Statewide Trustee Handbook Book Club is a Success! |
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At each meeting of the new Trustee Handbook Book Club, MHLS Executive Director, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, is joined by her co-author for the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, Jerry Nichols, for a fun and informative online gathering where trustees from all over New York State discuss a chapter from the Trustee Handbook. The first two meetings of the Trustee Handbook Book Club were a huge success with over 700 trustees learning and asking questions about how to best serve their communities at their local libraries. Recordings and resources from the first two meetings, which focused on the Duties and Responsibilities of a Trustee and Library Board Meetings, are available online. |
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MHLS will be closed on Thursday, November 25th in observance of Thanksgiving and Friday, November 26th. There will be no deliveries and the MHLS ticket system will not be monitored. |
There are two MHLS Action Memos currently open:
- #21-06: Required Minimum Hours of Service (deadline: November 30th, 2021)
- #21-07: Member Library Board Approval of the MHLS Direct Access Plan (deadline: ASAP)
Information and access to each memo was sent to the MHLS-Notice List. Please direct any questions regarding either Action Memo to MHLS Executive Director, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, rsmith@midhudson.org. |
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(l-r): Senator Sue Serino and Tom Lawrence, Poughkeepsie Public Library District Director at the Adriance Honors Awards. Picture courtesy of Sue Serino’s office.
The Friends of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District (PPLD) held the Adriance Honors Awards last month at the Locust Grove Historic Estate. In early 2020, the Friends announced the recipients of the Adriance Honors would be Suzanne Gillespie, Friends volunteer for sixteen years and Tom Lawrence, Director of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District, two people who have consistently shown their support for public libraries. After a one-year delay, they were finally able to hold the presentations! The Adriance Honors is held each year by the Friends of PPLD during National Friends of Libraries Week.
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Erikson Institute's TEC Center is now offering a new IMLS-funded professional development program, Media Literacy in Early Childhood for Youth Library Staff. Recruitment is open for this four-month professional development series, in which participants will spend approximately 10 to 12 hours total in entirely online synchronous and asynchronous learning. Cohorts will be made up of 20-25 youth library staff from across the U.S. Public and school library staff who either work directly with young children (ages birth through 8 years old) and families or supervise library staff who do work directly with young children and families are invited to apply. All participants will receive a certificate and a $400 honorarium for their library once they complete the program to compensate for their time.
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The Public Library Association (PLA) is giving away 15 scholarships to provide financial assistance for public library workers and students to attend the PLA 2022 Conference in Portland, OR, March 23 th –25 th. Five conference scholarships will be awarded in each of the three categories: Early-career Library Staff Scholarships, Non-Salaried or Unemployed Library Staff Scholarships, and Library School Student Scholarships.
Each scholarship includes complimentary registration, one year of ALA and PLA membership, and a $500 stipend for travel and housing. These scholarships may not be applied toward the PLA 2022 Virtual Conference. The application deadline is Wednesday, December 8th, 2021, and awardees will be notified Wednesday, January 5th, 2022.
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Resource Sharing & Sierra |
The Resource Sharing Standards were recently updated by a vote of the MHLS Directors Association to address procedures around the circulation of damaged items and the definition of special collections. A new policy and procedure for items too damaged for circulation, which sets definitions in place to identify levels of damage and also provides procedures for managing the processes when you encounter them at the circulation desk has been added to the Resource Sharing Standards. A definition was added to describe special collections and set the parameters for items to operate outside of regular circulation and holds. Detailed definitions and information for each of these items can be found in the circulation section of the Resource Sharing Standards, and these standards are in effect immediately. |
The MHLS Knowledge Base (KB) was recently updated! The KB website has been indexed for easier navigation, and you can view the index at https://kb.midhudson.org/page-list/ or simply click the Site Index link from the top menu. The MHLS Knowledge Base (KB) supports library administrators and staff in using the Integrated Library System (ILS) and other software and applications to manage circulation transactions and patron information, and access data for collection and library development. The KB includes references to Resource Sharing Standards and how-to guides and walkthroughs for performing common library tasks and generating reports. For questions about the KB, contact MHLS Tech Support.
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Penguin Random House and The Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) announced a grant program to support underserved communities. The program will award grants of up to $2,500 to small, rural, or tribal libraries that demonstrate a true need.
