The board meets on the second Wednesday each month. Minutes read from most recent to oldest. Additional minutes can be requested by the Friends of New Salem Public Library
Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 Present: Marny Ashburne, Anna Coburn, George Perides, Jo Boskind, Linda Chatfield, Barbara Franck, Trudy Berkovitz Meeting began at 6:05 PM via Zoom. The February 7, 2023 minutes were unanimously approved. Reports: Treasurer: The balance as of February 1, 2024 is $10,759.28. There were no expenses. The treasurer’s report was unanimously approved. Director: Tracie was not present at this meeting. Trustees: Marny reported that the February 22 Trustees’ meeting focused in part on the need to address the heating system which is in need of repair, as is the roof cupola and gutter system. Publicity: Marny reported that publicity activities have focused on the last Reading Aloud for Grownups scheduled for March 12.
Upcoming Events: 1. Reading Aloud for Grownups: The event on February 20 was well attended. Preparation for our upcoming March event, set up & refreshments were discussed. 2. Poetry Reading April 9: Linda is following up. Jo suggested another published poet, Mark Hart as a possible reader. She will follow up with Mark. She noted that Tuesday evenings are not possible however for Mark due to teaching commitments. We discussed other possible dates of April 11 or 16th. Sixth Graders from the Swift River School will have their poetry up in the library during the month. We discussed having Dorothy’s poetry read as part of this event. Barbara will follow-up with Sally Howe about doing this . 3. Annual Meeting: Dale Monette is interested. We are waiting on his availability in June. 4. Old Home Day - September 14. We committed to having our annual book sale on that day, and discussed whether to pair it with a small scale event for kids in the community room. We decided the event will be an opportunity to provide a service and to make our presence known in the community, rather than just a fundraiser. We will also offer refreshments: coffee, donuts and possibly hot mulled cider 5. Dean Cycon and Klezmer Band have committed to perform on September 19. 6. Garden Committee: We revisited whether to schedule a spring clean-up event. Linda will put together a checklist. She will follow up with former board members Lisa & Monica and decide if this is needed. Jo & Barbara will participate as last year. Other board members are invited to help. New Business: 1. Review bylaws: Anna discussed our commitments to supporting and engaging membership in the Friends and advocating for repairs and renovations with the town’s Finance Committee if needed. Discussion to be continued 2. Museum passes: We reviewed the spreadsheet Linda created for us: We decided to keep Mass MoCA and other existing passes with the exception of the Springfield Museums and Old Deerfield as these passes are not utilized. We discussed adding the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston & the American Heritage Museum in Hudson. We are awaiting a reply from the Boston Science Center which may offer a reduced price to small libraries (current price is prohibitive at $700). We are now offering free passes to our local New Salem Museum & Academy. Discussion to be continued. Old Business 1. John Clayton Memorial Bookcase: No update available. Barbara continues to follow-up. Next Meeting: April 8 2024 at 6PM Meeting was adjourned at 7:30 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jo Ellen Boskind Secretary
February 7, 2024 Meeting began at 6:00 pm via ZoomZoom Members in attendance: Anna, Marny, Karen, Barbara, Linda, George The January 17minutes are approved with the revision from Linda regarding the suggestion of a children’s author. Reports: Treasurer: Balance as of January 31, 2024 is $10,759.28. George sent thank you cards to everyone who donated $20 or more to the Annual Appeal. Thank you notes were sent out to everyone who donated in memory of John Ryan. The Treasurer's report was unanimously approved. Director’s Report: Tracie emailed her report Linda shared that if Tracie is not able to attend a meeting, she would like us to please make sure that any dates for events are shared with her ASAP. Tracie wanted us to consider that Dale Monette is a popular presenter. He has filled the community room to capacity. We need to be aware of this if we are looking to book him for the Annual Meeting. Trustees: Marny shared the notes from the meeting on January 30. Publicity: Publicity for Reading Aloud on 2/20 begins this weekend.
Upcoming Events 1. Reading Aloud for Grownups:Anna, Marny, and Linda will be there on 2/20. Linda will bring mini brownies. Anna will bring cheese and crackers. There is seltzer in the refrigerator. 2. Poetry Reading - April 11, 2024 Linda is going to reach out to some contacts for a poet. Anna will contact Swift River’s sixth grade teacher, Angela Corey to see if she would be interested in having her students write poetry to display at the library during the month of April. Barbara will check with Tracie about displaying the poems. 3. Annual Meeting - Dale Monette: George will contact Dale to see if he is available and willing to do a program for Annual Meeting. We are looking to see if he would be interested during the first two weeks of June. 4. Dean Cycon and Klezmer Band: We are confirmed for September 19, 2024 5. Old Home Day moved to September 14. Discussion tabled.
