Annual Membership Meeting Report |
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On October 22nd the 62nd Annual Membership Meeting of the Mid-Hudson Library System was convened online. While we missed seeing everyone in person, we appreciated folks time and attention at both our business meeting and the keynote address.
The business meeting portion of the event included:
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A report from MHLS Board President, Richard Swierat, who emphasized three main areas of priority that the MHLS Board has focused on this past year: financial stability and sustainability for system operations; addressing issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the governance of MHLS; and outreach to member library boards.
“We see MHLS as a first responder to member library needs in time of disruption so that your libraries can be first restorers in your communities.” – Richard Swierat, MHLS Board President
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A report from MHLS Board Treasurer Mark Wilson, who conveyed the results of the most recent audit of the systems finances and provided insights into how the System board and staff have been rebuilding the system’s finances and operations after the major cuts to state aid during 2020. Mr. Wilson took care to thank the MHLS Directors Association for their partnership and trust during the past 20 months and to welcome and recognize the work of Saran Camara, the new MHLS Finance Manager & Personnel Officer.
- The passage of two bylaw amendments, one to clarify the appointment of liaisons to the board from the MHLS Directors Association, the other to list the standing committees of the board.
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The election of three trustees to the MHLS Board:
- Greene County: Dr. Alexandra Prince, first five-year term
- Putnam County: Carla Taylor, first five-year term
- Ulster County: Ken Goldberg, second, five-year term
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- Introduced our six new staff members who have joined the MHLS team in the past year:
- Saran Camara, Finance Manager & Personnel Officer
- Henry Barish, Technology Ops Specialist
- Kathryn Brew, Technology Ops Support Specialist
- Kyle Carella, Delivery Ops Clerk
- Alexa Stroh, Library Sustainability Associate
- Kyra Walker, Interlibrary Loan & Cataloging Specialist
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Honored three MHLS staff who have reached service milestones with the organization:
- John Barath, 10 years
- Kerstin Cruger, 20 years
- Gerry Formby, 15 years
- Highlighted two member libraries – the Brewster Public Library and the LaGrange Library - for their outstanding accomplishment of grand openings of new facilities
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Provided a report on MHLS' efforts to address Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts at the board level as well as assisting member libraries with these topics, with a particular emphasis on digital equity for the coming year. Rebekkah also discussed achievements of the system and our members in the areas of COVID-19 support, Advocacy, Technology – including the completion of the ILS Road Map 2.0 – and continuing education. Rebekkah thanked the libraries that stepped up to participate in The Library of Local pilot program this year: Hudson Area Library, Kingston Library, Morton Memorial Library & Community House, and the Mountain Top Library and noted the trend of member libraires working together in smaller geographic groups on programs and collective impact efforts like The Great Give Back, Earth Day activities, and shared services like the Columbia County Library Association’s new Museum Pass program.
After the close of the business meeting Patricia “Patty” Wong, the first Asian-American President of the American Library Association and City Librarian for Santa Clara City Library in California provided the keynote address. Her talk was entitled “Race Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Social Justice, a Library Community Approach.”
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Ms. Wong stressed the importance of internal and external reflection, how allyship is action not an identity, and what using an EDI lens can look like in library decision making and operations from everything from job descriptions to staff education, policies and procedures to service design, and where libraries look for partnerships in the community.
Ms. Wong encouraged attendees to get involved with national associations of Librarians of Color such as the American Indian Library Association, Asian/Pacific American Library Association, Black Caucus of American Library Association, Chinese American Librarians Association and REFORMA. She also shared two resources: Advancing Racial Equity in Public Libraries from the Government Alliance on Race & Equity and the Guide to Allyship, an open source starter guide to help you become a more thoughtful and effective ally. |
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MHLS will be closed on Thursday, November 11th in observance of Veterans Day. There will be no deliveries and the MHLS ticket system will not be monitored. |
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During the month of October, 38 libraries in the Mid-Hudson Library System participated in the statewide program The Great Give Back! These libraries provided opportunities for library patrons to participate in meaningful community service experiences. Community service opportunities that libraries planned as part of The Great Give Back included art and writing projects to benefit the community, collections of items like socks, soap, and shampoo for people in need, food drives, pet adoption events, collecting and creating items to aid cancer patients, and supporting our pollinators. Many libraries also partnered with other organizations such as local animal shelters, local food pantries, and local women’s shelters to build connections in their communities and increase the impact of their efforts. This statewide program was brought to our region thanks to a partnership between the Mid-Hudson Library System and the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. Many libraries also produced The Great Give Back events in support of Hudson Valley Climate Solutions Week.
