as Treasurer, John Landrigan submitted a 2010 Treasurer’s Report with the caveat that he is still waiting for the amount of checking account interest to complete the report.

A slate of officers for 2011 was proposed and approved: President – John Landrigan, Vice-President – Kathy Schiffman, Treasurer – John Landrigan and Secretary – Mike Marshall.

Looking forward to the upcoming year, the Board resolved to continue the activities and fundraisers of the past. The Board expressed its appreciation for all of the contributions of recently resigned members Kerri Harrington and Barbara May. Although Kerri and Barb will be hard to replace, new members will be sought with the intent of increasing community participation in our operations. John also will move forward with a plan to establish a de facto “Friends of the Library Group”.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 P.M.

The next monthly meeting will be on Monday, February 7, 2011.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael Marshall

Minutes of January 3, 2011

2011-02-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Board was called to order by chairman John Landrigan on January 3, 2011, at 7:30PM. Present were John Landrigan, Vesta Smith, Mike Marshall, Barbara May, and librarian Anne Ballam.

We did not have a quorum so no votes could be passed.

We discussed the need for a second bid for work that needs to be done on the building in order to write a grant and the ethics involved in this. John will draft a proposal for the February meeting and we will discuss it at that time.

We had no library report.
John reported that our finances are in good shape.
There is a budget meeting on Wed. evening at the town hall which John will attend and anyone else who is so inclined is welcome. John will get a letter to the chairman asking for a raise in our yearly donation from the town.

Fundraising: Ted Schiffman cannot commit to cooking for our chicken supper this year. After some discussion it was decided that we will be able to do this on our own. We will have two settings of approximately 1 1/4 hours each at 5:30 and 7PM. We will also have a book sale and a basket raffle. The basket needs more items. The drawing will be at the end of the evening. Menu: Chicken and bisquits, cole slaw, brownie sundaes, coffee and tea. This will be discussed more at our next regular meeting.

A wish list for various items (ie. Keurig machine, refrigerator, etc.) will be sent with our annual appeal letter.

The book discussion series will be entitled American Classics. John will get a letter out to the public.

Mike will ask Cathy Chase if Adam is interested in shoveling snow from the walk.

A patron survey was discussed and it was felt that we don't get many replies. This will be tabled for another time.

Next meeting will be the Annual Meeting on Monday, January 17, 2011 at 6:30PM.
Our next regular board meeting will be on Monday, February 7, 2011 at 7:30PM.

Barbara May, Secretary pro tem

Minutes of December 6, 2010

2011-01-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Board was called to order by the chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 PM on December 6, 2010. Present were John Landrigan, Kathy Schiffmann, Mike Marshall, Jane Darby, Ken Frank, and Vesta Smith.

Jane moved approval of the minutes of the previous meeting, passed.

Old business: Bids have been received from Russell Willcox for repair of the east wall brickwork of $26,800, and from Doug Hayward for $4200 for slate repairs. Since Russell will not start work until spring, and we might have to get a second bid, in order to qualify for grand aid, we will ask him to put winter protection in place. Nanci noted that there is need for work on the tree overhanging the walk, but that also should wait until spring or summer.

Nanci also reported that it was probably too late for a Christmas raffle basket, so suggested we wait until February.

The librarians asked for December's pay to be paid before Christmas. It will not be a problem.

John circulated the treasurer's report, which was accepted, and included the current Fidelity investment report.

John also distributed the calendar for 2011, with meeting dates, book discussion dates, and library closings. We hope to have an author luncheon on May 14.

Next meeting will be on January 3, 2011 at 7:30.

Meeting adjourned at 8:30, followed by a social hour hosted by John, to celebrate Christmas.

Vesta Smith, Secretary pro tem

Minutes of November 1, 2010

2010-12-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Board was called to order by chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 PM on November 1, 2010. Present were trustees John Landrigan, Kathy Schiffman, Kerri Harrington, Ken Frank, Jane Darby, Mike Marshall and librarian Nanci Myers.

Minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

In building news, Ken Frank talked to Russ Wilcox to look at the eaves of the building and to leave a quote for the masonry work. Doug Hayward will be contacted about the slate roof repair.

The refinished floors are finished and look beautiful. A thank you note will be sent to Michael Welch.

Financially, we are in good standing at the moment and potentially throughout the new year.

In programming, the book club is in full swing. The next discussion is slated for November 8th.

The writers' group is still meeting at the library regularly.

Next, the proposed budget for 2011 was looked at. It looks like it will be a better year than the last in terms of finances.

We would like to ask for more money from the town for next year. We will propose that our budget be restored to be equitable to that of North Haverhill Library.

From the precinct, we agreed to ask for $1500, instead of $1000.

We discussed giving the librarians a pay raise. All were in a agreement for an increase. John was going to crunch the numbers and send out the information for a review and vote later this week.

John wondered if we should do a survey of our patrons. It was decided to put this aside to discuss again next month.

In the Librarians' Report, there was a Halloween party with kids the previous Saturday. About 15 children were in attendance, along with their parents.

Nanci suggested we purchase a Keurig machine for the library. We hope to do this in the near future.

Inger Swingforth would like to hang her art and photography in the library in the coming months. All thought this would be a fine idea.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM
The next meeting will be on Monday, December 6, 2010 at 7:30 PM.
Submitted by,
Kerri Harrington

Minutes of October 4, 2010

2010-11-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Board was called to order by chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 on October 4, 2010. Present were trustees, John Landrigan, Vesta Smith, Jane Darby, Mike Marshall, Barbara May and librarian, Nanci Myers.

Minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

Mike Marshall has looked into the sign project and has turned all of his information over to Keesha Luce.

The refinished floors are almost ready. There is one small part near the bathroom to be finished.

The Librarians reported that Dennis Mason has donated 110 DVD's to the library this month and needs a card of thanks.

Tasco has assured us that the alarm system is in good working order.

Nanci is interested in purchasing a Keurig machine for the library and is checking at other
libraries to see how much they charge and where they get their supplies. She will report at a later date.

Nanci will call Russel Wilcox for an estimate on the brick work.

A special thank you needs to go to Hugh Underhill for leaf removal after leaf season is over.

Laptop users seem to be having trouble with WIFI. Nanci will keep an eye on it and let us know if it escalates.

John reported that we don't have to tap into our investments and hopefully won't have to until the new year.

It was decided that we will go forward with all fundraising activities.
John will talk to Kathy and Ted about the chicken supper and Jane will put in a request for a spot at next year's Fall Festival for the pig roast. The strawberry festival will be on the second Saturday in July and we will be taking part in this.

The Fall book discussion series is in full swing as of the week of Oct 11, 2010.

John will make up a preliminary budget for next year and present it to us at the next meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:35.
The next meeting will be on Monday, November 1, 2010 at 7:30 PM.
Submitted by,
Barbara May

Minutes of August 30, 2010

2010-10-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Board was called to order by chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 PM on August 30, 2010. Present were trustees John Landrigan, Kathy Schiffman, Barbara May, Kerri Harrington, Vesta Smith, Ken Frank, Jane Darby and Mike Marshall. The librarians, Anne Ballam and Nanci Myers, were also present.

Minutes of the previous meeting were approved with two amendments. The first was that Walmart should replace Shaw's. Also, Mike checked with Booster Club, not the selectmen, concerning the signage.

Mike Marshall looked into the sign project. Mike met with the owner of the Sign Depot company, John Buzzi. We will need to revisit the sign idea and also discuss possibilities with Keesha Luce.

In building news, Ken Frank has put up caution tape on the side of the building where there are dangerous bricks overhead. We will need to find a mason to rebuild the turrets.

