Haverhill Public Library
Board of Trustees
Minutes of January 18, 2024
The regular monthly meeting of the Trustees of the Haverhill Public Library was called to order at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 18, 2024 in the Johnson Auditorium. In attendance were Trustees Bresnahan, Coletti, Klueber, Rurak, Sheehan and Veasey-Sirois. Also in attendance was Director, Sarah Moser and Assistant Director, Jane Lemuth.
Secretary’s Report
The trustees were given copies of the minutes dated December 21, 2023. After perusing the minutes, a motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes. The minutes were approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Business manager, Josh, presented the financial highlights for December:
- The endowment continued to grow in December.
- Gift income has been higher than the past four years.
Director’s Report
A copy of the director’s report was given to the trustees. Sarah discussed the highlights and other director’s news:
- December was a typical month as we wrapped up 2023.
- Staff made packets on what to do in common emergency situations. Trustee Sheehan suggested having HR or the City Solicitor approve it.
Sarah gave an update on the recent flooding damage that occurred on January 10. She stated that the exterior wall on the 3rd floor in the gallery area leaked into the gallery and made its way down to the 2nd and 1st floors. Rob is trying to come up with a temporary fix. 24Restore was the restoration company that did the clean up. They came fast and worked quickly. The air quality was cleared after one week. There is a $25,000 insurance deductible.
As for damage there isn’t too much technology to replace and only a few books in children’s. The repairs are mostly drywall, paint, ceiling tiles and possibly some carpet. Only the circ desk is open to the public. The bottom of all the drywall has been cut so outlets are exposed so until that is covered and repainted we can’t open to the public due to the safety hazard of it.
Paul spoke about the flooding and said that the inside of the walls look good as there is no rust on the metal indicating that no water had leaked in the past. Paul commended Luis for a great job done during the emergency and clean up.
Paul also discussed the need to find a new cleaning company but there aren’t any options. He will start to look at more local, smaller companies. There was discussion about hiring another custodian versus a cleaning company. Sarah will advocate for one, as always, during negotiations with the Mayor.
DGI Presentation
DGI, the company that helps businesses find and hire fundraisers, gave a presentation on their business and how they will help the library. They began with introductions and asked the trustees to introduce themselves and give their ideas on the benefits of a renovation, the trustees’ role in the process and ideas for soliciting donors.
DGI discussed the steps in the initial fundraising process:
- Recruit the right fundraiser and put together a plan that includes committee information, prospective donors and materials.
- The nucleus campaign phase includes having conversations with donors and securing 60% of donations.
- Reach out to the public community.
They stated that it could be a 3 year campaign. The first step is for them to find candidates that the trustees can interview. Planning could begin in the fall. They suggested to keep campaign expenses under 10% of the goal. There was discussion about financial needs and how much would be possible to raise.
By next week, Sarah should collect: donor prospects, campaign committee prospects and a campaign chairperson.
There being no further business to discuss, a motion was made and seconded to adjourn. The meeting ended at 11:45 a.m.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Bresnahan