Friends January 8, 2025 Meeting

January Meeting Minutes

Call to Order

Katherine Howard called the meeting to order.

YA Librarian’s Report

Jennifir Huston

Upcoming Programs Sponsored by the Friends:

• Dance Movement with Katelyn Cramer; Aromatherapy with Klassic Kreations; Crafty Teens: Sun & Moon Shadow Boxes
• Community Reads Planning: Crafty Weave a bookmark; searching for a presenter for a basket weaving demo; Library after hours ghost hunt with Noah Faraday and Suzanne

Upcoming Programs Sponsored by Friends

• April: Pipe Cleaner Flowers with Sidney & Aiden; Soul Speak Alchemy Box with Klassic Kreations
• May: Make it Stick: Sticker Design Workshop with Heidi & Nilo Crafty Teens
• Recycled Book Craft: Bright Path Letter Project led by teen Saanvi

Additional Updates

• Tinker Tank: Five appointments were made in March.
• Summer Reading: All prizes are ordered and work is underway on Beanstack.
• School Visits: FCS on May 4, Ahern on May 7, and FHS is working on a collaborative visit with ELA teachers.
• Founders’ Day Parade: Jennifir and Ashley have flower- and tree-themed decorations. Teen volunteers will walk the parade route, and a teen volunteer will create vinyl Summer Reading and Boyden Library banners for the float.

Children’s Librarian Report

Emma Brelsford

Had a great year!
•Friends sponsored programs: Noon Years Eve (photo backdrop & props, champagne flutes, Mobile Quest Coding Robots, The Yo-Yo Guy, Moms Afternoon Out Spa Day (massage therapists & spa goodies to take home)
•Budget Confirmation: Amazon supplies- $1,498.06, Amazon & iRead prizes- $1,009.90, Total on supplies and prizes in 2024= $2,507.96
•Children’s Program fees total= $7,505

Approval of November 6th Minutes

Treasurer’s Report

Katherine Howard

• Expense total – $32,964.54 (above budget of $28,2551.00)
• Income total – $33,930.30 (above budget of $19,800.00)
• Net – $966.00
• Been collecting weekly money from Renee. The Book Shop includes cash & Venmo. Electronics was a little less than 50%; discrepancy with Tote Bags
• Ordered new checks & a phone for Venmo.
• Supplies & expenses were pretty much on track- but process is a challenge, Katherine working on different way to track with departments reporting in real time their Amazon purchases
• Subscription cost increased by $24.00
• Will separate the 2 different Book Sales in to Spring and Fall
• For Identified larger donations that need advanced tracking this year, such as Ann Clark, it was not listed. Plan to have sub- committee formed to determine 2025 budget and layout of budget within the program
• Ed O’Leary donations have to be identified
• Makerspace expenses is a one-time expense
• Adult, Teen & Children’s expenses did go up
• Waiting for Zoo Passes Sale
• We’re on track to spend a little more than we’re bringing in
• Katherine recommended having a meeting to figure out all the budget details. Lesleyann, Janice, Sara & Betsy are interested. Sue would like to sit in to keep informed
• Emails go out to for tax purposes for over $50 from Colleen McManus from MoneyMinder
• Discussed when people pay for memberships at book sales. Betsy suggested people fill out the membership envelope or we create a half-page form for membership information since envelope space is tight. This would help treasurer and membership chair match up membership monies taken in with membership
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Director’s Report

Libby O’Neill

Libby stated that 2024 was an amazing year! Thanks to the Friends for sponsoring so many wonderful programs to make the past year so successful.

In total (Friends sponsored and non-sponsored), we had 188 adult programs, 78 teen programs, 376 children’s programs!

We have a lot of exciting adult programs coming up for January! Friends sponsoring:
Our first concert of 2025: Hip Swayers concert
Moms Afternoon Out, Water Lily Designs – tea towels art workshop

Some of the other programs:
Spice Club is back. Will run Jan. – April; Sound healing workshop; Narcan training, partnering with the Health Department and SAFE Coalition; True Crime Podcast Discussion Group, Paint by Numbers event – with mocktails

Please spread the word that we have our social worker intern holding office hours: Tuesdays 4-6pm and Thursdays 10am-12pm. Lesleyann said she would let the School Counselors know. Food Pantry should be notified.

