Friends of Elyria Public Library System Board Meeting

FRIENDS OF ELYRIA PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM BOARD MEETING March 2, 2015 PRESENT: Nancy Baldauf, Cherie Fabian, Leo and Marilyn Kenzik, Denise Klammer, Jane Leavell, Phil Lyon, Tim and Marcia Widman Staff: Lyn Crouse, Debbie Pillivant Other: Kathy Wainwright

Denise Klammer called the meeting to order at 6:33 PM.

Previous Minutes Tim Widman moved that we accept February’s minutes after correcting “optional” and “White Horse” and “board.” Nancy Baldauf seconded. Motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report With some dues coming in last month, our balance is now $24,056.16. Cherie Fabian made a motion to accept the report. Leo Kenzik seconded it. Motion passed.

Director’s Report Debbie Pillivant turned in a written resignation and her last day will be April 1st, so this will be her last meeting with us. The library will hold a work-day farewell party at Central on Wednesday, March 25th, and we are welcome to stop in.

Debbie’s last project will be a Welcome Packet to be given to people when they get a new library card, and to be distributed to realtors and community groups. It will include a 16-page packet in a plastic bag. The packet will be a list of system-wide community resources, including information on joining the Friends of Elyria Public Library System. She’ll be printing 5,000 to start. She suggested that we consider including a gift, such as a bookmark with information about FEPLS. The online publisher 4Imprint could print it for us.

Jennifer Harmon, currently the Youth Services Librarian at West River, will take Debbie’s place and have access to Debbie’s files on FEPLS.

Debbie thanked us for our work together for the past 13 years and wished us good luck in the future.

Committee Reports Lyn Crouse handed out to all library directors a list of Friends contacts and 8 postcards they can distribute/share asking people to reserve May 2nd for the Lorain County Friends Exchange.

Jane Leavell announced she had trained Ian, a new volunteer book-sorter, on Friday.

Phil Lyon reported we have 350 packed boxes along the walls of the sorting room, with 100 empty boxes on hand and more arriving as the library receives shipments of new books in Baker & Taylor boxes. The Board discussed contacting B. Crawford of DiscoverBooks about picking up unsold books from the book sale. He would require that we pack them all on a pallet first. On the other hand, Ken Maynard has been picking up the books for us for over a decade.

Old Business None

New Business Kathy Wainwright loves the annual Book Sale but didn’t realize it was organized by FEPLS. Tim and Marcia Widman got her interested in joining us. Jane Leavell moved making her a member of our board, and Cherie Fabian seconded it. She was unanimously accepted.

We appear to have numerous overlapping membership lists. The treasurer keeps one as people join FEPLS, and passes it to the Vice-President. Janet Stoffer keeps one for contacting volunteers when the Book Sale is set up. Nancy Baldauf just downloaded one to the FEPLS computer in the basement of the Main Library. Phil Lyon suggested keeping one in the Google “Cloud” that all of us with the right password could access. For now, Tim Widman will compare Nancy’s database to the one Phil Lyon gave him.

The Friends are members of the Ohio Library Council which hosts continuing education classes we are eligible to attend. The library attends the ones in April at the Holiday Inn in Rockside near Independence.

Denise asked if anyone wanted to take on the bookmark project for the Welcome Packet and see what else we might put in the packet. Information about Friends membership will be included in any case. The Board appeared to favor a bookmark on card stock, not laminated, thin, bearing our logo and something along the lines of “Join Friends of Elyria Public Library System.” Marilyn Kenzik will review some catalogs.

Nancy Baldauf moved that we adjourn. Leo Kenzik seconded it. Meeting adjourned at 7:36 PM.

Respectfully submitted by Jane Leavell.

After Debbie Pillivant left, the Board met in the hallway to discuss a farewell present for Debbie, who lives in Wakeman. Nancy Baldauf moved that we spend $100 on a gift card from Don Mould’s nursery and give it to her at the potluck on March 25th. Tim Widman seconded it. Motion passed.