Vol.22-50 | 12.13.22

Trustee Education Requirement Begins in 2023

The New York State Library has drafted a sample Trustee Education Policy for libraries to adopt concerning the annual board of trustee training requirements set forth in Education Law § 260-d. This law requires all public and association library board trustees complete two hours of State approved training annually, beginning in 2023. The State Library has provided answers to frequently asked questions about this new requirement here

 

The model policy, available under the continuing education section of MHLS Internal Policies webpage, contains details on pre-approved training providers and a sample self-assurance form which is referenced in the new law. The self-assurance form can be used, if acceptable to your board, when a trustee attends an event that did not supply a certificate of attendance. MHLS recommends Boards adopt this policy.  


Note that MHLS is an approved training provider. In 2023 MHLS will again offer a full complement of the MHLS Trustee Education Series in the Spring and Fall. A mixture of online and in-person options will be available. This series includes: 

  • Trustee Essentials 
  • Core Values & Ethics 
  • Financial & Fiduciary Responsibility 
  • Advanced Trustee: Financial Planning 

A reminder to library directors: MHLS is launching a new online learning management system, "Training on Demand" that has a section for trustee education. This would enable your trustees to take trustee webinars at their convenience and be issued a certificate of attendance. Respond to MHLS Action Memo 22-04 by December 23rd to get your library started with this new service.

 

In 2023 we will partner again with the Public Library System Directors Organization, New York State Library, and the Library Trustee Association of New York State to bring six new workshops to your trustees under the banner of the Trustee Handbook Book Club. The twelve webinars already produced through this project are currently archived here and will be available on the new the new platform where enrollees can obtain proof of attendance for viewing. 

MHLS Announcements

Please welcome Chris Fisher, director of the Pawling Library. Chris began working as the new director in November. 

MHLS Libraries

The following was submitted by Josh Skou, Town of Ulster Public Library. Josh was one of five recipients of the 2022 New York Library Association (NYLA) Conference Scholarship from the Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS).


"My time at the NYLA conference provided insight into resources which I could use to answer patron inquiries, information about tools to make the library more accessible to the community, and also opened my eyes to a number of programming possibilities.


In attending the Tech Trends for Libraries in 2023 program, I learned of Cricut printers, which are essentially a cheaper, limited version of a 3D Printer. These printers are often the centerpiece of library craft programs, as they can provide an easy to learn digital template for creating everything from custom cards to unique apparel. I believe these devices have the potential to both expand our programming repertoire at the Town of Ulster Library and breach the digital divide by engaging patrons with technology in a familiar and exciting way.


As someone with a background in Social Studies education, I was also delighted to learn about Consider The Source NY via the Fostering Collaboration Between Librarians and Educators program. Consider The Source NY is a digital collection of primary sources and document-based classroom activities centered around the history of New York state. This site grants the library a tool to support both students and educators, as well as an opportunity to make my library’s resources more accessible by uploading primary source documents onto the site.


Attending the conference gave me not only information and tools, but contacts and support from the broader library community."


The NYLA Conference Scholarship from MHLS helps provide new library directors and new library staff with the opportunity to attend the annual NYLA Conference by matching funds provided by the library to underwrite conference attendance.


Articles from all our scholarship recipients will be published in the MHLS Bulletin over the next few weeks!

Professional Development

Southeastern NY Library Resources Council (SENYLRC) 8th Annual SENYCon is happening on Friday, April 14, 2023! If you have a unique idea, clever work hack, best practice, or want to practice your presentation skills, you are invited to submit your proposal using the form here. Submissions will be reviewed and selected by SENYLRC’s Continuing Education Committee. 


The deadline for proposals is Thursday, January 5th, 2023.


SENYCon is a collection of presentations from member library workers for member library workers. It is a place for you to showcase big and small ideas. In this forum, you can practice future presentations, deliver encore presentations, or share something you've learned on the job that will benefit others. Libraries of all types are represented, and the event is free and open to all. This will be a hybrid event and welcome presenters to the SENYLRC office in Highland, NY as well as those who wish to present virtually. Attendees will also be able to choose between in-person or virtual. Materials from previous SENYCon events are archived on this LibGuide

Sustainable Libraries

ALA Launches eCourse on Sustainable Librarianship!

The Sustainable Libraries Initiative and the American Library Association (ALA) have come together to bring you a special new eCourse, Sustainable Librarianship: Core Competencies and Practices. Climate change and environmental destruction are a code red for humanity and are this generation’s grandest challenge. In 2019, ALA Council added “Sustainability” as a core value of the profession, adopting the triple bottom line definition of sustainability to ensure balanced decision-making that respects environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic feasibility. As community leaders and facilitators, libraries should be modeling sustainable practices among their staff and within their facilities.


In this eCourse, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, President of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative Advisory Board & MHLS Executive Director, will lead you through the principles and practices of sustainable librarianship along with a group of expert speakers, lecturers, and writers. After participating in this course:

  • Students will have a strong understanding of the “triple bottom line” definition of sustainability as adopted by the American Library Association as a Core Value of Librarianship. 
  • Students will be able to accurately describe operational decisions, services, programs, and partnerships their library is already undertaking that better position their institutions as sustainability leaders
  • Using the “sustainable thinking” model, students will be able to make operational decisions as well as design new services, programs, and partnerships to ensure their institutions are relevant and responsive in the face of the impacts of climate change. 
  • Students will understand the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the context of climate justice.


This eCourse will run for four weeks, starting on February 13th, 2023. Please visit ALA's website for more information on this program and to register.

Programming

The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) invites you to apply for the 2023 Summer Learning Awards. Each year, the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) recognizes programs that provide summer learning opportunities in communities across the country. Program candidates for the Summer Learning Awards demonstrate excellence in accelerating academic achievement and promoting healthy development for low income, Pre-K – 12 children and youth.


Applications must be submitted by December 16th, 2022. Each award-winning program receives a $10,000 donation, national recognition at NSLA’s conference and ongoing professional development opportunities from NSLA. Please visit their website for more details. 

MHLS Calendar


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