We Need To Hear From You!

MHLS is currently working on gathering information to help us craft our next five year Plan of Service. We have scheduled a series of focus groups to facilitate this portion of the planning process.

Issues to be discussed include:
· Library needs
· What MHLS System services you use
· What your library needs for the future

Meetings for library staff will be "piggy-backed" - an hour for the focus group and an hour on topics related to your role at the library.

We hope to hear from all types of libraries, all size libraries and libraries from every county. Staff, trustees and Friends should register if planning to attend at http://www.midhudson.org/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp

This is a great opportunity to help shape the future of MHLS, we hope you can find the time to be a part of this process.

MHLS Plan of Service Focus Group Schedule:
Directors:
· Wednesday, January 25th: Greene County Directors (9:30am @ Palenville Library)
· Monday, February 13th: Columbia County Directors (8:00am @ Whitestone Café, Ghent)
· Thursday, February 23rd: Ulster County Directors (10:00am @ Kingston Library)
· Friday, February 24th: Putnam County Directors (9:00am @ George's Restaurant, Carmel)
· Thursday, March 9th: Dutchess County Directors (10:00am - 12:00pm @ Starr Library, Rhinebeck)

Youth Services Staff:
· Wednesday, February 8th: Columbia, Greene & Ulster County Youth Services (10:30am - 12:30pm @ Palenville Library)
· Friday, February 10th: Putnam County Youth Services (9:30 - 11:30am @ Kent Library)
· Monday, February 27th: Dutchess County Youth Services (12:30 - 2:30pm @ TBD)

Circulation, Technical Services & ILL Staff (this group will also spend time talking about Priority Paging):
· Monday, February 13th, 1:00 - 3:00pm @ MHLS
· Wednesday, March 8th, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ Catskill Public Library

Reference / Adult Services Staff:
· Wednesday, February 22nd, 1:30 - 3:00pm @ Adriance Memorial Library

Outreach / Literacy Staff:
· Friday, March 10th, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ MHLS

Assistant Directors:
· Tuesday, March 21st, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ MHLS

Trustees (all meetings are from 6:30 - 8:00pm, dinner will be served):
· Greene County Trustees: Monday, March 6th. Catskill Public Library (1 Franklin Street, Catskill)
· Ulster County Trustees: Tuesday, March 7th, Kingston Library (55 Franklin Street, Kingston)
· Putnam County Trustees: Thursday, March 16th, Mahopac Library (668 Route 6, Mahopac)
· Columbia County Trustees: Monday, March 20th, Kinderhook Library (18 Hudson Street, Kinderhook)
· Dutchess County Trustees: Thursday, March 23rd, Starr Library in Rhinebeck (68 West Market Street, Rhinebeck)

Friends (dinner will be served):
· Tuesday, March 28th, 6:30 - 8:00pm @ Starr Library in Rhinebeck (68 West Market Street, Rhinebeck)

MHLS Announcements
The packet for the 1/28 MHLS Board of Trustees Meeting is available online. Go to midhudson.org, click on MHLS Board of Trustees, then click Board
Documents: Current Packet *OR* you can get there directly at http://midhudson.org/meetings/board/documents/current_packet/main.htm

At this point, over 70% the MHLS CD Book Rotating Collection has been disbursed to member libraries. If your library wanted some, but did not yet receive any, you may not have responded to 'Action Memo 05-15 Dispersion of MHLS Rotating CD-Book Collection' which was due on 1/5. A list of the libraries that responded to this Action Memo is available at http://midhudson.org/Action_Memos/main.htm. Please contact Merribeth at madvocate@midhudson.org or X54 with any questions about the dispersion of MHLS Rotating CD-Book Collection.

Professional Development
Public Library Administrators Certificate Program: This is an opportunity for you to attend a localized offering of the Public Library Administrator's Certificate Program, presented by Long Island University's Palmer School of Library and Information Science, Palmer Institute for Public Library Organization and Management.

The challenges facing today's public library administrators require a solid foundation of training and experience. The Public Library Administrator's
Certificate Program is designed to develop and enhance the management skills and credentials of professional librarians working within the public library sector, and to train the leaders of tomorrow.

This certificate program is a five course, fifteen-credit graduate level comprehensive management training program for public library administrators, and is recognized by the New York State Education Department. The core component of the program is an Advanced Certificate in Public Library Administration.

The Mid-Hudson Library System has partnered with the Palmer Institute of Public Library Organization and Management to make this certificate program available locally, and to customize the offering to address regional library realities and the needs of busy library administrators. Each course will be offered in 6 to 7 half-day sessions. The courses will be offered in this order:
1. Principles of Public Library Organization and Management (LIS 700)
2. Legal Issues and the Regulatory/Governance Environment of the Public Library (LIS 701)
3. Human Resources Administration in the Public Library (LIS 702)
4. Financial Management of Public Libraries (LIS 703)
5. Public Library Facilities, Automated Systems and Telecommunications (LIS 704)

FAQ's about the program and contact information at http://midhudson.org/admin/PLAC/information.pdf
Instructors: Jerry Nichols (Director of Palmer Institute for Public Library Organization & Management) is the primary instructor for the program, and will be team teaching with Jim Farrell (retired Regional Consultant, New York State Library Division of Library Development). They will solicit the input of experts in the region to make this the most valuable professional education possible.

Register now for the first course!
Principles of Public Library Organization and Management: 9:00am-1:00pm on Wednesdays: 4/5, 4/19, 4/26, 5/10, 5/17, 5/24, 6/7 at the Mahopac Public Library (668 Route 6, Mahopac, NY 10541). http://www.mahopaclibrary.org/directions/directions1.htm

Cost: The Mid-Hudson Library System / Palmer Institute for Public Library Administration and Management partnership makes this program available to MHLS, RCLS and WLS library administrators at a group institutional discount rate of $800 per participant per course.

How to Register: A registration form is available at http://midhudson.org/admin/PLAC/application.pdf. Applications will be taken on a first-come first-served basis. Registration deadline is February 17, 2006.

Administration & Management
The Small Libraries Roundtable will meet at the Staatsburg Library on Tuesday, February 28th from 10:00am-12:00pm. This users group is designed for the administrators of small libraries (3FTE or less). The purpose of the group is to discuss the issues surrounding running a small library. This instance of the users group will address best practices for administering technology. The group will discuss solutions to the challenges of
· Planning for technology;
· Making good choices; and
· Funding
Join us and share your questions, solutions and tips while learning from your peers. This group is facilitated by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Coordinator of Member Information. Register online through the MHLS Calendar by going to http://midhudson.org and clicking on Calendar OR get there directly at http://www.midhudson.org/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp

Job Openings
Dover Plains Library is seeking a part time circulation clerk. Weeknight and Saturday hours. Computer skills are essential. Knowledge of Millennium software a plus. Apply to Director, Dover Plains Library PO Box 534 1797 Route 22 Wingdale, NY 12594 or fax to 845.832.6616.

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.

The MHLS Bulletin welcomes submissions from member libraries at bulletin@midhudson.org. The MHLS Bulletin is available on line at http://midhudson.org/bulletins/main.htm.