FOPPL BOARD MEETING: February 13, 2024

Friends of the Portsmouth Public Library, Inc.

February 13, 2024

Board Meeting

Board members present:  Amanda Taft, Ellen Franke, Toby Pennell, Mia Taft

Call to Order:  The meeting was held at the Churchland Public Library Book Nook. Amanda called the meeting to order at 4:30.

Minutes:  The biannual membership meeting minutes of 10/27/23 were reviewed.

Correspondence: None

Financial Report by Treasurer:  Ellen reported the Operating Account has a balance of $45,768.04. The Copier Account is $7,103.27. The CD account has $27,361.53.

Unfinished Business:  We still need more volunteers for the Main Library Sat. book sale. Amanda suggested putting up promo fliers at the rec center on Elm., the new health center on Elm, the Wesley rec center and Safe Harbor on Elm. Toby volunteered to drop them off and Mia will make up the flier to be posted (for the book sale and another one asking for volunteers). The 2023 Author Expo used $1,647.76 from the FOPPL money request. 

New Business:  The April membership meeting is set for 4/12/24 at the Coleman Room as a “tea”. The invitations will be sent out after Mia creates them. Ellen and Deborah are in charge of the refreshments/decorations for the April meeting. Amanda sent out the official membership email and got some new payments already. We also have 3 new teenage volunteers. Toby mentioned that she has heard through donors that the book donations can only be dropped off on a Sat. at Main. We will attempt to clarify this with Rachel. (We have had almost no donations recently.) Mia will put a donation pick-up form on Facebook so donors can contact us if it is a large donation they need transport help with. The CD is only getting 1% interest so the board voted and passed, to pull that money out and put it in the Operation Account. Ellen spoke to Todd in January about the copier situation and the need for Portsmouth to take them over. We have not gotten any official commitment. We all agreed that our part with the copiers will stop by July 2024 (which we have articulated to staff). Amanda will consider a letter or email to Todd with a date and potentially cc. City Council. Rachel would like to have another Author Expo this year (potentially June 1) and has requested financial assistance again. We voted and passed giving them up to $2000 again for vendors, promotion, lunch, entertainment or authors but are not assisting in sponsoring any gift baskets. FOPPL will focus on gathering volunteers and members through promotional events to increase the awareness of what FOPPL does. Mia will pursue the cost of a table banner with our new FOPPL logo on it. Ellen is handling our tax statement for the year and Amanda will check on our assets. Amanda mentioned that if the Portsmouth Public Library Foundation requests any money; there is an “order of operation” for purchases and a protocol that needs to be filled out or presented to us before anything is purchased or approved. Toby brought in some information on the “Book on Every Bed” program that she read about. She will pursue this more, as we might be interested in this. We also discussed the possibility of selling FOPPL gift certificates at a book sale. Amanda will research the possibilities and see if it’s feasible. 

Library Director’s Report:  None

Meeting was adjourned at 5:50.

____________________________________Toby Pennell, Secretary

____________________________________Amanda Taft, President