Director's Reports

REPORT TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mathews Memorial Library
Bette Dillehay, Director
May 10, 2022

The report that follows outlines current administrative matters and ongoing activities that occurred during the report period.
Financial Report
Current Reporting Period
Information presented in the current financial report is a statement of resources and expenses for a two-month period ending April 30, 2022. Operational expenses for the report period totaled $11,613.21, A major element impacting the current statement remains the monthly charges payable to Verizon supporting the WiFi program making offsite Internet access possible for patrons. Such payments are reimbursed through a Federal Emergency Connectivity Fund providing a total of $18,495.75. Monthly charges average $1,500. To date, reimbursements totaling $8,182.07 have been received.
Salaries and Related Expenses
The amount budgeted for salaries and related benefits for FY21/22 is $337,602 or $28,134 per month. The current financial activity report reflecting the amount spent as of April 4, 2022 shows a total of $236,623 or 70.08% of the total budgeted amount for FY21/22. Available funds for the remainder of FY21/22 total $100,979. The estimated cost of salaries and related benefits through the end of the fiscal year is $78,912.
Patrons
The number of active patrons now stands at 10,376. In addition to circulation of materials (1,725), use of computers and printing devices continues to reflect community needs bringing citizens to the library
New Service The library recently subscribed to Niche Academy, a database platform providing access to video tutorials, webinars and easy-to-understand guides that explain how to use the library's online services and a variety of technology topics. Some of the training includes how to use Libby, Kanopy, Ancestry and many other library e-Branch services, Google services, basic computer skills and much more. A separate Staff Academy has been developed for sharing training content with library staff that includes timely library management topics.
In place for several months, the public database has recorded 735 hits while members of staff have accessed 13 training tutorials.
Projects/Programs
The exhibit, Our Community 1922 – 2022, featuring a comparison of our community, its people and their lifestyles in 1922 and 2022 continues to receive attention. In addition, two presentations have been made –Friends of the Library at their member meeting and Mathews Rotary – both of which generated interest in the topic.
Youth programs continue to follow a non-traditional path. During the report period, the library was approached by Mathews County school staff members who asked for assistance in creating programs for students in lower and middle schools. To date, three groups of 8-12 students have visited the library for story time. Four additional classes are scheduled in May. A second initiative focusing on 7th grade students resulted in 74 students visiting the Teen Center where they learned about its resources through participating in a scavenger hunt.
The library supported book clubs are once again meeting in person at the library. While restrictions on occupancy are still in place, a number of community groups have scheduled their meetings at the library, including two county agencies who held several training sessions which called for technical support that was provided by library staff.
Looking toward the summer season, plans are underway to return to previous youth and adult programs sponsored by the library. Preliminary plans include sponsorship of both the Highland Games and summer program for children and young adults and “Soothin’ Summer Sounds” for adults.