“Our nation’s small and rural libraries already faced so many challenges pre-pandemic. Those challenges have only become more urgent during the past year and a half. ARSL cannot thank Penguin Random House enough for recognizing the essential place our libraries hold in our communities, and stepping up to show real, practical support.” - Kate Laughlin, Executive Director, The Association for Rural & Small Libraries
Grants may be used for everything from library programming and books to other needed resources. This is a rolling grant application, with applications going under review every 8 weeks beginning December 17th, 2021. For the award application and more information about the program, please visit their info page. |
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Reference & Collection Development |
Join "Ask the Lawyer" attorney Stephanie "Cole" Adams for Calm, (Legally) Cool, and Collected: Tactics for Libraries Facing Book Challenges and Collection-based Protests on December 2nd at 1:00 pm. Using applicable library ethics and law as a foundation, this practical and action-oriented session will work through the roles, responsibilities, and possible tactics of every person working at and supporting a library when a community needs to weather a content challenge, protest, and/or obscenity charges based on materials in their collection. This free 90-minute session will have 30 minutes dedicated to participant questions. If you would like to submit a question you can do so through the registration form. The deadline to submit questions is November 24 th.
Attendees will receive a summary chart and template response plan to help a library facing a challenge assess and organize the possible response roles, responsibilities, and tactics to use for response.
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Art Resources Transfer offers free books on the arts to public libraries, schools, prisons, and reading centers. All public institutions of learning that self-define as underserved are invited and encouraged to participate. You can place annual, unrestricted orders once per year, and their catalog offers 340+ titles on contemporary art by 60+ publishers. Books are entirely free and shipped free of charge.
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The Fall 2021 online MHLS Trustee Education Series has ended but you can still view all the workshops using the links below. Each session features information for library trustees that will help support their library in reaching organizational goals and ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations presented by MHLS Executive Director, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, or MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator, Casey Conlin.
These sessions provide an opportunity to learn more about your role as a library trustee and attendance at live online events allows participants to ask questions relevant to their work on the board. Library directors are always welcome as well. Keep a look out for the announcement in the MHS Bulletin for the 2022 MHLS Trustee Education Series spring schedule! Trustees are always welcome to contact Rebekkah or Casey with questions at any time.
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Administration & Management |
WebJunction presents The Myth of the Work/Life Balance for Small Library Directors on December 9th at 3:00 pm. This one-hour webinar explores how to find balance between your personal and professional life, in service of yourself and your community. Being the director of a small library means that you often can, and do, do it all! It can be a challenge to find the balance between your personal and professional life, but organization, planning and creativity can all help make time for what’s important to you. But so can flexing the muscles that allow us to let go of what we can’t control, manage expectations (including our own), and appreciate that ‘less than perfect’ can be the secret to a balanced life. Join us to explore ideas to better delegate, cross train, and collaborate, and how to live with a job done well-enough, in service of yourself and your community.
This webinar is free to attend but registration is required. |
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REMINDER: The minimum wage north of Westchester will rise to $13.20 an hour, up 70 cents from $12.50 an hour. This change will take effect December 31 st, 2021. Subsequent annual increases will be published by the Commissioner of Labor on or before October 1 st. They will be based on percentage increases determined by the Director of the Division of Budget, based on economic indices, including the Consumer Price Index. See the NYS DOL Minimum Wage page for more information. |
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Head Custodian (Full Time) – Poughkeepsie Public Library District: The Library District seeks qualifies individuals to fill the role of Head Custodian in December 2021. Interested individuals must be on the current Dutchess County Civil Service list for the position or eligible to take the upcoming examination for the title.
Qualifications: Candidates must meet these minimum qualifications:
- Two (2) years of experience which primarily involved institutional or building cleaning and minor maintenance activities, one (1) year of which shall have involved supervisory responsibility.
For permanent appointment, the selected candidate will serve a probationary period of up to six (6) months and must be reachable on an appropriate Civil Service list.
Typical Work Activities:
- Makes regular inspections of buildings and grounds to maintain proper cleaning and maintenance procedures and makes recommendations for improvements or new equipment;
- Schedules and assigns cleaning and maintenance work of subordinate personnel;
- Inspects and otherwise exercises control over maintenance work performed by outside contractors;
- Checks to ensure that buildings are heated, cleaned, locked, and unlocked and in readiness for all activities; directs and assists in setups of facility for functions;
- Keeps records and makes reports of supplies used and activities carried on;
- Leads and participates in building cleaning and maintenance activities;
- May operate or check the operations of heating and cooling systems
- Trains new employees;
- Makes recommendations regarding the employment, removal and discipline of personnel;
- Directs and participates in painting, vacuuming, snow and ice removal activities.
Desired Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Personal Characteristics: In addition to the above minimum qualifications, the Library District seeks an individual with the following attributes:
- A desire for civic engagement with the local community and interests and a passion to fulfill the Library District’s mission and vision;
- Leadership and a willingness to actively participate in the Library District’s management team;
- Knowledge of and proficiency in computer applications necessary to fulfill job responsibilities.
