REPORT TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mathews Memorial Library
Bette Dillehay, Director
May 12, 2020
This report is intended to provide the Chairman and members of the Board of Trustees with a report of activities during the period March 10 – May 12, 2020.
“The best laid plans of mice and men…….” Well, you know the rest. Mathews Memorial Library, like so many others, is challenged by the current health situation. The fact that COVID-19 severely limits our ability to work as usual pales in comparison to the tragic impact it has on communities and individuals where its effect is much greater than here in Mathews.
Financial Report
Current Reporting Period
The current financial report is a statement of resources and expenses for a two-month period ending May 12, 2020. Operational expenses for the bi-monthly period totaled $5,327.91. Year-to date expenditures total $72,166.50, representing a 2.49% decrease over the same period a year ago. Operating expenses to date are 52.98% of total budget with unencumbered funds totaling $64,093.50. This amount includes funds held for C4K totaling $16,717.00. The reduction in operating expenditures is largely the result of the library’s limited ability to procure books and other items due largely to delivery issues.
Salaries and Related Expenses
The amount budgeted for salaries and related benefits for FY 2019-2020 is $275,184, or $22,932 per month. For the first ten months of the current year, expenses totaled $223,640 or 81.3% of budgeted amount, averaging approximately $22,364 per month.
Budget
As reported in the April 30th issue of the Gazette-Journal, the Mathews County Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday, April 28th and adopted a $28.71M budget. Included in the budget is $421,823 approved funding covering personnel and operating costs for the library. This amount reflects an overall increase of $10,429 over the budget request proposed by the library Board of Trustees. The increase includes a $5,604 increase for full-time staff and a $2,474 increase for director’s salary, but a $2,132 decrease for part-time staff. A major factor in the amended budget was an adjustment to the account maintained for the Coalition4Kids of $17,481.
Due to the altered work schedules of County Administration, there has not been an opportunity to discuss the changes approved in the budget for FY20-21.
Patrons
The number of patrons now stands at 9,962. Due to the library being closed and the requirement for the presentation of appropriate identification, no new patrons have been added since the library closed to the public in mid-March.
Current Activities Status
Statistics tell only part of the story – but an important part. Through our curbside service more than 600 books have been checked out to patrons. Unexpectedly, circulation of electronic materials has not increased significantly over earlier periods. The average viewers of virtual story time each week is in excess of a 100 and daily connection to the internet via the extended service outside the building numbers around 25 users.
As we have reported, the inability to serve patrons in the traditional fashion has not resulted in lack of services offered. We receive daily words of praise and thanks for the numerous ways in which we have reached out to provide access to library materials, the internet and unique library services such as story time on YouTube.
An email received on April 29th from the head of Children’s and Youth Services at the Library of Virginia stated as follows:
“I have been attending virtual story times around the state, and I watched your story time this morning. It was great! I really liked your ukulele playing.”
Because it has proven so popular, the staff intends continuing it even when we are able to offer onsite programs.
A significant project was undertaken by Head of History and Genealogy, Becky Barnhardt. Marriage and Land Tax Records for Mathews in the library (unavailable elsewhere) are stored on aging microfilm. These records, frequently used by researchers of family history are becoming extremely fragile. For this reason, Becky is transcribing and digitizing these records thus making them available online and easily accessible, as well as to preserve them. To date, she has invested approximately 48 hours and transcribed Land Tax Records for the periods 1801-1807 and Marriage Records for 1854-1858.
A project that all libraries face, but one that doesn’t necessarily offer a great deal of pleasure is inventorying the collection. In today’s automated environment, it is accomplished by digitally identifying each book on the shelf, While technology has sped up the process, it has not necessarily lessened its intensity. Staff member Colanne Bunting has, to date, completed scanning the bar codes of more than 50% of the fiction collection. She plans to continue until finished and move on to non-fiction.
Diane Riley, in her quiet but very efficient manner, undertook to address the need for expanding the space allotted to large-print books. Single handily, she reviewed all the titles to determine their checkout status, removing approximately one-third of the collection which had not been checked out in the past ten years. Following this, she re-arranged other collections – short stories and westerns – to accommodate the large print titles and make them more easily accessible.
Last, but certainly not least, Greg Lewis, head of technology services, has applied his extensive skills in extending access to the public, both of the Internet and library services that are being offered. In addition, he is working with a federal agency and our provider to improve and enhance the library website for improved access by individuals with visual or other handicaps.
In a somewhat related field, we are assisting the county administration in promoting Census 2020. The library applied to become a 2020 Census Partner with the U.S. Census Bureau to help ensure that the community is accurately represented. Statistics to date reflect a very low response (32.8%) by Mathews residents.
This important activity is now greatly hampered by restrictions in sharing information through traditional methods. Originally, the library prepared for increased use of library computers and internet and readied to assist patrons with filling out the Census questionnaire. It was also planned to provide a dedicated computer kiosk that met the Census Bureau security requirements. These services would have been provided through “guest” access without the need for a library card.. Because we are closed, we are now promoting Census 2020 by means of Facebook, handouts and newspaper articles.
Each day brings new challenges and new opportunities. In exceptionally high spirits, the staff rises to meet them all.