Please join us on February 5^th in Albany for the New York Library Association (NYLA) Library Advocacy Day! This event brings together library advocates from across New York State to converge on Albany to voice their support for funding and policies that benefit libraries. Your attendance can make a BIG impact. Join us for meetings with your NYS representatives to make the case that libraries should receive funding increases and infrastructure investments that respect our role in the community!

How to get ready for Advocacy Day:

• Register to attend Library Advocacy Day in Albany.
  
• Register for the MHLS Advocacy Day Briefing | January 30 | 10:00 – 11:30 AM | Online

Join Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS) Executive Director and guest speaker Max Prime, Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, NYLA. This event is designed for all library advocates – library directors, staff, trustees, Friends Groups and volunteers – who are interested in speaking up for libraries during the New York budget negotiation season.

• Plan your trip to Albany!
• The Buses Are Back!Take the bus for only $10.00! Please register through the link associated with your desired pickup location.
  • Bus Pick-Up Locations
    • West Nyack
    • Newburgh
    • Elmsford
    • Brewster
    • New Paltz
    • Kingston
    • Catskill

• Driving Yourself
  • Directions & Parking Information
  • Map of the Empire State Plaza

This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more information and updates leading up to February 5^th.

For information and resources about Library Advocacy Day visit https://midhudson.org/library-advocacy-day/.

NYLA will also host Pre-Advocacy Day programs on Tuesday, February 4 | 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM.

Join in for programs, meetings, or say “Hi!” at the New Yorker’s For Better Libraries happy hour! The two programs are free, but registration is requested in advance.

This award was established to honor the memory of Velma Moore, one of the charter members of The New York State Association of Library Boards (NYSALB), now the Library Trustees Association Section (LTAS) of NYLA. Mrs. Moore worked actively for the improvement of library services in New York State from 1947 until her death in 1961. She served two terms as president and was a member of the NYSALB Board from its establishment and, for 33 years, she was also a Trustee of the Kenmore Public Library near Buffalo, New York. The Award was originally established in 1962 with a gift from the Moore family and carries a $1,500 prize, which will be given to MHLS.

The MHLS Board have received this award for their leadership, in general, and specifically, for their leadership to help MHLS become the first public library system in the country to complete the Sustainable Library Certification Program. In the course of our certification process the board had to make many decisions, commitments, and new policies. A few highlights:

• Passed new policies such as new mission, vision, and value statements; a Sustainability Policy; and an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy; 
• Created a new policy and procedure analysis framework to ensure when policy is created or reviewed for our organization we are conscientiously applying though to issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion;
• Convened and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group of the board to provide education for our board and direction to our staff, this group’s efforts resulted in an EDI Assessment conducted by an outside consultant that 100% of staff and board members participated in; two orientations per year for our board on EDI topics; the creation of an EDI strategy for board recruitment; and the creation of a new position at the System, our Outreach & EDI Specialist;
• The development of The Library of Local program with a new partner, the Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley. This program funded community resilience hubs at 15 member libraries which feature specialized collections on climate solutions with a special emphasis on food security; seed libraries; tool lending libraries; and targeted programs designed to help bring community members together to solve issues in their communities that are exacerbated by climate change;
• Authorized facility operational decisions related to purchasing, hospitality, landscaping, renewable energy, material management have all been optimized to ensure we are putting human health and the health of our planet first in decision making while ensuring we are spending funds wisely on behalf of our stakeholders – like our new solar panel system which will generate 75% of our electrical needs from the sun; and
• A full review of our reserve fund strategy to ensure our organization is more financially future-proofed.

You can view our final certification presentation is available online here . 

As a result of our boards’ efforts five more public library systems in New York were inspired to engage in the certification program as well: Clinton-Essex Franklin Library System, North Country Library System, Ramapo Catskill Library System, Southern Tier Library System, and the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. RCLS and SCLS are now certified as well! There are more than 200 public, academic and school libraries across North America now involved in this certification program with 45 having completed the program including our own Highland Public Library and Kinderhook Memorial Library with 13 more of our own member libraries currently engaged in the program.  “It is wonderful to see our board, a group of committed, diligent, and good humored trustees, recognized for setting a wonderful model for the 6,000+ trustees of the state, and hundreds of thousands of trustees across the country” said Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Executive Director.

New York State Public Officer’s Law §10 requires all public library trustees (but not association library trustees) to take and file an oath of office within 30 days of beginning their term of office. Public library trustees are public officers, and the oath of office is required to officially undertake and perform the duties of a public library trustee. If a public library trustee does not properly complete and file an oath of office, the trustee’s position may be deemed vacant. See Public Officer’s Law §30(1)(h). For more information about how and why the oath of office is administered, and where to properly file an oath of office, please see the Oaths of Office FAQ on the New York State Library website https://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/trustees/oath.htm  

Trustee Handbook Book Club: Advocacy | January 22 | 5 – 6 PM | Online | REGISTER

Join co-author of the Handbook For Library Trustees of New York State Rebekkah Smith Aldrich and friends for this fun and informative series! This session will cover the ins and outs of advocacy vs. lobbying and encourage trustees to connect with state legislators to make the case for increased funding for libraries and construction aid.

Have questions for the panelists? Submit them here.

This event qualifies as trustee education and may be applied towards the NYS Trustee Education Requirements.