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Burlington Library Association

Regular Meeting Minutes

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4/11/12  3/14/12  2/8/12  1/4/12

Go to: Annual Meetings  Minutes 2005 - 2007  Minutes 2008 - 2009  Minutes 2010-2011

MEETING: April 11, 2012 (DRAFT)
Call to order: The meeting was called to order at 1:31p.m. in the Anne Walluk Comm. Room

LIFE CHOICE: Anne introduced Laine Krisiunas and her daughter Tori from the Life Choice Donor Services program. They gave a brief presentation on the processes involved in donating and receiving organ and tissue transplants. There are organ donor quilts on display in the library during April which is Donate Life Month. Some of the quilt squares are in memory of Burlington residents.

Attendance: Berton, Hasskarl, Hierl, Krewalk, Lotstein, Mantel, Mazeau, Miller, Small, Walluk, Winter. Absent: Merriman. Guest: Nancy Monahan

Correspondence: Main St. is sponsoring a workshop on the 12th: 8 Secrets of Fundraising; the CT State Friends Boot Camp will be the weekend of April 20th. Anyone wishing to attend can get the information at the front desk

Secretary's Report: Minutes approved without change. Motion to approve: Miller, Second Mazeau

Treasurer's Report: Mazeau reported Vanguard is up $1800. We have received $555 in memorial contributions this year; a request for a sales tax permit has been filed; the state has not yet posted the 2011 report. Motion to approve: Winter, second Miller. Approved.

Webmaster's Report: Berton reported the latest approved minutes have been posted, upcoming events have been posted, and the online donation page has been synced with the donation envelope.

Library Director's Report: Upcoming programs include They Call Me Lizzie on the 12th, G. Fox in the 50s on the 25th, and Chorus Angelicus on the 30th. Kim Lewis has agreed to speak at the annual meeting about the future of the library. There is some Main St. quilt grant money left which will be put toward the cost of adding protective film to the quilt. A discussion was held about the basement door, and it was finally decided that we would table any action for now. Hasskarl is applying for a Main Street Community Foundation grant for an Early Learning System which is a dedicated computer and software that would be located in the Children's Room.

Program Committee: They Call Me Lizzie will be presented April 12. It was noted that our programs presented with the Historical Society are beneficial for both groups.

Old Business: Nomination Committee- All officers are up for re-election. Winter asked to step aside as Vice President and Miller has agreed to assume that position. Other officers will continue. Winter will remain on the board. Board members Walluk, Winter, Mazeau and Small agreed to renew for another 3 years.
April Book Sale: April 26-28th. Mantel is arranging volunteers and doing publicity with Walluk.
Basement Door: No action taken
Envelope and Newsletter: The envelope is being printed. The newsletter is finished and will be taken to the printer. It will be in a new format, and we are trying use of color to see if there is a better response. Walluk will contact members when the newsletter is ready for preparations for mailing.
By-Laws: A discussion was held concerning the draft proposed changes. It was noted that our main purpose in making changes is to give the Board more flexibility. An attorney has reviewed the by-laws and made some wording improvements. Berton will make agreed-upon revisions and post the final draft online for members to review.
Annual Meeting: The Annual Meeting will be held May 18th from 6:30 to 8 p.m. At this meeting, we will renew expiring terms, elect officers, approve by-laws, and add Nancy Monahan to the board.
Walluk will create invitations to Life Members who will be honored guests at the meeting. Kim Lewis and Hasskarl will speak about the future vision for the library. Hasskarl will make name tags, Small is creating a gift basket which will be raffled off to a Life Member, and Winter and Lotstein will be responsible for food and beverages.

New Business: None

The meeting was adjourned at 3:17 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Sandra Hierl
Secretary


Meeting:  March 14, 2012

Call to order:  in the Community Room of the Burlington Public Library at 1:31 p.m.

Attendance:  Berton, Hierl, Krewalk, Mazeau, Merriman, Miller, Rudzinski, Small, Walluk, Winter. Absent: Hasskarl, Lotstein, Mantel.  Guest: Nancy Monahan

Correspondence: Walluk shared the contents of a letter from H & R Block inviting the Association to participate in a project to help them attract new clients. It was decided we would not pursue further.

