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Contact Us
The MHLS Bulletin welcomes submissions from member libraries.
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MHLS Literacy Grants Awarded
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The New York State Library has issued grants totaling more than $21,000 to the Mid-Hudson Library
System to use toward supporting adult and family literacy programming and outreach within our member libraries.
The Adult Literacy mini-grants funded by New York State Library's Adult Literacy Library Services 2019-20 program have been awarded to the following libraries to use towards adult literacy programs, including financial and digital literacy:
- Brewster Public Library
- D.R. Evarts Library (Athens)
- Hudson Area Library
- New Lebanon Library
- Olive Free Library Association
- Patterson Library
- Pawling Library
- Saugerties Public Library
Each of the libraries will be working with a literacy partner in their community and collect program evaluations using Project Outcome. The programs will be focused on enhancing workforce development services and improving adult literacy on the job and in the home.
The Early Literacy Cohort Program, funded by New York State Library's Family Literacy Library Services 2019-20 program, is now underway. The following libraries will be participating in the program:
- Clinton Community Library
- Hudson Area Library
- Marlboro Free Library
- Patterson Library
- Pawling Library
- Pleasant Valley Free Library
Participating library staff will attend 5 mandatory meetings/trainings that will cover the full curriculum of the Ready to Read at New York Libraries: Early Childhood Public Library Staff Development Program. They will also receive support from MHLS staff, from member library peers in the cohort, and from professional materials provided by MHLS, as well as funds for early literacy materials.
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MHLS Announcements
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 Starting November 1, 2019 MHLS will begin a new Tech Support Coverage schedule: Mondays - Fridays 8:30am 4:30pm.
We will no longer offer Tech Support on Saturdays. This decision was arrived at after an analysis of the requests for assistance received by phone and through the ticket system on Saturdays over the past three years. The few calls and tickets received on Saturdays were either not time sensitive, could self-correct, or could be quickly resolved if member library staff were equipped with a few quick tips. Therefore, we have decided to redistribute those staff hours during our Monday-Friday schedule to ensure 100% coverage for our members during their busiest times.
To assist with the most common issues library staff have contacted us about on Saturdays we have prepared troubleshooting guides now housed in the "Staff Toolbox" section of the brand new MHLS Knowledge Base
(
https://kb.midhudson.org/library-staff-toolbox/
).
As always, please feel free to submit a request for tech support at
techsupport@midhudson.org
Our team supports Sierra, basic network/internet troubleshooting, software installation/configuration/ removal, malware removal, and similar basic requests.
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 The Plattekill Public Library Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Darren Lanspery (MLS, Long Island University) has joined the library as the new Director. Darren has worked for eighteen years combined with the Orange-Ulster and Dutchess BOCES School Library Systems and
SUNY New Paltz.
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Resource Sharing & Sierra
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 Join Thomas O'Connell, MHLS ILP Operations Supervisor for
Sierra Hands-On Create Lists - Level 1.
This workshop is designed for people who are beginners with Sierra Create Lists, and those who do not use it regularly. In this hands-on workshop, attendees will run specific Create Lists reports designed to help them to identify elements of their collection and increase circulation at the library.
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In the newest MHLS Engage Webinar Highland Public Library
director, Julie Kelsall-Dempsey, and
Kingston Library
director, Margie Menard, (pictured above) talk about their experience with
Turning Outward
. "Turning Outward" is a step-by-step process developed by The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. It entails taking steps to better understand communities; changing processes and thinking to make conversations more community-focused; being proactive to community issues; and putting community aspirations first. The input that is gathered from the community is useful in informing and developing a strategic or long-range plan. Margie and Julie both participated in the Turning Outward cohort organized by MHLS in 2018 and used the information they gathered to shift their libraries' focus on the future.
The MHLS Engage Webinar series features innovative MHLS member libraries sharing their experiences in a short interview style format. To view the Turning Outward webinar and other webinars in the Engage series, visit
https://midhudson.org/engage/
Questions about the MHLS Engage Webinar series should be directed to Courtney Wimmers, MHLS Outreach & Engagement Specialist,
cwimmers@midhudson.org
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 The Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week December 9th-15th
is a one-hour introduction to computer science that promotes diversity in tech fields, builds job skills and provides an opportunity for young people to learn about tools that increasingly shape our lives. Hour of Code activities include tutorials for all types of devices and even unplugged exercises, all of which are self-guided, so hosting an event doesn't require coding experience. We live in a world surrounded by technology, and we know that whatever field someone chooses to go into, their ability to succeed will increasingly depend on understanding how technology works, but only a tiny fraction of people are learning how technology works. Inspired by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, this year, the Hour of Code will highlight how we can all use computer science to make a positive impact on our world, from writing apps to solve a local problem, to using innovative ideas in data science to address global challenges. To learn more about Hour of Code and hosting your own event, please visit https://hourofcode.com/
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Administration & Management
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Calling Small Libraries:
For a second year, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting grant applications for Accelerating Promising Practices for Small Libraries (APP). The deadline to apply is December 2, 2019. APP is a special initiative of National Leadership Grants for Libraries, a program that supports library and archives services nationwide by advancing theory and practice to strengthen the ability of small and/or rural libraries, archives, and related organizations to serve their communities. For more information and to access the application please visit
http://bit.ly/2qHbAHs
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