REMINDER: Registration for the 23rd annual children’s and teen literature conference, Fall Into Books closes on October 1st. This year’s conference will be held online on October 25th from 3:30 – 5:30 pm. This collaborative event features book discussion sessions ranging from picture books to young adult, and a keynote presentation. This year’s keynote speaker is author Kekla Magoon.
Full details, including discussion groups and registration, can be found on the Fall Into Books website, https://fallintobooks.org/. The cost for this event is $30.

Calling all Friends Groups for the 2022 MHLS Member Library Friends Group Online Meetup on October 18th from 3:00 – 4:30 pm. Join MHLS staff and fellow member library Friends Groups for sharing and discussion. All MHLS member library Friends Groups and individuals interested in creating a Friends Group for their local library are welcome to come and share their experiences, questions, and concerns for building and sustaining a Friends group and supporting their local library. Register now to secure your seat.

Register now for a free, self-paced, online course developed just for library workers! Information Literacy Instruction for Library Professionals aims to train library staff to effectively disseminate information literacy skills to the public. The course consists of twelve modules, each about an hour long. It covers a broad range of information literacy topics. All library workers are welcome! The course mixes video lectures, independent work assignments, and recommended readings.

For questions about this course please contact Jess Hoffman, Course Instructor at jhoffman@bklynlibrary.org or visit https://bklynlibrary.teachable.com/p/info-lit-ny for more information.

The Governor announced on September 12th that the COVID-19 state of emergency will not be extended. This state of emergency has been in effect since March 2020 and extended monthly up until September 12th. The Monkeypox and Polio States of Emergency are still in effect.

On March 17th, 2022, the designation of COVID-19 as an airborne infectious disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health under the HERO Act ended. Private sector employers are no longer required to implement their workforce safety plans.

The suspension of the COVID-19 State of Emergency means that the COVID-19 era Open Meeting Law Adjustments are no longer in play. To ensure you are clear on Open Meetings Law in a “post-state of emergency” you will want to review:
– Open Meeting Law Overview and Advisory Opinions on Videoconferencing: 5169, 5347, 5535, 5575, 5639, 5641
– “Questions and Answers: Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2022”