New Business 1. Annual Report Linda will send Anna the report she did last year. Anna will complete the Annual report and send it to Judy. 2. Museum Passes. Tabled until March meeting. 3. Review Bylaws. Plan to review the bylaws so that any changes can be proposed and voted on at 4. Annual Meeting. Marny will send out a copy of the Bylaws for everyone to review. Recruiting New Board Members 5. We would like to invite Trudy to our March meeting. We discussed changing our meeting schedule to accommodate Trudy if she were to join the Board. Everyone in attendance is available on Monday or Thursday at 6pm. Marny will ask Trudy which day is best for her fo the March meeting. Old Business John Clayton Memorial Bookcase: No update Next Meeting: We will meet either March 4 or 7, depending on Trudy’s availability. 7:04 pm Meeting adjourned Respectfully submitted, Anna Coburn
January 17, 2024
Present: Marny Ashburne, Anna Coburn, George Perides, Jo Boskind, Linda Chatfield, Barbara Franck, Karen Stevens, Tracie Shea, Director Meeting began at 6:03 PM via Zoom. The December 13, 2023 minutes were unanimously approved.
Reports: Treasurer: The balance as of January 1, 2024 is $11,435.15. Expenses included payment of Square fees and an honorarium to Michael Miller for a total of $109.30. Income of $1545.00 came from the annual appeal ($1200) and memorial contributions for John Ryan ($345). Annual appeal donations were down but George felt the John Ryan donations were playing a role in this. The treasurer’s report was unanimously approved. Director: Tracie reported that she is currently working with the Trustees on the FY 2025 budget proposal and finishing the schedule for programs for April through June. She suggested holding open certain dates for Friends’ programs, eg Local Authors Readings. We agreed on holding the third Thursday of each month for our events. Total circulations for the month was 1106. She reported that circulation is still down compared to pre-pandemic numbers. A total of 275 people attended scheduled events. She suggested as a fundraiser the “election” of an “Official Pet Mascot” for the library to coincide with the 2024 Presidential Election in the Fall. This idea was well received. It will be reviewed in more detail over the summer. We revisited the need for a new book cart for the library & invited Tracie to make a proposal for our review. Trustees: Marny reported that the next Trustees meeting will be tomorrow, January 18th. The design for the lighting upgrade is on the agenda. Currently the design being considered is estimated to cost $5400. Publicity: Marny reported that publicity activities have focused on the next Reading Aloud for Grownups scheduled for February 20th.
Upcoming Events: 1. Reading Aloud for Grownups: The event on January 9 was well attended. We discussed ways to improve the virtual experience for those attending via Zoom. Borrowing the OWL device from the town select board instead of using a tripod was suggested. Anna will follow up with the select board and try out the OWL before the next RAGU. The next RAGU events are planned for February 20 & March 12. The February event will feature Janet & Bo Henderson as readers. 2. Dean Cycon & Klezmer Band for Annual Meeting in June: Karen will follow up and offer either June 1 or 8th as possible dates. Anna reminded the Board that this year officers need to be elected/re-elected. 3. New program Idea: Linda suggested a children’s author event, possibly during school vacation week. Anna suggested pairing this with an appropriate kid-oriented activity. The discussion was tabled for now.
New Business: 1. Website Updating: It was suggested that the tab for “Friends/ Staff Book Pick” be removed and replaced by a display in the library. 2. Donations in memory of John Ryan: as discussed in the Treasurer’s report, $345.00 additional contributions have been received. The question of earmarking the donations for a new book cart was raised and will be followed-up. 3. Museum Pass Renewals: Discussion tabled to next meeting
Old Business 1. Holiday Book Sale: Linda reported income was down $1.00 from last year, a total of $21 was made this year. 2. John Clayton Memorial Bookcase: Barbara crafted an email suggesting that the bookcase be redone or a new design be generated that matches our vision. The woodworker verbally agreed to revisit the design. A sketch for this is needed. He is away until mid February. Barbara will follow-up then. 3. Anna suggested it is time to review our by-laws. This will be followed-up at next meeting.
Next Meeting: February 7, 20234 at 6PM Meeting was adjourned at 7:17 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jo Ellen Boskind Secretary
December 13, 2023
Present: Marny Ashburne, Anna Coburn, George Perides, Jo Boskind, Linda Chatfield, Barbara Franck, Tracie Shea, Director Meeting began at 6:03 PM via Zoom. The November 8, 2023 minutes were unanimously approved.
Reports: Treasurer: The balance as of December 1, 2023 was $9999.45. Expenses included payment of Square fees, advertising in a local paper, reimbursement to George for stamps & envelopes for the annual newsletter, and honorarium to Faith Shearin for a total of $573.06. Income of $1015.00 came from memorial contributions for John Ryan. George & Anna requested approval to discard Treasurer materials older than 7 years. This was approved. The treasurer’s report was unanimously approved. Director: Tracie reported that she is reviewing the museum pass collection in anticipation of their annual renewal. She requested any suggestions from the Board. She requested a renewal of Friends’ support of $400.00 to replenish program funding, as we did last year. This was unanimously approved. Tracie has met with the engineer who is working with the town to provide building assessments. A written report is forthcoming. Total circulations for the month was 1082. There were 10 library programs offered with 92 in attendance and 7 meetings with 51 in attendance. Trustees: Marny reported that the lighting upgrade was discussed and the trustees expect to have options for review for the community room in January 2024 Publicity: Marny reported that publicity activities have focused on “saving the date” for Reading Aloud for Grownups & the Dean Cycon event, both slated for January.
