A reminder from the MHLS Delivery Department: 

Please help delivery run as smoothly and efficiently as possible by providing a clear path to your library’s incoming and outgoing bin location, notify us of any lock and key changes in advance, and provide any feedback on the service and drivers.

For questions regarding MHLS delivery operations please contact Tom Finnigan, Delivery Operations Manager. 

Pictured l-r: Ardis Ketterer (Library Board Member/CFO), Rosemary Wein (Library Board President), Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson, and Library Director Lois Skelly. Photo courtesy of Mid Hudson News.

Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson (D-Newburgh) announced $10,000 in funding for the Sarah Hull Hallock Free Library in Milton. The funds will be used to install new, energy-efficient lighting.

“Executive Director Lois Skelly and her team manage to do so much with so little, so I was pleased to have been able to secure $10,000 for new, energy efficient lighting fixtures,” said Jacobson. “While the library is small, it supports the needs of a range of users. I look forward to visiting again when the work is complete."

There is still time to register for Artificial Intelligence and the Library: The Current Landscape on Thursday, May 18th at 10:00 am. More and more we hear about artificial intelligence (AI), but what is it exactly? What program and service opportunities does AI present for libraries? Nick Tanzi, The Digital Librarian, will explore the many ways this technology has already begun to impact our organizations and our patrons including the rise of ChatGPT and what it means for the present and future of AI.

Don’t miss a special meeting of the Sierra Users Group on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. The Sierra user group is a regular event held for member library staff who use the software. It is an opportunity to learn about what is coming in the Sierra releases and share ideas and concerns. MHLS staff will be on hand to pass on information from the international users group, held this year in Phoenix just a week before this event. We will be hoping to share a sneak peek into our new version of patron notices known as LX Stsrter, an element of the Vega platform.

Don’t miss the next session of the Trustee Handbook Book Club: Financial Planning & Budgeting! Join Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Executive Director and co-author of the Handbook For Library Trustees of New York State, for this fun and informative series! The topic for the next session will take place Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm. Trustees are encouraged to review the Budgets and Finance chapter of the Handbook for the Library Trustees of New York State prior to this event. The presenters will also touch on the Planning and Evaluation chapter of the Handbook in this session.

The New Directors Forum will take place after the Directors Association Meeting on Tuesday, June 13th, 2023, at 12:00 pm. The topic for this session is: Statistical Reports for You and Your Board, presented by Laurie Shedrick, Assistant Director & Technology Operations Manager. This event is recommended for library directors that have been in their position for 3 years or less.

Join us in-person in the MHLS Auditorium for an informal gathering of New Directors to discuss relevant topics related to finding your path as a new director. Reporting statistical information can tell the story of your library. The story is yours to tell. This session will lay the foundation to get you thinking about what you are reporting and how to report it efficiently and powerfully using the data created in the Sierra system and electronic resources. A panel of seasoned directors will be on hand to provide first hand advice in forming the narrative and we will follow that through with the reports that provide the data you need. For more information and to register, please visit the MHLS Calendar.

Librarian II, Head of Readers’ Services, Mahopac Library

The Mahopac Library is seeking a Head of Readers’ Services to coordinate Circulation desk services for library patrons. They are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the circulation staff and desk. Duties include training, scheduling, programming, informational material preparation, and collection maintenance. This position will provide reader advisory information to the general public as well as manage patron material requests. The Head of Readers’ Services will serve as a member of library Management Team and regularly participate in community outreach. 