Libby is working with MRPAC and local churches to kick off a Pride initiative for the month of June. Each organization will plan their own programming, but we’ll advertise together in one calendar or brochure. Our slogan is “Together with Pride” and one of our teen volunteers is working on a logo.

Community Reads: The book is The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan. Library would appreciate Friends funding promotional materials. Bernadette made a motion for $250 for promotional materials, second by Lesleyann. Libby hoped we’d sponsor another program: Bernadette made a motion for $600 for Medium Program on March 3, second by Colleen. Both motions passed. Another program will be Jeff Belanger talking about ghosts at a cost of $500.

Lesleyann suggested that Libby or Lesleyann herself will write an article in Foxboro Reporter about how many programs the Friends sponsor & let the community be aware that Friends need their support.

Trustee Report

Sarah Halton

• Voted on library budget

Membership

Colleen McManus

• For November & December had 29 memberships, 15 are brand new!
• Total 212 memberships, about 20% don’t live in Foxboro
• MoneyMinder collects information
• Colleen ran tax receipts for tax purposes, have to work on memberships from Book Sale
• If someone says they want to volunteer, Colleen wanted to know who to notify; Lesleyann would like that info
• If anyone hears of someone passing away, let Colleen know.
• At the beginning of March, she’ll pick a name for drawing prize for everyone who has paid their dues by the end of February.
• Benefits for Membership: early access to the Bag Sale at Book Sale, Free Book at Sales, invitation to Social, eligible for drawing for membership paid by end of February
• Looking for volunteers for Book Sale, Donation Days, Board Members-at-Large

Newsletter

Bernadette Thie

• Newsletter just about ready to go, Betsy will proofread.
• The January issue is printed as we mail these out with membership envelopes

Nominating Committee Preliminary Report: Bernadette Thie

•Work in progress

Book Shop

Margi Rossetti unable to attend. Lesleyann reported:

• Adam came during Christmas week
• Unable to meet Ilana Sheldon to accept her donation of 100 books. She will drop of books in chunks, using the donation box. The books belonged to her mom who recently passed away. Subjects include mainly arts and crafts along with some fiction.

Book Sale

Lesleyann Foster

• Thanks to everyone who set up & worked the Sale
• $5,700 was the grand total but that included memberships of $775= $4,925
• People came in steadily, especially the first day
• Need more volunteers. Workers worked multiple shifts
• Student volunteers were great. Did set up & break down for the Sale
• For the Book Drive, there were about 3 people who worked multiple shifts.
• Lesleyann wants to advertise in the Foxboro Reporter to increase membership and volunteers
• Next Book Sale: May 7 set up, Sale May 8, 9, 10
• New Book Sale Lawn signs have arrived! Discussed creating 2-4 lawn signs to advertise in front of the library for the Donation Days. Lesleyann and Betsy will work on this.

Old Business

Giving Tree: Colleen McManus

• All went well & smoothly, 73 gifts donated to Discretionary Fund.
• Only 2 books donated. Believe it was because Rotary Club had a donation book for Children’s books in Lobby.
• Tree lights are broken so we need a little bigger tree. Janice made a motion to spend up to $80, second by Katherine. Motion passed. Colleen will order it, in consultation with Kathy Bell-Harney and Kathy Lowey

New Business

Cordinate Annual Meeting announcement (Reporter/Social Media): Janice
Betsy will ask Kathy Bell-Harney to advertise meeting in Reporter, Jen will advertise on social media

Friends Reps for Trustee Meetings: Sue Collins
January 14, Sue; February 11, Betsy; March 11, Katherine; April 8, Janice

Stop & Shop Community Bag Program: Bernadette Thie
If you buy a bag for $2 at Foxboro Stop & Shop in the month of January, Friends get a $1.

Adjournment

Respectfully submitted by:

Sue Collins