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Contact Us
The MHLS Bulletin welcomes submissions from member libraries.
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New Service: Workflow Consulting
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Ever wonder if you are using the best process for regular tasks in Sierra? Ever wonder if there is a better way? When it comes to Sierra, we think we can help.
If you are a new director looking to make sense of it all, or a seasoned pro looking for a reboot, this service can help to realign processes, so staff make the most of their time and Sierra.
MHLS' Workflow Consultations are designed to provide an evaluation of your Sierra-related procedures (e.g., circulation, patron entry, create lists) as well as the provision of best practice guidance for library directors and their staff.
How does this service work?
An MHLS staff member will visit your library on a scheduled day to evaluate one or more ILS related processes as well as your overall ILS environment. After the visit, they will provide you with a written report of their recommendations along with answers to any of the questions they were unable to answer during the visit.
Should I request a consultation?
The purpose of these consultations is to find workflow improvements. This may be especially important after substantial staffing changes, upon recognition of operation difficulties or inefficiencies, or to address disparate procedures among staff. We otherwise recommend libraries consider requesting a workflow consultation once every three years.
Who can request this service?
Any MHLS member library director.
Is there a cost?
There is no charge to your library for this service.
How do I request a consultation?
Library directors should use the online form found in the MHLS Knowledgebase [http://kb.midhudson.org], here is a direct link to the form: http://bit.ly/2yHJJW4 Once submitted a member
of the MHLS Technology Operations department will contact you shortly to discuss your request and schedule a visit.
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MHLS Announcements
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MHLS Staff took a road trip to Westchester County recently
to visit with the Executive Directors of the Hendrick Hudson Free Library (HHFL) and The ARC of Westchester. Both organizations are "
Green Business Certified"
through the Green Business Partnership and MHLS staff learned a lot about their certification experience during the visit.
Pictured from l-r: Chris Herron, MHLS Facilities Manager & Assistant Delivery Operations Manager; Joan Kay, MHLS Financial Assistant; Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Coordinator for Library Sustainability; Jill Davis, Director, HHFL; Linda Vittone, MHLS Financial Manager & Personnel Officer; and Ric Sweirat, MHLS Trustee & Executive Director of The ARC. Not pictured: Tom Sloan, MHLS Executive Director.
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New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has named
Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D - Columbia, Dutchess) to chair the Assembly Committee on Libraries and Education Technology
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Assemblymember Barrett has been a longtime advocate of libraries, including working to secure funding in the state budget and partnering with the Mid-Hudson Library System to create and distribute an annual Women's History booklet."
"Didi is a highly dedicated public servant who is strongly committed to improving the lives of her constituents and all the people of this state," said Speaker Heastie. "These qualities, in addition to her longtime interest in providing libraries throughout the state with the resources, literary content and technology needed to effectively meet the public's challenging information needs of this 21st century make her the right person to serve as chair of the Committee on Library and Education Technology."
"Our libraries are crucial for providing educational, economic and even social resources to our communities," Barrett said. "Now more than ever, people of all ages and needs are turning to their local libraries for everything from knitting bees to job searches. As new chair of the Assembly Committee on Libraries and Education Technology, I will be a voice promoting the importance of our local libraries not just to our communities but to all of New York State."
"Assemblymember Barrett has provided outstanding support for libraries," said Tom Sloan, Executive Director of the Mid-Hudson Library System. "She promotes libraries as essential educational services which advance the importance of reading and learning. Libraries in the Hudson Valley will greatly benefit from her position as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Libraries & Education Technology."
 Assemblymember Barrett will be one of three elected officials speaking at the MHLS Women in Politics Symposium, which is being held after the MHLS Annual Meeting on Friday, October 27th at the Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home, Hyde Park, NY. She will be joined by Senator Sue Serino and Assemblymember Sandy Galef. Don't miss out! The registration deadline is Monday, October 16th. To register visit:
http://bit.ly/2xQGI5r
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 Congratulations to the
Poughkeepsie Public Library District!
They are one of fifty US public libraries selected to receive a programming kit for "The Vietnam War," a 10-part documentary film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick shown on PBS stations. PPLD will receive a copy of the 18-hour documentary series on DVD, with public performance rights, as well as the companion book, "The Vietnam War: An Intimate History" by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns (Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House, 2017).
Available to all libraries is a digital version of the programming guide that is a part of this grant: "
The Vietnam War" Programming Guide for Libraries
: http://bit.ly/2wJcEaU
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Resource Sharing & Sierra
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Password Change Prompt
: The Resource Sharing Standards state that all Sierra passwords should be changed every six months. To facilitate this change, MHLS is turning on a feature in Sierra that will prompt staff who use Sierra to update their passwords. This requirement will happen in six month intervals, and users will start to receive a reminder from Sierra when they log in to change their password 30 days before it is required. The password change prompt will be turned on for libraries in phases throughout this month.
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