Legal Issues in Personnel

The 2007 Executive Committee/Director’s Forum will be held on Saturday, November 17th in the MHLS Auditorium from 10:00am – 1:00pm. [Directions:http://midhudson.org/help/directions.htm]

This year’s topic, Legal Issues in Personnel, will be presented by Bob Allen, an expert on public library personnel issues.

We especially encourage member library Board Executive Committee members to attend with their Library Director, but all Board members, Library Directors and others involved are welcome. Important personnel issues that you need to be prepared for will be discussed. Whether you are a small or large library, this workshop will benefit you.

Register one of 2 ways:
1. Online at http://midhudson.org, then click on Calendar
2. Call 845.471.6060 x46

MHLS Announcements
The next MHLS System Tour will be held on Thursday, November 1st from 9:30am – noon beginning in the MHLS Auditorium. The tour introduces member library staff and trustees to the MHLS staff and familiarizes them with available services. The tour will cover:
· An introduction to the MHLS organization, web site and electronic resources (the online library catalog and HOMEACCESS)
· Technology: Automated Services, Data Entry, AV Services, and Computer Operations
· Public Services: Youth Services, ILL, Print Services, Member Information, Outreach & Continuing Education
· Administration: Business Office, Shipping & Delivery
There will also be time to talk one-on-one with department staff. Register online through the MHLS calendar by going to http://midhudson.org then Calendar. [Directions: http://midhudson.org/help/directions.htm]

Professional Development
Youth Services Table Talks: Share the Knowledge, Presented by the Mid-Hudson Library System & the Ramapo Catskill Library System on Friday, November 16th from 10:00am – noon at the Newburgh Free Library, 124 Grand St., Newburgh 12550. Feedback on workshop evaluations invariably stresses the importance of exchanging ideas with colleagues. Youth services librarians/ staff will be able to sit in on four of the discussion topics below during the program, picking up new tips and sharing their own ideas. This sharing of best practices will benefit everyone in attendance when ideas are taken back and applied to local programs for young people. The workshop will cover:
· Lapsit Programs for Babies and Toddlers
· Anime/Manga Programs
· Music and Movement @ Storytime
· Book Discussions that Work for Young People
· Teen Advisory Groups
· Teen Video Programs
Register online through the MHLS calendar by going to http://midhudson.org then Calendar. Directions are available at: http://www.newburghlibrary.org/directions.asp


Resource Sharing & Millennium
Use the View Holds feature in Millennium to make sure your patrons do not have holds on items in the Poughkeepsie Public Library District’s collection that have been put into STORAGE while they are in their temporary location.

Marketing, Advocacy & Funding
Apply for new ALA Public Programs exhibits through grants.gov: Libraries planning to apply for some federally funded programming grants through the ALA Public Programs Office are now required to register and apply through http://grants.gov. This includes new PPO traveling exhibitions such as John Adams and African Americans in Baseball, as well as library programs about the Works Progress Administration Writers’ Project (to be announced later this fall). However, it does not include privately funded projects (Let’s Talk About It) or federal projects with no cash award (We the People Bookshelf and Picturing America). For help with grants.gov registration, visit the PPO website.

Programming
Programming Partnerships: Partnering with area organizations can be a great way to increase your audience for adult programming in the library. Libraries in the past have partnered with organizations like the Office of the Aging, the Red Cross and art councils. A recent example is the Hyde Park Library – they have partnered with their Co-operative Extension to present Parenting A Second Time Around, for those grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives who have found themselves raising the children of close relatives. The event offers practical advice to all those who find themselves in this situation.

Youth Services
Tech for Youth Workshop a hit! Linda Braun, library technology consultant, captivated audience at Tech for Youth Workshop on September 25th. Among her main points were the following:
· Now is the time! Prime opportunity for libraries to prove their value by teaching kids & parents to make safe choices online.
· Teens use Web for everything - socializing, reference, collaborating; libraries must tap into this trend but also bring them face-to-face in library.
· Hennepin County libraries have added a link to their catalog in Face Book; databases could also be linked. Bring the library to them.
· Web 2.0 involves users creating their own content, often collaboratively. Lots of room for library programs for youth to integrate Web 2.0 tools.
· Highlight of day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUk3T2Kfn
Tech Tidbits for Libraries from the workshop:
· Wikis can be used for reference support - track ref questions/answers, set up ref FAQs for staff/public)
· Deli.cio.us, a “social” bookmarks manager, allows access to your bookmarks from any computer. Thought: you could work with schools to create a list of homework support bookmarks; for the library, teens create bookmarks of favorite sites for their peers (great TAB/TAGs activity)
· YouTube: Post pictures, videos of library programs; venue for film/photography contests
· Podcasting: Use free Audacity software and a microphone to create library podcast (audio, video, PowerPoint).
· CreativeCommons.org: License online library content
· RSS feeds: Streamline how you read the web and how others read info from you.

Links to Children’s Authors in NYS: Thanks to a collaboration between the Youth Services Section (YSS) and the School Library Media Section (SLMS) of the New York Library Association (NYLA), there is now a new wiki website which lists lots of the NYS authors and illustrators who produce children's literature, along with links to most of their websites. Since it's a wiki, you can also add to the list if you know of someone not listed yet. To check out this new resource go to:http://nysauthorsandillustrators.pbwiki.com/. The list is arranged both by county and alphabetically. This resource has been added to the MHLS web site at: http://midhudson.org then Programming then Ideas for All Ages then Authors

It’s time to be appreciated for your brilliant ideas!
The Pied Piper Award
recognizes excellence in promotional materials or programs that further service to youth in or by New York State Libraries. MHLS libraries do great programming and publicity for youth and it would be great to have some of that effort recognized state-wide. This award is presented annually by the Youth Services Section of NYLA. Send in your creative program ideas or graphically gorgeous promotional materials. Entries must be received by December 5, 2007 for items produced between 1.1.07 and 12.1.07. One of your submissions may win the Pied Piper Award! Further information and forms can be found at http://www.nyla.org/index.php?page_id=410

Administration & Management
Healthcare option for small libraries: The New York Library Association (NYLA) has partnered with Capital District Physicians Health Plan (CDPHP) to offer an association-based health plan to organizational members of NYLA for their employees. Eligibility for the plan is limited to small group employers (libraries with 2-50 employees) or sole-proprietors (libraries with one staff person). For more information: To find out more about the plan's coverage and rates.

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.