March 9, 2010 Minutes

Hudson Area Public Library District
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 9th, 2010

March 9, 2010

Hudson Area Public Library District

Board of Trustees Meeting

104 W. Pearl Street

Hudson, IL 61748

Call to Order and Review of Previous Minutes

The Hudson Area Public Library board meeting was called to order by President Judy Lampert at 6:30 PM.   Board Trustees Stacy Shane, Anne Colloton, Margaret Wolf and Dee Hinrichsen were present.  Eric Cash and Laura Haas were absent.  Rhonda Johnson, youth services director, was also present to discuss what was happening at the library for the past month.   Stacy Shane moved that the minutes of the January meeting be accepted after two corrections were noted.

Rhonda Johnson’s Report

-The new shelving has arrived.  The Board took a tour led by Rhonda through the library to view the arrangement changes created by the new shelving.  The Board was pleased with the results.

-The spring newsletter was published and distributed.

-Many patrons are enjoying the ability to download the new audio/ebooks available through the Alliance library system.  Alliance will have a workshop to explain how to keep statistics on the numbers of patrons using the audio/e-books in April. 

-Rhonda explained how the audio books work and noted that the website includes everything one needs to know to take advantage of this new opportunity.

-The recycling is going well.

No Secretary’s Report

Treasurer’s Report

The Board perused the budget figures for the last month.  Lampert noted that some budget adjustment will need to be done after the new director is hired.

New Business

-Lampert noted that the IRS will audit the Hudson Area Library on March 24, 2010 for the 2008 calendar year.  The auditor sent a list of requirements to the library and plans to spend 2.5 days at the library.  She will need to see all of the contractual agreements the library honors with several people who offer services to the library, such as Dan, Marcia, and Linda. 

-Haas will be able to work with auditor for a couple hours on March 24, she reported to Lampert.

-The Board voted to change #3 Vacation of the Library Director in the personnel policy, from six days of vacation during the first fiscal year of employment to ten days of vacation during the first fiscal year.  Wolf so moved and the Board approved the change in the personnel policy.

Old Business

-Wolf noted that Phase 1 of the Gates grant is complete.  The money from the grant has been received by the library.  Lampert will check with Linda to see where it is listed in the budget.  Of the required $1300 for Phase 2 of the matching funds for the Gates grant program, $1150 has already been promised to the library.  Since last month’s meeting, Carol Williams Browning has donated $50.00 through the sale of her book “Tinker” and the 4-H contributed $100.00.  Lampert has talked with State Farm and the Good Neighbor donation will arrive by March 31, 2010.

-Next, Wolf noted that the May 1 book sale is approaching.  The committee met prior to the HAPLD meeting.  She moved and the board approved that monies from the sale will go to Phase 2 of the Gates Grant and if any money is made over and above what is required for the grant, that money will be put aside to purchase any computer or computer accessory supplies the library may need.

-The library received the $75000.00 from the Hamm estate.  It was placed in a money market fund in Illini bank.  The cd remains at Illini bank.

-There is some difficulty in finding someone to perform a background check.  Haas and Lampert have been actively working to find someone to do this for the new library director applicant. Kari Smith Garman has accepted the position and is able to begin her new duties on March 22, 2010.  The Board, through an “aye” vote, voted to approve Garman as the new library director, contingent on a positive report on the background check.

-The Arcadia history book project was officially approved.

-“Onsite Services” were at the library on Monday, March 8, 2010 to assess the computer situation at the library in anticipation of our changing needs and requirements to be fulfilled through the Gates Grant.

One computer has not been working since September and will be replaced. 

-The Board briefly discussed a rule noted by Shane that June 1 and December 1 of each year, the Board needs to determine if the minutes from closed sessions should remain closed or opened to the public.  Colloton has only been taping the closed sessions and not taking notes.  She will listen to the tapes and make notes in anticipation of this vote in June.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:35.

Anne Dull Colloton, recording secretary