Friends of Marsden Library

Steering Group

18 January 2016, Meeting Room, Marsden Mechanics Institute

Minutes and Actions

Present: Diane Barkley, Mave Buckley, Sheila Bates, Steve Goldman, Richard Hellawell, Jenny Hemming, Rob Johnson

In Attendance: Salma Dad, Linda Earnshaw

Apologies Sheila Bates, Sue Rhodes

Welcomed Linda Earnshaw, one of the Librarian Team covering Marsden Library. Linda to attend regularly.

1. Notes of the Last Meeting (30/11/15)

1. 1 Agreed.

2. Matters Arising

2.1 Asset Transfer update: the Trustees had met with Locality to draft the business plan. DB would cease to be a Trustee from 26/1 but would be seconded to the Trustee Committee to represent FoML.

2.2 Communication with volunteers. The role of the Friends was to promote the volunteering scheme on offer and to pass prospective volunteers through to the Library Service. The Library Service was subsequently responsible for contacting them, arranging training etc. Communication with prospective volunteers was important to ensure that their availability was acknowledged and that they knew what to expect with regard to training etc. The Library Service would copy friendsofmarsdenlibrary@gmail.com into communications with volunteers. Action: LE to remind staff and JH to check with SR what communications had taken place with volunteers during December and January. The Library would maintain the list of volunteers and would contact them directly if there were specific projects to volunteer for. The Friends would maintain the broader list of supporters which they would use to update people about Friends activities and seek new volunteers etc).

2.3 Schools liaison. Sheila had initiated discussions with the schools in Marsden. Noted that Children’s activity was one of for strands agreed by the Society of Chief Librarians (health, childrens, IT, information) and that two of the Librarians, Tiffany and Olivia were currently running projects. Agreed that Sheila needed to be linked into this activity. Action: JH to share the relevant contact details.

3. Details of What Library the Service Includes

3. 1 This question had arisen from a discussion at the social in November around support for IT etc, and whether that was something the Friends could fundraise for. It was agreed that clarity was needed so that Friends didn’t fundraise for items that the Library Service would provide.

3.2 Salma Dad summarised the plans for the Library Service from 1 September 2016:

Staffing

• 20 hours of opening with one staff member, a Customer Services Officer, (22.5 working hours), supported by at least 1 volunteer (minimum of two people to be present when the library is open).
• The Library Service would provide training for volunteers and a relief Customer Services Officer (CSO) for holidays, sickness etc. The organising principle would be to ensure the Library opened consistently during publicised hours.
• A Customer Services Manager would be responsible for overseeing staffing at Marsden, together with two or three other libraries. Exact details were currently the subject of a formal service review.
• Staff and volunteers opening the library would have access to a hub library in the event of queries they couldn’t answer. Volunteers could open the library even if no Customer Services Officer present – there would continue to be a self-issue machine for book issuing.
• The service was provided by a Customer Services Team responsible for space, staffing, holidays, sickness and frontline service, together with a team of Librarians responsible for working with the book stock, schools and groups, promoting reading, community engagement, database and related business services.
• Librarians were allocated to 3 areas, North, South and Central. Marsden was in the South area. The Librarians were Linda Earnshaw, Tiffany Haigh and Olivia Barnden.

Book Stock/IT etc

• Book fund currently protected and books provided by the Library Service
• Includes ebooks.
• IT – providing of computers, maintenance and renewal, photocopiers.
• Will be a Library Service equipment budget from 1/4 – 1/9 – can provide furniture etc for new/altered space. Would not cover decoration.

3.3 Opening Hours. Consultation was now underway regarding opening hours. The overarching objective was to maximise footfall in the libraries. Underlying principles for 20 hour libraries were no more than one late evening, and to have the library open at least 5 days. Usage evidence showed that the busiest times were approximately 10 – 4 or 5. Libraries open until 7 saw a very small number of visitors after 6. In discussion it was agreed that we should aim to keep the hours as consistent as possible, and that having a Customer Services Officer available for Saturday opening was key. It was noted that after other uses for the library space had been taken into account, there was no barrier to pairs of Volunteers opening the library over and above the core 20 hours. It was planned to organise things such that in a group of libraries they would be open on different late evenings. (Action: once the details finalised this would be something to promote on the website. JH). Of the options proposed for Marsden Library the FoML Steering Group supported the following, noting that morning openings would consistently begin at 10am and afternoon openings consistently at 1pm:

Monday: closed (prospect of being opened by volunteers in the future)

Mornings

Tuesday: 10am – 1pm

Friday: 10am – 1pm (Mum’s day, Friday Morning)

Saturday: 10am – 3pm (to cater for walkers, tourists etc).

