Summer book sale, county advocacy and 40th anniversary plans

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HERMOSA BEACH FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
MINUTES: Meeting of 22 July 1999
Board Members Present: Al Valdez, Charlotte Malone, Bill Malone, Kathy Dunbabin, Toni Empringham, Betty Evans, John Hales, Jean Lombardo
Also Present: Fred Huebscher, CLM Ron Schneider.
The meeting was called to order at 7:03 P.M. by President Al Valdez.
Minutes of 25 March 1999 were approved upon a motion by Charlotte Malone, seconded by Bill Malone.
Treasurer's Report: Balance on hand as of 21 July 1999 is $9,783. Motion to approve by Charlotte Malone, seconded by
Kathy Dunbabin; so ordered.
Book Sale on 17 July: Attendance was somewhat affected by a sale the same day at Torrance Library's Main Branch, but
proceeds of $2,041 were nevertheless good.
Library Parking: After Charlotte went before the City Council, six additional two-hour spaces were allocated for library
patrons and seem to have alleviated the situation somewhat. However, according to Ron enforcement has been lax;
discussion ensued but no action was recommended at this time.
Video Rental Program: Marina Del Rey's FOL offers newer videos for rent at $1 per day. During closure of the MDR Branch
for renovation, our library is hosting the collection. The HBFOL will be keeping 40% of all rental fees; from 6/30 through
7/21 proceeds total $182 [our profit = $72.80 so far].
Librarian's Report: Ron requested the following amounts: $300 [from the Belasco Fund] for children's books, $1,000 for
adult books, $200 for CDs, $100 for videos, and $40 for alphabet labels for videos. Motion to approve by Charlotte
Malone, seconded by Bill Malone; so ordered. Objection to video purchase was voiced by Bill Malone and briefly
discussed.
Computers: Recently the FOL replaced two keyboards and a modem. Bill Malone suggested that in light of $571 spent on
replacing computer parts thus far this year, we should consider charging library patrons $1 per hour for computer use. Ron
Schneider commented on the ill will this charge would create and the ensuing difficulty for staff members who must deal
with the public. He also mentioned that the library would be receiving another computer complete with internet
connection from the county before the end of the fiscal year and that this computer could be dedicated to public use.
Fred Huebscher suggested placing a clear plastic donation box in the computer area with a notice encouraging users to
contribute to upkeep and replacement. Betty Evans moved to acquire a container for contributions and Al Valdez
seconded. So ordered. Betty and Al will implement this suggestion.
Increase of Hours & Improvement of Library: Charlotte contacted elected officers who agreed with her proposal to appear
before the City Council on July 13 regarding Hermosa Library's need for longer hours and building improvements. The
Council promised to write L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe and the county librarian and make these requests.
Bookcases for Interim Sales: Prior to purchase, elected officers agreed to authorize no more than $500 for additional
bookcases. To date three have been acquired for approximately $50 apiece.
Book Sale Dates & Hours for 2000: Dates are March 25, July 15, and November 4. Because of additional help by Key Club
members, sale hours will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. John Hales will order 2,000 book marks instead of last year's 2,500.
Fortieth Anniversary Celebration: Actual anniversary date is September 29. The party will be held sometime the preceding
weekend (Sept. 25-26) or the following one (Oct. 2-3) from 5-8 p.m. Possible venues are Betty Ryan's garden, Al Valdez
home, or Ein Stein's; thematic author will be Raymond Chandler. We have 11 dozen wine glasses which we can sell or
give away. Jean Lombardo will work with a subcommittee on this event and report back to elected officers. Charlotte
Malone moved to allocate $1,000 for the party and was seconded by Kathy Dunbabin. So ordered.
Fred Huebscher suggested exploring eBay as a possible outlet for selling books. He and Al Valdez will confer and report
on the feasibility of this idea.
Meeting was adjourned at 7:52 p.m.
Toni Empringham