The refinished floors are nearly done. There is a part near the bathrooms to finish.

John has been putting the minutes up on our website.

In the librarians' report, the summer reading program was a success and ended in a well attended trip to the Conklin farm. Anne presented the trustees with a slide show from the field trip.
Dennis Mason donated over 100 DVDs to the library.
The bike parade is coming up on September 11, 2010.
A kindermusik demonstration will occur on September 14, 2010.
Nanci will start a toner cartridge return through the library. We will make money through the program.
Nanci brought up the idea of looking toward a long term goal of automation. Everyone agreed that this was a great idea for the future.

In the financial report, we are doing well with cash flow.
John has worked on and sent out the 990 EZ form for the library.

In fund raising and programming, the Mystery Tea was a success. There was a nice article in the Bridge Weekly.
There will be a new book discussion series starting this Fall entitled Little Girls in Strange Worlds.
The book sale and pig roast will occur on September 11, 2010. John has written a letter to Walmart to ask for donations. Nanci will deliver it.
There will be a book sorting party on September 7, 2010 at 6 PM.
Lori Heels will be helping on book sale day, along with trustees and librarians.
Festival is from 10 AM- 4 PM. We will start set up at the library at 9 AM.
Ken and his family will start the pig roast and work on that throughout the day with other trustees. It was decided to sell sandwiches, chips and water. Sandwiches will be $8 and water, $1.

The meeting was adjourned at 9 PM.
The next meeting will be on Monday, October 4, 2010 at 7:30 PM.
Submitted by,
Kerri Harrington

Minutes of August 2, 2010

2010-09-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

Haverhill Library Association
Minutes of 8/02/2010

The Haverhill Library Association Board met on Monday, August 8, 2010,at 7:30 PM. Present were John Landrigan, Keesha Luce, Kathy Schiffmann, Jane Darby, Mike Marshall, Nanci Meyers, Anne Ballam, and Vesta Smith.
John Landrigan, President, opened the meeting. Vesta moved that the nomination of Mike Marshall as a member of the Board be accepted, seconded and passed, and John welcomed him.

Minutes of the July meeting were approved with the correction that August 3 is a Tuesday.

Keesha Luce, director of Alumni Hall, was introduced and spoke about two specific programs that might benefit both organizations. First item was the question of signage, both at Rte. 10, for directional, and in a spot between the two buildings, for information on programs. Mike will check with the selectmen for information on placement of signs, and state right-of-way, as well as with the commissioners of Haverhill Corner about requirements for signs.
The second item was the possibility of joint programs, and the availability of grants, perhaps through Granite State Reads. A return of the Little Red Wagon was suggested as a possibility.

Old business:
The hall floor is almost refinished, and John will work with Kerri on a suitable note of thanks to Mike for his donation of time and talent. Nanci will take a picture of the thankyou sign, perhaps for publication and as a souvenir for him.
The minutes of the meetings for this year are on the website, and John will send the URL to board members, so that they can log on.
The library's new email address is: mail@haverhilllibrary.org.

Librarians had no official reports. Jane will contact Glen Libby about the possibility of the work crew from the Count Jail to paint the stairs.

The financial report was distributed. We are just about on target at the halfway point of the year.

Fund-raising:
John has been sending out acknowledgements for donations to the Annual Appeal.
There are 17 people on the discussion list to date.
The Mystery Tea will take place Aug. 3 at 5:30. Vesta and Jane will be on hand to help in the afternoon, and Anne and Nanci will help set up in the AM. There are 18 signed up for the event.
The author luncheon will not take place in August, because of scheduling, but perhaps in October.
The pig roast at the Autumn Festival will be offered at $10 a plate, with potato salad and coleslaw and buns, with the final menu to be decided by Ken Frank. The two picnic table will be available for seating, from 11 AM on, although the timing of the 9/11 ceremony, will influence the starting hour.
John will compose a letter to Shaw's requesting donations of plates, cups, napkins, and plastic utensils, and Nanci will take it to Shaw's.