Upcoming Events: Reading Aloud for Grownups: planned for January 9, February 20 & March 12. Firm commitments from readers are needed for the January & March events. The February event will feature Janet & Bo Henderson as readers. Barbara will follow-up with previous readers. Jo offered to follow-up with Marcia Gagliardi for one of the open dates. For the January 9 event, Linda, Jo, Barbara & Marny offered to assist in set up. Barbara will follow-up re refreshments. We will offer a Zoom option as in the past. Dean Cycon & Klezmer Band: A reading & music event to occur on January 25th. Further discussion tabled to next meeting. Local Authors: Because we have several events planned thru April, it was felt we cannot offer another Local Authors event before June, perhaps as part of our Annual meeting. Discussion tabled.
New Business: 1. Fall Newsletter/Annual Appeal: We reviewed the cost of using Collective Copies vs doing our own printing. The difference is significant: $770.00 if sent out, $190 if done in-house. Discussion was tabled to the Fall. George requested feedback on whether the thank you note message sent in response to donations needs to be changed. He will send out an email with the current message for feedback. 2. Donations in memory of John Ryan: as discussed in the Treasurer’s report, $1015 in total has been received. 3. Marny noticed a need for an update to our Website: She suggested taking down the list of “new books” (now 5 years old) and the subject of racism (because there are no books listed). George will follow-up.
Old Business Clayton Memorial Bookcase: Barbara met with the woodworker Sam who is willing to rework the bookcase or create a new one. She requested feedback from Board members soon re preferences.
Next Meeting: January 17, 20234 at 6PM Meeting was adjourned at 7:26 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jo Ellen Boskind Secretary
November 8, 2023
Present: Marny Ashburne, Anna Coburn, George Perides, Jo Boskind, Linda Chatfield, Barbara Franck, Karen Stevens Meeting began at 6:09 PM via Zoom. The October 11, 2023 minutes were unanimously approved.
Reports: Treasurer: The balance as of November 1 was $9557.51. Expenses included payment of Square fees, advertising in two local papers, and honorariums to Celia Jeffries & Carrie Fergusson for a total of $709.56. Memorial contributions for John Ryan as of November 1st totaled $470.00 The treasurer’s report was unanimously approved. Director: Although Tracie was not present, the report she provided to the Trustees at their November 7 meeting was shared. She is completing a 6 week “Management of Technology” course. Beginning in January Yoga will be held once per month due to declining attendance and donations. A grant request submitted to the New Salem Academy has been approved. Circulations totaled 1232 for October. There were 14 library programs with 212 in attendance, including 111 for Trick or Treat on Halloween. There were three meetings with 25 in attendance including our author reading with 15 in attendance. There has been progress on the lighting upgrade, and in general maintenance services from PVE. Trustees: Marny reported that Old Home Day is back & activities are being discussed.The event is likely to occur on July 20. So a Friends’ book sale might be back on the table. Judy will be following up with MBLC re an endowment fund. Publicity: Marny reported that publicity activities have focused on the upcoming Local Authors Reading event with Michael Miller on November 16. The event is being publicized in the Montague Recorder calendar, emails, FaceBook, and posters.
Upcoming Events: Local Authors Series: Feedback from participating authors has been positive. Michael Miller will be reading on November 16. Barbara will be in charge of refreshments. We discussed screening potential authors in future. 2. Holocaust Memorial Day event to be on January 25. Dean Cycon & Klezmer Musicians will be presenting. We discussed having ethnic food available; Barbara will follow up on this. Karen will follow-up with Dean regarding an honorarium for the musicians. 3. Reading Aloud for Grownups: Due to other planned library events, the dates for January & March have been changed to January 9 & March 12. The February 20 date is unchanged. Janet & Bo Henderson have agreed to read on February 20. Barbara reported Dee Waterman was interested in reading in January. She will follow-up on her availability on the changed date of January 9, and with Betsy. The March date is open at this point. New Business: Fall Newsletter: Anna has completed a draft. Linda volunteered to assemble the newsletter when done. Jo and Karen are available to help Garden Committee: The fall cleanup is completed. Linda suggested that for the spring clean-up we include an invitation to our membership (not just our Board) to help & then hang out together with refreshments provided. Donations in memory of John Ryan: Nearly $500 has been received. Follow-up with Linda re: her wishes was discussed. Old Business Clayton Memorial Bookcase. There has been no reply from the woodworker. Barbara will follow up with the woodworker and with Jeannie Clayton re: this.
Next Meeting: December 13, 2023 at 6PM Meeting was adjourned at 6:59 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jo Ellen Boskind Secretary
October 11, 2023
Present: Marny Ashburne, Anna Coburn, George Perides, Jo Boskind, Linda Chatfield, Barbara Franck, Tracie Shea, Director
Meeting began at 6:04 PM via Hybrid.
The September 6, 2023 minutes were unanimously approved.
