Advanced Training for Front Desk Staff

Advanced Training for Front Desk Staff: Presented by Sue Hermans, Poughkeepsie Public Library District, Head, Reference and Adult Services & Coordinator, Central Library Services.

This workshop goes beyond the Tips & Tricks for Front Desk Staff workshops offered in April. It will help you develop your ability to assist patrons. All staff that work with patrons would benefit from attending this session. Don't miss the chance to attend locally! The workshop will cover:
· Power searching the web for information, directions and maps
· Helping patrons find the item they are looking for - even when it's not in Millennium
· Resources that simplify reference

Register for one of the following sessions:
· Tuesday, May 15th: 10:00am-12:00pm at Elting Memorial Library (93 Main St., New Paltz)
· Monday, June 4th: 10:00am-12:00pm at Kinderhook Memorial Library (18 Hudson Street, Kinderhook)
· Wednesday, June 6th: 1:00-3:00pm at MHLS Auditorium (105 Market Street, Poughkeepsie)
· Tuesday, June 12th: 10:00am-12:00pm at Brewster Public Library (79 Main Street, Brewster)
· Thursday, June 14th: 10:00am-12:00pm at Cairo Public Library (512 Main Street, Cairo)
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

MHLS Announcements
MHLS Incentive Program - Package C Libraries:
MAY 1st is the deadline to apply for the ALA Conference Incentive. $4,000 will be divided among the number of libraries that apply. The maximum amount awarded is $500. You will need to submit a letter of intent by May 1st and will need to send in documentation of attendance by July 1st. Contact Doris Formby with any questions: dformby@midhudson.org or x10.

MHLS has awarded thirty-five $200 mini-grants to member libraries to expand their local summer programs by hiring performers or adding programs to their Get a Clue @ Your Library or You Never Know @ Your Library summer activities. The awards are based on creative use of the money in partnering with community agencies and finding ways to attract new library users and offer new services. To see a list of some of the most creative programs being offered by the winners go to http://midhudson.org/program/SRP/SRP07_main.htm and click on Winners and their projects. And the winners are… Amenia, Athens, Beacon, Beekman, Carmel, Catskill, Chatham, Coxsackie, East Fishkill, Fishkill, Greenville, Highland, Hudson, Hurley/West Hurley, Kinderhook, LaGrange, Mahopac, Millbrook, Milton, Northeast-Millerton, New Lebanon, New Paltz, Pine Plains, Plattekill, Pleasant Valley, Putnam Valley, Red Hook, Staatsburg, Stanford, Tivoli, Town of Esopus, Town of Ulster, Valatie, Wappingers Falls, Windham.
The funds are provided to MHLS from a Federal LSTA grant through the NYS Library, to be used by systems to help member libraries expand and improve their local summer programming.

There were 219 total responses to the Central Library Training Survey - responses were received from every library. Thank you! The MHLS Central Library / Collection Development Advisory Committee is sending a summary of the responses to all library directors in the delivery with this week’s Bulletin. Working with the Online Catalog and HomeACCESS is an important part of good patron service. The committee has designed training sessions, being offered around the system in Spring and Fall [Tips & Tricks for Front Desk Staff & Advanced Training for Front Desk Staff], to cover these topics and help staff develop their skills at working with patrons. All staff that work with patrons would benefit from attending these sessions.

MHLS Libraries
The first annual Greene County Libraries Expo & Book Sale will be held on April 28th at the historic Catskill Point, 1 Main Street, Catskill, NY. Seven libraries in Greene County have banded together to offer thousands of used books, new books, audio books, children's books, DVDs, and videos in the “largest library book sale in Greene County history.” Learn more at: http://mhcable.com/%7Egrcolibbooks/index.htm

The Friends of the Chatham Public Library have announced the book chosen for this year’s CHATHAM READS, an annual celebration of reading and National Library Week that involves the entire community. This year’s book is Northern Borders by Howard Frank Mosher, a fictional account of a farm family in northern Vermont, told through the eyes of the grandson. The Friends of the Chatham Public Library are also seeking addresses of members of the military or Peace Corp volunteers from the Chatham School District area now serving overseas to send this year’s selection for CHATHAM READS, Northern Borders as a gesture of support.

Professional Development
The Smart Access Management (SAM) Users Group will meet in the MHLS Auditorium on Tuesday, May 8th from 10:00am – noon. Current and potential SAM users are invited to join moderator Laurie Shedrick, MHLS Automated Systems Manager to discuss SAM – how people are using SAM, enhancements and policies. [SAM is a single source application for controlling session, Internet, and print management on your public access computers.] 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

Programming
Let the Summer Reading Fun for ALL Ages Begin…or at least get planned: Youth services staff gathered recently at two summer reading workshops to begin planning 2007 summer reading--Get a Clue @ Your Library (for kids) and You Never Know @ Your Library (for teens). Interesting sub-themes this year are: detectives, CSI/forensics, scavenger hunts, urban legends, I Spy…, ghosts/paranormal, superheroes, codes/ciphers, genealogy, historic or local unsolved mysteries. Highlights from Carolyn Travers crafts were: Miniature books made from hinges, matchboxes, lunch bags, library card pockets, star-folded paper; “Kidnapping” a character from a famous children’s book and leaving clues each week; Literary Food Fest; and Scavenger hunts (including letterboxing).
Ideas suggested for school and other community visits included:
- Hiring a performer for a school assembly to get kids excited about summer reading.
- Taking/wearing detective props or other zany items
- Pitting classes against each other in solving riddles or “droodles”
- Playing observation games
- Identifying first lines of books or titles, given a few clues
- Acting out a story, charade fashion
- Reading “fractured” fairy tales
Libraries are encouraged to offer adult summer reading programs – some tips from the workshop:
- Having raffles for participants
- Creating suggested reading bookmarks
- Using Bingo-style card requiring reading of varied genres
- Asking for brief book reviews which get posted
- Getting families to meet a reading goal (pounds of library materials, time spent reading, measuring heights of stacks read)
See the MHLS summer reading website at http://midhudson.org/program/SRP/SRP07_main.htm for additional marketing ideas, children’s, teen and adult programs, incentive sources, templates for pr, school letters, report card labels and planning/evaluation ideas.

Youth Services
The MHLS Youth Services Open House, previously scheduled for April 27, has been rescheduled for Friday, May 18 from 10-12 at MHLS. It will involve a tour of the Youth Services website, a chance to look at all the resources available for borrowing in support of library programming and an opportunity to talk with Margaret and Kerstin. Please register through the MHLS calendar at http://www.midhudson.org/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp

Job Openings
The Hudson Area Association Library is seeking a Children's Room Coordinator. Hours are Tuesday through Friday 9 to 5 and Saturdays 9 to 1. Education requirements High School Diploma, some college preferred. Hudson Area Association Library is an equal opportunity employer. Applications from men and women, and all minorities are encouraged. Please submit a resume and up to three references to gboeringer@gmail.com or fax to 518.828.1792 or mail or in person to Hudson Area Association Library 400 State Street Hudson, NY 12534. Application deadline: April 20th.

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.