September Meeting Minutes
Present: Sue Collins, Katherine Howard, Maureen Wise-Ryan, Betsy Lorusso, Margi Rossetti, Janice Rosado, Ashley Clement, Charles DiPompo, Lesleyann Foster, Colleen McManus, Kirstine Stone, Jennifir Huston, Trustee Jon Clark
Meeting called to order: Sue Collins Called meeting at 7:03 pm
YA Librarian’s Report: Jennifir Huston
- Summer Reading: 105 signed up. The most popular prize was the vlogging camera. 46 logged 48,994 minutes of reading.
- 13 year old author from Sharon donated his book to Boyden Library. He started his book in 5th grade. He will be doing a reading and book signing November
12th during National Novel Writing Month. - Teen room construction proceeding nicely. Hoping to be able to use for October programming.
- Past Programming Sponsored by Friends
- August: Teen take and make Mini Cactus Craft: 5 participants
- September 29: Felted Pencil Holder with Pop Up Art School
- October: Every Thursday Workforce Readiness with Teenwork Partners, helping teens get read to enter the work force. Ages 14-9
- Five week course with Karen Burg
- October 13: Crafty Teens: Edible Sand Art
- October 20: Mirror Tree Project with Miss Mehta
- October 22: Magic & Mind Reading with Darren Young
- October 29: Cookie Decorating Halloween Edition w/ Wicked Good Henna
- November 9-14: Teen Take & Make: Button Snowflake Ornament
- November 10: Letters for Our Elders
- November 17: Crafty Teens: Pumpkin Craft Diorama
- November: Mindful Doodling w/ Cara Bean
- November 24: Wooden Keychain Art w/Dimpe Sha
- TINKER TANK UPDATE:
- A pretty busy summer. Most popular was the embroidery machine.
Children’s Librarian Report: Emma Brelsford
- Thank you to Friends for an amazing summer. You sponsored 10 big events, attended the Teddy Bear Picnic and funded the croc charm prizes as well as
goodie bags and Tonie Box drawing prize. - Because of all these fun incentives we had 448 kids sign up for the Summer Reading Program.
- Friends sponsored summer programs: SRP Kickoff Party, Jenny the Juggler, Joys of Nature, Not Really So Scary Animals, Pop Up Art School, Felted
Butterfly Hoop, Ed The Wizard, Balloon Making Workshop, Flower Bouquet, Hands on Nature, Let’s Go On a Bug Hunt, Juice & Jelly Funtime Band, Teddy
Bear Picnic, Jackson Gilman, Riot in The Garden Comedy Show, Ami Tredo, DIY Hair Extensions Class, Dimple Shah, Van Gogh Dinosaur Painting, and
One up Games Plus Foam Party on the Town Common.
Approval of June Minutes: Betsy Lorusso Margi made motion Ashley 2nd Motion passed.
Trustee: Jon Clark
- Our last meeting on June 9th, Bartholomew Rep came to give overview of investments. Trustees to meet next Tuesday first meeting of this year.
Treasurer’s Report: Katherine Howard
- Treasure Report 6/1-8/31/2026
- June income $2000.00 from: Book Shops, Donnelly Delivers, Zoo Passes (sold out by mid-August) Memberships and tote bag sale.
- Tracking the tote bags. LesleyAnn will do logo on new canvas totes $15.
- T-Mobile, we no longer take Venmo which was purpose of having a cellphone. People use Apple pay, PayPal and credit cards now.
- Executive decision to cancel T-Mobile account.
- Museum of Science Pass $700 annual fee.
- Lesleyann to change logos on Friends bags.
- Katherine decided that Money Minder is better to track expenses.
- Audit 2025 underway with Bernadette.
- New calendar: Next month will look over the 2027 Proposed Budget, Katherine. to review with Libby, and will vote on it for November meeting.
- Reorganized the line items to line up with the State Tax form.
- Katherine requests a motion to accept the June Treasurer report. Motion by Mo, 2nd by Kirsten. Motion passed.
Director’s Report: Libby O’Neill
- Thank you to the Friends for sponsoring the following June-August adult programs:
- June 10 – What You Need to Know About Dementia with Dr. Edward Hoffer – 19 people attended
- June 15 – Paint Night with Sandy Churchill – 16 attended
- June 30 – Deborah Sampson Program – 25 attended
- Aug 19 – Turkish Marbling Workshop – 13 attended. We will be hosting another session in April 2027 because it was so popular!
- Aug 25 – Rations of a Continental Army talk with Stay Booth – 18 attended.
- The Friends also sponsored gift cards for the adult summer reading bingo challenge. Only 14 people returned their bingo cards.
- Statistics from the Annual Report Libby submitted to the MBLC:
- 108,225 people came to Boyden Library between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. The previous year it was 105,893.
- This year we held 623 programs for all ages. Last year there were 631. However, we almost doubled our passive programs (yay Take & Makes which
the Friends sponsor!) This year 49 versus 28 participants last year. - Announcements:
- Check out our new website – same URL!