Reports: Treasurer: The balance as of October 1 was $9797.07. There was no activity to report for the month. The treasurer’s report was approved. Director: Tracie gave an update on staff trainings, and programs including Carrie Fergussson which was well attended and very well received and Tales & Tunes which is off to a strong start with 5-7 families participating each week. The trustees approved pilot program for free print/copies has gone well. Tracie also reported that she hopes to meet with the vocational school re the lighting project this month. Staff have been successfully weeding the adult & children’s collections allowing room for new books. Trustees: Marny reported on the October 5th meeting. Priorities include finding a third trustee, building maintenance, and updating the five-year plan Publicity: Marny reported that publicity activities have focused on the upcoming Local Writer’s Reading event with Faith Shearin on October 26. The event will be publicized in various calendars and an ad will appear in the Montague Reporter. She suggested that our website should feature the current writer programs. George will follow up on this.
Upcoming Events: Local Authors Series: 1. Faith Shearin will be reading on October 26. State Rep Aaron Saunders may be attending. Barbara & George will be in charge of refreshments with Anna & Marny setting up and facilitating. 2. Michael Miller is confirmed for November 16. Discussion tabled for next meeting.
Local Authors who have expressed interest in participating in this program: 1. Tinky Weisblat - cookbook author 2. Kate Spencer - children’s books author Anna will followup with these authors re possibility of fall programs. Potential Event on Holocaust Memorial Day - Saturday January 27 Karen to follow up with Jennifer Rosner & Dean Cycon re their program & readings
Reading Aloud for Grownups: We set dates of January 16, February 20 and March 19, 2024. Barbara will reach out to possible readers including Lisa, Jan, Sally, and Frederick. Marny will follow up with Betsy.
New Business: Clayton Memorial Bookcase. We discussed our general unhappiness with the completed bookcase. Barbara will follow up with the woodworker and with Jeannie Clayton re this. Fall Newsletter: Articles were assigned with a date due to Anna of October 27. Garden Committee: A fall cleanup day of November 4 at 9am was tentatively set. Donations in memory of John Ryan: discussion tabled
Old Business Nothing to discuss. Next Meeting: November 8, 2023 at 6PM Meeting was adjourned at 7:37 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jo Ellen Boskind Secretary
September 6, 2023
Present: Marny Ashburne, Anna Coburn, George Perides, Jo Boskind, Linda Chatfield, Karen Stevens, Barbara Franck Meeting began at 6:10PM via Hybrid. The August 10 meeting minutes were unanimously approved.
Reports Treasurer: The balance as of August 31 is $9,797.07. Expenditures of $517.27 were for the Magic Wings pass, Zoom account & USPS Box office. The treasurer’s report was approved. Director: Because Tracie is unwell there is no Director’s report Trustees: Marny reported that there was no update from the Trustees as there was no meeting since the last report. Next Trustees meeting will be September 28. Publicity: Marny reported that publicity activities have focused on the upcoming Local Writer’s Reading event with Celia Jeffries on September 14. She created a very well received poster. It was suggested that we track where the audience gets the information for the event to assist in deciding on where to place ads in the future. She reported that the Greenfield Recorder costs more than the Montague Reporter.
Upcoming Events: 1. Celia Jeffries, local writer, is confirmed for her reading on September 14. We discussed what tasks need to be taken on for this event and who will do them, including technology, refreshments, and set-up and take down. Linda asked about selling the author’s books at the event for cash/check. This was agreed to, contingent on the author’s wishes. 2. Faith Shearin is confirmed for October 26. 3. Michael Miller is confirmed for November 16. Marny will develop ads and posters for these readings.
New Business: 1. Clayton Memorial Bookcase. We discussed whether to have a celebration for the bookcase’s installation. Barbara will follow-up and report back re the installation and possible event. 2. Fall newsletter: Writing topics for the newsletter were discussed, including: recognition of the raffle basket donated by New Salem General Store and Reading Aloud for Grownups. It was suggested that we establish the dates and the readers for this program in time for the newsletter. The following dates for the completion of the newsletter were set: November 1st: completed articles are received by Anna. November 6: newsletter brought to Amherst Collective Copies. November 13: newsletters are mailed out
Old Business Nothing to discuss. Next Meeting: October 11, 2023 at 6PM Meeting was adjourned at 6:55 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jo Ellen Boskind Secretary
Meeting Minutes August 10, 2023
Present: Anna Coburn, Karen Stevens, Marny Ashburne, Linda Chatfield, Tracie Shea Meeting began at 6:04 pm via hybrid The minutes of the July 12th meeting were approved.
Reports: Treasurer: No report available. Director: Tracie highlighted some items from the report she sent via email, including the following items:
there has been a fairly steady increase in circulation,
the Touch-a-Truck event was quite successful with 50 attending the program and 50 going into the library. It felt very safe and manageable because they closed off Academy Rd. and there were plenty of folks monitoring.
