The MHLS board has formed a COVID-19 Response and Recovery Working Group  to address the financial   challenges facing the system  in light of  the economic impact on state aid. 75% of MHLS operating   revenue comes through state aid and the predictions of cuts being made at multiple points throughout   the fiscal year, coupled with projected delays in the arrival of state aid, mean tough decisions at the   system. In addition to significant cuts to operating and categori c al aid made internally in preparation for   the coming cuts, the System has received a Paycheck Protection Plan loan, a forgivable loan through the   federal CARES Act. MHLS is also pursuing other, alternative sources of revenue to make up shortfalls in   state aid in the coming years.   This is an ongoing challenge that the board and staff have rolled up their   sleeves to address.  

The board approved the 2020 Central Library Development Aid / Central Book Aid plan, crafted by the Central Library / Collection Development Advisory Committee. This budget will also be impacted by the coming cuts to state aid and will result in, at least, less items purchased for the non-fiction print collection and reduced content purchased for the shared OverDrive collection. 

The board approved a redesigned Capital Plan proposed by the MHLS Facilities Committee to keep up   major systems of the facility such as the elevator, roof and HVAC system while recognizing the financial   hardships that will be caused by the coming cuts to state aid.  

 

The board also began the work to rethink the MHLS annual meeting for 2020 in acknowledgement of   the need for social distancing and with an eye on costs for the coming year.  

The board concluded the meeting by passing a resolution to recognize the efforts and express appreciation for the staff of the Mid-Hudson Library System  in their work to respond to the COVID-19   crisis.   The board resolution included a statement   acknowledging the cooperative efforts of all member   libraries to work collaboratively for reopening our library system based  on  the guidance for policies and   practices identified and presented through the MHLS trainings and meetings.  

Ric Swierat, President of the Board, ended the meeting with  "We are extremely proud of the response and teamwork of our local libraries with the MHLS staff in meeting the needs of the library patrons while protecting our staff and developing new virtual programs to address the needs of our communities." 

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MHLS welcomes MHLS Assistant ILP Operations Supervisor Nina Acosta back from maternity leave . Before leaving, Nina documented processes and trained  the MHLS cataloging team,  Thomas,  Kerri  and Tara to do the regular tasks that she developed over the years. Her effective planning and management meant that there was never a gap in service or processes for our member libraries. In her first weeks  back,  Nina has begun rethinking some of our processes around  eResources , to streamline the workflows and reduce overlays that occur between  OverDrive  and Hoopla. With the rest of the team trained to do more of the heavy lifting, we can make better use of Nina's expertise. The cataloging team managed this interim with thorough planning and a good deal of really hard work. A great deal of gratitude and praise for the catalog team, particularly Tara Stohr and Kerri Carpenter. From the beginning, they said "We've got this", and they did!  

 

Courtney Wimmers, MHLS Outreach & Engagement Specialist will be leaving MHLS at the end of this month.   Casey Conlin, MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator,  shared,  "As Outreach & Engagement Specialist, Courtney has provided support to member libraries to create and strengthen connections with patrons and local partners to build more sustainable libraries and communities. Through the pandemic and stay-at-home orders she's tapped into the collective strength of the MHLS member library network, and brought together library staff from all over the system online to share the innovative ways our libraries have found to support communities when they need us most. Courtney has also provided support and training to the correctional facilities in our area. We wish her the best in her new role at the Millbrook Library." 

Help Spread the word in your communities, NYS is hiring Contact Tracers. They will hire and train a team of staff working remotely to support the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) and Local Health Departments (LHDs) to perform COVID-19 contact tracing in communities across NYS. For more information please visit https://bit.ly/2ZyV8IP.

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