2008 SRP Support

The 2008 NYS Summer Reading Program will be Catch the Reading Bug (for younger children) and Metamorphosis @ Your Library (for teens). All MHLS libraries planning to take part should register for the workshops listed below and consider applying for the mini-grants offered to help improve local programming.

Summer Reading Workshops: Carolyn Travers will be doing craft/literature tie-ins at both workshops.
· Wednesday, March 19 from 10:00am - 1:30pm at Catskill Library.
· Tuesday, April 15 from 9:30am - 1:30pm at MHLS Auditorium
(Register online for either program at http://calendar.midhudson.org/)

Summer Reading Mini-Grants:
· Ten $200 grants for either hiring a performer or hiring additional staff to offer more programs. Available only to libraries with Total Operating Receipts of $125,000 or less (per 2006 Annual Report)
· Fourteen $450 gaming grants to purchase video gaming equipment and hire staff to supervise gaming events
· These grant applications will be available on the MHLS summer reading site and will also be sent out as Action Memos in January. Applications will be due by Monday, April 7. Each library will pay for the materials or performers hired, submit invoices to MHLS and then be reimbursed in fall 2008.

Gaming Grant Workshop, Friday, February 22 from 2:30-4:40pm at MHLS Auditorium: To assist libraries with decisions about gaming equipment and programming and help them write an appropriate grant, Sue Scott (Marlboro Library) and Margaret Keefe will present this 2-hour workshop. Sue will bring the most popular equipment for participants to see and try, as well as offer advice about what to buy. Margaret will explain the guidelines libraries must follow in writing the grants and how to track the impact of the library's programming.

Annual MHLS Performers' Showcase on Friday, February 29 from 9:30am – 1:00pm in the MHLS Auditorium: Performers who offer entertainment for children and families will have 10 minutes to show the audience a small portion of their act so libraries can make informed decisions about who to hire. (Register online at http://calendar.midhudson.org/.)

Questions? Contact Margaret Keefe, MHLS Youth Services Coordinator at x35 or mkeefe@midhudson.org.

MHLS Announcements
Libraries in Greene, Putnam & Ulster Counties have the Opportunity to Expand Library Programs for Teens! Directors in Greene, Putnam & Ulster County should now have received a memo and application for the Health Information Project’s 3-year funding initiative to become HIP Centers and to host the Teen Intern Project to employ area teens over the summer. The memo and application may also be accessed through the Project website: http://hip.midhudson.org. Deadline for applying is February 25th.

Don’t forget, the following Project materials/services are available for ALL member libraries:
• Teen-reviewed and recommended videos, books and websites – Go to http://hip.midhudson.org.

• Project bookmarks for teens, postcards for adult patrons, resource guides for middle and high school educators and youth services providers – Order through MHLS Online Material Request Form: http://midhudson.org/forms/material_request.htm.

• Presentation of Project updates for county directors’/ children’s librarians’ meetings & assistance promoting resources to community agencies/educators – Call Bobbi Clapp, HIP Coordinator at 845.471.6060 X23 or email bclapp@midhudson.org.

MHLS Libraries
The Sarah Hull Hallock Free Library in Milton will be closed to the public from February 1st to February 9th, re-opening Monday, February 11th for renovations. The staff will be working periodically during this week so if you need to contact them you can. Please remember that their collection will be unavailable for holds.

