Kids and teens age 18 and under can get free, healthy meals at sites across the state through USDA’s Summer Food Service Program. Visit SummerMealsNY.org to learn more and access outreach resources to promote summer meals, including:

Outreach Materials – print or download flyers and rack cards to display and distribute to families. Our newest flyer promotes grab-and-go meals, and can be customized to include site locations. Contact us for details.

Social Media & E-News - Share information with your networks using sample posts and images like the ones below, which can also be used in e-newsletters, robocalls/texts, and other communication

The Great Give Back (GGB) will be Saturday, October 16th, 2021. The GGB is an opportunity for libraries to provide meaningful service-oriented experiences for community members, and to use collective marketing to highlight the important role libraries play in their communities. Libraries planning to participate in the GGB for 2021 should complete this very short survey. For more information, you can access a list of MHLS member library GGB events from 2020, and the recording of The Great Give Back Informational Webinar that was held on Tuesday, July 13th. For questions, please contact MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator, Casey Conlin, cconlin@midhudson.org.

Property tax levy growth for libraries with fiscal years that close on December 31st will be capped at 2 percent for the 2022 fiscal year, according to the Office of the State Comptroller. All libraries that have their own board and their own budget vote – even if you did not hold a vote/don’t plan to hold a vote in 2021 for FY2022 – are required to file the online “tax cap form” with the Office of the State Comptroller by the end of the year. A primer on the Tax Cap for libraries is available from MHLS at http://bit.ly/2ceMNlO.

Oath of Office Reminder for Public Library Trustees with terms beginning in July. New York State Public Officer’s Law §10 (https://bit.ly/2Qk5Nlu) 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) (https://bit.ly/2SQEOzI). 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.