We’ll be asking for your input as we plan
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A Message From the Director |
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Hi everyone,
We hope you are well. As 2020 draws to a close (not that we’re counting down!), I’ve been reflecting on all there is to be grateful for. Personally, I’m thankful that my family, friends and colleagues are healthy and doing their part to keep others safe.
I’m thankful for member participation and engagement, particularly over the past nine months. We’ve had lively discussions at committee meetings, got to know you better on our member forums, learned new skills with our interest groups, and began work with our Planning Committee.
I’m thankful for the CDLC Board of Trustees, who trust me to make the best decisions in steering CDLC through some tumultuous times as we face budget reductions and an uncertain future. Having their support and being able to talk with them frankly and openly is most welcome anytime, but particularly now.
I’m thankful that we can support services for members. We awarded grants to libraries for cataloging and digitizing projects, fully subsidize the Ask Us 24/ 7 virtual reference service, fully subsidize online medical resources for hospital libraries, covered legal fees for the Ask the Lawyer service, and provided support and staff to make collections visible and accessible though cataloging and interlibrary loan, CaDiLaC, New York Heritage and Empire Library Delivery.
I’m thankful and fortunate to work with the CDLC staff, who have provided quality service since we stepped out of the office back in March, when I thought we’d all be back together in a few short weeks. They have risen to the occasion not only by supporting existing services, but by developing new programs and resources and by being there for members. Thank you Amy, Chris, Joe S., Joe T., Kari, Maria, Meghan and Susan!
2020 has been quite the year. Better days are ahead and we will get through this. Thank you to all of you for your ongoing support.
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We love seeing and connecting with you at special events.The Committee on Resource Sharing is planning the Resource Sharing Symposium on Wednesday, April 14 and our Annual Membership Meeting will be Friday, April 30. Both events will be virtual.
We had a fun time at our recent virtual InfoMingle, led by Erica Freudenberger from the Southern Adirondack Library System and Johanna MacKay from Skidmore College. Thank you to Erica and Johanna, and to all who joined us!
Did you know you can support CDLC as a personal member? There are several levels of membership, and contributions support member programs and services. Thank you to returning and new members in 2021.
Opportunities to connect with your colleagues statewide:
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SUNYLA is looking for proposals for its Midwinter Virtual Conference - Looking Forward: Creative Library Responses to Crises on February 12, 2021 from 10:00 am-2:30 pm. Read more and submit your proposal.
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Empire State Library Network, in collaboration with the New York School Library Systems Association, is presenting The PILLARS Symposium: Preparation, Information Literacy, Libraries, Academic Resources, and 21st Century Skills for Transitioning from Secondary School to College on July 7-9, 2021, virtually. Read more and submit your proposal.
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See our new Trauma-Informed Libraries LibGuide, which was originally published as a capstone project for the New York Library Association's Developing Leaders Program. Members of the group were Catherine Brenner at Bethlehem Public Library; Elizabeth Putnam, at the East Greenbush Community Library and previously at Skidmore College; CDLC Board member Emily Spinner at Ellis Hospital; and Meghan Wakeman, CDLC’s Resource Sharing Librarian.
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Join us today, Thursday, December 10 from 1:00-2:00 pm, for the Reference, Instruction and Outreach Interest Group meeting to discuss the Library of Things, including unique items that your library loans. Register here.
We have a new Discovery Tools LibGuide that aggregates all of our tools in one place to search for members’ physical and digital collections.
Mechanicville District Public Library, a member of the Southern Adirondack Library System, has added several newspapers to NYS Historic Newspapers, including The Mechanicville Mercury, Mechanicville Saturday Mercury, and the Hudson Valley Times. Funded through a CDLC Regional Collection grant, the papers range in date from 1883-1923 and can be accessed here.
Working with committees and members, we are gathering information:
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The Collection Development Committee will be distributing a survey about collections.
Thank you in advance (or after the fact) for your participation.
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FYI: CDL-or Controlled Digital Lending-has been discussed at recent CDLC committee meetings and we'll be exploring this topic further.
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Congratulations to Melissa Tacke, Director of the Castleton Public Library, a member of the Upper Hudson Library System, on being the recipient of the 2020 NYLA Mary Bobinski Innovative Public Library Director Award.
Congratulations to the Albany Institute of History & Art for receiving a conservation treatment grant from the Greater Hudson Heritage Network in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts. The grant will be used for the conservation of c.1796 portraits of William H. and Mary Ludlow by William Ricardy.
Ten Broeck Mansion, home of the Albany County Historical Association, is offering Holiday House Walk-Through Tours December 12-13 and 19-20. Purchase your ticket(s) here.
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CDLC will again be offering Regional Collection Grants. Watch for an announcement in January.
Through the American Dream Literacy Initiative, the American Library Association and Dollar General Literacy Foundation are offering a grant to public libraries to expand services for adult English language learners or adults in need of basic education and workforce development.
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Here are a few COVID-19 tidbits/resources that may be of interest:
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In 2019/2020, 41 CDLC members added over 11,000 items this year, up from 5,001 items last year, to their digital collections in New York Heritage. Many new collections were added as libraries found time to scan and add items while libraries were closed during the pandemic.
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Your comments and suggestions are always welcome-feel free to reach out.
On behalf of CDLC, we send you good wishes, good health and happy memories ahead.
We wish you a safe and joyful holiday season and look forward to seeing you in 2021!
Kind Regards,
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