Elaine Eberhard sent a lovely thank you note for the candy and flowers from the Board. Library Board Boot Camp will be held April 21. Let Anne know if you’re interested in attending. Pat Small shared a flyer from the Farmington Valley Visitor’s Association advertising its April 28 Historic Barn Tour.

Secretary’s report:  Minutes were accepted as presented.

Motion to approve: Small, Second: Miller.

Treasurer’s report:  Mazeau has filed the required statement since our income does not require a tax form. For 2011 we had $101,000 in assets. Of that, we have $50,000 in unrestricted funds specifically dedicated for library expansion expenses.

Mazeau had updated the resolution for expansion. He will also apply for a sales tax permit so we can sell items beyond our 5 allotted events per year.

To date, we have received $430 in memorial donations.   Mazeau presented a draft budget of approximately $37,000. A discussion was held on a few line items. Rudzinski indicated that the librarians will be asking for a donation to offset expenses for a fall fundraiser. Once we know what the expenses are, we will add this to the budget.  The final budget will be presented at the annual meeting.

Webmaster’s report:  The latest approved minutes have been posted, and earlier minutes have been reorganized to make it easier for visitors to find  them. Berton removed the staff member who left. He added a corporate matching fund option to the donation page, posted results from the book and bake sale, added a photo from the bake sale, and listed bakers along with Winter’s thank-you message. He also added a link from the home page to the sales page.

Library Director’s Report: SILENT ART AUCTION: Rudzinski reported on initial planning for an art auction fundraiser to be held in October. It is just in the planning stages, and the board will be kept informed as decisions are made. The committee has met once and will meet again on March 26th. It is expected that financial help will be needed to offset some of the upfront costs such as printing, advertising, and deposits.

BUDGET: Hasskarl presented her budget to the Board of Selectmen. It reflected a 10% increase, and she was asked to come back with a 3% and a 6% budget. She is currently working on both. It was noted that a large part of the budget increase is for higher utility bills.

REVISED TOWN CHARTER: The library received copies of the proposed changes to the town charter and it has copies available at the library as well as on the website.

PROGRAMS: March programs include a computer class on Facebook, story hours, TAC tutoring on Saturdays, the new Muppet movie, and a family fun night of games followed by a Hunger Games Trivia contest.  April programs will include the classic film Stranger on a Train, Silly Science, Zoo on the Go during school vacation week, They Call Me Lizzy on April 12 at 7, G. Fox, the 1950’s, to be presented on April 25 at 6:30, and the annual spring book sale April 26-28.

Program Committee: VACATION BOOK SALE: Walluk reported on decisions made at an earlier meeting of the program committee: A decision was made that we not hold a summer vacation reading book sale but, instead, add more books to the carts.

CIVIL WAR PROGRAMS: Three Civil War programs have been scheduled. April 12, 7 p.m., They Call Me Lizzie, a one woman drama about Elizabeth Keckly, dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln, September 27 7 p.m., Ezra Chamberlain and the CSS Hunley, and October 25, 7 p.m. Civil War Medicine.

ANNUAL MEETING: The Annual Meeting will be held Friday, May 18 from 6:30-8 p.m. It will be a mainly social event with a short business meeting. The business meeting will begin at 6:30 and will include remarks by Walluk as well as a 5 minute presentation on the future of the library. Refreshments will be served beginning at 7, and Life Members will be eligible for door prizes. Winter and Lotstein are responsible for refreshments, Winter for paper goods, Small for door prizes,  Hasskarl for name tags, and Walluk for invitations to Life Members.

Old Business: FEBRUARY BAKE/BOOK SALE: Winter reported that the Black Forest Bake Sale earned $881.50. Thirty bakers combined for a total of 183 items. This was twice as much as the sale earned in previous years. The book sale portion earned $356. Special thanks to Len Berton, Jennifer and Richard Lotstein, Pat Small, Elaine Eberhard, and Sami Sebastian for their help with set up/clean up. The Board recognizes the efforts of Nancy Winter in organizing this major fundraiser.

BASEMENT DOOR: Hasskarl and Craig Winter are consulting about the door.