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Morton Memorial Library & Community House (Rhinecliff) and Staatsburg Library partnered to create a pollinator pathway program. |
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Registration is open for Next-Level Leadership in Small and Rural Libraries. Leading Big in Small Places, will be a fast-paced conference held on Wednesday, November 17th, 2021, from 9:00 am - 12:30 pm. In short 15-to-20-minute sessions presenters will share their experiences in community outreach, adapting to new communities, policies, and procedures, refreshing your facility and collection, summer reading, 1:1 résumé appointments, and more. Sessions will be archived, and links will be sent to those who register. Registration is free and a self-certification of attendance is available. |
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Resource Sharing & Sierra |
Register now for Sierra Serials on Monday, November 8th at 11:00 am with Nina Acosta, MHLS Data Operations Supervisor. This one-hour session is for library staff responsible for entering new magazine issues into Sierra. Nina will review the basics of using the serials module, including extrapolating your existing check-in cards to create new boxes for the upcoming year. |
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Take Action: Urge Congress to #FundLibraries! Federal funding increases for libraries are currently on hold, your help is needed. The proposed FY 2022 appropriations bills include significant increases for federal funding for libraries, including an additional $9 million for the IMLS-administered Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), $3 million for the Department of Education-administered Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant (IAL), and $3 million for an important Information Literacy Taskforce. Take Action Now to your legislator and ask them to ensure that these increases remain included as Congress works to reach their final agreement.
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There is still time to register for Advocates & Ambassadors with MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator, Casey Conlin and MHLS Outreach & EDI Specialist, Kerstin Cruger on Wednesday, November 10th at 2:00 pm. At this 90-minute webinar library staff, directors, trustees, and Friends who want to help their libraries win public support and attract public funds to benefit their community will learn to craft messages that will generate supporters and followers for their library as well as strengthen stakeholder and community partnerships. At this workshop we will cover tools for crafting a meaningful and impactful message about your library, strategies for tailoring and delivering your message to different audiences and identifying and maximizing relationships within the community. |
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MHLS member libraries can encourage patrons to join The Library of Local for From Pasture to Spoon: Exploring the Biodynamic Dairy at Hawthorne Valley an afternoon at Hawthorne Valley Farm to experience first-hand how “beautifully complex” biodynamic practices enhance the farm’s dairy output as well as the environment as a whole. Hawthorne Valley’s Executive Director, Martin Ping, and Creamery and Dairy Herd managers, Jeremy Shapiro and Jess Brobst will talk about the multilayered and regenerative nature of their work. A tour of the creamery, a chance to help bring the dairy cows in from pasture—and even experience milking firsthand—will be followed by a tasting of fresh yogurt made all the more delicious by its biodynamic bonafides. This event is suitable for ages 8 and up and will be held on November 6 th at 12:30 pm. |
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Administration & Management |
For this year's fall training season, Universal Service Administration Co. (USAC) will offer a series of online webinars for E-rate program participants, from Tuesday, November 16th, 2021 through Thursday, November 18th, 2021. Their three-day training series will include two one-hour webinars each day, starting at 1:00 pm and run through 4:00 pm, with one-hour breaks between training sessions. If you are unable to attend the live session, a recording will be available using the registration link. Registration for training is now open. Review the full schedule and register for training on the E-rate Webinars webpage. |
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Local
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Halloween in the Hudson Valley | Elting Library, Hudson Area Library, Beekman Public Library, Gardiner Library, Morton Memorial Library | HV1 10.26.21
National
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