Hooksett Public Library
Board of Trustees Minutes
March 9, 2005 9am

Present: Mary Farwell, Chairperson, Marion Jacobi, Treasurer, Lisa Gillis, Secretary.

Secretary's Report:

  • Minutes from the February 8, 2005 meeting were approved and filed.

Treasurer's Report:

  • February report wasn't ready but January's numbers were reviewed. Budget is very tight but still on target.

Unfinished Business:

  • HVAC
    • MF reported that contracts were signed with Central Aire, they are planning to have a schedule prepared by next week. The contractor is planning to have project completed by Memorial Day. MF spoke with the school in Northwood and was told they were pleased with Central Aire's work, other references were also favorable. Rejection letters will be sent to other bidders this week.
  • Library Director hiring update
    • Heather Shumway will start as Library Director on March 9, 2005. The Trustees appreciate her initiative in attending the staff and GMILICS meetings as a guest prior to her start.
    • Trustees are concerned that the director can't be reached by phone when the library is closed. Heather will be asked to keep a cell phone with her when she is working in the library during closed hours, these will include Thursdays and staff meetings.
    • The trustees are considering spending a whole day at the library in order to better understand the day to day operations. Each Trustee would spend a different day.
    • To improve communication between the trustees and director, the trustees would like to request weekly e-mails sent to them outlining the accomplishments of the week.
    • Because of the changes in management at the library, employee reviews have been postponed. The board would like all employee reviews completed by the director to be finished by July 30th.
  • Staff Update
    • Effective immediately, the Trustees unanimously agreed that it is in the best interest of the library that ALL STAFF keep formal records of their hours worked detailing start time, break times (beginning and ending), lunch times (beginning and ending) and end of shift time. Employees will be allowed one paid 15-minute break for every 4 hours worked. Employees are allowed 30 minutes for lunch every workday, which will be unpaid.

New Business:

  • Boiler Motor Problem
    • It was brought to the board's attention that the boiler was making strange noises. Delta has been called. It may be a problem with a bearing which would mean a new motor is needed with a price tag of approximately $2,000.
  • Veteran's Plaque
    • John Queenan, a citizen of Hooksett, contacted MF about permanently displaying a plaque created by his son listing all the names of Hooksett veterans. The Trustees would need to see the size of the plague before agreeing. Mr. Queenan has been invited to our next meeting.
  • Independent Film Series
    • MF was approached about the next scheduled independent film to be shown at the Library. The film is unrated and contains adult content. The Trustees felt that at this point in time it was best to select a different film.
  • Dates for Public Hearings
    • 4/2 Deliberative session, MF and LG will attend
    • 3/21 Planning Board, St. Mary's Apartments may becoming Condo's, LG and MF will attend
  • Update on St. Mary Conversion
    • MF attended the 3/7 planning board meeting. There are 2 issues in regard to the Library. The first being the location of access easement to the Library. The plans show a 50ft. space but there is also record of a 150ft area. The second issue is the open space in front of the apartment building. Original master site plans designated that open space and could not be built on; the new plans have no such notation. MF and LG will attend the next planning board meeting on 3/21 to get clarification.
  • Benchmarks to Evaluate Director
    • Trustees discussed ways to evaluate new director short term as well as at 6 month and 12 months.
  • Meeting Room Use Requests
    • The Trustees were approached about use of the meeting room space. The first was a group wishing to hold instructional meeting over a period of several weeks. The participants would be charged and would not be open to the public. The second request was for a baby shower. Both requests were denied.

Items we are tracking:

  • Shelving options
  • Meeting Room Maintenance- painting plan
  • Kids' Community Service
    • Helpdesk for computer lab
  • Gift for AnnMarie-MF
  • Vacation Policy- MF
  • Measurement Tool for staff and Library Director reviews
  • Weeding Policy
  • Additional Newspapers

 

The next Trustees Meeting will be April 12th at 9am