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Contact Us
The MHLS Bulletin welcomes submissions from member libraries.
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As New York State begins to reopen, the staff of the Mid-Hudson Library System are committed to supporting our member libraries in making safe choices to protect library workers and the public.
Over the past several weeks I have been focused on working with our colleagues in each of our five counties to coordinate reopening plans across the region. Our concerns lie with an uneven re-opening of library facilities which could result in unintended but unsafe situations in which a handful of libraries may be inundated by residents who are anxious to reconnect with library services that have been on hold during the stay-at-home orders.
(Above) MHLS Executive Director Rebekkah Smith Aldrich joined members of the Greene County Library Association for a meeting with members of the Greene County Economic Development team to discuss reopening libraries in Greene County.
Safety is paramount as we plan to reopen. Our hope is that by working together we can continue to prioritize public health, library worker safety and collaboration among neighboring libraries. Please make good use of the new Phased Reopening Template released by MHLS last week. It is designed with the very best of intentions.
As always, we are here to support you.
Be well,
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Executive Director
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Mid-Hudson Library System has provided a Phased Reopening Template
for libraries to use when planning for reopening their library facilities and services. The document includes
guidance from federal, state, and local authorities along with best practices from libraries providing services outside of New York in regard to considerations for returning to the library, preparing your library facility for reopening and guidance for curbside pickup and returns.
Casey Conlin, MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator provided an orientation to the template on Friday, May 15th. You can view the recording at
https://youtu.be/jkWvggvGtww
New York State has created a Regional Monitoring Dashboard to help New Yorkers understand the presence of COVID-19 in their region
and the controls put in place by regional authorities to handle new cases and mitigate further spread of the virus. The state has created seven metrics to determine a region's readiness to reopen businesses and other activities based on guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of State, and other public health experts.
The New York State Department of Health has released a Business Re-Opening Safety Plan Template
to aid businesses and organizations in resuming operations safely. Libraries should look to local authorities for guidance on where and how to submit their safety plan, and the plan must be retained on the premises of the business and must be made available to the New York State Department of Health (DOH) or local health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection. Libraries will also be required to affirm that they have reviewed and understood the relevant state-issued guidelines and that they will implement them, using the form here:
https://forms.ny.gov/s3/ny-forward-affirmation
Member Library Directors and Trustees
are invited to dig deeper into the topic of restarting in these upcoming MHLS webinars:
- Restart Guidance for Directors on Thursday, May 21st at 3:30pm. This one-hour webinar is a "Directors Only" event to update directors on the latest info that will influence reopening plans. Now that directors have had access to the MHLS Reopening Plan Template issued on May 15th, we'd like to review areas that we have received questions about and ensure the mandatory aspects of the plan, as per the NYS Business Safety Plan Template, are clear. Questions are welcomed to be submitted in advance to Casey Conlin, MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator: cconlin@midhudson.org. Please register for this event through the MHLS calendar.
- Trustee Roles & Responsibilities During Restarting Library Services on Wednesday, May 27th at 1:30pm. This one-hour webinar is designed for member library trustees and open to directors as well. At this event we will review the governance aspects of reopening libraries and focus on risk management topics related to libraries' restart plans. Questions are welcomed to be submitted in advance to MHLS Executive Director, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich: rsmith@midhudson.org. Please register for this event at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/
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MHLS Announcements
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Due Dates Globally Updated: At the request of member library directors, all due dates for checked out items have been extended to June 30th. This applies to all items due on or after March 1st, 2020.
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Board-to-Board Visits
: The trustees of the MHLS Board are undeterred in their efforts to reach out to member library boards. They are continuing their Board-to-Board visits even in the online board meeting era! MHLS trustees are interested to hear what member library boards are contending with, to share information from the System and answer questions boards may have about MHLS. Directors and board presidents are welcome to invite their county's representatives on the MHLS Board to an upcoming meeting by sending a message through
this form
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MHLS will be closed on Monday, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day. The MHLS ticket system will not be monitored.
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A total of $72,015 in funding was dispersed among 11 Dutchess County libraries
to help provide patrons access to literacy, early reading, employment opportunities and tools for English as a second language without technological barriers.
