SIMSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
Minutes - Monday, February 5, 2007
PRESENT: Charmaine Glew, Bert Kaplan, Gail Ryan, Babs Gardner, Anne Erickson. Susan Bullock, Director, Eileen Sickinger, Recording Secretary.
The meeting was called to order at 7:15 P.M. by Mrs. Glew, Chair. Gail Ryan moved the minutes of the January 8, 2007 meeting be approved with the following changes: the December meeting was held on December 18, 2006. On page 2, private and public schools were invited to shelve books. Second: B. Kaplan. The minutes were approved as corrected.
PUBLIC AUDIENCE: George Boissard, Friends.
There were no additional agenda items.
COMMUNICATIONS: Mrs. Bullock reported that Arthur Sweeten offered a painting of a Farmington Valley canal by local artist Helen Galick. No decision was reached and the Director will contact Mr. Sweeten. Mrs. Bullock suggested adding something about gift donations to the Board’s policies.
Mrs. Bullock received a letter from R. Sawitzke on RFP testing and lab services.
Babs Gardner shared a letter she wrote to the reporter who recently published an article in Simsbury Life about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the time he spent in Simsbury. In the letter she included an article about the plaque that was placed in the Library honoring Dr. King.
Bert Kaplan reported he had heard from Rep. Chris Murphy’s chief of staff regarding the $100,000 HUD grant awarded to the Library. Since the bill containing these funds was passed by the House but never by the Conference Committee of the Senate the money will not be forthcoming.. New paperwork will be prepared by Gail Ryan and Charmaine Glew and it was suggested the requested amount be in the neighborhood of $500,000.
Joyce Howard, designer, will not be responding to the request for information of interior designers.
COMMITTEE REPORTS: George Boissard reported for Friends that over 800 letters were sent out requesting donations to the building fund and there has been a favorable response. Personnel: Mrs. Bullock’s review has been completed and forwarded to the First Selectman’s office. The reclassification of the circulation clerk’s position is being considered but no decision has been made. Gertrude Owusu, Technical Services Clerk, has taken the position of receptionist at Town Hall. Library Task Force: There was a brief discussion on add alternates. Mrs. Glew has sent a letter to Tom Vincent and Friends about the bay windows the Friends will be donating to the new building. Since these were not in the base bids Friends increased their donation to $600,000 and the windows will be included in the
expansion.
Mrs. Glew shared an article from Librarians Marketplace Website on “What Libraries Can Learn from Bookstores”.
Mrs. Bullock will look into seeing if the state money has been received.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT: The 2007-2008 budget request has been reduced to 3.4%.The major change is the amount of money for rent has been reduced by $45,000.
Two movers from the state bid list are being considered for the move. Books that can not be shelved at the temporary location will be stored at BankAmerica, as well as the Friends book sale books. Archival and local papers will be stored at the Simsbury Free Library.
Information on the InfoTracOne File as in the Director’s packet.
BUDGET 2007-2008: An up-to-date overview of the budget was distributed.
BUILDING MOVE: The tentative move is scheduled between March 1 - March 15. Banners will be displayed when there is a final date.
DONATIONS: Covered earlier.
INTERIOR DESIGNERS: No decision reached yet on the designers who have been contacted.
At 8:15 P.M. Gail Ryan moved for adjournment. Second: B. Kaplan. So moved.
Anne Erickson, Secretary
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