MHLS Trustee Education Spring Sessions | |
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The MHLS Trustee Education Series Spring Sessions begins in April! This spring, MHLS will be offering both in-person and online events for trustee education. For complete program descriptions and to register for any of these online workshops please visit the MHLS calendar. All trustees attending the events live will receive a certificate of attendance.
Trustee Essentials
Particularly for new board members, but open to all. Library board members looking for essential, basic information to increase their effectiveness in serving on a library board will benefit from attending this session. Attendees will develop a working knowledge of library funding and organization in New York State; receive a clear overview of stakeholder roles and responsibilities and receive an introduction to Open Meetings Law and best practices for effective board meetings. This webinar provides a foundation of knowledge that other workshops in the MHLS Trustee Education Series will build on.
- Online – Thursday, April 13th | 5:00pm-6:30pm | Register
- Mid-Hudson Library System Auditorium – Thursday, April 27th | 10:00am-12:00pm | Register
Core Values & Ethics
Trustees have enormous influence in creating libraries that are relevant and responsive to community needs. From policymaking and fiduciary responsibility to strategic planning and advocacy work, the board needs a strong sense of the core values of librarianship and a commitment to ethical governance to support patrons’ rights to access to information and resources while creating a viable, vital, and visible library that their community is proud of. Attendees will develop a working knowledge of the Core Values of Librarianship and how those values translate to the work of the board, particularly in policy making. This webinar will also review board ethics and use case studies to illustrate “values and ethics in action.”
- Online – Tuesday, May 16th | 5:00pm-6:30pm | Register
Financial & Fiduciary Responsibilities
Library boards are trusted with public and private funds to provide quality library service to their community. Transparency and accountability must be at the forefront as a board makes decisions pertaining to the library’s finances. This intermediate-level course is for trustees who have been on the board for at least a year. This course will focus on the financial and fiduciary responsibility involved with the library’s budget, funding, financial policies, reports the board, and external audits.
- Online – Wednesday, May 3rd | 5:00pm-6:30pm | Register
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Don’t miss Trustee Handbook Book Club! Join Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, co-author of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, and friends for this fun and informative series! At each session, trustees will take a deeper dive on a topic relevant to their role and responsibilities as a library trustee. Each month trustees are encouraged to read a chapter of the Trustee Handbook. Each session will include a brief introduction to the chapter topic, as well as address any questions that come in live during the event.
- The Board-Director Relationship | Tuesday, April 18th | 5:00-6:30pm | Register
- Financial Planning & Budgeting | Tuesday, June 20th | 5:00-6:30pm | Register
- Strategic Planning | Tuesday, August 15th | 5:00-6:30pm | Register
- Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Access & Justice | Tuesday, October 17th | 5:00-6:30pm | Register
- Financing & Managing Construction Projects | Tuesday, December 19th | 5:00-6:30pm | Register
You can access the full Trustee Handbook Book Club series resources online at https://midhudson.org/trusteebookclub/
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Please welcome our newest library directors who started in 2023!
- Chatham Public Library, Amanda Merk
- Grinnell Public Library District, Kristen Campbell
- Hurley Library, Tracy Priest
- Reed Memorial Library, Donna Perolli
- Valatie Free Library, Amanda Mesas
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WebJunction invites you to Creating a Restorative Library Culture a one-hour webinar on Wednesday, March 22nd at 3:00 pm.
Broadly defined, restorative justice is an approach to repairing and addressing harm done within a community. Related to this approach, restorative practices provide proactive ways to build the relationships that can help to address and repair some of that harm done. Oak Park Public Library is using restorative practices to better serve both community and staff. In this session, you’ll learn about restorative justice and restorative practices, and how these practices can guide a powerful shift in communities and within an organizational culture. The webinar will have actionable strategies you can start practicing immediately, as well as methods for you to build buy-in from your organization as you get started on this impactful work.
This event is free to attend but registration is required.
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Resource Sharing & Sierra | Join MHLS OverDrive Coordinator, Nina Acosta, for Introduction to OverDrive Marketplace on March 23rd at 10:00 am. This webinar will provide an orientation to the OverDrive Marketplace for library staff who are cultivating collections. Nina will review basic reports and features that are available and provide an overview of where to find policies, statistics, and additional support and training materials. | REMINDER: In the third week of March the MHLS cataloging department will suppress all items that have a status of 'Lost & Paid', 'Discard' or 'Claims Returned', which have not been updated for 3 months. The items will not be deleted. Changing the annual report code to " w - MHLS staff suppress ", simply keeps them from displaying in the public catalog. | |
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The New York State Education Department is accepting applications for the 2023 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Last year, 470 sponsoring organizations served meals at more than 2,500 locations across the state to young people in need.
SFSP sponsor organizations receive federal and state reimbursement for each meal served to a child or teen, according to predetermined reimbursement rates set by USDA and the state. Sponsors are organizations fully capable of managing a food service program and agree to serve meals to any eligible child in accordance with Federal Law, and USDA policy, guidance, and instructions, including federal civil rights laws, regulations, and policies.
The New York State Education Department will provide SFSP sponsor training in-person and online in April. All organizations planning to participate in summer 2023 are required to attend one of these trainings. This year, the SFSP will operate throughout New York State from June 26 through September 4, 2023.
Potential new sponsors may request an application and obtain additional information about the program on the SFSP website. New sponsor applications are due by May 1st. Experienced sponsor renewals are due by June 1st.
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Reference & Collection Development | MHLS Data Operations Supervisor, Nina Acosta has put together a curated collection of eBooks and audiobooks on OverDrive for Women’s History Month. The collection is pinned to the front page of https://mhls.overdrive.com/ and will be up throughout March. | |
Administration & Management | You still have time to register for the New Directors Forum taking place on Tuesday, March 14th at 10:00 am. This online informal gathering of New Directors (in your role for 3 years or less) to discuss relevant topics related to finding your path as a new director. This program will address questions submitted in advance by attendees, particularly in the areas of working with your board, planning, staff issues, and project/time management. | |
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Director, Dover Plains Library
The Dover Plains Library in Dutchess County, NY is seeking an innovative, motivated and resourceful Director to oversee the administration of Library Operations. Candidates need excellent communication and customer service skills and are expected to maintain positive relationships with the public community organizations, Town Officials, and the Library Board and Staff. You should be open to new and creative ideas that can benefit and engage our community as well as embrace current practices successfully in place such as our non-Dewey cataloging system for our non-fiction collection and maintaining a Little Free Library at a shelter along the Appalachian Trail as well as a brand-new Book Mobile Outreach Program. MLS required. Must be organized and detail oriented. Minimum 2 years’ experience in a library or other customer-oriented establishment. Starting salary is $52,000 and may be negotiable depending upon experience. Health insurance is available. Please submit a cover letter as well as 3 business references to samgem06@gmail.com with “Director Position” in the subject line as soon as possible.
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.
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