Friends of the Portsmouth Public Library, Inc.
June 26, 2021
Board members present: Amanda Taft, Deborah Gallagher, Ellen Franke, Toby Pennell, Mia Taft
Call to Order: The meeting was held at the Main Library at 10:00 (rescheduled from last minutes’ date). Amanda called the meeting to order at 10:20.
Minutes: The 5/19/21 minutes were reviewed.
Correspondence: No correspondence was received.
Financial Report by Treasurer: Ellen reported the Operating Account has a balance of $44,510.88. The Copier Account balance is $19,305.14 as of May 31, 2021.
Committee Reports: Until a book sale has happened we have not had official committees set up, we are just dividing up responsibilities.
Unfinished Business: Toby reported she has spoken to Manor and Cradock libraries about the placement of “free book” carts. Both libraries already have those for their own discards but were willing to accept donations from us. Toby volunteered to maintain contact and deliver books for those libraries as requested. She also spoke to Allie at Cradock about the jail book donations we have done in the past. Allie was willing to contact the jail and sent an email to them inquiring. She has not heard back from them at this point and Toby will follow through on this. The book sorting is going well (books with copyrights before 2001 are being discarded for paperback and hardcover fiction). We have a volunteer schedule set up for the Main Library FOPPL area and the Book Nook at Churchland Library. Discarded books will be offered for free at the Main Library during the sale and we are pursuing other options for those books as we are running out of space.
New Business: The book sales will be every 1st, 2nd and 3rd Saturday of the month at the Main Library and every 4th, 5th Saturday of the month at the Book Nook from 10-2 for all sales. Judy Walker will give the money from the Book Nook sales to Ellen for deposit. Our first book sale is set for July 3, 2021 and we have volunteers staffing it. Amanda is making a new log in sheet for volunteering and has made a “how to” list for using the tablet for book sales. She reviewed the procedure with all of us and demonstrated on the tablet. All purchases for the book sale will now be through the tablet (not on paper). The book sale signs will be checked for accuracy before they are put out. We are considering putting one at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday even though it is at a new location. We discussed having some promotional FOPPL items made (for example tote bags, stickers, etc.) and Mia said she would price some items for future consideration. Toby mentioned that FOPPL had previously had tote bags made and sold at book sales. We also discussed the future use of paper versus plastic bags for our book sales. We will use up the plastic bags we have but paper is more environmentally responsible. Mia will check into prices. Amanda mentioned that the library has their summer adult reading program back again. Typically, FOPPL would help with the “prizes” but we haven’t had any revenue in over a year due to the pandemic so have proposed helping put together a basket of goodies to go with the tablet the library is offering. We discussed a mug with tea or hot chocolate, a throw, bookmark, Amazon card for Kindle or a tote bag, etc. Mia will look into possibilities/prices and attempt to consider local businesses for contributions. We had free book shelves donated by TCC. Tommy and Toby Pennell and Amanda and Mia Taft helped remove them and they are being set up in the basement of the Main Library; primarily at present, to hold the discarded books.
Library Director’s Report: Again, no report was given or asked for since the libraries just opened to the public on June 7, 2021.
Meeting was adjourned at 11:05. Next meeting is scheduled for July 24, 2021 (Sat.) at 10:00 with the location to be emailed to the board members.