| Vol.09-43 | 10.27.09 |
Funding Update: Governor Paterson has proposed a 10% cut across the board in state spending (except for a 4.5% cut in School Aid). These cuts are on undisbursed funds, so Library Aid would be cut $3.375 million (since approximately $33 million in Library Aid has yet to be released) on top of the $8 million cut libraries got earlier in the year. The Governor plans to call back the Legislature for a Special Session in November and the Senate is planning hearings this week on the budget cuts.
While each public library gets a small cash amount directly through state funding the real impact is on System funding as the System is primarily funded through NYS. Our calculations indicate it would cost a library 33% more to run their library without System services - already after more than a decade of flat state funding to the System has resulted in higher costs to local libraries as in 2010 the new fee from the System goes into place to help maintain service levels in response to community demand.
While it is clear NYS is in fiscal crisis, it is also clear that our communities need library services now more than ever. As jobs disappear and household budgets shrink, public libraries are becoming a centerpiece solution in many communities. The provision of public access computers, high speed internet connections and library staff trained to help can keep hope alive for job seekers. Our collections and meeting space provide respite to residents seeking a break from the stress of the economic downturn. People need libraries and they need library advocates to speak up against these cuts.
Stay tuned, we'll let you know next week how NYLA will approach this cut and how we can best focus our efforts to educate legislators.
MHLS Announcements
Getting Results: Meet the MHLS Bibliographic Maintenance Team - The MHLS Bibliographic Maintenance team works hard to insure that searching the database - whether through Millennium or through the Online Catalog - is efficient and accurate. That means that the data has to be correct, follow the current standards of Library of Congress Subject Headings and MARC formatting. This includes updating the old records and adding the new. The combined collection of all 66 member libraries now holds nearly 625,000 unique titles with nearly 2.3 million item records!Meet the Staff:
The Automated Services & Bibliographic Maintenance Team is led by Laurie Shedrick, our Automated System Manager. Karen O'Brien, the Cataloging & Database Maintenance (C&DM) Supervisor, has long served as the supervisor of the bibliographic maintenance work, and Kit Kassel's position as the Cataloging & Database Maintenance Assistant, was recently expanded to full-time in this department (she formerly split her time between C&DM and Interlibrary Loan).Karen feels the goal of her job is to maximize points of entry to items in the catalog for patrons, "I love to see the increase in items in the delivery area, it says to me that people are finding what they want and need which means the work I do is making a difference."
Kit noted that cataloging has rewards similar to working at a reference desk, "The work is to connect people with what they are looking for, we wouldn't want a typo to stand between a person and the item they need!"
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How it Works:
1. To add an item to the collection, a library either orders an item electronically through the Acquisitions module of Millennium or manually creates a brief bibliographic record in Millennium.2. The MHLS Bibliographic Maintenance Team transfers electronic orders into Millennium and records are created. If the order includes a new title, a new bibliographic record is created and the library's order record is attached to it. Sometimes this process creates new bib records when records already exist. The new record then has to be "merged" to the old. Each new record is scrutinized for inclusion or merging.
3. Usually within one business day or so Karen and Kit will search databases we subscribe to and other select library catalogs in search of better, more detailed, records to replace the existing brief record. In this process material type codes, subjects, notes, pagination and other data are added and the record gets proofread for the first time. If a record cannot be located (because it is too new or very low profile) it is put aside for a later pass. The final pass will include searching web sites and other tools for missing data like contents, titles in a short story and notes.
This is all done without actually having the item in hand, so sometimes we have to get more information from the libraries. Helping us with this helps you and your patrons find the items that you have invested time and money in adding to your collection.
In addition to this daily routine, many "clean-up jobs" are done by the department on a regular basis:
- Find and move items attached to the wrong material type.
- Update authority files (Author name changes and/or death dates and subject changes)
- Cancel deleted order records
- Remove empty bib records and cancel orders
- Find and report duplicate barcodes
- Look for and correct "The typo of the day"
- Load records from databases and Net Library so they are included in search results in the Catalog.Reminder to all those libraries which had sent a letter of intent to attend this year's NYLA Conference: In order to finalize your claim we will need to receive proof of attendance such as a copy of your registration or a hotel bill. If everyone who had expressed interest in the NYLA Conference Grant did indeed attend, this year's reimbursement will be $222.23 per library ($4,000 divided between 18 libraries). If you have questions, please contact Doris Formby at x210 or dformby@midhudson.org.
Reference & Collection Development
Romance Writers of America Library Grant is designed to provide a public library the opportunity to build or expand its romance fiction collection and/or host romance fiction programming. The grant consists of $4,500 to be used toward the purchase of romance fiction, author honorariums and travel expenses, and other applicable program expenses. Visit http://tinyurl.com/ylq86rv for complete information and to link to a grant application form. Applications will be accepted until December 1, 2009.
Did You Know? New Yorkers searched the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library (NOVELNY) over 35.5 million times since July 2008. This represents a 20 percent increase in the number of searches over the prior year. NOVELNY is a "virtual library" that includes a wide variety of full-text resources - books, magazines, newspapers, research and reference resources and is available to New York State residents with no fees. All of the NOVEL NY resources are incorporated into the MHLS HOMEACCESS interfaces [http://www.midhudson.org/novelny.htm].
The NOVELNY pilot project is supported with temporary federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds provided to the New York State Library by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.Programming
New Book Club in a Bag Titles:
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill (Sponsored by the Pine Plains Free Library)
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (Sponsored by the Poughkeepsie Public Library District)
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris (Sponsored by the Grinnell Library Association in Wappingers Falls)
To reserve these new titles or to refresh your memory about this service visit http://midhudson.org/program/BCB/staff.htmYouth Services
The Youth Services Department web site has some new features thanks to MHLS Youth Services & Community Connections Coordinator Christina Ryan-Linder and Public Services Team Assistant Kerstin Cruger. Christina and Kerstin have categorized all the great stuff from the YS Site Map into user friendly categories: collection development, programming, educational resources, advocacy, and a new feature started by Christina - a "Best Practices Blog." The new blog features member libraries' best programs, events, workshops, story times and displays. Libraries most recently featured include Town of Esopus, Patterson, Beacon and Marlboro. The site map is still included in case you still don't find the topic you are looking for. Check it out at http://midhudson.org Youth Services or get there directly at http://midhudson.org/department/youth/main.htm