Trustee Essentials

Essential Trustee Duties and Responsibilities Presented by Josh Cohen - MHLS Executive Director, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich – MHLS Coordinator of Member Information and Merribeth Advocate – MHLS Outreach & Education Coordinator.

Especially for new board members, but open to all. Library board members looking for essential, baseline information to increase their effectiveness in serving on a library board will benefit from attending this session.

Attendees will learn effective ways to carry out the nine essential library trustee duties and responsibilities (everything the library board does either falls within one of these duties or is done in support of them). Note: The content covered is all new for 2008.

Register for one of the following sessions:
Thursday, September 4th from 6:00 – 8:00pm @Patterson Library (1167 Route 311, Patterson)

Saturday, September 6th from 10:00am – 12:00pm @Kingston Library (55 Franklin Street, Kingston)

Wednesday, September 10th from 6:00 – 8:00pm @MHLS Auditorium (105 Market Street, Poughkeepsie)
Registration is required. Register online at http://calendar.midhudson.org OR call 845.471.6060 x46. There is a $50.00 incentive grant to libraries in 2008 if at least one of their trustees attends this session. The System will mail checks based on attendance. Light food will be served.

Comments from Spring 2008 attendees about MHLS Essential Trustee Duties and Responsibilities:
· I expected this to be very dry & frankly a bit boring. Not so. It was absolutely enlightening. Enjoyed it & learned a lot. Thanks so much!
· Now I have a much better understanding of my role as a trustee!
· My attitude towards the job of trustee has been jolted to a higher level. You made me aware of the responsibility associated with this job. I need to study this information and try to contribute to our meetings to elevate the level and enhance the library. Thank you so much.

MHLS Announcements
Where has the time gone? Can you believe we’re already into the 3rd quarter of 2008 - how close are you to your 2008 year-end goals?

“What are your top 3 goals for 2008? Have they changed since January? Have you already reached them? Are you halfway there? What? You can’t remember what your goals are? It’s true, that was a whole six months ago, but here we are mid-year and there’s still plenty of time to get yourself on track and reach your annual goals by the end of the year.”
[Notes on Demand Blog, 7.11.08: http://blog.sessions.edu/]

MHLS can help! Let us know what you’re working on and we’ll help connect you with a resource, contact or idea or two that can help you on your way.
· MHLS Problem Solving Service Directory: http://midhudson.org/service_directory.htm
· Consultations & Training On Demand:
For staff: http://midhudson.org/professional/on_demand.htm
For trustees: http://midhudson.org/trustee/consulting.htm
For Friends: http://midhudson.org/funding/fundraising/friends/on_demand.htm
· midhudson.org Web Site Index & Search: http://midhudson.org/search.htm

MHLS Newsletter Service: Eight member libraries signed up for the MHLS Newsletter Service earlier this year and received two customized newsletters to send out to their community. This is a two-page newsletter with room to customize content on the second page in the form of a director’s message and local program listings. If your library would like to give it a try for the Fall and Winter issues contact Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Coordinator of Member Information at rsmith@midhudson.org or x39 by August 6th. The cost for the remaining two issues this year is $150. Check out the finished product: http://www.hml.lib.ny.us/newsletter.pdf
For more information on the service view the original Action Memo (#08-04): http://midhudson.org/action_memos/08-04_newsletters.pdf


MHLS Libraries
The Poughkeepsie Public Library District’s home page features a book list that’s right on the money: “Staycation Ideas for 2008: If the rising cost of gas has your long distance vacation plans on hold, try our book list on Hudson Valley travel for some ideas.”
Check out the book list at http://www.poklib.org/

The Grinnell Library in Wappingers Falls has developed a new logo:

Marketing, Advocacy & Funding
Summer Time is Yard Sale Time! Help connect your patrons with a seasonally current resource that could help them save or make money through your library: Price It! for Antiques and Collectibles is a fantastic resource for yard sale, garage sale, and online auction shoppers available through every member library’s web site. Help patrons access this resource by highlighting it on your web site, in your newsletter, your library and elsewhere in the community – people who may not use the library could be very interested in this product!

· Request more Price It! bookmarks from MHLS to help patrons get started with this resource in four easy steps: http://midhudson.org/forms/material_request.htm
· A brochure, sample searches, FAQs and a sample press release are available at http://www.gale.cengage.com/PriceIt/

From the vendor’s web site: “The antiques and collectibles market is one of the fastest growing markets in the U.S., with an estimated 30% of the population collecting something — and that figure is expected to increase in the coming years. To support this rapidly growing trend, Gale offers Price It! Antiques & Collectibles — a ‘value maximizer’ for your patrons who purchase, sell or collect art, antiques and collectibles. This indispensable online tool helps your patrons ascertain an item’s current realistic market value by aggregating data from its own GoAntiques.com database as well as established, reliable sources like eBay, TIAS and dozens of land-based auction houses. Now your patrons will always have the latest information on the collectibles they seek. And Price It! Antiques & Collectibles can be used from wherever its users have remote access to your library’s holdings…at home, on the road, even from a live auction!”

Youth Services
Mini-Grants for Service-Oriented Projects for Youths: Pay It Forward Mini-Grants go to one-time only, service-oriented activities that young people would like to perform to benefit their neighborhood or greater community. Projects must contain a "pay it forward" focus, which is based on the concept of having one person do a favor for others, who in turn do favors for others, and so on, so the results grow exponentially. Maximum Award: $500. Eligibility: K-12 youths. Deadline: applications accepted starting September 15, 2008. For more information: http://payitforwardfoundation.org/educators/grant.html

Trustee Resources
45+ New Sample Policies Available: Thanks to the work of member library directors on Part 1 of the “Essential Documents Inventory” there are now more than 45 new sample policies on the MHLS “Sample Public Library Policies & Development Tips” web site. Access the samples at http://midhudson.org then Trustee Resources then Policies then Sample Public Library Policies & Development Tips or get there directly at http://midhudson.org/department/member_information/library_policies.htm

Job Openings
The Brewster Public Library has an immediate opening for a part-time clerk to work Saturdays from 9:00am to 2:00pm as well as Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4:00 - 7:00pm. We are seeking an individual who is able to work well with the public, has excellent communication skills, and is computer literate, detail oriented, responsible and dependable. Duties include working at the circulation desk and patron assistance. Ability to substitute additional hours required. Please send resume and letter of interest to Maria Steinberg, Director, Brewster Public Library, 79 Main Street, Brewster, NY 10509 or e-mail brewsterlibrary@yahoo.com.

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.