A discussion followed regarding making this an annual event that could possibly be combined with the Town-Wide Tag sale (Linda will make inquiries with people who organized this in the past). Tracie mentioned that it would be great if the Church or 1794 Meetinghouse would be part of it so that there could be some indoor options. Karen mentioned that it might be possible for the Cultural Council to fund a musical performance. This community-wide event would be an excellent venue to have a Friends' book sale. The Book Discussion Group has asked to have their meetings in a hybrid format which creates some challenges. Tracie has been researching various types of technology such as Owl (which is $1K), wide-angle webcams, new library laptop, etc.) and wondering if there are other groups (incl. Friends) that might utilize these technologies for meetings, etc. so that the additional cost is not simply for the Book Group. She might start with an inexpensive webcam ($200ish) and if it is used frequently upgrade to a better one. After some input from the Board, Tracie decided to start by communicating with the Book Group to indicate the issues involved. Trustees: Marny reported that all of the issues from last Trustee meeting had been covered in the Director's Report. Publicity: Marny reported that she has been working on the publicity for the upcoming Local Author series. She has created a full flyer for the series and one for each individual event, and 1/2 size for posting. She has copy ready for press releases to New Salem News and local newspapers. She plans to get everything on the Friends' website first (but needs to speak with George, which she will do ASAP). Next she will send to the Friends' list, then the calendar listings, and probably the Montague Reporter (best deal). She will also send something to the authors so they can post on their FaceBook or other usual outlets they use. Posters will be sent to local libraries. She asked for input from the Board regarding:
which newspapers would be best (cost-wise) since we had agreed to promote the series more than usual. She explained the various costs and run times for the local papers. She also asked the Board to approve a specific $ limit for the publicity. [It was voted to approve up to $500 combined for series.] Marny indicated that we could use this as a test to see if attendance was higher with more extensive publicity to decide if we would continue to do this in the future.
what URL will be used for Zoom? Anna will get link and set up registration for Zoom. It was decided to include name, email, and questions for the authors with a check-box to indicate the specific event. Anna will send out emails to everyone (from all 3 programs) so people can decide to go to others.
How would Marny pay for publicity. After discussion, Marny indicated that she would check with George on this question.
Upcoming Events: Local Author Series: It was decided that we would serve refreshments. Anna will take care of all technology aspects. Karen will do the book table for authors and act as the liaison with authors (Mary). Marny will cc: Karen on all communication with Mary and/or the authors. Linda will be available for set-up and clean-up. We will finalize volunteers for specific tasks and food/drink at the next meeting. Set-up will start at 6:30 and authors should be on site or available by 6:45 (perhaps earlier for Michael for technology issues).
New Business: Member Outreach Event: It was agreed that the Friends didn't need to do a fall fundraising event this year, because we don't "need" the money. We already have a very full schedule and Marny reminded us that the newsletter and annual appeal are also coming up. It was agreed to line up readers for "Reading Aloud" early so that we don't have a time crunch as happened last year. While everyone is very interested in doing some sort of member outreach, we agreed to wait on this and revisit the idea in future meetings (some good suggestions from the last meeting).
Old Business: Bookcase Linda suggested that using "shelf" might not accurately describe the donation. She suggested "the Clayton Memorial Bookcase" or something similar. Barbara was not available for an update. There were again concerns because he was paid a year ago. It was suggested that Barbara issue an ultimatum of some sort and the Board agreed. Anna will contact Barbara and have her send an update to the Board via email in case we need to make a decision on an ultimatum.
Next Meeting: The date was set for 9/6 (which is a week earlier than usual so that we can finalize and coordinate for the first author event).
The meeting ended at 6:55 PM
Meeting Minutes July 12, 2023
Present: Marny Ashburne, Anna Coburn, George Perides, Jo Boskind, Linda Chatfield, Karen Stevens Meeting began at 6:03 PM via Hybrid. The minutes of the Annual Meeting were reviewed and approved. Reports: Treasurer: George gave the Year End Financial Report. The balance as of June 30 is 10,314.34. He also reported that our administrative costs is 15.4% which is within the range of what is acceptable. The treasurer’s report was approved. Director: Tracie sent her report as she was unable to attend. Museum passes have been received and are circulating. The website & signage have been updated to reflect the availability of the new passes. Contractor has completed the exterior work. With regards to the lighting upgrade, the trustees have been in contact & it is on track for September/October. Overall library visits for the month of April was 372; total circulation was at 1159. There were a total of 78 attendees at 10 programs hosted by the library. Trustees: Marny reported that there was no update from the Trustees. The next Trustees meeting is scheduled for August 23. Publicity: Marny reported that there are no current publicity activities. Upcoming Events: 1. Celia Jeffries, local writer, is confirmed for a reading on September 14. 2. Local authors’ Series: Karen has been in touch with two local writers Faith Shearin and Michael Miller re presenting in October and November. There was a discussion about expanding publicity out of the New Salem area for these readings. Marny will follow-up re cost to do so. A hybrid format was recommended for the November reading. Marny will develop ads and posters for all three events. New Business: 1. Annual Fundraising Brainstorming: It was agreed that there is no pressing need to actively engage in fundraising at present. We discussed having a Member Meet & Greet Event, perhaps involving the Cidery & the New Salem General Store - both generous contributors to the library. We discussed ways of bringing people together including: A New Salem Trivia night, and/or a public event around the completion of the bookshelves. Anna will follow-up with Barbara/Jean for an updated timeline on the latter. We also discussed exploring other libraries’ FB postings for ideas. 2. The library’s first Truck Event is scheduled for July 29th. It being a new event it was decided to not pair a book sale with it right now
Meeting Minutes May 3, 2023
Present: Marny Ashburne, Anna Coburn, George Perides, Jo Boskind, Linda Chatfield, Barbara Franck, Karen Stevens, Tracie Shea, library Director Meeting began at 6:01 PM via Hybrid. The March 8 and April 5, 2023 Minutes were approved as written.
