August 2017 Board Meeting Minutes

GREENWICH FREE LIBRARY

LIBRARY BOARD MEETING TUES. AUGUST 9, 2017

The meeting opened at 7 PM.  Present: Annie Miller, Jim Nolan, Walter Grom, Claudia Blackler, Naomi Meyer, Pat Isgro, Paul Thurston, Chris Ruland, and Sandy McReynolds.

Minutes from July meeting read and accepted.

FUND RAISING:  Jim will contact John Hedbring to set a date for a meeting and at that time he will present him with the letter for Honorary Board Members and discuss the community room

Events: Bob Warren concert was a success with approximately 400 attendees. Many thanks to board member Chris Ruland. Work now begins on our final installment of the Music is Living History series.

BUILDING:  Contact has been made with Comfortex for curtains for the community room.  Measuring may be the end of August.  Audrey Fischer was unable to attend the meeting but asked Claudia to relay her thoughts on the house behind the library.  She feels we should not be in the rental business and in future this building should be updated to house the Gill Room.  Annie suggests the board find a new person to oversee the rental.  Paul Mays had plans drawn up for grant application to finish the storage area in the basement…possibly to move the Gill Room and have a separate area for programs.  Also use the two Gill Rooms as private meeting rooms. .  A $5,000. Grant is in the works for projection equipment which Dave Wever will install for free..this has to be completed by June, 2018.  Parking lot paving is completed with a few changes to be made. With the remaining funds, we will be completing as many items from our wish list as possible: replace rear door and windows, add gutters, remove trees between the library and town hall.

FINANCIAL:  State Aid received: $1,434.00 and $1,500.00 donations at Bob Warren concert.

GILL ROOM:  Amelia Parks from DHPSNY will be conducting the official assessment and will forward a report within two months.  Annie will discuss how her recommendations can inform the 2017-18 grant.

LITERACY:  Thursdays will be Youth Center day at the library for peer tutoring.  The community room will be used for a Teen Lounge on Wednesdays.  Annie will check about late bus pick up from the library.

The library hosted the first two session of the Legal Services project:  When do you need a lawyer and Land lords and renters.

MISC: 

  1. Jim requested that the board meetings be changed from the second Wed. of each month to the third Wed. Everyone was in agreement.  This is for making account procedures easier to produce.
  2. Neil Fryer has been volunteering to work on creating financial reports in Quickbooks
  3. Lions Club needs help with their ice cream booth at the fair..board members have been asked to volunteer.
  4. SALS will have a table at the Washington Co. Fair…Annie has a schedule
  5. SALS is conducting a security seminar on Oct. 27th for staff and volunteers. There will be morning and afternoon sessions.  We will close the library on this date and staff will be paid as well as paying for lunches for staff and volunteers who attend. It will be held at Saratoga library and Glens Falls library.
  6. It was suggested that we cash in on the Tractor Parade by providing hot chocolate and possibly have a book giveaway.