SCRLC NEWS

September 30, 2022

Cheery Friday Greetings,

It is hard to believe that we are already at the end of September! We are looking forward to many important October events, including our annual meeting, the resource sharing users group program, the resumption of the BIPOC Community Calls, and an academic library directors' meetup at Ithaca College! Here are a few highlights from our recent September Board of Trustees’ meeting:

New Members. Two new affiliate members' applications were approved:

• Edmeston Museum in Edmeston
• Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Resource Center

Welcome to both organizations! There is more information about our new members further down in this edition. 

Membership Dues & Fees Task Group Recommendations. As you know, the Board convened a task group in 2022 to review the Council's dues and fees structure. They came back to the Board with several recommendations, which will be presented at the annual meeting. Governing members are required to vote on any changes to their dues. All of the proposed changes will be posted with the annual meeting documents early next week. The proposed changes would take effect for 2023-2024. Proposed:

• a 3% cap on any increases--and review again in 3 years rather than 5 years. This does not mean dues must be increased by 3% each year, but this would provide latitude to do so if necessary. The Board would determine the increase each spring. Caveats: 1) It should be flexible depending on economic conditions; 2) members would be informed ASAP for budgeting purposes.
• a tiered structure for affiliate members. There has always been a tiered structure for the governing/voting members, but not for affiliates.
• a new category for Community Groups. This would be for groups or associations that do not meet the Commissioner of Education's requirements and 1) may not have a building or shared space, 2) are sympathetic to the purposes and mission of the Council, and 3) will help the Council achieve its goals. This addition requires an addition to the bylaws.
• The Task Group drafted a convenient member benefits chart that shows the programs and services available to each type of member. It will be finalized pending the outcome of the bylaws and membership dues votes.
• Note: The membership does not vote on the Council fees, e.g. the electronic resources cost share, but the Task Group recommended setting 10% of electronic resources as a target and adjusting the fees accordingly. The Board of Trustees approves the dues for affiliates, personal, and perhaps soon-to-be community groups. 

Bylaws. The Board discussed some proposed changes to the Bylaws, which will be presented at our annual meeting to be voted on by the governing members. The document will be uploaded in the coming week. Here is a synopsis of the proposed changes:

• an updated DEIJ statement
• the quorum language for the Board of Trustee meetings should changed to align with Roberts Rules of Order
• an expanded time frame for the annual meeting
• a new category for Community Groups

I hope that you will attend the annual meeting—while all annual meetings are important, as you can see, this one is especially crucial. For the third year we are virtual and hope to be back in person for 2023

Yours in partnership,

Mary-Carol Lindbloom

Executive Director

The New York Library Association’s (NYLA) “asks” for 2023 State Library Aid will be $147.1M, which is up from $123.1M for 2022. This amount is based on formula, rising costs, and the 2020 US Census figures. The Library Construction Aid "ask" will be $69.4M, up from $45M. They also seek an increase in the per student rate for library materials from $6.25 to $11.00. This amount has remained stagnant since 2007. Stay tuned to NYLA's page for updated information. In the meantime, there is always something more to learn about advocacy. Check out NYLA, the American Library Association, or EveryLibrary. Tune into the California Library Association's CLA Ursula Meyer Advocacy Fund Training series, on YouTube, e.g. DEIJ and Advocacy (Jill Hurst Wahl is one of the panelists); Storytelling for Advocates. 

Welcome to our two newest members: Edmeston Musuem and

Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Resource Center. 

Edmeston Museum’s collection contains photographs of the town, businesses, people, events, etc. through the years. There are a number of diaries (such as those kept by Mr. Dupee in the 1870s about his farm and family, Al Edwards during WWII and Margaret Jones, a local teacher, who overcame a facial deformity to become a beloved educator and community member). They have a collection of Edmeston Locals (newspaper), Morris Mercury (newspaper that took over for the Edmeston Local) and the New Berlin Gazette.

The Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Research Center aims to be the premier repository of materials about covered bridges throughout the United States and to give global access to the materials. Theodore Burr invented a revolutionary arch and truss bridge design in the early 1800s, becoming one of the most distinguished and active bridge architects. Burr moved to Oxford in 1792, where he lived until 1813. The house he built for his family today houses the Oxford Memorial Library and the Resource Center. They have approximately 20,000 covered bridge postcards, 10,000 photographs and 1,500 slides.

We look forward to their contributions to New York Heritage!

BIPOC Community Call

Wednesday, October 12, 12:00-1:00pm

Meeting ID: 972 5416 2320 | Call in: 1-646-876-9923

*BIPOC -- Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color

Academic Library Directors Next Meetup

In Person! Refreshments too!

Friday October 14, 2022, 10 a.m. - noon, Ithaca College Library

Note: You are welcome to invite your electronic services librarian(s) to the meeting.

Annual Membership Meeting.

Friday, October 28, 10am-Noon, Online

Featuring our digital equity discussion with Lauren Moore, NYS Librarian and our annual membership business meeting.

SAVE THE DATE

What Have You Been Dealt?: Resource Sharing User Group Workshop

Online - October 26 - 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Registration opening soon!

Join us for this webinar series exploring various services the Empire State Library Network has to offer.

Ask the Archivist, October 28, 10:00am

Ask the Archivist is a service for members of ESLN councils that provides answers to basic questions regarding archives and special collections. This is a pilot program that will be evaluated after July 2023.

Tech-Talk Webinars:

What Equipment Do You Need to Hold Comfortable Conversations in a Hybrid Program?, October 12, 3 pm ET

You CAN Edit and Create Eye-Catching Video on Your Phone, October 26, 3 pm ET

Farmer selling pumpkins at Harvest Jamboree and Country Fair, Rochester N.Y

Rochester City Hall Photo Lab

NEW COLLECTION

The Robert Bellamy Collection shows life in Norwich, NY, for the Bellamy family.  Robert Bellamy was born in 1911 in Norwich, NY. The Bellamy family was a prominent African American family in Chenango County.

This collection out of the Chenango County Historical Society was funded with Consider the Source money, especially because it represents the historically underrepresented. 

Have you considered naming your library carts?  Flex those pun muscles!