- The Teen Programming Room is coming along! This will also serve as a study room for anyone to use on a first come, first served basis M-F 10 am-2pm and
Sundays (Nov-April) - Our Library Open House will be held on Wednesday, October 7, from 4-6 pm. We’d love to have the Friends participate and set up a table in the café!
- Some personnel changes: Vickie has now retired, and we have hired Tim Fortin for the library assistant position. Jeanne, from Children’s, has also resigned (her
last day will be 9/9) – and we’re in the process of hiring her replacement. - Upcoming Friends sponsored programs:
- Sept. 29 – Greetings from Breed’s Hill: Fact & Folklore on America’s 250th with Ted Reinstein
- Oct. 22 – Magic and Mind Reading Show with Darren Yong (teen and adult program)
- Oct. 28 – New England Hiking with Jeff Romano
Membership: Colleen McManus
- We now have 215 members versus 185 last year.
- In May 24 new members, 22 were from Book Sale.
- Busiest months for memberships: Feb, Jan, May, and March
- Should we do a targeted email to Members in 2023-24 who have not renewed? We could have an incentive that if they renew by end of October. They are
invited to the Early Bag of Book sale before general public, a free $2 book at book sale, and membership will run through end of 2027. - Betsy to keep eye on the Yahoo email for membership questions.
Newsletter: Bernadette Thie
- Requested that everyone submit anything for Newsletter letter by
Oct. 1st.
Book Shop: Margi Rossetti
- Lots of books sold from Book Shop over the summer.
- Pretty steady donations to the box in the lobby.
- Lots of children’s’ book for book sales.
- Matt Donnelly changing his profit margin to 60/40 due to the increase in pricing. Will be 50/50 if net profit over $40.Margi told him he can come on Weds at 4 pm
to preview books at Book Sales. Matt will drop of a check for $236 tomorrow.
Book Sale: Lesleyann Foster
- Book drives Saturdays 10-12 pm on 9/26 and 10/17. Lesleyann shall send out the Sign Up Genius. Will first send out to adult volunteers first then student
volunteers. - Weds 11/4 Book Sale set up. Lesley will be here 3:30-7:30. Room is open to at 1 pm to set up book sale. Core group Bob Boyden, Janice, Kerry, Margi. Margi
will set up at 11 in Café for children’s, Bob and Bob Boyden will bring up the tables. - Publicity will start soon.
- Lesleyann stated maybe we could find another book box drop spot. Charles will go to Community Center to speak with Marc Craig.
Volunteers: Janice Rosado
- Will send out email about our standard volunteer opportunities. Janice will send the names of those interested in volunteering for the Book Sales to LesleyAnn.
- Good news Kimberly Gerard, a new volunteer, reached out to Janice about wanting to do some volunteer opportunities. Will tell all volunteers that they will
be added to Sign Up Genius automatically and will receive email.
Old Business:
- Founders Day June 6th : Sue Collins
Sue, Mo, and Betsy helped out at event. Mo had great idea of putting the books out in the front of the tent with more books being sold. Shruthi had
recommended donations of $5 for henna, we received $300 from tips and books sales. - Teddy Bear Picnic: Bernadette Thie $75 worth of books sold. Charles brought all the books and tables to the Common. Sue, Bernadette and Betsy manned the table. Lots of kids were excited to buy books. Emma does a fantastic job and hired a great band.
New Business:
Sue Collins re: Margi Rossetti- Sorting Room Manager:
- Margi has decided to step down January 2027 from being on the Friends Board and being in charge of Sorting Room.
- She will continue to come in once a week to sort. Margi has put together a list of the duties. She suggests that maybe the Book Sorter chair doesn’t
do sorting but focuses on taking care of administration duties and send out notice to sorters of large donations that need sorting. - Do we want to have 3 sub coordinators? 1) Donation Coordinator 2) Book Shop Coordinator and 3) Sorting Coordinator.
- Currently there are 14 board members, when Margi steps down in January we will have two open positions on the board. Should we consider having
Jenn Linskey as an “absentee” board member” to free up another open space on the board, thereby creating 3 openings for new board members?
Fall Social: Mo Ryan
- Betsy will try to book Cannon Forge Clubhouse for Oct. 21st 6-8 pm.
- Kirstin Stone will chair committee with Ashley, Mo, and Betsy assisting.
- Ashley will put together two raffle baskets. Colleen may put together flowers for decoration and as raffle item.
Boyden Library Open House: 10/7 4-6 pm. Need Friends Volunteers.
New Donations Ideas: Lesleyann. Publicize Official Library Day of Giving 4/14/2027.
Dine Out Foxborough: Ashley – will revisit at October meeting.
Partners in Patriotism: Ashley- Proposed as a fund raiser option, Ashley to bring to Trustees and talk with Libby to see if it is an option.
Adjourn Meeting: Sue requests a motion to adjourn meeting. Colleen made motion 2nd by Lesley. Motion passed.
Next Meeting: October 7, 2026 7 p.m. in the Boyden Community Room
Respectfully submitted by: Betsy Lorusso, Secretary