REPORT TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mathews Memorial Library
Bette Dillehay, Director
November 13, 2018
This report is intended to provide the Chairman and members of the Board of Trustees with a report of activities during the period September 11 – November 13, 2018.
About the Board
At a meeting of the Board of Supervisors held on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, a motion was made and passed to appoint Ms. Nancy Fischer to the Mathews Memorial Library Board. Ms. Fisher’s term, effective November 1, 2018, will expire October 31, 2022. We welcome her to the Board and look forward to working with her.
Financial Report
Current Reporting Period
The current financial report is a statement of resources and expenses for a two-month period ending November 13, 2018. Operational expenses for the bi-monthly period totaled $15,043.39. During the report period, several online services were renewed, including News Bank, a news database resource which provides archives of media publications as reference materials to libraries and ProQuest, a database which provides a single source for scholarly journals, newspapers, reports, working papers, and data sets.
Current unencumbered operating funds total $101,890.04. Included in unencumbered operating funds is the budget increase to the library part-time personnel budget of $9,500 approved by the Board of Supervisors on August 28th. It also includes $15,000, the amount of the C4K Leadership Grant. Subtracting this grant from the unencumbered amount leaves a total of $86,890.04.
Salaries and related expenses
No report has been received of expenses for salaries and related benefits through the report period of November 13. However, as of October 1, 2018, for the first three-month period in FY 2018-19, salaries and related benefits totaled $62,457 or $20,819 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.
Personnel
In mid-October, the library began a search to fill a part-time support staff position. The position is intended to provide additional resources in the youth services area, which is currently supervised by Carol McCormack, also a part-time staff member. Twelve applications were received, five of whom were interviewed. It is planned to offer the position this week, with the hope that employment will begin as of December 3rd.
The staff deserves praise for their perseverance over the past several weeks when the library’s boiler failed, leaving the main section, as well as the youth area, without heat. During that period the library maintained normal working hours.
Programs
Planning for autumn programs was highlighted by the annual celebration of Halloween. Several events under the umbrella title, Howl-a-Palooza, took place on Saturday, October 27th. The main event, attended by more than 60 young people and their families, began with crafts, games and refreshments at the library and concluded with a ‘trick or treat walk’ to merchants and businesses in the village. Pumpkins donated by Belmont Pumpkin Farm had been distributed to families earlier in the week. Once carved and decorated, they were returned to the library where prizes were offered in a variety of categories. Other associated events included a window display contest, with two prizes offered – one for creativity and another for people’s favorite.
Youth Services leader, Carol McCormack, in partnership with former teacher Marlene Moore, has organized the “Speak-Up” book club for youth in fourth, fifth and six grades. The club meets twice monthly. Current membership is at an amazing 25 young people.
Two author appearances were scheduled for November, the first on Friday, November 9th featuring Dr. Lynn Rainville, dean of Sweet Briar College discussing her book, Virginia and the Great War, and the second which is scheduled for Thursday, November 15th when Bill Lohmann, Richmond Times Dispatch feature writer and author of Dr Coptr, will talk about the well-known physician who served the population of Tangier Island. Both events begin at 4:30 pm.
The staff is now busily planning for the annual holiday celebrations which begin on Sunday, December 2nd, with the traditional “Deck the Halls” party. As we have done in the past, the library will be filled with trees reminiscent of seasons past in Mathews. This will be followed by a number of exciting events leading up to Christmas.
In January, 2019, a second author/newspaper reporter, Earl Swift, will visit the library to discuss his book, Chesapeake Requiem, also about Tangier Island.