Friends of Georgia Libraries Board Meeting
Floyd Building (Library Day)
February 14, 2008
Members Attending: President Jenny McCurdy and Members Kathie Ames, Mary Lee Davis,
Wally Eberhard, Lyn Hopper, Christine Hoskins, Debbie Manget, Bede Mitchell, Elaine Yontz.
Members Absent: none
Visitors: Joe Shinnick, director of Three Rivers Regional Library
Jenny called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone. Joe Shinnick extended a welcome to
FOGL to come to Brunswick for the April annual membership meeting.
Minutes: Wally moved to approve the minutes of the last meeting on November 15, 2007;
Debbie seconded, and all were in favor.
Treasurer’s Report: Wally presented the Treasurer’s Report. $2661.40 in bank, with no
obligations. Treasurer’s report will be filed.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Board Development/Nominating: Three members of the Board whose terms are ending (Kathie
Ames, Debbie Manget, and Jenny McCurdy) would prefer not to be reappointed. Elaine asked
the board to send her names of any possible nominees. The President and Treasurer will not
serve in those offices again. Three ex-officio members are listed in the bylaws. We have Lamar
Veatch representing GPLS, but have not had representatives from BOR and GLA. Elaine will
talk to Betty Paulk about representing GLA and will ask Merryll Penson for a BOR
representative. Elaine thanked Christine and Debbie for their help with this committee. David
Baker suggested adding an ex-officio member from the Georgia Center for the Book. Wally
moved to add that position. Mary Lee seconded. All were in favor. Jenny will ask Bill Starr to
serve or appoint someone.
Finance & Fundraising: Fall workshop netted less than we expected. Wally has completed the
financial portion of the 501(c)(3). Lyn will type up and send to Jenny for review.
Membership: Lyn reported that there are 262 names on the membership list; Only 38 have paid
dues for 2008. Wanda Edwards sent an email reminder, but will do a mailing for renewal to
those who have not renewed to date. Hall County Library is our first non-Friends group
organizational member; in addition, the director has a personal membership, and the Friends of
the Hall County Library are members! Debbie will challenge all the library directors to emulate
Hall County.
Advocacy: Dr. Veatch has asked again that we consider sponsoring someone to go to ALA
Legislative Day. Mary Lee suggested that we send Jenny, but she is going anyway and would
prefer that we send someone else. Debbie moved to allocate up to $800 to send one, if not two,
representatives to ALA Library Day in May. Wally pointed out that that was one-third of the
treasury. Mary Lee called the question. Six were in favor; two opposed, so the motion passed.
Marketing & PR:
Debbie said Marketing and PR go hand-in-hand with Membership. Debbie will send messages
out to encourage membership. She will also send out a “save the date” message to the Friends
and Directors listservs for our April meeting. Wally said in addition to the GPLS efforts, we need
to send things independently under the FOGL banner. It’s time to put out another issue of
Between Friends. Please send Lyn any items.
Bylaws & Governance: No report.
Local Friends Support: Lyn fielded a couple of requests for information. Debbie said we have
some people coming to our meeting that will be starting up Friends groups and needing
assistance. She also asked that we have the FOLUSA handouts at all the meetings.
OLD BUSINESS
Tax Exempt Status: In progress (see above).
Annual Meeting:
1. Program: We had talked about a panel discussion on how to cultivate and build
membership in local Friends groups. No academic libraries in the Brunswick or Savannah
areas have Friends groups. South Georgia Regional will provide a representative for the
panel. Bede said his Friends chair might be a possibility. Jenny suggested asking
someone from the Dunwoody group, and she will contact them. Bede suggested that the
story of the grassroots effort to have a Sapelo Island Library might make a great program.
Debbie will talk to Jane Hildebrand about that possibility. Debbie will also ask her
Friends group. Christine will ask in her group and also Bibb County. Lyn will check with
Christian about a Savannah representative on the panel.
Strategic Plan portion of the program: Lyn asked to defer that discussion until after David
Baker speaks about possibilities for FOGL’s future.
2. Arrangements:
3. Publicity
4. Registration
5. Door Prizes
6. “Best Friend” Award:
7. Other
Items 2-7 were deferred to a later date. The board will handle via emails and other
communications before the program.
NEW BUSINESS
Ideas for the Future: David shared some ideas for building membership. In talking with people
about FOGL, he said no one really knows what they’re getting out of it except one workshop in
November. At a board meeting for the Georgia Center for the Book, it seemed there could be a
good synergy between FOGL and the Center. For example, FOGL could lend its name to other
events around the state or co-sponsor events with the Center for the Book. David suggested that
FOGL might sponsor a meet-and-greet event before a big author presentation that the Center is
putting on. For example, in May, for their 10th anniversary, the Center has Barbara Walters and
Carl Hiassen. A partnership would enable FOGL to invite its members to a wine and cheese
reception (for example) before that event. David and Lyn expressed the need to publicize FOGL
more. GPLS and the Center would be willing to help with two additional workshops or events a
year, so that FOGL could offer events on a quarterly basis. Bill Starr will be at the FOGL annual
meeting in April to talk to us about it.
Under this plan, FOGL could organize the fall conference and spring meeting, let the Center
handle one of the quarterly events, and GPLS take care of the other one. (GPLS will have a new
Continuing Education Director April 1 who could help with this effort.) GPLS could also help
with the spring meeting if needed. FOGL could co-sponsor or sponsor some events, such as
Georgia Literary Festival.
Jenny said it would be wonderful to reach out into other areas of the state, and she saw it as an
opportunity to hook up with a quality program. Christine said it sounded like a generous offer,
and we should take advantage of it. The October Literary Festival, for example, is a good
opportunity to promote FOGL’s fall workshop. Christine Snell in Fayetteville has offered her
library for the fall workshop.
We would like to talk to Bill Starr before the April meeting. Jenny asked if everyone needed to
be involved, but Bede said it would be fine for a smaller group to have the first conversation over
lunch. All FOGL Board members will be invited. Debbie moved that we make a lunch
appointment with Bill and invite all FOGL board members, to discuss a partnership with the
Center for the Book. She also suggested the idea of having an author program at the April
meeting.
Georgia Public Libraries: GPLS asks that FOGL support the governor’s recommendations for the
budget, which include $1 million in additional book money, funds to expand PINES, and four
public library construction projects.
Committee Leadership: No report
Next Meeting: The annual meeting will be Monday, April 21 at the Brunswick Public Library.
We will set up a meeting soon with Bill Starr to discuss possibilities for collaboration. Our next
board meeting will be Sunday, April 20 at 4:00 p.m. Bede will check into hotel possibilities in
Brunswick.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Lyn Hopper, Secretary