The Head of Readers’ Services has internal contacts with the entire administrative staff and external contact with patrons and the general public. This position has access to patron information and library resources and is expected to handle such information with integrity, professionalism, and mature judgment. This position has regular contact with members of the community and is expected to represent the library in a professional manner, both inside the library and externally at community events. The Head of Readers’ Services reports to the Assistant Library Director.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Circulation Department

• Responsible for the day-to-day coordination of the Circulation desk and department staff, including but not limited to, training, scheduling, assigning projects and duties, and supporting consistent communication department-wide.
• Recommends policy, drafts and updates procedures in line with Library policy, and coordinates staff training for existing and new department procedures. Ensures the Department procedure manual is up-to-date.
• Evaluates department operating procedures with input from staff and makes adjustments as needed to improve efficiency.
• Develops performance expectations; evaluates and manages performance of the Circulation staff.
• Creates and implements daily Circulation desk, Information desk, Technical Services and Distribution work schedules, including projects, desk coverage, breaks, programs, and display set-up, to provide appropriate staffing based on Library needs; approves staff changes of schedule and readjusts desk schedules as necessary.
• Fosters a culture of outstanding customer service by ensuring accurate, friendly, courteous service and a positive library experience by ensuring all staff is trained on customer service best practices.
• Provides support for the coordinator of the Library’s Homebound Delivery service.
• Provides direct Circulation desk assistance including: check in/out materials, collect fees, answer phone calls, provide reference information, empty book drop, and reader advisory; fill-in at Information, Distribution and Circulation desks when short staffed.
• Evaluates and makes recommendations on staffing levels, promotion, staff development needs, and other personnel matters. Leads in the selection and recommendation for hiring Circulation staff.
• Reviews and resolves personnel problems within the department as possible.
• Manages all patron-related matters that front-line staff cannot handle, including escalated issues, complaints and patron account matters. 
• Ensures patron record confidentiality.
• Cultivates and fosters a team environment within the department that encourages idea exchange, creative thinking, collaboration, and communication.
• Reviews and approves timekeeping for Circulation staff.
• Ensures Circulation staff are aware of and in compliance with library policy and procedures.
• Maintains a welcoming environment for patrons.
• Creates book displays based on holidays, special events, literary themes, etc. and maintains a schedule for staff book displays.
• Manages Circulation email.
• Plans and implements the annual Summer and Winter Reading Programs.
• May perform collection development duties.

Library-Wide

• Participates in library-wide planning and decision-making as a member of the library management team.
• Attends management team meetings and all staff meetings; provides input to the solutions of interdepartmental problems, informs other departmental managers and administration of changes in departmental personnel and procedures, serves as a liaison between other departments and Circulation.
• Participates in community outreach; promotes the library and its resources to community organizations.
• Participates in the development and revision of Library operating policies and procedures.
• Participates in the long range planning of library services.
• Acts as person-in-charge when needed.
• Attends relevant workshops as necessary to maintain professional certification and/or knowledge.
• May work non-traditional hours based on operational needs and to meet the needs of the community.
• Prepares written and statistical reports for the Director and the Library Board as needed or requested.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Strong leadership abilities, including supervising, hiring, training, evaluating, scheduling and delegating assignments to staff. 
• Effectively communicating, verbally and in writing, with staff, colleagues, community partners and the public.
• Understanding written policies and interpreting them for staff and the public.
• Planning and managing work flow; making adjustments and improvising to properly resolve conflicts.
• Resolving difficult situations and having the ability to make sound decisions related to patron complaints and billing issues; follows through on various issues to ensure timely resolutions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• A master's degree in library science from an American Library Association-accredited college or university, and two (2) years post-degree professional library experience in a library of recognized standing.

PLEASE NOTE: Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: 

1. Eligibility for a New York State public librarian's professional certificate at time of application for appointment; or
2. Possession of a New York State public librarian's professional certificate at time of appointment.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Salary: $30.00/hr. - $32.00/hr.

Benefits:

• Twelve [12] sick/personal days
• Twelve [12] vacation days
• Nine [9] paid holidays
• Enrollment in the NY State Retirement System
• Paid Family Leave
• Option to enroll in health insurance – the library pays 60% of the monthly premium
• Option to enroll in New York State Deferred Compensation
• Option to enroll in AFLAC

NOTE: This is a civil service position. Permanent appointment contingent upon the candidate’s completion of the Librarian II test and their score.

Please send a resume and letter of interest to Michele Capozzella at director@mahopaclibrary.org by Monday, May 15, 2023.

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. 

MHLS Calendar