Register today for the in person MHLS Annual Membership Meeting on October 27th at the Henry A. Wallace Center @ FDR Presidential Library and Home in Hyde Park, NY. 

Our Keynote speaker will be Deborah Caldwell-Stone, Director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, and Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation.

MHLS member library trustees will receive 0.5 credit hours for attending this event.

The Rosendale Library has 73 children enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. All families residing in the Town of Rosendale with children under the age of 5 are eligible to receive a new book every month mailed directly to their home. The cost of this program is sponsored by Friends of the Rosendale Library. 

There is still time to register for these October MHLS Events:

• Online - Advocating for Equitable Access to Digital Books with Alan S. Inouye, Ph.D, Senior Director, ALA Public Policy & Government Relations | October 10th | 10:00 – 11:30 am | Learn more & register 

• Online - MHLS EDI in Libraries Series – Conflict De-Escalation in the Workplace: Bystander Intervention 2.0 | October 12th | 10:00 – 11:30am | Learn more & register

• Online - Trustee Handbook Book Club: Equity, Diversity, Access & Justice | October 17th | 5:00 – 6:30 pm (1.5 credit hours) | Learn more & register  

• Online - MHLS Member Library Friends Group Online Meetup | October 18th | 3:00 – 4:30 pm | Learn more & register

• Online - Libraries as Community Resilience Hubs | October 19th | 10:00 – 11:30 am | Learn more & register. This program is presented through a partnership with the Mid-Hudson Library System, Ramapo Catskill Library System, and Sustainable Hudson Valley. 

• Online - Core Values & Ethics | October 19th | 5:00 – 6:30 pm (1.5 credit hours) | Learn more & register  

• In Person - Sierra User’s Group | October 25th | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm | Location: MHLS Auditorium | Learn more & register

REMINDER: Please clear your holdshelf every day the library is open. Clearing the holdshelf purges the holds table of more than the items on your physical holdshelf it also removes cancelled and expired holds. Please do your part in keeping this very critical process running smoothly by making this a priority task every morning. 

You can find instructions and a video tutorial under holds at https://kb.midhudson.org/circulation/. 

A curated collection entitled Read with the Banned is currently available on https://mhls.overdrive.com/. The collection includes titles for kids, teens, and adults. 

The National Library of Medicine (NNLM) is offering a free webinar on October 12th from 1:00 - 2:00 PM, From Words to Wellness: Exploring the Impact of Expressive Writing to explore the impact of expressive writing in the healing process. Expressive writing has been shown to have many benefits for those facing chronic and serious illness. April Stearns, editor of Wildfire Magazine, will discuss how expressive writing can be helpful in healing and share her experience translating the science about expressive writing into a writing program for young people with breast cancer.

You will need to create an account to register for this event. 

Trustee Tip of the Month: The board of the Mid-Hudson Library System has created an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Policy & Procedure Analysis Framework to help them review the policies of the System. This tool is freely available to member library boards to use locally.

Trustee responsibilities are small in number but broad in scope. This monthly Bulletin feature is designed to remind, reinforce or introduce tips that are helpful to member library trustees.

To better understand current and emerging technology in public libraries nationwide, the Public Library Association (PLA) is asking for public library directors to complete a technology survey. PLA will use results from the survey to advocate on behalf of public libraries at the national level. Results will also be incorporated into the Benchmark: Library Metrics and Trends data tool, and a summary of aggregate results be freely available on the PLA website.

To complete the survey, Libraries will need to login to their Benchmark account. Click on “Surveys” in the menu and select “2023 PLA Technology Survey” under “Open Surveys.” Responses are due by Saturday, December 16th, 2023.

To get an overview of PLA’s 2023 Technology Survey and learn why your library’s response matters, register for a free information session happening October 12th.

Library Manager, Cairo Public Library

The Cairo Public Library is seeking a creative and enthusiastic full time Library Manager to oversee the continued growth of our community-oriented, award-winning library. Responsibilities include directing library operations and supervising staff. Candidates must be able to prioritize and schedule major projects and develop/manage the operating budget. The Library Manager also serves as the Head Librarian.

Minimum qualifications include a bachelor’s degree and computer skills. Management/budgeting and library experience preferred; grant-writing abilities a definite plus. This is a Civil Service position. Starting salary is $44,000 - $48,000. Benefits include paid sick and vacation time and a health insurance package as well as NYS Retirement.

View the full job description and how to apply.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Library Clerk (part-time), Claverack Library

The Claverack Library is hiring a part-time library clerk to join our team. We are seeking an individual with strong customer service skills and an ability to work well with others as well as independently. A friendly demeanor and love of libraries is a must. The position is for Monday and Wednesday from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm and alternating Saturdays from 9:30-2:15 pm, with the possibility of additional hours for programming and substituting.

View the full job description and how to apply. 

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. 

National

• How Libraries Are Fighting Book Banning | The New York Times 9.28.23

• Attacks on Libraries Are Attacks on Democracy | Time 9.20.23

MHLS Calendar