The public libraries in Dutchess County got a significant mention in Dutchess County Executive, Marc Molinaro’s latest COVID-19 Town Hall Forum on Thursday, March 18th. Molinaro said, “The County’s Vaccine Outreach Coalition held its first meeting last week to ensure equitable distribution of vaccine doses throughout the county. And, thanks to a collaboration with area libraries, residents can now call any library in Dutchess County for assistance with signing up for the County’s Vaccination Information Request Form”. Courtney Tsahalis, director of the Millbrook Library created an informational video for all Dutchess libraries to post and share with their communities.

Southeastern NY Library Resources Council presents Planning for Recovery: REady Steady In the Library: Taking Initiative before an Emergency, Natural disaster, or Trauma (RESILIENT) on Monday, April 12^th at 2:00 pm. This online event includes panelists from MHLS member libraries: Daniela Pulice, Pleasant Valley Library director and Liz Potter, Phoenicia Library director. The focus of this webinar is about helping libraries plan for recovery after a catastrophic event. This session is structured as a panel discussion with library directors who have experienced disasters at their libraries. They will briefly explain what happened and then describe how they and their staff transitioned from the immediate response to rebuilding. They will share lessons on what they wished they had known or done before the disaster, what they learned during the rebuilding, and any steps they took to review what happened that inform new plans or policies. To register for this free event visit https://senylrc.regfox.com/planning-for-recovery  

Join Laurie Shedrick, MHLS Assistant Director/Technology Operations Manager on Monday, April 12^th at noon to become acquainted with the necessary skills and workflows needed to manage the primary tasks of circulation desk work. Circulation 101 is intended for any new staff or perhaps experienced staff wondering if there are more efficient ways to do things while covering the circ desk. Register today. 

The Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act (CASE Act) was quietly signed into law just before the end of 2020 to create a small claims court for copyright proceedings at the Copyright Office in the Library of Congress where those who think their copyright is being infringed can bring actions against infringers. The new law will protect the rights of copyright holders and artists, but it also means American organizations and individuals, from small businesses to religious institutions to nonprofits and libraries, may be subject to up to $30,000 in statutory damages per case for merely sharing a meme or posting a photo they do not have the rights to. The new law also creates opportunities for bad actors to abuse the system in an effort to scare people and organizations into paying settlements using software to crawl websites and social media accounts for copyrighted images. More information should be forthcoming on compliance and procedure around the CASE Act, but libraries should ensure they are using images and media which they have the rights to share and providing attribution where necessary. The websites below provide large libraries of images, many of which can be used for free without attribution, but it is the library’s responsibility to always verify the rights and attribution requirements for any images or media before sharing or otherwise using them. Visit the Western New York Library Resources Council’s Ask a Lawyer page for more information about how to handle a CASE Act claim. 

As the pandemic continues to deepen inequities in our country, college enrollments are trending downward among first-time, first-generation college students from low-income households and underrepresented backgrounds. The State University of New York (SUNY) recently launched the 'Big Dreams, Small Step' campaign to provide assistance to high school students who are at risk of being left behind this year and who stand to benefit the most from a college degree. Support options include personal appointments to support application completion, support for completing application fee waivers, and enhanced 'College Advisor of the Day' programming. Libraries can find more info and help connect high school juniors and seniors and their families with this service at the ‘Big Dreams, Small Step' campaign website.  

The Public Library Association (PLA) has launched the Benchmark Briefings to support public libraries’ access and use of data. The free resource translates data from the Public Libraries Survey conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) into accessible infographics to ease library peer comparison across key characteristics. “Although the PLS data are freely and publicly available, they are not always utilized to their full potential,” said Linda Hofschire, chair of ALA’s Measurement, Evaluation and Assessment Committee. “We hope these resources will make it easier for public libraries to see themselves and their data in new and useful ways to benchmark, plan, and advocate.” In the ‘Briefings’, infographics highlight key measures commonly used by public libraries when making decisions about library investments: expenditures, staff, collections, circulation, visits and programs. The data are organized by library and community characteristics to better enable libraries to quickly benchmark themselves with others with similar attributes. For instance, 25.5 percent of public libraries are considered suburban and had a median of 11 FTE staff and hosted a median of 107,313 visits in IMLS fiscal year 2018. Or, library districts had a median of $44 per capita expenditures and a median of 471 program attendees per 1,000 residents in FY18. Check out the Benchmark Briefings for a full list of metrics and other information on this project. 

The Tivoli Free Library has an immediate opening for a permanent, reliable part-time library clerk. Duties would include day-to-day patron assistance, maintenance of the collection, and other tasks as assigned by the Director.15 hours per week to start, evenings and some Saturdays required. 

Requirements: High school diploma or GED, very comfortable with computers and technology, customer-service oriented, courteous, attention to detail, organized, and able to work independently and collaboratively in a small community setting. Interest in helping out with library programs and previous library experience a plus. 

$13.50/hour with some paid holidays and accrued paid time off. Please email letter of interest and résumé to Michele DelPriore at tivolidirector@gmail.com with the subject heading “Library Clerk position.” Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.