Training for New Staff

The first Orientation for New Library Staff of the year will be offered on Wednesday, February 14th from 10:00am - noon. Designed for new library staff and volunteers, but open to all who would like to attend, this workshop provides introductory, baseline information about working effectively in a public library and in the Mid-Hudson Library System. The workshop will cover:
· The role of the public library in our communities
· How your library fits into the NYS library structure
· Your role as a library representative
· Helping patrons find what they want
· Overview of the online catalog, HomeACCESS databases and interlibrary loan
· System wide resource sharing concepts and issues

Following the Orientation, Circulation Essentials will be offered from 1:00 - 3:00pm so you can get the basics in Millennium Circulation. Circ Essentials is designed for new library staff, but open to all who would like to attend. This workshop provides introductory, baseline information about Millennium including common circulation and patron data entry tasks. The workshop will cover:
· Patron Records: how, when and why we create patron records
· Checkin and Checkin for the book drop
· Checkout: Dealing with it all - from pop-up messages to missing parts
· Holds: How they work and what you need to know to keep on top of the process
· Fines and fees: How fines work, how to create and add manual fines, waiving fines and fine history
· Printing notices: Pages, bills, overdues, hold pickup
· Entering items at the circ desk
· Neat tricks-things to save you time and work!

Register for each workshop individually through the MHLS web calendar: http://www.midhudson.org/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp

MHLS Announcements
Annual Report software is now available for you to log-in and enter your data. Usernames and passwords are the same as last year. If you have misplaced yours contact Lena at x36. Annual Report Information, available at http://midhudson.org/admin/budgeting/main.php, includes a print copy of the annual report questions and the instructions.

Note: 2006 Annual Report is due from each member library to MHLS on February 15.

Annual Report Workshop for New Directors. Hands-on sessions designed for Directors who are new to submitting a NYS Annual Report online with Bibliostat software. Held in the MHLS 3rd Floor Training Lab (103 Market Street, Poughkeepsie). Space is limited!
· Thursday, January 25: 10am-noon (snow date 1/26)
· Tuesday, January 30: 10am-noon (snow date 1/31)
· Friday, February 2: 1pm-3pm (snow date 2/6)
For more information and to register: http://www.midhudson.org/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp

2007 Approved Meeting Dates for the MHLS Director's Association
. Friday, February 2 (snow date 2/6)
. Tuesday, March 6 (snow date 3/7)
. Monday, April 2
. Wednesday, May 9
. Thursday, June 7
. Tuesday, July 10
. Monday, August 6 (if needed)
. Monday, September 10
. Wednesday, October 3
. Thursday, November 8 (snow date 11/9)
. Friday, December 7

MHLS Libraries
The Hudson Area Association Library has received the Nonprofit Learning Center Grant from the Fund for Columbia County (through the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation). The Nonprofit Learning Center is a program in which national experts work with local boards and staff to build more effective organizations.

"The Friends of the Chatham Public Library announced the "Adopt a Decimal" program. Volunteers of any age, middle school to Medicare, are invited to choose a number from the Dewey Decimal System and be responsible for dusting, inspecting, and putting in order the books, audios and videos classified under that number. Volunteers receive "I'm a Dewey Duster" t-shirt."

Professional Development
Wild About Wireless Webinar: Tuesday, January 30, 12:30 - 1:30pm. Are you thinking about providing wireless access for your patrons? What are the technical requirements? What are the security considerations? Hear from rural libraries that have successfully implemented wireless access for the public. Moderated by Brenda Hough, Technology Coordinator, Northeast Kansas Library System (NEKLS). Instructions for joining the webinar are available at http://webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=13496

Marketing, Advocacy & Funding
February is Library Lovers Month in many places across the country - why not at your library? Check out resources like a sample press release, proclamation, free downloadable bookmarks and outreach ideas at http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/.

Job Openings
Need to place a job ad in the MHLS Bulletin? Just email your job ad to bulletin@midhudson.org. MHLS Bulletin editor, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, can also help you post your job ad to NYLINE and to area library school listservs.

The Ossining (Westchester County, New York) Public Library is seeking a director for its new, 47,000 sq ft, state-of-the-art, "green" facility. The building will open in February, 2007, and includes a teen room, a children's floor and an adult floor, over 30 computers for public use, an auditorium seating over 200, and an art and exhibition space. Our staff of about 28 provides 70 public service hours per week. The library serves a population of 33,000 which is economically, ethnically and linguistically diverse, and which has a history of strong support for the library and its activities. (The annual operating budget of nearly $3 million is voted on in an annual public referendum.) It is our goal that the library serve broadly as a cultural center for our users and that it reach out actively to serve them. A foundation has recently been established to support innovative and creative programs. Qualifications:
· Demonstrated ability to manage a library of approximately 100,000 volumes and with an annual circulation of 250,000.
· Ability to manage a unionized, civil service staff of about 25, and to participate in contract negotiations. Necessary experience includes hiring, supervision, performance evaluation, scheduling of staff, and training and education.
· Experience developing and managing a library budget, including necessary reports to the school district and government on financial and statistical matters. Experience working with a library foundation is highly desirable.
· Experience working in a diverse community which includes non-English speakers and a substantial immigrant population.
· Experience creating and developing innovative and community outreach programs and services, including for non-English speakers.
· Demonstrated ability and interest in communicating with the Board of Trustees and the community via appropriate means, including e-mail and an effective web site.
· Willingness and ability to interact with community leaders, including local government, school district and other appropriate institutions.
Note that this position is Library Director III. Salary range: $85-125k, dependent on qualifications. The detailed description may be found at http://www.westchestergov.com/HR/ in the section on Local Job Class Specifications. Send resume to Peter Capek, Ossining Public Library, 53 Croton Avenue, Ossining, New York 10562; capek@ieee.org.

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.

Member Libraries are welcome to submit items of interest and job openings to the MHLS Bulletin: bulletin@midhudson.org. The MHLS Bulletin is available on line at http://midhudson.org/bulletins/main.htm.