Meeting adjourned at 8:45.

Vesta Smith, pro tem

Minutes of July 12, 2010

2010-08-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

Haverhill Library Association
Minutes of July 12, 2010

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Board was called to order by chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 PM on July 12, 2010. Present were trustees John Landrigan, Kathy Schiffman, Barbara May, Kerri Harrington, Vesta Smith, and Ken Frank.

Minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

In the librarians' report, the floors have been refinished by a generous patron. A thank you will be sent out after the floor is completed.

McNaughton has told us of a credit of $500 that we unknowingly had. We will use it to have another year of McNaughton service.

The summer reading program has been a huge success. We have 20+ kids most Tuesdays.

On August 10, 2010, there will be a field trip to the Conklin Farm.

There was not a financial report this month, but our cash flow continues to be positive.

Our annual appeal brought in more than the projected amount in the budget.

At the Strawberry festival we made a total of $11. Everyone agreed it was nice that we were represented at the festival.

The Mystery Tea Party will be held on Tuesday, August 3, 2010 from 5:30-7:30 PM. The tickets will be $10 each and will be available at the library. We will also put an ad in the Bridge.

Ken did a thorough check of the library building and presented an itemized checklist of issues that need to be addressed. The parapet is the most urgent, as bricks are jutting out and it is quite dangerous. The drainage is also of some urgency. Some trustees will check on pricing and availability of contractors to tackle these issues.

Ken suggested another clean-up day at the library. One of the many ideas was to clean up the backyard with hopes of having a reading area with tables and chairs, etc.

John brought up the idea of starting a Haverhill, NH community list serve through Yahoo groups, sponsored by the library.

The next meeting was scheduled for August 2, 2010.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM

Submitted by,
Kerri Harrington

Minutes of June 7, 2010

2010-07-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Haverhill Library Association

Minutes of June 7, 2010

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Board was called to order by chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 PM on June 7, 2010. Present were trustees John Landrigan, Kathy Schiffman, Barbara May, Jane Darby, Kerri Harrington, Vesta Smith, and Ken Frank. Anne Ballam, librarian, was also present.

Minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

In old business, there is a copy of Fillion's manifesto at the front desk. We have collectively decided not to answer Fillion's request for a response.

The Tasco alarm system is still acting funny. The librarians should call and make an appt. for a time when they will be at the library.

Ken will look at the trapdoor tonight. He will also walk around the library and see if there are any other pressing things that need to be fixed. He will be given a key so that he can work on repairs after hours and at his convenience.

In the librarians' report, the summer reading program, entitled “Make a Splash-Read!”, will resume in mid- June. It will conclude with another farm tour of the Conklin farm in Haverhill.

A local woman has offered her services in leading a Murder Mystery Tea at the library. Everyone thought this was a fine idea and the planning stage has begun.

Elaine Elliott, a representative from the Glencliff Nursing home, borrowed books from the library and wrote a thank you note for our fine service to the community.

Lydia Barthelow donated children's VHS tapes, Dottie Long donated $40 toward the snacks for story hour and Carolyn Dannielson has been helping with weeding and gardening in the front of the library. Thank you cards will be sent to each woman.

There is not a financial report this month. Marcia has been ill.

Overall, we are in an OK position with money right now.

We raised approximately $2200 from our annual appeal. John will construct and send out acknowledgment letters to those that gave to the library.

We have to start filing a 990 tax form.

The Spring writing workshop has ended, but some writers continue to meet on Thursday evenings at the library.

The last book discussion is on Monday, June 21^st. The final book is Thomas Pynchon's, Inherent Vice.

The Author's Luncheon is still up in the air. We are looking at the end of August at the Gibson House.

The book sale will be held this September 11^th. We will also be sponsoring a pig roast, with proceeds going to the library. Ken will donate the pig and cook it for us. More info and planning of this event will follow.

