February 2016 Minutes

Friends of the Merrick Library

Minutes of Meeting February 9, 2016

Meeting was called to order at 4:35 PM by Chairperson, Karen Tusa.

Present:  Karen Tusa (President), Howard Schwartz (Vice-President), Diane Christie (Treasurer) Marion Ormsten (Correspondence Secretary), Sandra Mintz.

Minutes:  January minutes were reviewed and accepted as emailed.

Treasurer’s Report:  Savings $6,455.01.  Checking $210.30.  Total Income to savings was $915 of which Residential Membership was $90.00 and Business Membership was $825.00.  There were no expenditures this month.

Membership Report: Thirty one renewals have been received to-date of 58 members. Three new memberships have been received for the year.   Most of the phone calls for the status of membership renewal were completed.   Karen will publish ad for membership/volunteer with Friends in local paper.

Business Membership:  Mailed 158 requests and received 14 for a total of $825.  Two business members had indicated a desire to volunteer on the brochure.  Karen contacted them; one responded with no availability at this time.  Karen will contact the second business sponsor again. Maureen Garvey will update Friends Blog with business sponsors on a monthly basis.  Bookmarks will be updated and printed with business sponsors.  ”What Friends Do” and application will be maintained on front of bookmark.  In March, Karen will provide Marion with a list of the remaining businesses to contact for consideration of a Friends membership.  Karen will provide Howard with an additional list of approximately 50 local businesses to address envelopes.

Old Business:  Spare change jar was replaced with velcro at the circulation desk.  Thank you to Diane for selling raffles at the Library Sunday program on 1/10 and for participating in the Library’s author visit on 1/13.

New Business:  Howard or Diane will volunteer for Sunday 2/28 at the Library to sell raffles from 1-2 PM.  Karen, Diane, Howard and Marion will review the Books of the Treasurer on March 15th at 4:30 PM.  An Acting Secretary is needed for Friends.  Any Friend member interested may contact Karen at karentusa2@gmail.com.

Next meeting dates:  Tuesdays at 4:30 PM- March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14, and July 12.

Meeting was adjourned at 5:00 P.M.

Respectfully submitted by Sandra Mintz

Friends of the Merrick Library

Minutes of Meeting January 12, 2016

Meeting called to order at 4:30 PM by Chairperson, Karen Tusa.

Present: Karen Tusa (President), Howard Schwartz (Vice-President), Diane Christie (Treasurer), Sandra Mintz and Ellen Firer (Library Director).

Minutes:  December minutes were reviewed and accepted as emailed.

Treasurer’s Report: Savings $5,540.01 and Checking $210.30.   Total Income to savings:  $1.21 interest. Total Income to checking was $328.25 of which $169.25 was from book sale, raffle $28, membership $115, tote bags $9, USB (flash drives) $7. Total expenditures were $153.10 of which $13 was for balloons for craft fair, $40 for business brochures, $21.70 gifts, and $78.40 for postage.

Holiday Craft and Vendor Fair Info Report: Total Income was $1,289 of which $1,155 was from table fees, $20 membership, $58 raffles, $53 spare change, and $3  totes. Total Expenditures were $117.27 of which $13.00 was for balloons, $86.77 for display board, $17.50 for posters.   Total profit for the fair: $1171.73.

Membership Report:  27 renewals received of the 58 memberships, 2 new memberships have been received to date.   Need 2-3 volunteers to contact remaining 31 members on their renewal status.  Diane Christie, Howard Schwartz and Sandra Mintz volunteered for this activity. Karen will pursue publishing an ad for membership outreach to the local community.

Business Membership: Mailed 158 requests to businesses on 1/2/16; 4 memberships have been received. They are: Printing Emporium, Dime Savings Bank, Expedia Cruise Ship Centers, and Keats Tax & Financial Service.   Friends’ Bookmarks will be updated in February to include all Names of Business Sponsors received to date.   Ellen commented that contributing businesses cannot be printed in the Library Newsletter but Friends blog can maintain a listing.  Karen will contact Maureen Garvey to assist on this.

Old Business: Earbuds were purchased by the Library and will be sold for $2 (rather than $3).  Proceeds will be given to Friends.  New jar for spare change has been provided; Diane is working on design of jar.  Recommendation to use velcro to attach the jar to prevent loss was approved by Ellen.

New Business: The By-Laws state that an audit of the treasurer’s books should be done within 60 days at close of fiscal year. Discussion ensued on the history of this Article.  Karen will contact Friends member Maureen Garvey on this matter.  

