Fundraising Idea Exchange

MHLS is holding a Fundraising Idea Exchange at the next Friends Support Group meeting. Anyone involved with fundraising for the library is welcome to join in:

Tuesday, June 23rd
5:30 - 7:30pm
MHLS Auditorium
(dinner will be provided)
Register online: http://calendar.midhudson.org/

This support group has been created as a forum for member library Friends to come together and share information. Issues, problems and solutions will be on the table for all to learn from each other.

- Get ideas
- Hear from those who do what you do
- Discuss and share challenges and solutions

Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Coordinator of Member Information, will facilitate the event.

MHLS Libraries
Twenty MHLS member libraries attended the NYS Broadband Summit at the Sagamore Conference Center in Bolton Landing, NY last week. The summit was part of the NYS Library's participation in the Gates Foundation Opportunity Online Broadband Grant Program. The purpose of the summit was to develop a sustainability plan that will enable NYS libraries to better serve library patrons with improved broadband connectivity. The Summit brought together public libraries, local and statewide influencers and state agencies with the objective of making the general public and state lawmakers aware of the need for adequate broadband in NY's public libraries. The Summit provided an opportunity for libraries and influencers to collaborate around the need for improved connectivity and approaches towards sustainability. There was time to help local libraries explore strategies to fund and sustain improved connectivity and to understand their role in the statewide strategic plan and develop tools to communicate the importance of improved connectivity to NY State constituents, including policy makers. A video commissioned by the Gates Foundation was shown which was filmed, in part, at the Kingston Library. Featured speakers in the video included Kinston Library Director Margie Menard, Kingston trustee Paul Werbalowsky, and Clinton Community Library Friend Annie Scibienski.

Professional Development
Webinars for two HOMEACCESS databases:

1) Wednesday, June 17th from 3:00 - 4:00pm:
Business & Company Resource Center: This database brings together a wide variety of global business information, making it easy for users to research business case studies, competitive intelligence and career and investment opportunities.

2) Thursday, June 18th from 3:00 - 4:00pm:
Health & Wellness Resource Center: Since its inception, this online resource has become the "go-to" medical reference in libraries everywhere by providing easy-to-find answers via an intuitive and customizable interface. The new and updated Health & Wellness Resource Center, with its Alternative Health Module, includes even more references, full-text journals and the new Disease Profiler module.

Register for either sessions through the MHLS Online Calendar: http://calendar.midhudson.org/

Marketing, Advocacy & Funding
Member libraries are beginning to use Facebook as a way to connect with their community. "Facebook is a free-access social networking website. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, interests and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves." [Wikipedia, 2009] Check out the pages for the Howland Public Library in Beacon, the Kinderhook Memorial Library, LaGrange Association Library, North Chatham Free Library and Poughkeepsie Public Library District for ideas about how your library can "connect with the connected" through Facebook.
If your library is using Facebook and is not listed above please let us know!: rsmith@midhudson.org

Manage Your Own Web Site? Check out basic guidelines for the content and design of public library websites from the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services: http://www.olis.ri.gov/pubs/plstandards/websites.php "Websites are the electronic front door to your library; as such they deserve the same planning and care that your library receives. Websites are a form of marketing and a way of reaching otherwise unserved customers. A library website can be a vital information resource for your community; capitalize on the opportunity." [This link is also cross-referenced on http://midhudson.org under both: Administration & Management then Technology and the Marketing & PR page]

Reference & Collection Development
Job Hunting? Let us Help. From the Roeliff Jansen Community Library in Hillsdale's eNewseltter (June 2009):
"Job Hunting? Let us Help. Boy Scouts aren't the only ones who should "Be Prepared". Job seekers should pay attention too.
Your library is your most valuable resource. Our computers have Internet access to enable you to complete online job applications. Or you can explore our website which has links to sites for career exploration, researching companies, job listings, templates for writing resumes, and preparing for tests (GED, SAT, Civil Service, Vocational, etc.) We also have wireless service if you wish to bring your own laptop. We have a collection of books to explain updating resumes, writing cover letters, and brushing up on interview skills and dressing for success. Our newly created brochure, Resources for Job Seekers, lists top web sites and the books in our collection. Ask for one at the circulation desk."

Programming
Reminder: Adult Programmers User's Group will meet on Thursday, June 25th from 10:00am - 12:00pm in the MHLS Auditorium. Our topic will be Program Evaluation. Join us for a lively discussion about making the most out of adult programming in your library. This session is ideal for library staff currently doing adult programming and for those interested in expanding their programming to include adult patrons. At this session we will talk about:
- How to evaluate existing programs for effectiveness
- Learn how to develop new programs from program evaluations
- Best practices for making programs responsive to your patron's needs
Register online at http://calendar.midhudson.org/

Youth Services
Summer of Service: The American Library Association has been contacted by the White House in partnership with the Corporation for National & Community Service to get libraries involved in the President's Summer of Service program, scheduled to launch on June 22, 2009. Summer of Service is a national coalition of major youth-serving organizations that are committed to engaging youth in service during the summer months and recognize the potential of youth to identify issues, develop projects, and provide lasting benefits to the communities in which they live through volunteer service. Libraries and other organizations that work with youth ages 5 to 21 are encouraged to participate. Beginning this week, libraries and other organizations will be invited by the White House to list their local volunteer opportunities online. On June 22, the White House will announce the initiative to the public at large. The initiative will conclude on September 11, 2009. This will also be a great opportunity to educate the public about the importance and vitality of America's libraries, and gain new supporters advocating for your library. Learn more about Summer of Service:
http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/initiatives/summer.asp

"Guide to Summer Fun": The Kinderhook Memorial Library has produced a "Guide to Summer Fun" on their web site to help residents, particularly parents, find great things to do with their kids in Columbia County and around the house this summer. Check it out at http://oklibrary.org/

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.