We all know that books connect us, that language has quiet power. To see the concentration, curiosity, and peace on faces lit by words is to know – beyond a shadow of a doubt, in a time rife with shadows – that libraries are the beating hearts of their communities. What we borrow from them pales in comparison to what we get to keep.
Sunday New York Times Book Review 2/19/2023 – Up Close
- Minutes for Feb 7 meeting
Minutes were accepted as written. We voted to post summarized and anonymized minutes to the website. - NH DOT
We renewed responsibility for our stretch of Rt 9 this year with April – June – August – October pick-up months.- As before, all library staff, trustees, friends, and foundation members are welcomed!
- Updates:
- Trustees: A new library director has been hired. Liz Bolton will start on April 3rd. She has signed up to attend the listening session on March 25th.
Foundation members and Trustees continue to seek ways to encourage participation in the upcoming listening session. Information has been sent to the Rec Director with a request to forward it to members of the Rec Commission. All three schools will be contacted to ask that the information be shared with staff and families. - Friends: Saturday April 15, 11 – 2 PM BPL Open House
- Finance: Proposal to move $100K into a CD at 5.1% at Edward Jones was unanimously approved.
- Trustees: A new library director has been hired. Liz Bolton will start on April 3rd. She has signed up to attend the listening session on March 25th.
- Website updates
FAQ page is under development. This is useful for getting information to possible funders as well as Barrington residents. Board members and others are encouraged to share ideas for more FAQs to address. - March 25 “Library Design Input” Session
We discussed questions planned for each group as well as questions and concerns that may be raised by participants. - Fund-raising & grant options
- NEH Challenge Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grant – submission deadline May 17 ($500K grant with $1.5M WE provide for matching at 1:3) – The grant proposal is being written for the $1.5 Million grant, which requires a 3:1 match. If we don’t get the full amount of matching funds, NEH reduces the grant amount to meet the 3:1 match.
- Dec 15 grant success Y or N; start of project March 1 – June 1, 2024
- Association for Small and Rural Libraries < $15,000 – need positive vote
- McIninch Foundation – < $25,000, need positive vote
- Kresge & Mellon foundation grants – by invitation via a grant portal
- “Yield Giving.” MacKenzie Scott website 12/14/2022 – application portal TBD
- Changes to BLF by-laws
Proposed change to mission statement unanimously approved: “The Barrington Library Foundation is a nonprofit advocacy and fundraising organization dedicated to ensuring the highest level of service, programming, and infrastructure at the Barrington Public Library, including support for the construction of a new library building.” - Other
NH Chronicle has a segment about libraries titled “Libraries aren’t just about books” airing tonight at 7 p.m. A link to watch the 7-minute segment is here: https://www.wmur.com/article/nh-chronicle-libraries-arent-just-about-books-you-can-also-borrow-other-things/43179995 - Adjournment – next meeting April 4, 7PM at the BPL.