About the Poughkeepsie Public Library District: The Library District (www.poklib.org) is an independent special library district serving the residents and businesses of the City and Town of Poughkeepsie with a chartered population of 75,000 and an annual budget of $9.5 million.
Compensation: This is a Civil Service appointment represented by CSEA. Annual minimum salary is $51,300. 37.5-hour work week. Standard leave package applies.
To Apply: Interest candidates should apply with cover letter and resume via email to Library Director Tom Lawrence at tlawrence@poklib.org. All applications will kept confidential. References will be requested of finalists, only.
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Account Clerk (Hourly) – Poughkeepsie Public Library District: The Library District seeks qualifies individuals to fill the role of Account Clerk in January 2022. Interested individuals must be on the current Dutchess County Civil Service list for the position.
Qualifications: Candidates must meet these minimum qualifications:
- Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and one year of experience in the performance of account keeping and/or bookkeeping; or
- Completion of one year (30 credits are equal to one year) of college, business school, or other post high school training which included two courses in account keeping or bookkeeping; or
- An equivalent combination of the training and experience as indicated above.
- For permanent appointment, the selected candidate will serve a probationary period of up to six (6) months and must be reachable on an appropriate Civil Service list.
Typical Work Activities:
- Processes and audits vouchers for payment to vendors and encumbers proper account;
- Posts to journal or ledger accounts from appropriations, expense invoices, payroll, receipts, and voucher records;
- Receives and posts remittances;
- Compiles and prepares payroll on a rotational basis
- Verifies and reconciles account balances according to prescribed procedures
- Other typical clerical support, as needed
Desired Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Personal Characteristics: In addition to the above minimum qualifications, the Library District seeks an individual with the following attributes:
- A desire for civic engagement with the local community and interests and a passion to bring the Library District’s mission and vision outside the building and to the community at large
- Leadership and a willingness to actively participate in the Library District’s Business Office team
- Knowledge of and proficiency in computer applications in public library service, including use of the integrated online system (Sierra), MS Word, and MS Excel
About the Poughkeepsie Public Library District: The Library District (www.poklib.org) is an independent special library district serving the residents and businesses of the City and Town of Poughkeepsie with a chartered population of 75,000 and an annual budget of $9.5 million.
Compensation: This is a Civil Service appointment represented by CSEA. $18.15 per hour. 20-hour work week. Standard leave package applies.
To Apply: Interest candidates should apply with cover letter and resume via email to Library Director Tom Lawrence at tlawrence@poklib.org. All applications will kept confidential. References will be requested of finalists, only.
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Public Information Officer – Poughkeepsie Public Library District (Full-Time): The Library District seeks an individual to fill the role of Public Information Officer (Full-Time) in January 2022. Primary responsibilities include managing the Library District’s graphics arts activity along.
Qualifications: Candidates must meet these minimum qualifications:
- Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered two-year college of business school with an Associate’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, advertising or a related field; or
- One (1) year of work experience in public relations, community relations, advertising activities, radio or television broadcasting, newspaper or magazine reported, or a related field, which included responsibility for writing original final copy which is distributed on a mass distribution basis; or
- An equivalent combination of training and experience as indicated in either of the above.
This is a competitive provisional Civil Service appointment. For permanent appointment, the selected candidate will need to take a Civil Service examination and obtain a reachable score on an established list.
Desired Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Personal Characteristics: In addition to the above minimum qualifications, the Library District seeks an individual with the following attributes:
- A desire for civic engagement with the local community and interests and a passion to bring the Library District’s mission and vision outside the building and to the community at large
- Leadership and a willingness to actively support the Library District’s management team
- Ability to effectively work with a diverse staff serving a diverse population
- Knowledge of and proficiency in computer applications used for public information such as InDesign, FaceBook, MS Word, and PhotoShop.
- Willingness to participate in local organizations
- Ability to effectively interpret and enforce Library District policies and procedures, as needed
About the Poughkeepsie Public Library District: The Library District (www.poklib.org) is an independent special library district serving the residents and businesses of the City and Town of Poughkeepsie with a chartered population of 75,000 and an annual budget of $8.1 million. Having recently completed a $22 million capital improvement plan, the organizational focus will now shift to ongoing service evaluation and development as well as continued community engagement.
Compensation: This is a Civil Service appointment represented by CSEA. The annual salary is $50,000. 35 hour work week. Standard benefit package may be accessed.
To Apply: Interest candidates should apply with cover letter and resume via email to Library Director Tom Lawrence at tlawrence@poklib.org. All applications will kept confidential. References will be requested of finalists, only.
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