The Women's Fellowship is holding a strawberry festival on the 26^th of June from 9AM-3PM. We have decided to have a table at the festival where we will sell books, cookbooks, bags, note cards, etc.

The Annual Report was written and submitted by the librarians recently. A copy of it was sent around as a pdf and everyone agreed that it looked great.

Lastly, we talked about having more communication with the public about the library. Some ideas that were brought up were articles in the Bridge Weekly and other local papers. Facebook was mentioned as another avenue to reach many of our patrons. There will be more discussion of this topic over email and at future meetings.

The next meeting was scheduled for July 12^th, 2010.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 PM

Submitted by,

Kerri Harrington

Minutes of April 5, 2010

2010-06-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

Haverhill Library Association
Minutes of April 5, 2010

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Board was called to order by chairman John Landrigan at 7:30 PM on April 5, 2010. Present were trustees John Landrigan, Kathy Schiffman, Barbara May, Jane Darby and Kerri Harrington.

Minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

In fund raising, the Chicken Pie Supper was a huge success. Everyone agreed that it would be a great thing to do annually. Some ideas for change include charging more for each ticket and perhaps having two different sittings to accommodate all the people. It was noted that the ads in the paper helped get the word out about the supper.

We are planning an Author's Luncheon for the future, but are trying to pin down a date. The 25th or 18th of September was discussed. The location would be the Gibson House.

It is time again for our annual appeal. We have approximately 235 names on the list. John will make the copies this week and we will have an envelope stuffing party on April 12th at 7 PM.

The Spring Writing Workshop started last week and it is at capacity with 10 members.

The next book discussion will be held on April 19th and the books is Motherless Brooklyn.

In Finances, the Mildred Page funds have started to come in and we received $200 more this quarter than last year.

We requested an increase in money from the town and precinct this year and we were generously rewarded more.

A motion was passed to reinstate the librarians' hours and pay. The vote was passed.

The next meeting was scheduled for June 7th. In May, we will do any necessary correspondence by email.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM

Submitted by,
Kerri Harrington

Minutes of March 1, 2010

2010-04-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

Haverhill Library Association
Minutes of March 1, 2010

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Board was called to order by Chairman John Landrigan at 7:30PM on March 1, 2010. Present were trustees, John Landrigan, Vesta Smith, Kathy Schiffman, Jane Darby, Don Bazzell, and Barbara May. Librarians, Nanci Myers and Anne Ballam joined us.

Minutes of the February meeting were corrected.

Old business: Nanci will call Tasco to have them look at the alarm.

John will get in touch with Ken Frank and ask him to fix the trap door by the restroom.

It was moved by Vesta and seconded by Jane to withdraw $1200 from Fidelity. We should have the Page Fund disbursement by the next meeting.

At our next meeting we will decide on the details of the author luncheon. May 23 or June 6 were two dates that were picked. W.D. Wetherall of Lyme will be our author and hopefully he has one of these dates open.

We discussed our chicken pie supper which will be held on Sat, March 13, at 5:00PM. Set-up will be at 4:00. Vesta is in charge of tickets and the raffle. John will take care of selling books by donation.

The librarians reported that materials have been ordered for the summer
reading program, the theme of which is " Make a Splash- Read".
Nanci has contacted McNaughton and lowered our plan to $200.

Don Bazzell has resigned from the board due to many other commitments.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20PM.
Next meeting will be on April 5, 2010 at 7:30PM

Respectfully submitted,
Barbara May

Minutes of February 1, 2010

2010-03-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

Haverhill Library Association
Minutes of February 1, 2010

The monthly meeting of the Haverhill Library Board was called to order by Chairman John Landrigan at 7:30PM on February 1, 2010. Present were trustees John Landrigan, Kathy Schiffman, Jane Darby, Don Bazzell, Vesta Smith, and Kerri Harrington.