Funding was provided through Dutchess County's Agency Partner Grant Program for "Dutchess Reads: Bridging the Digital Divide." The Dutchess County Library recipients include:
- Amenia Free Library: $5,500 to buy two tablets with early learning software for children 2 to 8 years old
- Beekman Library: $6,100 toward five laptops and portable hotspots
- East Fishkill Community Library: $5,000 to buy five laptops, five iPads and two in-library charging stations
- Blodgett Memorial Library: $11,000 to buy digital media service Hoopla
- Northeast-Millerton Library: $5,301 to buy three portable hotspots and three laptops
- Pawling Free Library: $1,220 to replace wireless hardware infrastructure
- Pine Plains Free Library: $1,200 to advertise pay-per-use model of Hoopla
- Pleasant Valley Free Library: $5,000 to buy five laptops and a wireless printer
- Poughkeepsie Public Library District: $27,039 to buy 14 iPad Airs, accessories and fund the Wi-Fi connection for 50 donated hotspots for Poughkeepsie City School District students to use for distance learning
- Tivoli Free Library: $675 to buy five hotspots
- Grinnell Public Library District: $4,000 to buy four desktop computers and a printer
The Putnam Valley Free Library got a little help from the Sheriff's Department with the library's tiny food pantry. Thank you to Putnam County Sheriff Robert Langley and Deputies Pizzuto and Collier, who made a huge donation to our now not-so-Tiny Food Pantry today! We can't thank these essential workers enough for their service to our community, day in and day out, in all its many forms! Remember: our Tiny Food Pantry is open 24/7 for anyone who needs it (@Putnamvalleylibrary Instagram)
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Resource Sharing & Sierra
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Thomas O'Connell, MHLS ILP Operations Supervisor will be offering Sierra Lunchtime Webinars
beginning at 12:00pm all next week. Each day covers a different topic:
You can register for any of these sessions through the
MHLS calendar
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Google Meet is now free for all users
. Users can now create a Google Meet account and host their own video calls. Meetings were previously limited to an hour, but Google has waived the time limit until the end of September. Users are also able to access features like dial-in phone numbers, larger meetings, and meeting recordings. Find more information at
https://meet.google.com/
Google Voice can be a useful tool for libraries that would like to offer texting options for their patrons
while doing curbside pickup. With Google Voice, you get a free phone number for calls, text messages, and voicemail. Users can use the apps on smartphones and computers and can link a Google Voice number to any mobile or landline number. For more information, visit
https://tinyurl.com/ouyalml
Google has also launched a free app, Read Along, that is designed to help elementary school students practice reading skills and stay educationally engaged. Read Along has an in-app reading buddy that listens to children read aloud, offers assistance when they struggle and rewards them with stars when they do well. Google states the app was designed with privacy in mind and does not record the voices of children. Read Along offers about 500 stories, and more are being added on a regular basis. Learn more about the app here:
https://play.google.com/
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Many libraries have started planning a very different Summer Reading Program
this year due to COVID-19. Libraries are exploring ideas like online programming, take and make crafts, online prizes, and story walks. This is an exciting chance to experiment with new ideas and programming formats. Courtney Wimmers, Outreach & Engagement Specialist has held two webinars on the 2020 Summer Reading Program. The first,
The Future of the 2020 Summer Reading Program
explored trends and ideas including online reading logs and community partnerships. The second,
Summer Reading Program Ideas
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gave library staff a chance to hear about some more upcoming trends, discuss what they were working on, and ask each other questions.
One trend that has gotten a lot of attention is StoryWalks®.
StoryWalks® are created by placing laminated pages from a children's book along an outdoor path. As patrons walk down the path, they read the story. This is a great way to get patrons outside in a safe way, as well as encourage literacy. Some of our libraries have created StoryWalks® in the past, including the Heermance Memorial Library in Coxsackie (pictured above). You can find more information about StoryWalks® at
https://www.kellogghubbard.org/storywalk
 Looking for a way to inspire your younger patrons when they can't go to the library? Offer kids the opportunity to turn their summer reading choices into audio reviews and turn readers into podcast stars. Book Club for Kids is a podcast where kids talk about books. This summer, they are featuring kids who participate in library Summer Reading programs across the country. Kids can talk about where they're from, and what their favorite book is. Book Club for Kids is looking for libraries to partner with this summer. For more information, visit
https://www.bookclubforkids.org/summer-reading
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Administration & Management
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OCLC, IMLS, and Battelle COVID-19 Research Partnership update: REALM Project site launches
REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) is a research partnership between OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle to create and distribute science-based information and recommended practices designed to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to staff and visitors who are engaging in the delivery or use of museum, library, and archival services. The first phase of this partnership will collect, curate, and disseminate information and recommended practices for handling physical collections and facilities in anticipation of a phased-in or full reopening of public library buildings and services starting as early as May 2020 and produce an initial set of toolkit resources.
Visit
oc.lc/realm-project
for more information on the project, research timeline, and committee members, and to subscribe to email updates on project findings. Project updates and resources will be added to this information hub as they become available. REALM is also collecting "workflow stories" about how library materials are handled. To contribute a story or information you can add to
this document
or contact MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator Casey Conlin at
cconlin@midhudson.org
by Wednesday, May 20th
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In the News
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Local
- Dutchess County awards $72,000 to libraries | Amenia Free Library, Beekman Library, East Fishkill Community Library, Blodgett Memorial Library, Northeast-Millerton Library, Pawling Free Library, Pine Plains Free Library, Pleasant Valley Free Library, Poughkeepsie Public Library District, Tivoli Free Library, Grinnell Public Library District | Daily Freeman 5.13.20
- Dutchess libraries purchasing laptops, hotspots, technology to bridge gap | Amenia Free Library, Beekman Library, East Fishkill Community Library, Blodgett Memorial Library, Northeast-Millerton Library, Pawling Free Library, Pine Plains Free Library, Pleasant Valley Free Library, Poughkeepsie Public Library District, Tivoli Free Library, Grinnell Public Library District | Poughkeepsie Journal 5.12.20
National
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