Next meeting dates:  Tuesdays at 4:30 PM-- February 9, March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14, and July 12.

Meeting was adjourned at 5:00 P.M.

Respectfully submitted by Sandra Mintz

December 2015 Minutes

Friend of the Merrick Library

Minutes of Meeting December 8, 2015

The meeting was called to order at 4:33 PM by Chairperson, Karen Tusa.

Present: Karen Tusa, (President), Howard Schwartz (Vice-President), Diane Christie (Treasurer), Joan Sculli (Publicity Chairperson), Marion Ormsten (Correspondence Chairperson), Jesse Just (Volunteer),  Sandra Mintz and Ellen Firer, (Library Director).

Minutes:  The November minutes were corrected to read “Stop and Shop” instead of “Shop Rite” in the Holiday Craft Fair report.  The minutes were approved as corrected.

Treasurer’s Report: Savings $5,538.80.  Checking $35.15. Total income was $807.24 of which $45.70 was book sale, $71.00 raffle, $450 membership, $3 tote bags, $35.00 craft fair, $53.00 spare change, and $149.54 Chipotle fundraiser.  Total expenditures were $58.48 of which $5.98 was for envelopes for the business membership drive and $52.50 for brochures printed by the library.  The Treasurer’s report was accepted as read.

Membership Report:  Twenty-three renewal memberships have been received.  Two additional new memberships were received.  A request was made to have the new brochure posted to the link on the library web-site. An ad for outreach will be edited by Howard.

Holiday Craft and Vendor Fair Report:  $169.00 was raised on the day of the fair in addition to the earlier income from the vendor tables sold. Response to a survey responded to by vendors was reviewed and discussed. Thank you letters were sent to Bagel Boss, Bagel Plaza and Stop and Shop. Fair volunteers Howard Schwartz, Diane Christie, Sandra Mintz, Marion Ormsten, Marion Hart, Marty Epstein, and Karen Tusa were thanked for their participation.

Old Business: The Chipotle fundraiser successfully brought in revenue.  Sandra Mintz, Marion Ormsten, and Karen Tusa were thanked for volunteering

Progress was made on the business membership drive.  Marilyn Ziser folded 160 brochures and Howard Schwartz addressed envelopes using the Merrick Chamber of Commerce list.  Karen Tusa will finalize the draft  of a letter which will accompany the brochure.  It was decided that recognition given to businesses for their contributions through membership or donations  would be listed on the Friend’s bookmarks.

New Business:  The “spare change jar” maintained on the circulation desk counter of the library is missing.  A replacement will be made.

A holiday gift of cookies will be provided to the library staff by the Friends.

Marian Ormsten will send a get well card from Friends to David Stayer.

At the request of the library, Karen Tusa will purchase 20 earbuds as a service to library patrons.  They will sell for $3.00.

A discussion was held about a Mother’s Day craft & vendor fair.  No suitable dates could be identified for a spring fair. It was decided that only 1 fair would be held in 2016 in the Fall.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:14 PM. 

Next Meeting Dates:   Tuesdays at 4:30 PM on January 12, February 9, March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14 and July 12.

Respectfully submitted by Joan Sculli

November 2015 Minutes

Friends of the Merrick Library

Minutes of Meeting November 10, 2015

The meeting was called to order at 4:33 PM by Karen Tusa.

Present: Karen Tusa (President), Howard Schwartz (Vice-President), Diane Christie (Treasurer), Joan Sculli (Publicity Chairperson), Marion Ormsten (Correspondence Chairperson), Angela Capone (Library Program Director), Marty Epstein (potential member).

Minutes:  The previously emailed minutes were reviewed and accepted.

Treasurer’s Report:  Savings $4,731.56, Checking $93.63.  Income:  Craft Fair $560.00, Membership $155.00, Better World Books $146.63, Spare Change $24.09.  Total income $885.72.  Expenditures:  Envelopes and craft fair sign $102.77, Bookmarks $25.00.  Total expenditures:  $127.77. Motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report passed.

Membership Report: 60 membership renewals/invitations were mailed November 1st.  15 renewals have been received with 3 renewals eligible for complimentary tote bags. Updated bookmarks have been printed.  Angela will post the new brochure on the Friends’ website.  A short discussion was held on ideas for outreach of new members.

