Millennium Server Upgraded

While occurring a week sooner than expected, the Millennium Server Upgrade was a success.

Laurie Shedrick, MHLS Automated Systems Manager, reports that everything went smoothly and member libraries reported very few problems in the hours after Millennium came back up on Friday.

On Thursday, as MHLS staff called each member library to let them know about the emergency shutdown, member library staff responded valiantly, reporting they were prepared despite the short notice. Many noted they had taken Laurie’s advice and done the offline client “fire drill” the week before.

Please remember that staff who use Millennium in the library are our “eyes and ears.” If you notice something weird or wonky please report it to Laurie so we can figure out what is going on. Laurie is also interested to hear what you have to say regarding the process speed and/or other comments that you have since the upgrade to the new server: lshedrick@midhudson.org, x21.

MHLS Announcements
Check Your Info: Information from the Mid-Hudson Library System Statistical Annual Report 2006 (as reported by Member Libraries on their 2006 Annual Reports) is now available at http://midhudson.org then Administration & Management then Budgeting & Finance (direct link: http://midhudson.org/annual_reports/2006/main.htm)
If you notice any discrepancy in the information listed for your library, please contact Lena at lsmolon@midhudson.org by June 8th.

Reminder: Due to needed construction in our delivery area there will be no delivery or pickup on Saturday June 9, 2007. Normal operations will resume on Monday June 11, 2007.

MHLS Libraries
The American Library Association (ALA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced that they have selected 4 MHLS member libraries to receive a collection of 15 classic books from the We the People Bookshelf project. The theme of this year’s Bookshelf is the “Pursuit of Happiness.”
· Kinderhook Memorial Library
· Patterson Library
· Pawling Free Library
· Morton Memorial Library and Community House (Rhinecliff)

The Heermance Memorial Library in Coxsackie declared May as Military Appreciation Month at the library. The library collected personal hygiene and entertainment items in lieu of fines for area residents serving in the military overseas. There has been such a great outpouring of support from the community that the library has extended this program into June.

Resource Sharing & Millennium
Please remember: Do not tape delivery slips or notes to items going through the delivery. The tape can damage items.
(See Resource Sharing Standards, Circulation, item #7: http://midhudson.org/resource/General/RSstandards.htm)

Marketing, Advocacy & Funding
In honor of National Library Week in April and to celebrate the love of reading, the Friends of the Plattekill Public Library sponsored a “How I Learned to Read” Essay Contest. On May 21st, the Friends held an award ceremony as part of their first-ever Annual Meeting, and awarded each winner with an award certificate and a gift card to Barnes and Noble. They received 84 contest entries. Quotes from the entries included:
· “Reading helps understand life and its something you’ll have with you for life.”
· “Reading means a lot to me because now that I read, I can have a new adventure every time I pick up a book. One day I can share a castle with a fairy princess and the next day I can sail the seven seas with a ship full of pirates.”
· “My father loved books as a kid and adult, and he helped me read. Sometimes he would do my chores for me so I could keep reading.”

Reference & Collection Development
ePortfolios [http://www.eportfolio.org/] is a new way young people are using the Web to post their achievements, work experience, projects, writings, art and more as they work with school advisors, apply to colleges, etc. Great resource for juniors in high school applying for college – more polished than a MySpace page!

Youth Services
Highlights from the It CAN Be Fun & Games @ Your Library Workshop: Thanks to Sue Scott of the Marlboro Free Library and other MHLS librarians sharing their library gaming experiences (electronic and traditional), young people and families in some MHLS libraries will soon be enjoying new activities. Some ideas to consider for your library:
· Encourage young people to bring in PlayStations and other equipment, set up and offer tournaments
· Contact local gaming stores to bring in equipment and offer programs
· Invest in last generation equipment, solicit same from patrons
· Purchase equipment over time, possibly with Friends’ support
· Invite Sue Scott to do gaming program at libraries
· Organize game disc swap at library
· Offer young people and/or family board game night
· Solicit used games from patrons & allow kids to bring own
· Have Bunco tournaments (very popular in Saugerties)
· Set up Yu-Gi-Ho sessions, with periodic tournaments (PPLD)
For workshop handouts and write up, see MHLS Gaming Resources at http://midhudson.org/program/ideas/teen_programs.htm

Miss Something? If you missed saving something that appeared on the MHLS Youth Services listserv, you can always search in the archives by going to
http://midhudson.org/MHLS/listserv/listservs.htm and look in the middle box on the right for the archives link. All you have to do is put in a search term for the issue you are looking for and the original message should appear. You can bookmark this site or just remember that you can find it on the MHLS Site Map, under Listservs.

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, encourages libraries large and small to visit the Kids! @ your library Campaign Web site at http://www.ala.org/kids and take advantage of free materials, resources and ideas. The latest materials added to the site include:
· Spanish-language resources.
· A list of *Top Ten Ways to Use Bill Harley*s *At Your Library* Song in Your Library and Community* provides examples of how libraries can use the upbeat song to grab attention.
· A story theater script-The Chicken and the Librarian-adapted by Dianne de Las Casas and used with her permission, can be downloaded and used for library/school/community events.
· Kids! @ your library* Best Practice Wiki at http://wikis.ala.org/alsc/index.php/Kids%21_%40_your_library_Best_Practices_Wiki provides a free, open space where librarians can share how they have successfully used campaign materials within their libraries and communities.

Trustee Resources
New on Trustee Resources: Sample PowerPoint presentation, “Board of Trustees Orientation,” from the Mahopac Library. To access the file along with other resources for orientation for new trustees to go: http://midhudson.org then Trustee Resources then Orientation of New Trustees

Administration & Management
2007 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study preliminary findings:
· More than half (54.2 percent) of U.S. public libraries now offer free wireless access
· Library staff in more than half of public libraries provide assistance to patrons applying for or accessing e-government
· Sixty-eight percent of libraries offer online homework resources – serving the educational needs of more than 36 million school-age children
The final 2007 report will be available online and as a print-on-demand book in September 2007. More information, including links to more than a decade of related research on public libraries and the Internet conducted by the Information Institute at Florida State University, is available at http://www.ala.org/plinternetfunding.

PAGE 3: "Around the System for May 2007"

PAGE 4: June 2007Calendar: http://www.midhudson.org/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp

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.