On March 7 2017, the ACL board held its annual business meeting and we’d like to share a few highlights with you. Many thanks to our secretary, Linda Winslow, for putting together this summary:
1. Several topics related to standard board governance were addressed and it was a pleasure to vote in two new members to the board- Robyn Phillips and Liz Noon. Both have given much to the ACL and will continue to do so in their new role.
2. The annual review of the ACL budget showed that we maintain a positive balance to cover book acquisitions, occupancy fee to the City of Newton, accounting and insurance fees, technology (badly needed new computer), cleaning services, and replacement of some furniture, bookcases, and cabinets. The board voted for a 2017 spring fundraising campaign to make sure we have sufficient funds to cover required operational expenses.
3. One key expense is the purchase of books. Detailed stats about book holdings, circulation, and the number of patrons using the library was reported. Adult fiction continues to be the top category for requests and circulation. The all volunteer staff make sure that “hot” books are readily available with little waiting time for our patrons.
4. Children’s books are also very popular. The children’s room, Tuesday morning story time, and impressive collection of Juvenile and Young Adult books were noted as ACL favorites and the board discussed potential opportunities to use social media to attract more attention.
5. The ACL continues to serve as a center for many different interest groups. These are the items listed in the frequent “ACL Update” email newsletters. The board was provided with a list of activities that have or are about to take place over the coming year and it discussed ways to improve the space for ACL activities.
6. The board expressed delight in the many improvements made by the decor committee and approved expenditures for a few additional enhancements.