ENVELOPE AND NEWSLETTER: Final revisions have been made to the donation envelope and it will go to the printer soon. Walluk is in the process of drafting the spring newsletter. She is revising the format to fit on a single sheet. We will look into ways of securing the envelope in the newsletter.

New Business: BOARD MEMBERSHIP AND BY-LAWS: Berton will work on drafting updates to the by-laws to change the number of board members and to eliminate the specific amounts of dues. He will present the amendments for approval at the annual meeting.  Berton was also asked to serve with Walluk as the nominating committee to renew or select board members and officers whose terms are expiring.

BOOK SALE: Anne will contact Mantel to see how plans are going for the April book sale.

PUBLICITY: Hierl suggested we renew efforts to find someone to be responsible for all BLA publicity.

BOXWOODS: Merriman suggested that we consider leaving the outdoor areas without plantings once the diseased boxwoods are removed. Several factors contribute to this being a “hostile environment” for plants. The board concurred.  Merriman also generously brought two varieties of pussywillows for board members to plant at home. Thank you, Bob.

Meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, 

Sandra Hierl , Secretary


MEETING: February 8, 2012

Call to order: The meeting was called to order by Vice President Nancy Winter at 1:32 p.m. in the Anne Walluk Community Room of the library.

Attendance: Berton, Hasskarl, Hierl, Lotstein, Mazeau, Miller, Small, Winter. Absent: Krewalk, Mantel, Merriman, Walluk.
A letter of resignation from the board was received from Elaine Eberhard. A motion to accept with regret was made by Miller, seconded by Mazeau. The motion was approved. A motion to nominate and elect Jennifer Lotstein to the board was made by Small, seconded by Miller. The motion was approved.

Correspondence: An email from Walluk was shared with the board. She noted the resignation of Eberhard and offered a welcome to Lotstein. Walluk indicated that the program committee will meet to plan the annual meeting when she returns from Florida. Winter reported that 5 donations have been received in memory of Margaret Lewis. As requested by the family, these donations will be used for the History Room. Thank you notes will be sent to donors, and a letter will be sent to the family detailing the amount of the donations and seeking input as to how the money will be spent. Secretary's Report: A motion to accept the minutes was made by Miller, seconded by Small. Motion approved.

Treasurer's Report: Mazeau shared the nearly finalized end of year budget. He is awaiting final numbers from the Main Street account. The total donors for 2011 was 227, down from 245 in 2010. Income for the year was $30,475.73 which exceeded the budget by $1110.73, and spending of $30,475.73 was under budget by $7308.04. Mazeau then presented a draft budget for 2012. Discussion was held on the various entries, and members will look over the proposed budget numbers and come with suggestions in March. A motion to approve was made by Small, seconded by Hierl. Motion approved.

Webmaster's Report: Berton reported that the most recent approved minutes have been posted to the website. He has made improvements to the sales page, adding photos of the walking sticks, enhancing the photo of the Cat's Meow, and added its correct dimensions. Hasskarl suggested adding a link from the home page photo of the Cat's Meow to the Sales page to emphasize that other items are available as well.

Library Director's Report: Hasskarl has worked on the new budget for the town. It reflects an increase of 10% primarily in the areas of increased staffing, custodian, and materials. She reported that the town allows wine to be served at functions in town buildings only when the event is a fundraiser. The library staff is planning a silent art auction fundraiser to benefit the teen and children's area. It is hoped this will become an annual event. The Love Your Library magazine campaign is underway.
The Take Your Child to the Library event was a huge success. Over 200 people attended.

Program Committee: Black Forest Bake Sale/Loving, Laughter and Living Book Sale is this Saturday, February 11. Winter will be setting up on Friday beginning at 1:30. Berton and Small will help. Elaine Eberhard will set up the book sale. Marie will clean out the refrigerator on Thursday. Monies from the baked goods sale and the book sale will be collected separately so we will be able to evaluate the success of each. Donations will be accepted all day Friday.

Old Business: Donation envelope: tabled until March. Basement door: tabled until March

New Business: Tabled until March

Meeting Adjourned At: 2:24 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,

Sandra Hierl
Secretary


Meeting: January 4, 2012
Call to order: 1:33 p.m. in the Anne Walluk Room of the library

Attendance: Berton, Eberhard, Hasskarl, Hierl, Mazeau, Merriman, Miller, Small, Walluk, Winter. Guest Jennifer Lotstein. Absent: Krewalk, Mantel.