Reports: Treasurer: George reported that there was nothing new to report. Director: Tracie reported that wine from the RAGU events is still stored at the library. Jo will remove the wine. Tracie reported that the Community Network for Children has brought in several excellent programs for our youngest patrons this year and has seen tremendous growth. The coordinator, Gillian Budine would like to continue this momentum by extending the program for the ’23-’24 school year. With funding of $900 from our library she would be able to fill the weeks between September & June. Tracie asked if the Friends would be willing to contribute towards those funds. A motion was made & passed unanimously for a donation of $450 towards the continuation of this program. PVE has installed the needed drip pans under the ducts in the ceiling. We discussed Tracie’s recommendations for library passes to include New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, Ecotarium in Worcester, & the Springfield Museums. Overall library visits for the month of April was 364; total circulation was at 1113. There were a total of 97 attendees at 9 programs hosted by the library. Trustees: Marny reported that there was no update from the Trustees Publicity:Marny reported publicity has been focused on our Cooking with Nalini Zoom program scheduled for May 9.
Upcoming Events: Cooking with Nalini, May 9: 20 have registered so far. Celia Jeffries, local writer, is confirmed for a reading on September 14. Karen raised the question of a local author series, beginning with Ms Jeffries. This will be followed up.
New Business: Annual Meeting: We set the date for Saturday June 10 from 2-3:30. To attract members we decided on serving cupcakes. The event will be publicized as Cupcakes & Conversation. Barbara will captain the event: Jo will contribute GF cupcakes, Linda will bring mini cupcakes, Karen carrot cake cupcakes. Linda & Jo will assist at the event. George recommended having an alternative speaker if Anna was unable to attend. Garden Committee Update: clean-up has begun. Mulch is needed & Chris & Monica will arrange pickup & delivery. Linda, Barbara & Jo will be spreading the mulch. It was agreed that the Friends will cover the cost of the mulch. Annual Fundraiser brainstorming: We discussed the possibility of a silent auction. Discussion to be continued. John Clayton Update: Barbara is following up & has received assurance from the contractor that the project will be going forward in a matter of weeks.
Old Busines: Poetry Reading: Program was well received. There were 8-9 participants.
Next Meeting: Annual Meeting June 10 Meeting was adjourned at 7:25 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jo Ellen Boskind Secretary
Meeting Minutes April 5, 2023
Present: Anna Coburn, Karen Stevens, Marny Ashburne, Barbara Franck (left at 6:30) Meeting began at 6:16 p.m. via Zoom We’ll wait to approve March 8 minutes until next meeting. 1. Upcoming Events a. Poetry Reading in honor of Dorothy (April 11) Barbara picked up ~50 poems from Swift River School, sorted them by topic, and mounted on color-coded card stock. They are ready to post in the library but she wants to check with Tracie on what sticky material to use. Anna will write a short description that can go in one of the acrylic stands. Barbara will confirm what grades contributed; seems more than just sixth grade. It’s a wonderful selection, she said. Marny will look into getting the Greenfield Recorder to cover the exhibit and event. She will also send Anna Ellie’s bio. Event details: Starts at 7, so setup at 6:30 Setup: Anna, Barbara, Marny Food: Cheese and crackers (Barbara), brownies (Anna) Anna will introduce Ellie and mention the exhibit. Ellie will read/chat for 25 or so minutes, five-minute intermission, then Dee Waterman will read. End at 8. b. Cooking with Nalini Anna has confirmed Nalini for May 9. Nalini suggested starting at 4:30 or 5, but Anna will not be able to start before 5 and will suggest 5:30 to be safe. Nalini suggested offering meal kits but we decided to stick with spice packs as in the past and provide an ingredient list and recipe. We’ll suggest a vegetarian meal that people can add a protein to if they want. We decided that, like last time, we’ll offer to pay for the first 10 or so packs, up to $100. We’ll also pay Nalini a $100 honorarium. We’ll note the event start time but leave the end blank, as we did last time. Hopefully it’ll be just an hour. Final details to be worked out with Nalini by Anna. c. Town Election Candidate Forum (April 24, 7 p.m.) Anna has background from Lisa and contacted Stacy for names and contact info but hasn’t heard back yet. Publicity will begin once the candidates have been invited. 2. New Business a. Reading with Celia Jeffries (possible fall date). Karen heard from Celia’s publicist that fall is OK. We discussed what dates and decided to leave it open for her to choose a Tuesday or Thursday, our regular event preferences since the library is open those days. Whatever works for her. All other business held over to future meetings: Reports:
Treasurer (George)
Director (Tracie, if she is available)
Trustees (Marny)
Publicity (Marny)
New Business • Annual Meeting date Old Business • Reading Aloud for Grownups Next Meeting May 10 Changed to May 3 @ 6 p.m. so we can meet before Nalini’s event Meeting adjourned at 6:41 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Marny Ashburne
Meeting Minutes March 8, 2023
