REPORT TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mathews Memorial Library
Bette Dillehay, Director
March 12, 2019
This report is intended to provide the Chairman and members of the Board of Trustees with a report of activities during the period January 8-March 12, 2019.
Financial Report
Current Reporting Period
The current financial report is a statement of resources and expenses for a two-month period ending March 12, 2019. Operational expenses for the bi-monthly period totaled $8,932.62. To date in FY2018-2019, fees for online services (including Verso, the library online catalog) total $19,762.63 or 15.4% of total operating budget with no significant change for the previous period ($19,858.51).
Current unencumbered operating funds total $70,209.22. Included in unencumbered operating funds is $14,542.00 the amount of the C4K Leadership Grant. Subtracting this grant from the unencumbered amount leaves a total of $55,667.22.
Salaries and related expenses
As of March 1, 2019, for the first eight-month period in FY 2018-19, salaries and related benefits totaled $162,226.10, averaging $20,278 per month. The total amount budgeted for salaries and related benefits for FY 2018-2019 is $272,955 or roughly $22,746 per month. Of the total budgeted amount, $74,129 is allocated for benefits.
Summary
With a combined budget total (Salaries/related expenses; Operating) of $386,842 and expenses to date of $221,668, approximately 42.6% of total available funding is unencumbered..
Patrons
The number of patrons now stands at 9,614. The number of new patrons added during the report period totaled 47.
Personnel
No significant changes occurred in staffing. The number of volunteers serving the main desk has dropped, however, and efforts are underway to recruit additional support.
Programs
The March 7, 2019, issue of the Gazette provides a reflection of how the spring season brings a myriad of activities to the library. The annual “Early Years” special section included in the current issue highlights the youth programs to be offered over the next several months. With the return of the Fantasy Trip program, young travelers during their spring break will be headed to Canada on April 4 to “see the sights” and learn about our neighbors to the north. On June 14th, the fun will continue with the annual Highland Games at the Ruritan Center.
The adult program line-up is highlighted by the appearance of two outstanding Virginia authors - Brad Parks on Thursday, April 25th at 7 pm and Earl Swift, author of Chesapeake Requiem on Thursday, May 9, also at 7 pm. The library line-up of computer classes is also underway.
Response to the recently established Teen Territory Library Café is favorable and steadily growing. Held each Friday from 3-5 pm, the events feature refreshments and a variety of activities such as retro video games, BYO Book Club and selected cinema. Substantial refreshments are offered to those in attendance.