Correspondence: Walluk shared a holiday greeting from Kecia German. She received the FOCL newsletter and recommended interested board members read articles on whether friends' boards need insurance and a survey on fundraising. On April 21 there will be a Boot Camp with workshops on Small Town Communication, Revving Up Your Facebook Page, and Marketing Your Friends' Group.

Secretary's report: Hierl indicated she is in the process of updating the written and signed copies of the minutes. There were no changes to the December minutes. Motion to approve by Small, Seconded by Winter. Minutes approved.

Treasurer's report: Mazeau is waiting for the final year end bank and mutual fund account statements. He noted our December income was $4400. A review of 2011 income and spending shows we were over budget in income from donations, book sales and bake sales, and our spending was under budget. We will not need to use any accumulated income. Eberhard requested that Mazeau file necessary paperwork to have BLA added to the Disney matching funds list. It was noted that Walluk sent thank you notes to all donors in December who contributed $50 or more. Thank you to Anne. Motion to approve by Miller, seconded by Eberhard. Approved.

Webmaster's report: Berton reported changes to the website: approved minutes have been posted, new life members added and wording clarified on one new life member, 2012 events listed, and the "Links" page was updated. He will review the PayPal link to make sure the wording is clear to donors. A monthly subscription donation feature was added. Berton has built an online sales page which is still in draft form. Small will assist with wording on the Cat's Meows, and Hasskarl has sent photos to be added.

Library Director's Report: Hasskarl reported that she is awaiting a response to the question about serving wine at our annual meeting. Her budget will be submitted after next week's board meeting. The library did not receive any STEAP money for this coming year. The new First Selectman has asked for the library calendar so events can be added to the town calendar. There seems to be a very favorable attitude toward the library from the new First Selectman.
Hasskarl noted several programs for the beginning of the year: Challenge 365 Dare to Read to Your Child Every Day, a program encouraging parents of children ages birth through kindergarten to read daily to their children. Participants will be given a calendar, be able to post titles online, and there will be a celebration at the end of the year. February 4 will be Take Your Child to the Library Day. There will be activities planned. The Love your Library magazine fundraiser will once again be held in February, and we will have our book and bake sale on February 11.

Program Committee:
Civil War Series: On September 27 State Archaeologist Nicholas Bellatoni will present The Search for Ezra Chamberlain, a Civil War program. Application for booking is made through the Museum of Natural History which requests a donation to the museum of $250. There is a matching grant of $100 to offset the cost, and Walluk is preparing the paperwork. We will also ask the Historical Society if they are interested in co-sponsoring and contributing to the cost. Walluk was also successful in communicating with Kandie Carle regarding the program, They Call Me Lizzy. The cost of the program is $300, and, after some discussion, the board agreed it is a worthwhile expenditure. Once again, we will ask if the Historical Society is interested in co-sponsoring.

Old Business:
Website Sales: As noted in the Webmaster's report, the "items for sale" page is in process. Items will be displayed, but there will not be a shopping cart. It was agreed to take the page live after the updates noted above are completed. Mazeau updated information about sales tax. We are allowed 5 tax free sales events per year. We do not have to pay sales tax on book sales, but sales tax will be due on other items sold outside of our 5 events. He will keep records and will file the necessary paperwork and pay the taxes due.
Donation Envelope: Berton suggested adding a check-off option for the monthly subscription and making the wording consistent with the website's donation page. Lotstein suggested adding a reference to our website on the back of the envelope. Berton and Hierl will work on changes.
Downstairs door: Tabled until February 8 meeting.
Black Forest Bake Sale/Loving, Laughter and Living Book Sale: A short discussion about publicity and the feasibility of using the library email databank to send information about our events was held. Further discussion was tabled until the February 8 meeting.

New Business:
Landscaping: A committee was formed to discuss landscape options for replacement of the lilies and boxwoods. The committee members will be Merriman, Small, Winter, Hasskarl, and Carl Salsedo.

Meeting adjourned at: 3:17 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,
Sandra Hierl, Secretary