FRIENDS OF THE ELM GROVE LIBRARY
Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting
August 13, 2015 9:30 a.m.
Attendance: Sally Cashin, Mary Gayle Gagliano, Pat Ruttum, Carla Stensberg, Pat Tibbetts, Maureen Ullrich, Jill Varick, Janet Wintersberger, Kathy Baptie, Judy Giljohann, Jan Cronin, Julie Malloy, Kathy Tusing and Library Director Sarah Muench.
President Sally Cashin called the meeting to order at 9:35am after we took a group picture outside the Library entrance. Review of Minutes: Carla Stensberg moved and Jill Varick seconded that the June minutes be approved as written. Approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Kathy Baptie moved and Janet Wintersberger seconded that the attached Treasurer’s report be accepted. Approved.
President’s Report: Sally Cashin reported a busy July in spite of no Board meeting. She has updated the calendar and will email it out. She reported the good news that we have new Lifetime members, the Kasprzaks, and shared the letter she wrote in thanks.
Library Director’s Report: Sarah Muench gave many thanks..to Janet Wintersberger for the Packer poster, to The Ullrichs for the Packer display in the entrance display window, to FOEGl for the joint sponsorship of the Houdini program
The following adult programs are planned:
Packer program with Jim Rice on September 2, 2015 in the evening.
EG Reads8 October 8, 2015 at Sunset Playhouse, 7pm.
John Gurda on October 15, 2015, sponsored by the Bonnie Ornst Memorial Fund, capped at 100 participants, registration will be required
A Genealogy program for November is in the works.
For Lights of Love, the Library will be open and the Conductor and train will be present.
Computer classes started by Library personnel fizzled out. It was decided to offer one on one training much as we did the Ereader training. Lori Kuban, librarian, is working on setting
these up.
Fundraising
Lights of Love: Committee has had one meeting. They have two new members, Kristina Olkowski and Kayte Parkin. Jill Varick reported that they are discussing the arrangements for crafts which move into Community Room, and Mrs Santa [Kristina Olkowski] in O’Neill Room.
Gifts and Bequests: Jill Varick reported $425 given for the Bonnie Ornst Memorial Fund.
Bookie Cookie: No report
Used Book Sale: Pat Ruttum indicated that books are coming in nicely for next year.
Membership/Volunteers: We have 168 members as of today, with 7 new members which includes the Junior Guild winner. 161 members renewed which include 12 Liftetime members.
59 non-renewing members need to be contacted. Newest Lifetime members are Trudi Schmitt and Alan Kasprzak. Their names will be added to the plaque in the Library. There was a short discussion about needing a new plaque. We need to consider soon the redesign of our membership envelope before we print more. The Library staff from now on will include a FOEGL membership envelope with each new library card issued.
Programming
Adult Programs: Kathy Baptie referred us to the Library Director’s list of upcoming programs. The FOEGL logo will go on each program we jointly sponsor. EG Reads8 is featuring author Jane Hamilton, speaking at Sunset Playhouse on October 8th at 7pm. There is a $5 charge for this program to encourage people who sign up to actually attend. May of 2016 Ms Hamilton has a new book coming out, THE EXCELLENT LOMBARDS. Kathy thanked Judy Giljohann for all her help. The plan is to also offer two tickets in a drawing that night for any Sunset Playhouse production.
Children’s Programs: Julie Malloy reported that she has booked a Sunset Theater production for October 24th, 10am, an original play “Up and Adam”, about two superheroes.
Lights of Love is in planning stage.
February 20, 2016 Mad Scientist is scheduled to present “Pop, Boom, Fizz” at 10am The poetry contest is probable for late spring. It was decently popular, with 80 entries vs 115 the year before. The Saint John Vianney teacher who required his classes to enter the first year no longer was in the classroom last year, hence we are thinking entries were down. The contest seems worth continuing.
Book Discussion Groups: Judy Giljohann reported all book club lists will be posted on the FOEGL bulletin board. She is thinking of starting a Newcomer Book Club. She has a list of 62
homes sold in Elm Grove, and she will put a note in those mailboxes and advertise this group. Her goal is to facilitate the start up of a Newcomer/Neighbor Book Club if there is interest.
Exhibits & Display: No report. Teena Flanner has a great Native American display in the Library now.
Special Projects
Elm Grove Reads8: covered already
Strategic Planning: Betsy Haushalter is out of town but until Library planning is completed we will not start our planning.
Committees
Historian: No report.
Hospitality: No report.
Newsletter: No report. Kathy Cavalco will send a reminder when she needs articles.
Publicity: Janet Wintersberger reported she is ready to start children’s flyers for fall. The Webpage is sorely out of date and there has been a three week delay until the Web site gets designed and implemented. Matt at SunAnt is doing the work gratis for us. She hopes for a September launch but may need more help in writing pages. There was a discussion about posting the newsletter and minutes. We need filler and all is public record. The consensus is yes to this if our FOEGL Webmaster pledges to keep it current. We need more pictures, at least three per FOEGl activity. The top home page will have a scrolling picture bar.
Web Page & Social Network: covered above
Old Business: Pat Ruttum made a motion seconded by Kathy Baptie that a $100 gift card be purchased to thank Christopher Felhaber for his work on the Library garden. Approved.
Improvements to membership form-Pat Tibbetts is working on this.
New Business: Creation of Garden Committee- Pat Ruttum moved and Pat Tibbetts seconded the creation of a FOEGL Garden Committee. Approved. Pat Ruttum will chair it for now and will have at the September meeting the price of a plaque saying “Friends of Elm Grove Library keep this garden and Library growing”. Kathy Baptie moved and Judy Giljohnann seconded that $300 be placed in the budget for this new committee. Approved.
FOEGL Bulletin Board-Kathy Tusing refreshed the board hanging as one enters the Library, straight ahead on the wall by the counter on the right. This board will hold book club lists, quotations, pictures. Publicity will use it but any Committee can post pictures or flyers.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Jan Cronin and seconded by Jill Varick. The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 a.m.
The next meeting will be held on September 10, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. in the Park View Room.
Respectfully submitted by Pat Ruttum in Karen Sopik’s absence