Baker Free Library
Board of Trustees Meeting
 February 20, 2008
 Approved Minutes

  1. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 6:51 pm. Present at the meeting were Colleen Haggerty, Susan Hatem, Tom Ives, and Library Director Linda Kling. Also present was proposed interim trustee John King.
  2. Approval of Minutes: Colleen made a motion to accept the minutes of January 9 and 14, 2008. Tom seconded the motion and the minutes were approved.
  3. Interim trustee: Although the board forwarded John King’s name to the Board of Selectman for acknowledgment of his appointment as interim trustee, John has not received notice yet so he is not yet sworn in.
  4. Treasurer’s Reports:
    1. Monthly Budget Report: Tom presented the monthly budget report as of January 1/31/08. Seven months through the fiscal year 56.39% of the budget has been spent. The trustees discussed the electricity expenditures. Linda reported looking at the kilowatt hours to see if electricity usage is up significantly. January ’08 is actually down from ‘07. There was higher usage last summer than the year before, however, presumably due to air conditioning. Sewer appears high but it is because of when the bill is paid. Oil appears low for the same reason. A bill is expected. Linda pointed out that because the new custodian does the walkway snow shoveling during his regular hours, the BFL is saving money in that area. Susan made a motion to accept the report, Colleen seconded it and the motion passed 3 - 0.
    2. Special Expenditures Account: Tom presented reports for January. Tom made a motion to accept $855.88 in donations. Colleen seconded the motion and it passed 3 – 0. Linda has acknowledged all the donations. Tom made a motion to roll over the monies in the first three-month CD into a six-month CD. Susan seconded the motion. Tom will find out how much interest was earned in the first three-month period. The motion passed 3 – 0. Susan made a motion to accept the special expenditure reports, Colleen seconded it and the motion passed 3 – 0.
  5. Director’s Report:
    1. FY 09 Budget: Linda handed out copies of the following documents:
      1. 2008-09 Baker Free Library - $448,521
      2. 2008-09 Municipal Operating Budget Summary
      3. Analysis of 2008-2009 Municipal Operating Budget
      4. 2008-09 Budget Library showing explanation of Increase (Decrease)
      5. Property Tax Payable to Library – Linda handed this out to explain how the library gets funded.
      6. Bow Times Neighborhood Notes showing extensive BFL programming
      7. 5-year Plan (Vision) – Review Timeline Reviewed 10-January-2007
    2. Personnel proposal: Linda presented a proposal for covering some of the tasks that should continue after she has left and before a new library director is hired. The FY 08-09 budget includes money to increase Library Assistant Celeste MacQuarrie’s position from twenty hours per pay period to forty hours. Linda suggests making that increase in March and having her take over the adult book talks, Linda’s desk hours, coordinating artwork, scheduling staff hours on Outlook, and backing up Jenny in scheduling meeting room usage on Outlook. Linda suggests that the savings during the interim between her departure and hiring of the new director could be used to pay for these additional hours. After discussion about how this would affect benefits offered, the trustees decided not to vote on the proposal at this meeting because Elizabeth was not there.
  6. Town Report: Susan noted it is time to write the library portion of the town report. Linda will write her report and Susan will add comments from the trustees. Linda will ask Eric Anderson if he’d be willing to do the layout of the library pages again this year. The trustees discussed using some of Eric’s photos of the architectural details of the library and/or a group shot from Eric’s reception.
  7. Correspondence:
    1. Thank you note from Donna Downs for her anniversary gift
    2. Check form New Hampshire Telephone Association for $45.52 for technical books. Tom made a motion to accept this gift, Colleen seconded it and the motion passed 3 – 0. Linda has acknowledged the donation. Thank you note from Bow High School senior Jennifer Bakos for permitting her to keep contest box for her senior project at library.
    3. Thank you from Making Strides for permitting them to put sandwich sign board out front.
    4. Thank you from Sue Withers of the Friends Program for permitting them to make a presentation to the book club.
  8. Next Trustees’ Meetings: March 12 at 6:30 (CHANGED to Monday, March 10 at 6:30 pm)

  9. Adjournment: Tom made a motion to adjourn the meeting and continue it the next evening at 6:45 prior to the Search Committee meeting when Elizabeth will be present. Colleen seconded it and the meeting was adjourned at 8:10, to be continued Thursday night.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Hatem

Secretary