Afternoons

Wednesday: 1pm – 6pm

Thursday: 1pm – 5pm

4. Governance

Constitution

4.1 DB and RJ had reviewed the options and recommended that we become an Incorporated Charity. Agreed.

4.2 Noted that this required a clearly stated Charitable Purpose. The wording proposed is: “The Friends aim is to ensure the continuation of a Library Service in Marsden for the benefit of the residents of Marsden and the surrounding area, and in so doing to provide facilities for education, recreation and leisure time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the residents.”

4.3 Action: DB and RJ to progress.

Finance and Fundraising

4.4 Arrangements for Bank Account in hand. Signatories need to visit Lloyds Bank in Slawit with passport and proof of address. Action: SG, DB, RJ MB.

4.5 Room hire £15 per 2 hour meeting. Action: SG to liaise with Felicity at the Mechanics.

4.6 The next round of applications to the Cuckoos’ Nest would open in mid February. Amounts of up to £1K. Quotes would be needed for purchases. Agreed to discuss in more detail next time. Action: JH to add to agenda. Avalanche Dodgers had indicated that the email already sent was sufficient for an application. Grants would be decided in early April. Library Service Seed Fund – £200 for an event at the Library, applications via Salma. Agreed to give more consideration next time.

4.7 We had already talked of buying lego for the lego club, and fundraising for that. Felt that we needed more detail: how much lego has already been donated, who will run the lego club, what do they think they need in the light of existing donations. Action LE to discuss with SR and come back to us.

4.8 Fundraiser events. Since the last meeting the Mechanics Trustees had offered to run a joint event with the Friends. The date suggested had been too short notice but it was agreed that this was something we would wish to do. The Big Village Quiz had been discussed. RH had found out that the Marsden Community Association was also interested in this as a fundraiser for the Christmas Lights. Agreed: to suggest to the Community Association that there could be two BVQ per year, one around Easter time for the Library and the School and one in October for the Lights and the School. Action: DB to suggest to Fiona and RH to take forward with MB thereafter. First thing to do would be to book a date. Action: RH to liaise with Community Association. Noted: RJ employer would match fund up to £500.

4.9 Current fundraising objectives; decorating, lego; photo project. Ideas welcome!

4.10 Noted that we had received not insignificant in kind support to date (event facilitiation, website hosting and development) which we should keep a record of as it was often useful supporting information for grant applications, and we should also ensure we are in a position to acknowledge such support, use it as illustrations of how others can support us, etc. Action: JH/SG.

Members’ Update

4.11 Leaflets in Library – remove the part promoting the Social and continue to use. Action JH to liaise with SR.

4.12 Mailing List/Volunteers since 30 November: 1 new.

Next Meeting is Monday 18^th January at 6.45 – 8.15, and thereafter on the 3^rd Monday of the month.

5. Communication

Social Media

5.1 Facebook page 27 ‘likes’ as at 24/1. RJ and JH were administrators.

Website

5.2 Website: Jen Withers had completed the initial build, which was received very positively. Jen had registered friendsofmarsdenlibary.org.uk as our domain name. JH would now begin to populate with content, and it was hoped to launch by the end of the month.

5.3 Agreed that we would like role email addresses: chair@friendsofmardenlibrary.org.uk, treasurer ditto, forwarding to the relevant officers. info@friendsofmarsdenlibrary.org.uk would forward to JH. Action: JH

5.4 Future functionality included donations via paypal etc, once we have a bank account.

5.5 LE mentioned that a colleague at another library had developed an online system for volunteer coordination. Noted that anything of this nature would need to be developed in partnership with the Library Service to ensure it was compatible with their systems. Action: LE to provide contact information.

Newsletter

5.6 Items to include: forthcoming library activities; Shakespeare Event; Love your Library Month. Summary of our planned activity and priorities – Schools, Incorporated Charity, Ideas for fundraising – what should we be raising money for. Action: JH

Next Meeting is Monday 15^th February, 6.30 – 8.00 (nb change of time for 15 Feb) and at 6.45 – 8.15 thereafter on the 3^rd Monday of the month.

FoML Actions Jan 2016

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Digg

Tumblr

Pinterest

Reddit

email