Swanton Public Library Board of Trustees
Meeting: October 11, 2017
In attendance: Rebecca Rupp, Kathy Kneebone, Kathy Messier, Robert Bessette, Michelle Beaulieu
The meeting was called to order at 7 PM.
The September minutes were discussed and accepted with minor corrections. Motion by Paul Foisy, second by Kathy Messier.
The September Treasurer’s Report was reviewed and accepted. Motion by Paul Foisy, second by Bob Bessette.
The 2018 budget was reviewed and approved. Kathy Messier will submit this to the Town.
Direct deposit of staff salaries will begin in November. Checks will be deposited in employee bank accounts by 8 AM on alternate Tuesdays. In the event of a Monday holiday, checks will be deposited on the following Wednesday.
Due to increased library expenses, it was agreed to raise the rent on the Historical Society Room to $350/year and the Community Room gymnastics group to $900/year, starting with the 2019 fiscal year.
According to the Director’s Report, SPL patron number has now topped 2000. The markedly popular Paranormal Investigators of New England program pulled in an audience of over 100 and brought in $580, of which $480 was paid to the 8 members of the Investigators’ staff. The remaining $100 will be applied to the library’s programming budget.
Bob Bessette asked about income from the bottle drop at Ste. Marie’s store. Michelle will monitor.
It was agreed to provide Randy Pilon, manager of the Farmers’ Market, with a library key for winter market set-up. The Winter Farmers’ Market will begin in January and will be held in the King’s Daughters’ Room.
It was agreed to pursue an art wall for the library lawn, to be built and installed by Scott Rheaume and paid for from the library programming budget.
Michelle will host a private return of the Paranormal Investigators to the library on a Saturday evening. She played a tape from the library tour of September 29, suggesting the presence of library ghosts.
Nicole Gadouas will be teaching the Young Rembrandts art program for preschoolers at the SPL. Two scholarships will be provided for participants (applications available online); others will be charged a fee of $10/week. At the end of the program, the Young Rembrandts organization will donate $125 to the SPL as hosting organization.
Michelle requests that after-school programs not be listed on the library FB page, since often – despite instructions – people fail to pre-register. Becky worries that – since we have a considerable following on the FB page – this would be a loss of valuable publicity. Solution: if you’re not pre-registered when required, you can’t participate in the program.
Michelle does not plan to host a library Santa Claus visit this year. In lieu of this, Becky proposed that the library celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6th, on which kids can bring a shoe to the library and leave it overnight to be filled with goodies by St. Nicholas. In this case, Michelle, Danielle, and Becky.
The library cookie-decorating workshop will take place on Saturday, December 2.
The annual Holiday Crafts workshop will take place on Saturday, November 25.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 PM.
The next board meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 8.
Submitted by Becky Rupp