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Contact Us
The MHLS Bulletin welcomes submissions from member libraries.
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In January 2019, the American Library Association (ALA) passed a resolution on Monetary Library Fines as a Form of Social Inequity
and established that "The American Library Association asserts that imposition of monetary library fines creates a barrier to the provision of library and information services." Studies have shown that small fines do not have an impact on return rates. In the Colorado State Library white paper, "Removing Barriers to Access", it is stated, "... research on the value and impact of library fines and fees does not indicate a clear benefit of administering these policies, and they may be costly to enforce."
Twelve Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS) member libraries have decided to go completely fine free
to remove this barrier to access and many did this well before the January 2019 resolution: Chatham Public Library, Claverack Free Library, Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Library (Cold Spring), Blodgett Memorial Library (Fishkill), Marlboro Free Library, Olive Free Library Association, Patterson Library, Phoenicia Library, Morton Memorial Library (Pine Hill), West Hurley Public Library, Valatie Free Library, and Woodstock Public Library District. Six MHLS libraries are partially fine free: Elting Memorial Library (New Paltz), North Chatham Free Library, Staatsburg Library, Town of Ulster Public Library, and Kingston Library have waived fines for younger patrons, and the Highland Public Library is waiving fines for patrons younger than 18 and older than 65.
For more resources to help analyze this issue at your library - including the brand new "Going Fine Free Template" - please visit
https://midhudson.org/fine-free-libraries/
or contact Courtney Wimmers, MHLS Outreach & Engagement Specialist,
cwimmers@midhudson.org
(above) A section of the MHLS Going Fine Free Template.
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MHLS Libraries
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After 25 years as the Director of the Stanford Free Library, Arlene Christensen, is retiring
. Arlene has served the community of Stanford by growing library programs and creating beneficial partnerships to extend the reach and impact of the library over the years. Most recently Arlene spearheaded a ten-year project to build a brand-new library facility. The new facility doubled the square footage and relocated the building to the center of town to allow easy access for the entire community including full ADA compliance and community room.
(l-r) Assemblymember Didi Barrett and Arlene Christensen at the
Stanford Free Library's groundbreaking.
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Resource Sharing & Sierra
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Join Thomas O'Connell, MHLS ILP Operations Supervisor for An Introduction to Mobile Worklists. This two-hour workshop introduces the new Sierra application that allows staff to take a mobile device out into the stacks to create new lists or to make edits to existing lists, even importing them into the Create Lists function to work with them. With Mobile Worklists, your library can minimize material handling and transporting items to workstations, going to where the items are to access the materials. This is a great way to do inventories or weeding, reducing paper consumption and increasing efficiency.
Three dates to choose from:
To learn more about this workshop or register for one of the sessions please visit
http://calendar.midhudson.org
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In the newest MHLS Engage Webinar, Red Hook Public Library Director of Programs and Youth Services, Amy K. Smith, talks about their innovative summer programs.
During the summer of 2019, the Red Hook Public Library held a series of science labs with the intent of having kids experience how much of their everyday lives were based in science. Library staff wanted to involve businesses and individuals from the Red Hook community whose jobs relied on their scientific knowledge, but who were not traditional scientists. The Red Hook Public Library staff formed valuable community partnerships with people such as local farmers and bakers, staff from the Highway Department, and local mixed martial arts instructors. The response to their summer programming was overwhelmingly positive!
(above) Beekeeper Katie Gibbons visits Farm Lab at Hardeman Orchards as part of Red Hook Public Library's summer science program.
The MHLS Engage Webinar series features innovative MHLS member libraries sharing their experiences in a short interview style format. To view the current webinar and other webinars in the Engage series please 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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 To promote the concept of a global community of libraries, the
American Library Association (ALA) encourages U.S. libraries to form partnerships with libraries in other countries
. Developing a Sister Library relationship can be a great opportunity for each library to learn about the work and lives of librarians around the world. To get tips on how to find a Sister Library, browse the "Libraries Seeking Sisters" list of libraries or add your library to the list so that a potential Sister Library can find you, please visit
http://www.ala.org/rt/irrt/irrtcommittees/irrtsisterlibrary/sisterlibrary
For more information about this program email
sister.libraries@gmail.com
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Administration & Management
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Civil Service 101 presented by Geoff Kirkpatrick will be held on Wednesday, January 15th
from 10:00am-12:00pm in the MHLS Auditorium. This workshop is appropriate for library directors, managers and human resources staff in municipal public libraries, special district public libraries and school district public libraries.
Civil Service 101
is designed to provide an introduction to administering human resources in a public library in a civil service environment. In this workshop we will:
- Review the purpose and structure of Civil Service Commissions in New York
- What should be in place at your library to ensure compliance
- Best practices to ensure you are hiring great people, disciplining correctly and protecting the library when someone needs to be fired.
Geoff
Kirkpatrick is the Director of Bethlehem Public Library in Delmar, NY. He is a former President of the New York Library Association (NYLA), co-creator for the NYLA Sustainability Initiative, and Vice-President of the Sustainable Thinking and Action Roundtable.
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Library Clerk 2 - Part Time, Downstate Correctional Facility (Fishkill)
Downstate Correctional Facility located in Fishkill, NY is seeking applicants for a part-time Library Clerk 2 position.
Minimum Qualifications: Must have graduated from High School or be in possession of a High School Equivalency Diploma or one year of library clerical experience; or 30 semester credit hours, of which at least nine college semester credit hours are in any combination of the following: Library/Information Science, Computer Application or Information Studies.
Duties Description: As a part-time Library Clerk 2, coverage would be required in one of four libraries and law libraries in the correctional facility. The part-time Library Clerk 2 would also be expected to fill in for staff out on vacation or sick leave. Responsible for maintaining stock in the general and law libraries.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
For more information or to apply for the position please visit
MHLS recommends that the minimum starting salary of a full or part-time librarian with an MLS degree be at least equal to that of a teacher with a master's degree in the same community.
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