Professional Development
Presentation Skills: Ask for Money, Teach a New Skill, Influence an Audience, presented by Pat Wagner - Thursday, March 6, 2008 from 9:00am - 4:00pm (Registration begins at 8:30 am) at the Southeastern NY Library Resources Council (SENYLRC) office building (23 S. Elting Corners Rd., Highland: http://www.senylrc.org/about/directions.htm)
Would you like to feel more comfortable making a formal presentation for a public forum, class, committee or board meeting? Learn how to prepare any presentation (without a PowerPoint - this is not a computer class!), research your audience, develop effective "sales" points, create interactive exercises and audience dialogs as well as deal with mishaps, including stage fright, failed technology, hecklers, mistakes and finding out five minutes before you go on that the audience expects something you are not prepared to do. Whether you are pitching the library's new budget to the city council, teaching a class at a library conference or presenting your idea at a committee meeting, you can be come more influential on behalf of yourself and your library. After attending this program, participants will be able to:
1. Create and present a more effective presentation with "selling points"
2. Feel more relaxed, even if they make mistakes
3. Conduct interactive programs that score higher marks with audiences
Register online: http://www.senylrc.org/reg/
Fee: $85.00 for non-members. This includes most MHLS member libraries. ($65.00 for SENYLRC governing members; $75.00 for SENYLRC affiliate members) Note: SENYLRC now offers a credit card payment option for continuing education class registrations. Lunch will be provided. If you have questions about this program, please call SENYLRC at 845.883.9065.

College of DuPage Teleconferences for 2008 – free on your desktop: The New York State Library arranged for a statewide license with the College of DuPage to provide five new professional development teleconferences for library staff and trustees. No cost is charged to local libraries. You can see these live teleconferences on your desktop via streaming video, you can also view previous conferences. 2008 topics and dates:
· February 8: “People Watching With a Purpose – Meeting Needs Before They Need It”
· March 7: Library Spaces: Future Needs
· April 11: Trends, Fads, or Folly: Spotting the Library Trends That Really Matter
To access the conferences and for more information go to: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/dupage.htm

Nylink has arranged to offer a reduced rate for the Computers in Libraries conference, April 7-9, 2008 in Arlington, Va. By registering through Nylink, you are eligible for the special rate of $219.00 for the 3-day event. That is more than a 50% savings off the regular conference registration cost of $449.00. Visit http://nylink.org/events/cil08.cfm for more details including a link to the special Nylink registration form.

Reference & Collection Development
Blu Ray vs. HD DVD Update: Readers of the MHLS Bulletin weighed in on this debate after an article explaining it from the Long Island Library Resources Council was featured in last week’s Bulletin, sharing a number of articles and announcements that point towards Blu Ray winning out over HD DVD. Matthew Perry, a trustee of the Philmont Library summarized recent happenings nicely: “There was a major announcement that Warner Brothers was releasing their materials exclusively in Blu-Ray starting in June, which may be the death-knell for HD-DVD. The studios and everyone else are anxious to move to one format to end consumer confusion, so things could happen pretty quickly. This story was preceded by an announcement that Blockbuster will only carry Blu-ray DVDs. Also, the Blu-Ray disks have a very good coating on their disks, which should be to the liking of libraries, who have to deal with disk scratches on traditional DVDs.”

Programming
Gardens + libraries + programming: If your library is lucky enough to have a garden or be located near a community garden check out the article, “Learning Gardens,” (Library Journal, October 15th, 2007). [Library Journal is available through HOMEACCESS in ProQuest.] Check out the MHLS EZ Library Program Database to invite local Master Gardeners to do programs. On the MHLS website, click on Programming, EZ Library database and type gardening in the keyword search box. Get there directly at http://support.midhudson.org/ezprogram/ezprogram.htm

Administration & Management
New Titles Added to the MHLS Professional Collection:
- Managing Facilities for Results: optimizing space for services, by Cheryl Bryan for the Public Library Association, American Library Association, 2007. (2 Copies) [Library Buildings / Area Planning MHP 711.57]
- Exemplary Public Libraries: lessons in leadership, management, and service, by Joy M. Greiner, Libraries Unlimited, 2004. [Management Decision Making MHP 658.403]
- Library 2.0: a guide to participatory library service by Michael E. Casey, Laura C. Savastinuk, Information Today, Inc., 2007. [Management Decision Making MHP 658.403]
To borrow from the MHLS Professional Collection: http://midhudson.org/mhls/professional_collection.htm

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.