President William McLean called the meeting to order at 7:08 pm. In attendance were:
William McLean
Grace Johnston
Diane Kelly
Melissa Ramirez
Meg Stouffer
Laura Sumrell
Melora Leiser
Diane Decker
Lisa Cawley
Jody Smith
The minutes from the February 2026 meeting were approved.
Grace presented the treasurer’s report and membership reports. The total bank balance is $49,499.01, up $4,711.30 since our last meeting. Cash in is $4,080.30 from the semi-annual book sale, $379.00 from the ongoing book sale, $350.00 in donations and memberships, $221.37 in sales tax refunds, $44.74 in interest, and $8.05 in online shirt sales. Cash out is $160.00 for bookwalk repair, $134.38 for the library water cooler, and $77.78 in processing fees.
Membership software company clarified that they changed their pricing structure based on number of records in the system. We are in the 250-500 tier. We have 180 active members. Since our last meeting, we have received 20 gifts totaling $560. Two people renewed their membership at the members-only book sale night, and two other people just joined that week.
The board discussed options for leftover books for the September meeting. McKay’s will accept one large order at a time, limited to 3 or 4 large bins (conflicting information was provided by staff). Diane Decker noted that it might be possible to donate the leftover books to Extraordinary Ventures now that the have the thrift shop up and running. She will get in touch with the director to get more information.
The board discussed whether we should accept additional forms of payment at the book sales, such as Venmo and Zelle. Grace will look into the requirements associated with these forms of payment and whether the Friends can qualify for an account. A QR code could be offered for those who want to pay via PayPal.
Jody suggested having Nancy reserve a hotspot for use at the book sales to remedy the problems with poor connectivity in the meeting room. He also suggested that teen volunteers might be able to help move boxes from the Friends room to the meeting room. They could possibly move them on Tuesday afternoon so that they will be ready to put out on the tables on Wednesday.
Jody presented the following library report:
Digital Literacy Class – Sessions 1 – 4: discussing (Main Library)
- Computer basics
- Digital Identity
- Digital Well-being (including internet safety and scam awareness)
- Using Email
- Digital Relationships
- Digital Safety
- Using the internet to access important real life information (banking, medical records, etc)
- Social Media
Thanks to a grant from NCDIT, the patrons attending all four sessions will receive a free laptop.
The sessions are Thursdays at 1:00 pm:
March 19
March 26
April 2
April 9
Hobby Buffet: Try New Things! (Southern Branch)
Sunday, March 22 from 1:00 – 5:00 pm
Patrons may register to try something they may like, before spending a lot of money. They can sample a little of everything at a buffet of arts and crafts supplies. Free supplies and browse instructional books, to help weigh options.
Jody mentioned that there is only one remaining person on the Carrboro Friends group board, and that they are interested in transferring their remaining funds to our Friends group. He noted that members of the former Carrboro group might want their memberships to carry over to our Friends group. Although records might not be available regarding these memberships, the group acknowledged that it’s advisable to recognize these people as members of the Friends.
William will share the current Memorandum of Understanding for revision. Melissa, Diane K., and Grace agreed to work with William on revising the document.
William noted that SignUp Genius and JoinIt cost the Friends several hundred dollars each year. He demonstrated some potential plug-ins that could be added to the Friends’ website that would perform the functions of SignUp Genius and JoinIt. Those in attendance agreed it’s a good idea to pursue this option. Grace noted that JoinIt was just renewed for another year and that SignUp Genius will expire in August, but she pointed out that it’s good to have more than one system operation during transition to a new system. We also might be able to get a partial refund if we cancel early.
The board voted to approve up to $2,000 for the April 8th staff appreciation luncheons. Melissa said the only thing we need to buy is drinks since Cornicione provides everything else.
One more volunteer will be needed for the summer reading kickoff on May 30th.
Jody noted that the library budget will likely be especially tight this year because the county has a large deficit. As a result, the library might make requests for additional things this year, such as staff training.
William noted that it is the 45th anniversary of FOCPL, and that we could use this fact to promote the organization.
William will touch base with author George Spencer about doing a program this fall.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 pm.