Present: Marny Ashburne, Ana Coburn, George Perides, Jo Boskind, Linda Chatfield, Barbara Franck, Karen Stevens, Tracie Shea, Library Director Meeting began at 6:05 MP via Hybrid. The February 8, 2023 Minutes were approved as written. Reports: Treasurer: The financial report of March 5, was presented. Curent balance as of March 1si $11,135.83. George reported that the annual appeal has so far neted $3311. Expenses included Square fes &Colective Copies(FalNewsleter) for a total of $112.93 The Treasurer's report was approved. Director: State-wide weather delays continued to causesome disruption ot LIL delivery services, and ta the library. Tracie provided an update on the condensation issue ni the ceiling of the community room. PVE provided a quick fix on the unit and suggested installing a drip pan to resolve this issue. Tracey will follow up with the Trustees refinances for this project. Susan Reilly came on board on February 22 in the assistant role. Over a library visits for them on February was 381;total circulation was at 999. There were a total of 82 attendees at 3programs hosted by the library.Eight programs are planned for March. Trustees: MaryreportedonameetingonMarch6whichfocusedonthelightingupgradeproject. This included a summary of the history of the project; the two estimates that were received (from Al Olson &Larry Eaton and theVoc School); a discussion as to whether to seek new estimates; and the importance of receiving certification from the Voc School re supervision of students & insurance. As the purpose of the meeting was to share information and take public input, ti was decided that the Trustees may be ready to take a vote at their upcoming meeting. Publicity Marny reported that publicity for our upcoming Reading Aloud wil be going out this weekend. Upcoming Events: 1. Reading Aloud for Grownups: At this time only Many i s signed up to read for March 21. Barbara will follow-up with Betsy Pelz who has expressed interest. Barbara and George wlil take on refreshments; Karen, Barbara & Anna will do set-up. The hybrid format will be the same as previous programs. 2. Poetry Reading in honor of Dorothy Johnson: A date of April 1 from 7-8pm was established. Linda followed-up with local poet Ellie Burton and she is open to reading her poetry. Barbarawill follow up re someone toread Dorothy's poetry. We decided onallowing20 mins each for the readings with 10 mins Q&A. An honorarium of $100/each reader was agreed upon. New Business: 1. Town Elections Candidate Forum: We set a date of Monday April 24 from 7-8PM folowing the same format as in the past. This will again be a Zoom event. Anna will follow-up with the candidates to gauge their interest in participating. 2. Anna reported that Nalin Goordial of Kitchen Wizardry is open to our hosting a Zoom event with her. Three possible dates in May were suggested:May 6, 9 or 23rd. Anna will folow-up re securing a date and proposed pricing. 3. Karen suggested a reading by Celia Jeffries from her book Blue Desert. We agreed that a Fall date for this event would be best, Karen will follow-up with the author. The Friends will pay for the purchase of the book for the library 4 .Book Sale/Town Wide Tagsale: The town-wide tag sale is not considered likely. We discussed going forward with our book sale in the Fall. 5. Garden Committee: Jo, Barbara &Linda will have their first meeting after tonight's board meeting. Old Business 1. February Reading Aloud: Program was well received. 2. We discussed mailing the gift card for Monica &Chris
Next Meeting: April 12, 2023 at 6PM. Meeting was adjourned at 7:13 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jo Ellen Boskind Secretary
Meeting Minutes February 8, 2023 Present: Marny Ashburne, Anna Coburn, George Perides, Jo Boskind, Linda Chatfield, Barbara Franck, Tracie Shea, library Director Meeting began at 6:02 PM via Hybrid. The January 11, 2022 Minutes were approved as written. Reports: Treasurer: The financial report as of February 4 was presented. Current balance as of February 1 is $11183.20. The final fraudulent charge on our account of $78.27 has been reversed. George reported that the annual appeal has so far netted $1855. Membership dues of $390.00 have been received. The Treasurer’s report was approved. Director: Once again there was water in the ceiling of the Community Room. PVE plumbing & heating will be returning to assess. Multiple power outages in town forced closure of the library. Staff took advantage of this time to make the children’s area more welcoming. Inter Library Loan (ILL) system deliveries were negatively impacted by state wide weather related delays. Circulation was down for the month but attendance held. Circulation was similar to last January’s numbers. The ILL delays may also have played a role. Overall visits to the library for the month were 350. Total program attendance at three programs, weekly yoga & Tales & Tunes was 74. Total circulation for all formats was 967. Tracie suggested having an Open House at the library, perhaps following the Carrie Ferguson concert in mid-June. She was soliciting Friends support and assistance for this. A discussion followed re timing of this event, perhaps at the time of the town-wide tagsale to assure a good attendance. Discussion on details will be continued. Trustees:Marny reported that Trustee Eli will not be running for re-election, making for a vacancy. There was a discussion about being proactive in the face of possible disruption in library services due to protests. This will be looked into. A trial of offering a free fax/copy service for 6 months was proposed. The lighting upgrade is still in progress. Next meeting will be February 13. Publicity: Marny reported she is working on publicity for our February 14 Reading Aloud for Grownup event and the baskets being offered in free drawings for patrons. Anna announced that Martha will be resigning from the board due to increased family commitments, leaving an opening.