Holiday Craft Fair Report: 26 vendor tables are sold out with a waiting list of 10 vendors. 5 or 6 vendors are renewals from the last fair. LI.com was a very successful site for soliciting vendors.  There will be fewer jewelry vendors and more variety including more vendors with handmade items.  There are 190 vendors on the current invitation list.  Publicity on websites and weekly publications has been sent.  Flyers have been posted at local businesses.  Name badges and number cards for the tables have been printed.  Refreshments have been donated by Bagel Plaza and Bagel Boss. Water and fruit will also be donated by Shop Rite. The sandwich board will be ready.  Marion will bring balloons.  There will be a staffed Friends’ raffle and membership table.  A few more volunteers would be desirable.

Old Business:  Joan and Marion have staffed Friends’ membership/raffle tables in the library before events  on Sundays and during the week.  Diane volunteered to do an occasional hour as convenient.

New Business:  A fundraiser will be held at the new Chipotle restaurant on Merrick Road in Merrick on Sunday November 15th from 2-6 pm. The Friends will share in 50% of the profits made during that period. Volunteers will meet at 2pm and distribute bookmarks.  A Business Membership Drive targeting local businesses will begin January 2016. Howard volunteered to prepare envelopes for a mailing from a list provided by Karen from the Merrick Chamber of Commerce.  It is planned that business supporters will be acknowledged with the purchase of the Library’s Long Island Children’s Museum passes.

Next Meeting Dates:  Tuesday, December 8^th at 4:30pm and Tuesday, January 12^th at 4:30pm

The meeting was adjourned at 5:18 PM. 

Respectfully submitted by Joan Sculli

FOML Fundraiser

October Minutes

FRIENDS OF THE MERRICK LIBRARY

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OCTOBER 13, 2015

Karen Tusa opened the meeting at 4:40 PM.

Present:  Karen Tusa (President), Diane Christie (Treasurer), Marion Ormsten, (Correspondence Chair), and Sandra Mintz.

The previously emailed minutes were reviewed.  Diane moved and Marion seconded their acceptance as submitted.  The motion passed.

Diane presented the treasurer’s report:  Savings $3,845.84, Checking $141.40.  Income:  Book Sale $66, Raffle $42, Totes $15, Craft Fair $480, Interest $ .80.  Total Income: $603.80.  Expenses:  Brochures & Bookmarks printing $37.50, Envelopes $10.49, Stamps $29.40, Membership Brochures Printing $15, Craft Fair & Chipotle flyers printing $28, Membership Drive Letter Printing $15.  Total Expenses $135.39.  Diane moved acceptance of the treasurer’s report.  Sandra seconded the motion.  Motion passed.

Karen reported that the 2016 membership drive envelope requests are fully prepared for November 1st mailing date.   The 60 mailings include 58 renewal requests plus 2 new membership invitations.   Thank you to Marilyn Ziser for assisting in the preparation.

Karen reported that the Holiday Craft & Vendor Fair, scheduled for November 14^th, Saturday 10AM-4PM, is successfully filling up with vendors.  Approximately 5 vendor tables are remaining to be filled.

Discussion of completed items for the fair ensued:  publicity on websites (by Karen), publicity in newspapers (by Liz Kranz), flyers (by Art Sacharoff), and name badges (by Karen).   Thank you to Maureen Garvey for posting on the Friends blog site.

Incomplete items were discussed for the fair and some were resolved:    A total of 8 balloons will be purchased by Marion.  Diane will approach Bagel Plaza for refreshment donation.  Diane will also prepare 2 raffles for the fair.  Volunteers for the fair include but are not limited to:  Sandra, Marion, Karen, and Diane (tentative).  Other volunteers will be contacted.  A sign for a sandwich board remains needed.  We are hoping the Library can assist with the sign.

The Chipotle fundraiser is scheduled for November 15^th, Sunday 2-6 PM.  Flyers have been created.  Karen will also email all Friends about the event.  It was agreed that Karen, Diane, Sandra, and Marion will meet at 2 PM at Chipotle to greet others as well as eat at the restaurant.  Karen will bring name badges.

Karen mentioned that the December 6^th 10 year Anniversary Library celebration is cancelled and will be rescheduled as per Ellen Firer (Library Director).

A Business Membership Drive was favorably discussed by the group.  Karen will discuss further with Library Director, Ellen Firer.

The next two meeting dates are Tuesday, Nov. 10^th at 4:30 PM and Tuesday, Dec. 8^th @ 4:30 PM at the Library.  All Friends are invited to attend. 

Since no further business came before the Friends, the meeting was adjourned at 5:45PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Karen Tusa, MBA

Friends Crafts Fair

Join us for our Holiday Craft & Vendor Fair!

When: Saturday, November 14th 10 AM - 4 PM

Where: The Merrick Library 2279 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566

 Sponsored by Friends of the Merrick Library