Minutes of the January meeting, as well as the annual meeting, were approved.

In old business, the alarm still needs to be looked at. Tasco will need to be called and appointment will need to be scheduled.

The trapdoor near the restroom still needs to be fixed.

We have a few recent donations of money and books. It was decided to include mention in thank you notes that donations are tax deductible.

The select board budget hearing will be held on Thursday, February 4, 2010. Trustees are encouraged to attend.

In board development, Ken Frank has agreed to join the board. He will attend the next meeting.

In fundraising news, a Winter writers’ workshop will start on February 16th and run through the end of March. It will be from 7-8:30PM and will cost $125.

The Winter book discussion is under way. Six people attended the gathering in January. The next meeting will occur on February 15th.

We will have a budget review in April. We should have the Page fund reimbursement by then.

We discussed different fundraising ideas such as bake sales, tea and scone on Saturdays, raffles, a community supper night, etc.

It was decided to try to plan a chicken pie supper night to be held in the near future.

Lastly, we brainstormed names for trustees to join the board.

There wasn’t a Librarian’s Report tonight due to an illness.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM.
Next meeting will be on March, 1, 2010 at 7:30 PM.

Submitted by,
Kerri Harrington

Minutes of January 18, 2010

2010-02-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

Haverhill Library Association
Minutes from Annual Meeting of January 18, 2010

The annual meeting of the Haverhill Library Board was called to order by chairman John Landrigan at 6:30 PM on January 18, 2009. Present were trustees John Landrigan, Kerri Harrington, Kathy Schiffman, Barbara May and librarian Anne Ballam. Also at this meeting was a representative of the public, Linda Lee Landrigan.

First order of business was that John proposed that the trustees should write up the annual report instead of the librarians.

We discussed 2009 and how it was a particularly difficult year for the Haverhill Library. We dealt with a recession and a lawsuit ,as well as other smaller obstacles.

Some of the accomplishments of the year were a profitable book sale, an author’s luncheon, writing workshops, a Facebook page, a wireless system for computer, a successful children’s program and a new board member. We also established a Fundraising Committee in 2009.

We discussed putting up a poster announcing our Amazon wish list. Linda Lee Landrigan agreed to make the poster for the library.

Election of officers followed. John Landrigan was reinstated as President of the Board. Kathy Schiffman was elected as Vice President. Kerri Harrington retains her position as Secretary.

Once again we talked about board development and how we could use two more members to join.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 PM
Next meeting will be on February 1, 2010 at 7:30 PM

Submitted by,
KERRI HARRINGTON

Minutes of January 4, 2010

2010-01-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

Haverhill Library Board met on January 4, 2010, at the library, at 7:30 PM.

President John Landrigan opened the meeting. Present were John, Barbara May, Jane Darby, Vesta Smith, Kathy Schiffman, and librarians Nanci Meyers, and Annemarie Ballam.

Jane moved acceptance of the minutes of the previous meeting, seconded and passed.

Since Don Bazzell was not present, there could be no discussion of old business.

The librarians distributed their reports. They would like help bringing the hall table upstairs, as well as the Christmas tree, as they are bulky. It is also difficult to close the storm windows, and John will help with that.

The bathroom drain pipe froze again, and the lack of insulation was discussed.

The budget review committee will meet on Wednesday night, and John and Nanci will attend to speak for the Library.

John will offer a second writing workshop, starting in February, but not on a night when the Library is open, so as not to interfere with business.

The winter book discussion will start the third Monday of January, and Linda Landrigan has made great flyers to be put up in various places to announce it.

We are planning a hog roast during the Haverhill Days celebration, on the Common, September 11.

Trustees have been asked to help with filing of the accession cards, and John will be the first to help.

Meeting adjourned at 8:23. Next meeting will be on January 18 at 6:30 PM, the annual meeting, to finish before the book group meeting.

Vesta Smith, sec. pro tem