By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

Nancy Condon Bryan, Member Library Services Librarian, said that the Uncle Remus Regional Library System Board went over financial reports, made revisions to the personnel manual and held training for the trustees during their recent meeting.

September financial reports for the regional office as well as for each of the nine libraries in the system were reviewed. Libraries include Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Morgan, Eatonton-Putnam and Monroe-Walton county libraries, O’Kelly and W.H. Stanton Memorial libraries, and Walnut Grove Library.

The regional fund shows that while $0 was budged for “miscellaneous,” the system paid $1,350. Bryan explained this charge was for tile work the system will be reimbursed for. As to “shared costs,” Bryan said $28,295 was reimbursed to the Morgan County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) fund for construction costs of the regional headquarters building that were not eligible for payment from the Morgan County construction grant.  

Bryan explained that five of the libraries have received a Major Repair and Renovation (MR&R) grant from the state in which the libraries spend money for repairs and renovations up front and the state refunds them half of the costs. Participating libraries include Hancock, Putnam and Monroe-Walton county libraries, as well as O’Kelly and W.H. Stanton Memorial libraries. The remaining four libraries – Greene, Jasper and Morgan county libraries as well as Walnut Grove Library – are newer and do not qualify for this grant.

None of the libraries has paid for trustee insurance as that is due in either March or April, according to Bryan. Only one library – Morgan County Library – has had to use money budgeted for postage. Bryan said that this library sends out overdue notices via the postal service.

The Morgan County Library budgeted $600 and spent $1,143.17 on repair and maintenance. This library also has installed surveillance cameras, she said. Bryan said they’ve gone over a little bit as they finish up at the new building. They have not spent budgeted monies on computer equipment yet.

As to its trustees, the board has approximately 75 trustees or board members serving on the regional board. Each person is appointed by one of the libraries’ funding agencies. For example, the Morgan County Board of Commissioners funds the Morgan County Library and so has appointed six people to the volunteer trustee position. The Morgan County library board members are Linda Conrad, Bonnie Hicky, Linda Thoman, Joyce Thomas, John Wade and Clarice Woods.
Trustees oversee what the libraries do and are responsible for approving any changes up for discussion. Last Thursday trustees learned about library logs, roles and responsibilities, tips for carrying out their roles and responsibilities, and the background of the public library service in Georgia, as well as received introductions to regional office employees. 
Bryan added that they are rolling out new webpages for all of their libraries and have begun planning to attend a strategic planning meeting with the Georgia Public Library Services in Atlanta on Nov. 8.

Printed in the October 18, 2012 edition