It's time for the Coplay Public Library Board to get a handle on what actually goes on, the board decided.

After being elected president of the board at its July 11 meeting, Janet Eisenhauer proposed the board members form committees to look into library operations.

"They will ask the questions. They will identify needs. They will bring the information back to the full board and we hope they will bring suggestions," she said. "The board will in total vote on any changes."

The four committees include:

· Administration, which will examine issues related to personnel such as scheduling and performance. Committee members include Eisenhauer, Faye Schreiner and Charles Sodl.

· Operations, which includes the building, supplies and furniture. Members include Neil Mumma, Jane Gillespie and Karen Shields.

· Policies and procedures, which will examine job descriptions and orientation of new employees and board members. The committee includes Shields, Schreiner and Joan Witko.

· Finance, which will examine the budget along with fundraising, researching grants and cutting expenses. Members include Eisenhauer, Shields and Sodl.

"We're not here to micromanage but right now we all need to understand how things work, what needs to be done and how we can make changes," Eisenhauer said.

In May, voters approved a dedicated library tax estimated to bring in $72,000 annually to replace funding withdrawn by the Whitehall-Coplay School District. However, tax collector Jeffrey Deutsch estimates it will bring in only $65,000 the first year. It is likely to generate $72,000 annually in several years as delinquent payments are collected and added to the pot.

In addition, the $16,500 traditionally contributed by the borough may not come through, according to comments made over the past several months by members of borough council.

The approximately $12,000 the library receives from the state is based on the local contribution. As a result of decreased local funding, the state contribution may also decrease.

"We know we have a certain amount of dollars ... and we know we've got to make it work," said Eisenhauer.

The finance committee needs to look into getting grants, she said.

"I'm not saying they'll give [grants] to us but if we don't ask they're not going to give it to us," she said.

Mark Sullivan, district consultant librarian for the Allentown District Libraries, said a database of grants is available at the Allentown library.

"I do think there's money out there and if you don't ask for it, you don't get it," he said.

It's also imperative that the board look at issues related to the library building. For example, some of the siding is falling off in spots, Eisenhauer said.

Interim Director Maryrose Farquhar provided the board with reports including the library's comprehensive plan and information on employee scheduling. The committees will review this information and come back to the full board with their analysis.

Eisenhauer said the committees won't complete their work in the next month but may not be needed on a permanent basis.

"I don't think this is something we'll need constantly but we've got a lot of work to do in the next couple months," Eisenhauer said.