Friday, July 20, 2012

Minutes of January 2, 2012

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 January 2, 2012. Present were Trustees John Landrigan, Jane Darby, Ken Frank, Sue Lewis, Vesta Smith & Mike Marshall and Librarians Nanci Myers & Anne Ballam.

Minutes of the November 7, 2011 and December 5, 2011 meetings were approved.

State Library Van: John reported that libraries across the state had provided feedback concerning proposed cuts to the State Library Van to State Librarian Mike York, who in turn prepared a report to the state legislature arguing against the cuts.

Status of 2012 Fall Festival: No information is available yet.

Alumni Hall Parking Issues: Nanci reported she had conversations with Alumni Hall Executive Director Keisha Luce concerning parking problems during events held at Alumni Hall. Ken volunteered to make some no-parking signs and John said he would email Keisha asking her to deal with organizations using Alumni Hall to make sure their patrons did not park in front of the library.

Board Development: John will approach some potential candidates for positions on the board.

Building: Ken will contact Gerard A Leone Slate Roofing Company of Sunapee, NH as a possible contractor for repair to the library’s roof. John reports that he still intends to respond to the Byrne Foundation’s offer of a matching funds grant.

Financial Report: The library received payments from the Town of Haverhill and the Mildred Page Bequest in December and we ended the year with a loss of $1,832.18 in our regular operating budget when special amounts received and expended for building repairs in 2011 are disregarded. The deficit was ameliorated by a generous special year end contribution to the library by Jane Darby & Jack Carlock. John presented a draft ‘Operating Receipts & Disbursements’ statement he prepared for the annual town report, noting it shows a balance which might inaccurately portray an inflated cash on hand balance. After discussion, it was decided that the report should have an explanation of the major building repairs being the cause for the buildup of cash on hand, but that cash is already designated to be spent on repairs.

Town Funding Request for 2012: John will find out when the town’s Budget Advisory Committee is meeting so we can be present to support our request for increased funding.

Librarian’s Report: Anne reports that a tutor and seventh grade girl arrived at the library asking for a quiet place for a tutoring session as part of the ‘ACES’ program in the schools. Anne will contact the school to get confirmation of the program and the tutor’s background check. Anne reports that Hood’s Plumbing & Heating left messages on Nanci’s home and cell phones looking for payment for work done at the library last winter; John will call them. Ken will check current problems with freezing lines.

Fund raising / Programming: The Books & Music Holiday Dessert Tea held December 10 at Bill & Mary Emig’s home was a success. John noted special thanks to the Emigs for hosting the event and providing the refreshments & food; they also paid for a newspaper advertisement. The Board was in favor of asking the Emigs to host our April 15 Author’s Luncheon and to repeat the Holiday Tea. The Chicken & Biscuit Supper is scheduled for March 10; John will approach Ted Schiffman; more planning will be done at next month’s meeting. In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth, the Winter Book Discussion Series will feature Pickwick Papers on January 16, David Copperfield on February 20, Bleak House on March 19, and Great Expectations on April 16. The Book Club for Readers will meet on January 26 to discuss stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer and Philip Roth.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 P.M. The Annual Meeting will be held at the library at 6:30 P.M. on January 16, 2012 and the next regular meeting will be held at the library at 7:30 P.M. on February 6, 2012.

Respectfully submitted,
Michael Marshall

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Minutes of December 5, 2011

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

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Minutes of November 7, 2011

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

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Minutes of October 3, 2011

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

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Minutes of August 29, 2011

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

Friday, July 1, 2011

Minutes of June 6, 2011

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

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Minutes of May 9, 2011

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