Haverhill Public Library
Board of Trustees
Minutes of March 15, 2018
The regular monthly meeting of the Trustees of the Haverhill Public Library was called to order at 8:35 a.m. on Thursday, March 15, 2018, in the Donald C. Freeman Whittier Room. In attendance were Trustees Klueber, Coletti, Veasey, and Rurak, along with Assistant Director Ricky Sirois.
Secretary’s Report
The meeting minutes of the February 15 meeting not being available, vote to approve was postponed until the April meeting.
Art Appraisal
The board reviewed the appraisal from Jay Williamson of Patten’s Hill Fine Art. There was discussion about the natural variation of prices on the art market and the reasons for deviation from the previous appraisal. Asst. Director Sirois provided detail on the changes to the insurance premiums that the new appraisal would bring, and passed on concerns from the library’s insurer about the differences.
The purpose of the collection as it relates to the HPL mission was discussed and a motion was made to seek a second appraisal in view of insurance concerns and a desire to have as accurate a picture of the collection as possible for making future decisions. Approval to seek a second appraisal was unanimous.
Bathroom Project
The bid for the work in bathroom renovation was presented and a motion made to accept. Approval was unanimous.
Treasurer’s Report
Perry Frankston, Business Manager, provided copies of the February financials for the trustees to examine. Perry raised concerns about the wording of the Annual Fund letters possibly being confusing to people donating on behalf of individuals with numbered funds. Specifically, he was concerned that some people might not be clear as to which fund their donation was going when using the Annual Fund donation form.
Discussion followed in which the issue was further defined. Trustee Coletti agreed to meet with Perry to discuss alteration of the Annual Fund letter wording to avoid future confusion.
Outreach
Trustee Rurak presented pricing from Bill DeLuca for a vehicle purchase to be used for outreach, along with information gathered previously by Asst. Director Sirois from Autofair Ford. It was raised that the fiscal year is coming to a close and the funds in the outreach budget line need to be spent.
After discussion of the outreach program goals, a motion was made to authorize Asst. Director Sirois to pursue a vehicle purchase in accordance with city procedures. Approval was unanimous.
Trustee Rurak offered his assistance in discussing possible donations or rebates with potential dealers.
Director’s Report
A copy of the Director’s Report was given to the trustees. Some discussion followed.
New Business
Trustee Rurak proposed a meet and greet in order to allow the Board to get to know the many new members of the library staff. Discussion followed regarding the best day/time to have the event, and what type of event would be most likely to encourage attendance. Asst. Director Sirois offered to explore options and return with ideas for the April meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathleen Bresnahan
Secretary