Master the Power of the OPAC!

Register now for "Master the Power of the Online Public Catalog" presented by Sue Hermans (Head, Reference and Adult Services & Coordinator, Central Library Services at the Poughkeepsie Public Library District). Don't miss the chance to attend locally.

This program is designed for all staff that work with patrons. You will pick up some great tips you can use to provide faster, more accurate service.

The Online Public Catalog (OPAC) is so much more than books, movies, music, and magazines. If you do most of your searching in Millennium you are missing out on the advantages of mastering this incredibly powerful tool.

The OPAC is your patrons' connection to requesting and renewing materials, paying their fines online, keeping track of what they want to read and what they've already read, and finding that next great read. It's also their connection to thousands of e-journals with full-text articles. Help your patrons use the enhanced self-service options, independently find what they are looking for and experience the full benefit of the online catalog.

Register at http://calendar.midhudson.org for one of the following sessions:
- Friday, October 17, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ MHLS Auditorium (105 Market Street, Poughkeepsie)

- Monday, October 20, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ Palenville Branch Library (3335 Route 23A in Palenville)

- Friday, October 31, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ Kingston Library (55 Franklin Street in Kingston)

- Monday, November 17, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ Hudson Area Association Library (400 State Street in Hudson)

- Monday, November 24, 10:00am - 12:00pm @ Kent Public Library (17 Sybil's Crossing in Kent Lakes)

Do you know the catalog?!
Test yourself at
http://www.mystudiyo.com/act68831/go

MHLS Announcements
The MHLS Board of Trustees met on Wednesday, September 17, in the MHLS Auditorium and:
· Announced that MHLS is the recipient of the Joseph L. Shubert Excellence Award for 2008 for the Health Information Project, coordinated by Bobbi Clapp.
· Presented its slate of officers for 2009;
· Approved the Incentive Committees recommendations for Construction Grants;
· Approved the new System and Board Evaluation Forms and the new Personnel Policies Handbook;
· Announced the winners of the Trustee Success Story Recognition Awards to be given out at the annual meeting;
· Approved 2009 meeting dates: Saturday, January 24 (snow date: Tuesday, January 27); Saturday, March 14 (snow date: Tuesday, March 17); Wednesday, May 20 (location t/b/a); Wednesday, July 8;Wednesday, September 16;Saturday, December 5. The tentative date for the 50th Annual Meeting is Friday, October 2.
· Reviewed the scope and results of the four 2008 Youth Services Programs.
The MHLS Annual Meeting will be held on Friday, October 3, at 9:45am in the Danny Kaye Theater in the Conrad Hilton Library at the Culinary Institute of America (registration is required). The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Saturday, December 6, at 10:00am in the MHLS Auditorium.

Butterfield Bookmarks Emerge Victorious for a 2nd Year: Over 100 teens from MHLS libraries "Battled" each other over books on Saturday, September 13th at Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls at the 4th Annual MHLS Battle of the Books (BOB). The Butterfield Bookmarks team from the Julia L. Butterfield Library in Cold Spring Library took home the trophy for first place in a close Battle with the Poughkeepsie Library Book Talkers. Third place went to the Coxsackie Library Page Masters. ALL the teams and coaches deserve credit for their hard work.

Each round of competition was exciting as the 6th-9th graders displayed their amazing knowledge of 10 titles and raced each other to buzz in first. Teams from libraries in Beacon, Clinton, Cold Spring, Coxsackie, Hyde Park, Kinderhook, Millbrook, Plattekill, Poughkeepsie, Red Hook, Staatsburg, Stone Ridge, Town of Esopus, Valatie and Wappingers Falls competed. Banners go to the 1st, 2nd & 3rd place teams for display at the library and every team member got a BOB knapsack.

2008 sponsors insured participating libraries incurred very little local cost: NYS Senator Stephen Saland, Assemblymen Joel Miller and Marc Molinaro, Foundation for Hudson Valley Libraries, Town of Esopus Library Foundation, Friends of the Library groups from Hyde Park, Poughkeepsie, Red Hook, Staatsburg and Town of Esopus libraries, Hannaford Stores, Rhinebeck Savings Bank, Town of Esopus Library Foundation, Merritt Bookstore and Blackwood & Brouwer Bookstore.

Event day volunteers included MHLS staffers: Laurie Shedrick, Linda Vittone, Erica Freudenberger; our neighbors from Ramapo Catskill Library System, Randy Enos and Christina Linder from Monroe Library; and staff's family recruits, Kim Cruger and Dianne Conine. Master of Ceremonies for the 4th year was Scott Meyer of Merritt Books in Millbrook and Red Hook. This event is coordinated through the MHLS Youth Services Department: Margaret Keefe, Coordinator and Kerstin Cruger, Public Service Team Assistant.

2009 Battle of the Books Organizational Meeting: Wednesday, October 15 from 1:00 - 3:00pm at MHLS. Libraries considering joining the Battle should attend this meeting. Contact Margaret Keefe at mkeefe@midhudson.org with any questions.

Administration & Management
"Library Accessibility" toolkit helps all librarians confidently assist patrons with disabilities. "Anxiety, panic, and fear. When trying to help a patron with a disability, many expert librarians are overcome by these emotions." Check out this toolkit, developed by a committee of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) in partnership with experts in the field of library access, library science students at Louisiana State University and patrons with disabilities and their families. Contents include sections on:
Developmental Disabilities, Learning Disabilities & Physical disabilities
Children with Disabilities
Autism & Spectrum Disorders
Vision, Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Mental Illness
Multiple Disabilities
Service Animals
Assistive Technology
Volunteers with Disabilities
Management & What Trustees Need to Know
http://www.ala.org/ala/ascla/asclaprotools/accessibilitytipsheets/

Job Openings
The William K. Sanford Town Library in The Town of Colonie, New York has a Librarian Position Open in the Youth Services Department. It is a part time Librarian I (Children) position for up to 34 hours per week and under civil service. Qualified candidates must possess an MLS from an ALA accredited library school or registered by the New York State Education Department and be eligible for a New York State Public Librarian Professional Certificate. In addition candidates must have the equivalent of one year of full time professional Librarian experience in a Children s department of a public library, or as a Media Specialist in an elementary school. You can view salary information and download an application at: http://www.colonie.org/civilservice/. For further information you may also call 518.458.9274.

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.