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Contact Us
The MHLS Bulletin welcomes submissions from member libraries.
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Beginning January 1st, 2021, all public and association libraries in New York State must meet the new minimum standards of service according to Section 90.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. These standards support improved public library services for the people of New York and are intended to: promote quality local public library service in all communities of New York State, empower libraries to strengthen community relations and promote public support for quality library services, and support a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. For more information, please visit NYS Division of Library Development's New Minimum Standards page and view the recordings of MHLS's New Minimum Standards Workshop for directors and trustees. Questions regarding the new minimum standards can be directed to Casey Conlin, MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator, cconlin@midhudson.org.
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MHLS Announcements
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Directors, please use the MHLS Library Status Form to provide the details of your current service level or to report planned changes that will take place to your service level in the future. This information is critical for monitoring systemwide services and provides an up-to-date resource for member libraries to understand the service levels at other member libraries. To view your library's current service status with MHLS please visit
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To effectively communicate with our members the Mid-Hudson Library System maintains a database of contact information for our member libraries. MHLS requests an update of this information annually, to keep our records accurate. Action Memo 21-01: Library Information Update was sent out via the MHLS-Notice List on Monday, January 4th. All member library directors are asked to please complete and submit the form by Friday, January 15th.
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MHLS Libraries
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 The Town of Ulster Library's Tween Program handcrafted cat toys for the Ulster County SPCA. The items were donated to the local shelter and into the paws of some sweet furry friends!
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Professional Development
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The New York Library Association's (NYLA) next session in their Advocacy Fundamentals series is Empowerment through Self Advocacy on Tuesday, January 19th at 9:00 am. Advocacy means fighting for the self, too. As women have cracked the glass ceiling and climbed the ladder in the working world, stereotypes about their behavior have increased. Women attempt to assert themselves when faced with challenges, yet assertive women are viewed as aggressive, mean, or bossy. Historically, librarianship has been regarded as "women's work" and women dominate the field. However, library administrative roles are often held by men. How might women in the library world advocate for themselves and ascend these roles? Be inspired by these women who overcame challenges in the workplace. This 90-minute session is presented by the Editor for Buffalo Business First Donna Collins, State Librarian for New York State Lauren Moore, Managing Director for Marathon Strategies Liz Benjamin, and Senator Alessandra Biaggi's Chief of Staff Jordine
Jones. For more information about the Advocacy Fundamentals series and to register for this event visit https://www.nyla.org/fundamentals-series/.
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Resource Sharing & Sierra
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REMINDER: During the third week in January the MHLS Cataloging Team will delete patron records whose cards have been expired for 3+ years with fines less than $10. This information will be exported to an Excel spreadsheet and stored.
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Sustainable Libraries
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 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that people who tested positive for COVID-19, have recovered from being sick with COVID-19, or were released from COVID-19 quarantine may experience social stigma.
Stigma is associated with a lack of knowledge about how COVID-19 spreads, a need to blame someone, fears about disease and death, and gossip that spreads rumors and myths. Everyone can help stop stigma related to COVID-19 by knowing the facts and sharing them with others in their communities. Visit cdc.gov to learn more about how you can help and to access the guide to preventing and addressing social stigma associated with COVID-19.
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Programming
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 If you are looking for new programming ideas the American Library Association Public Programs Office website Programming Librarian
(https://programminglibrarian.org/) allows you to browse ideas based on budget, library type, audience, and popular topics that include social distancing and virtual events. The searchable database houses successful programs submitted by librarians across the nation which include information
about advance planning, marketing, budget, day-of-event activity, program execution and outcomes and evaluation. Want to share a successful program?
Library professionals are invited to upload information about their programs
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Trustee Resources
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With the passage of Executive Order 202.87, the adjustments to NYS Open Meetings Law to allow for online meetings have been extended to January 29th, 2021. There were no alterations to the provisions that allow for online open meetings, meetings still need to be accessible to the public, recorded and transcribed.
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Administration & Management
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The MHLS Annual Report Workshop for New Directors will take place on Friday, January 29th at 10:00 am. This 90-minute online event is designed for Directors who are new to submitting the NYS Annual Report with Bibliostat
software but is open to all. The workshop will cover:
Member library directors can register for this workshop through the MHLS calendar.
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2019 NYS Public Library Data is now available! The Bibliostat CollectConnect Reporting Tool , (BibliostatConnect) provides New York State public library data back to 1991 and has recently been updated with data from the 2019 New York State Annual Report for Public and Association Libraries. This web-based tool from Baker & Taylor also contains the latest public library statistics available from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Public Library Data Service for all public libraries in the nation. Users can identify and compare peer libraries by benchmark data including circulation, attendance and registered borrowers, collections and services, and income, expenditures, staffing and salaries. This resource is provided by the New York State Library and is located at
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