April 2017 Miutes

Minutes of the April 18, 2017 Friends of the Merrick Library Meeting

Present: Karen Tusa (President), Howard Schwartz (Vice-President) Maureen Garvey (Secretary), Diane Christie (Treasurer) Fran Kommor, Steve Dershowitz (Kumon of Merrick) and Ellen Firer (Library Director).  Meeting called to order at 4:31 by Chair Karen Tusa.

The minutes of the February 2017 meeting, as emailed to the members, were read and accepted on a motion by Maureen Garvey, seconded by Howard Schwartz and unanimously approved.

The Treasurer’s report, as follows, was accepted on a motion from Diane Christie, seconded by Howard Schwartz and unanimously approved:

Total in Savings:       $8,455.43

Total in Checking:       $308.64

Total Income:              $313.17

Total Expenses:               $0.00

The members reviewed the invoices for the month of March.

Committee Reports

Membership

Karen Tusa reported that residential membership is currently at 44 out of 54 renewals mailed.  Fran Kommor and Marion Ormsten did call those who have not renewed their membership.  We currently have 13 business sponsors (of the 142 mailed) compared to the 18 we had in 2016.

Craft Fair

Howard Schwartz reported on vendors’ comments that he obtained at the last Craft Fair.  He said he kept the lawn signs from last year, and observed that we need to continue to improve publicity. Karen Tusa reported that she has already received calls from vendors asking for the date of this year’s Fair. The date will be November 18.  Howard will send out “save the date” notices.

Old Business

15 people attended Family Movie Night; although it was a small crowd, Karen Tusa reported that everyone seemed to enjoy the program, and the kids particularly liked the popcorn machine. After some discussion it was concluded that we might do better in the future to hold a similar program in the afternoon.  Maureen Garvey will talk to Sue Goodwin, the Head of the Children’s Department, to obtain her comments and suggestions.

The Meditation Class was a success, and some patrons have requested it be continued. The Friends will sponsor the program twice again in the coming year.

Karen reported that we have some positive outcomes from the three MUFSD PTA meetings that she and Maureen Garvey attended. We have two volunteers who will re-do the FOML website.  The members present agreed unanimously that the Friends will pay the approximately $100 hosting fee for the new site.   At the Chatterton meeting, a parent requested that the Library re-institute the “meet and greet” for parents and potential baby-sitters who have completed the Red Cross Baby-Sitting course held at the Library. Ellen Firer said the Library had ceased that program due to lack of attendance, but would be happy to reinstate it if there is interest.  She suggested Maureen Garvey speak to the Teen Librarian.

Steve Dershowitz suggested we contact the Superintendent’s office and request that a flyer advertising the FOML be placed in the students’ backpacks along with all the other informational material that goes home with the students at the end of the school year. Howard Schwartz suggested that representatives of the Friends attend the first PTA meetings next fall, which typically have higher attendance.

Ellen Firer suggested that the FOML underwrite the cost of the refreshments that the Library puts out during National Library Week, and Fran Kommor suggested that Friends staff the tables as well.

New Business
Karen passed around the updated FOML bookmark.   Steve Dershowitz volunteered to pass them out to his clients at Kumon.

The date of the tasting event has been re-scheduled to September 14; the June date we had picked turned out to be the night of one of the proms. Ellen Shurgan and Jan Sanseverino have met with Karen re: the planning, and will do so again.  Angela Capone, the Library’s Program Director, is working on the configuration of the tables.  We estimate we can accommodate approximately 20 restaurants.

Karen mentioned some possible program ideas, and the one everyone liked was a paper-shredding event. The Friends would arrange for a shredding company to come to the Library, and patrons would bring their sensitive documents to be shredded. Howard Schwartz said he would speak to someone he knows in the Copiague Library, where they hosted such an event, and Maureen Garvey will speak to the Bellmore Memorial Library, which also provided this service to the public, to get information about how to proceed.

Maureen Garvey mentioned that Chocolate Works does fund-raising events.  After discussion, it was decided that Karen would invite them to participate in “Merrick Eats” and Howard will send them in invitation to participate in the Craft Fair, and possibly we will consider doing a fund-raising event with them in the future.

Friends members are asked to come a few minutes earlier to the May meeting to review the Friends books and records of the treasurer.

Upcoming meetings of the Friends of the Merrick Library will be held on Tuesdays at 4:30 PM on May 9 and June 13.

Howard Schwartz made a motion to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 5:12 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Maureen Garvey
Secretary