Upcoming Events: Reading Aloud for Grownups:. Frederick and Jo Boskind will read for February 14. At this time only Marny is signed up to read for March 21. Barbara will follow-up on recruiting another reader. Barbara and Linda will take on refreshments and set up for the February 14 program. Barbara will also take pictures at the event. Poetry Reading in honor of Dorothy Johnson: A date of April 11 from 7-8:30 was established. Anna will follow-up with 6th grade teachers re including their pupils’ poetry at this event. We discussed the possibility of having a display of their poetry in the library to coincide with this program. Linda will follow-up with local poet Ellie Burton re reading her poetry.
New Business: The possibility of sponsoring an event with Nalini Goordial of Kitchen Wizardry which would entail a cooking demonstration and possibly the sale of her spices was discussed. We agreed that this would be worth pursuing. A possible Tuesday in May was suggested. Anna will follow-up with Nalini. Another program discussed was a class on sketch booking. Barbara will follow-up with Kerry Stone, local artist re this. Pysanky (Ukranian Easter Eggs) Class: Barbara is following up on a source to lead this class. Garden Committee; Jo Barbara & Linda will be captaining this committee. Old Business 1. January Reading Aloud: Program was well received.
Next Meeting: March 8, 2023 at 6PM. Meeting was adjourned at 7:15PM. Respectfully submitted, Jo Ellen Boskind Secretary
Meeting Minutes January 11, 2023
Present: Marny Ashburne, Anna Coburn, George Perides, Jo Boskind, Linda Chatfield, Barbara Franck, Tracie Shea, library Director Meeting began at 6:04 PM via Hybrid. The December 14, 2022 Minutes were approved as written.
Reports: Treasurer: The financial report as of January 7 was presented. Current balance as of January 1 is $9276.61 George updated the board on the status of the fraudulent breach of our account at Athol Savings Bank in November. One of the two charges of $351.00 has been reversed. George expects the second such charge to be reversed soon. There were $225 received in donations & membership dues during the month and $33.65 in expenses. George reported that the annual appeal has so far netted $1800. in income & it is expected that we are on track to meet the $3000 that was projected. We also received a donation in memory of a third person. Mary Ellen Kennedy indicated in her donation letter that she likes to volunteer. Jo will follow up with her regarding her possible interest in joining our Board. George will thank the donor and send a note re the donation to the family of the deceased. He will also send the name of the donor to Marny to add to our publicity email list. We discussed formulating a letter summarizing how donations to the Friends are used perhaps as part of the annual appeal. The Treasurer’s report was approved. Director: There was water in the ceiling of the Community Room. PVE plumbing & heating inspected and cleared. Tracie will monitor as the cause of the leak is uncertain. Exterior doors are repaired and are no longer difficult to open. Overall visits to the library for the month were 343. Total program attendance at seven programs was 62. There were three meetings with a total attendance of 17. Total circulation for all formats was 1113. Tracie announced that the Mass Board of Library Commissioners will have a Legislative Day on March 15, 2023. Library board members are invited. Trustees: Marny reported that there is nothing new to report. The next Trustees meeting will be on January 19. Publicity: Marny reported she is working on publicity for our Reading Aloud for Grownups; the first program will be on January 17.
Upcoming Events: Reading Aloud for Grownups: Barbara and Dee Waterman will be the readers for January 17. Frederick and Jo Boskind will read for February 14. At this time only Marny is signed up to read for March 14. Refreshments were discussed. Barbara and George will be available for the first event on January 17 and will supply refreshments. Marny and Martha will take on refreshments for the February 14 program. There was a discussion regarding the Zoom set up for these events.
New Business: A date of April 11 was established for the Poetry Event in memory of Dorothy Johnson. It will run from 7-8:30 and may include poetry for and by kids. We discussed honoring February as Love Your Library Month and our patrons with two gift baskets, one for children, the other for adults. This free drawing was voted and approved. Tickets will be available at the library desk and free to patrons. There will be no limit per person. Tracie will also put together pre-printed templates for patrons to use to send your library a love letter, as well as supplies to get creative with your own design for placement by the baskets. Anna will put together the kids’ basket; Jo & Barbara the grown-ups’. The baskets will be on display for the month of February and the drawing all be March 2.
Old Business Annual Appeal Update: As reported by George $1800 has been received so far. Garden Committee: Linda will send out a Master calendar of garden tasks to all board members. Anna will keep this on the agenda for future meetings. Thank you for Monica and Chris: $100 Gift certificate to the Hadley Garden Center was approved. The completion of the John Clayton Legacy Project continues to be on hold by the contractor. Barbara will follow up. Linda completed our Annual Report for the Trustees. She will send it out to them. Holiday Book Sale: Linda captained this project. $22 in total was received. She brought approximately 200 books to Roundabout Books in Greenfield to make room for new donations.
Next Meeting: February 8, 2023 at 6PM. Meeting was adjourned at 7:15PM. Respectfully submitted, Jo Ellen Boskind, Secretary