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Join Mid-Hudson Library System member library Friends Groups for sharing and discussion at the Kinderhook Memorial Library. All MHLS member library Friends Groups interested in sharing their experiences, questions, and concerns for building and sustaining a Friends Group are welcome to attend. The Friends of the Kinderhook Memorial Library will give a brief presentation of what their group is working on and we will have a fundraising sharing session. Bring your best ideas!

The current Directors Association Meeting Packet will be available at Mid-Hudson Library System Directors Association page.

REGISTER HERE

In this one-hour online program New York State Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) Senior Librarian Laurenne Teachout (she/her/hers) will provide an overview of services, focusing on institution membership and the important role public libraries play in connecting community members to accessible reading materials. There will be plenty of time for your questions.

This session is open to all member library directors and staff.

This event is part of the MHLS EDI in Libraries Series.

The New York State Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) is a free library service for residents in Upstate New York who have difficulty reading standard print due to a visual, physical, or reading disability. TBBL’s service includes free circulation of audio and braille books and magazines through the US Postal Service, long-term loan of playback equipment, and access to a free online downloading service called Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD).

Meeting of the Dutchess County Directors Association.

REGISTER HERE

At this meetup we’ll check in with MHLS member library teams going for a 414 vote this year, share best practices and ensure your team is on track to hit all of the required milestones for a successful vote. This is also an opportunity to learn from your peers also working on 414 vote campaigns this year.

This is the workshop for MHLS member libraries participating in the Early Literacy Cohort program. Login information will be sent directly to cohort members.

REGISTER HERE

Join NYLA this April in Albany for a full day of educational programming focused on advocacy, which is vital in every season! There will be a wide array of presentations and something for everyone – even our most experienced advocates. Lunch will be served, and there will be plenty of opportunities for professional networking during this one-day mini-conference. Don’t miss the chance to develop your advocacy skills and help to strengthen the library profession’s grassroots efforts.

Meeting of the Putnam County Library Association.

The monthly Youth Services Rendezvous is open to all Mid-Hudson Library System member library youth services staff who work with birth to teen. Find out what others are doing for programming, outreach, collection development, ask questions of your peers and share things that have worked for you.

For more information about this event please email Christine Pacuk, cpacuk@saugertiespubliclibrary.org or call 845-246-4317 ext. 5.

This event is organized by member library staff.

REGISTER

This webinar is designed for Mid-Hudson Library System member library directors and trustees who would like an introduction to the New York State Aid for Public Library Construction Grant Program and an orientation for how to take the first step to apply in the new grant cycle – the submission of the MHLS Action Memo reporting a library’s construction needs and intent to apply for a grant. During this webinar we will cover:

• An introduction to the grant program
• A review of the MHLS Board’s priorities for funding
• Orientation to the MHLS Action Memo which serves as the first step to applying

The Summer Reading Program was originally created to promote literacy and education but now can be a source of stress and burnout. How can we ensure this program makes a meaningful impact on our communities? This presentation will provide an overview of summer reading research and trends and help library staff re-focus on how to set kids up for future success using real-world examples. There will be a discussion session for participants following the presentation.

Presented by Millbrook Library Director, Courtney Tsahalis

This event is open to all MHLS member library staff who plan, program or promote their library’s Summer Reading Program.

In an increasingly complex and less welcoming world, libraries are special. We actively promote inclusion, train in trauma-informed approaches, and continually adapt to meet the changing needs of our communities, but according to the American Psychological Association, the stress and mental health statistics of the U.S. are worsening. Challenging times can make for trying encounters and many staff members are now reporting increasing levels of stress, dissatisfaction and burnout. What our libraries and communities need most right now is compassion. Compassion has been identified as a key component of individual, organizational and societal well-being. Employees in compassionate organizations not only are more resilient to stress and burnout but have reduced anxiety, increased motivation, and are more engaged and collaborative. By cultivating our personal capacity for compassion and developing compassionate work cultures, we can better sustain ourselves, support our coworkers and transform our libraries and our communities for the better.

Join us for a half day in-person workshop as guest lecturer Jennifer Bollerman addresses:

●  Why compassion is vitally important for individuals and our communities

●  What compassion is and how it differs from empathy

●  How to apply compassion in our workplaces to minimize suffering

●  How to cultivate compassion through mindful self-awareness

Participants will be invited to attend four follow-up online mini sessions designed to help put into practice principals learned during the workshop. These will be held on:

●  Tues 5/14 10:00 am – 10:45 am via Zoom

●  Wed 5/29 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm via Zoom

●  Thurs 6/6 10:00 am – 10:45 am via Zoom

●  Thurs 6/13 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm via Zoom

Jennifer Bollerman is Assistant Director at the Patchogue-Medford Library and is certified as an Ambassador of Applied Compassion Program through Stanford University.

Seating is limited. Registration is restricted to MHLS member libraries.

This event is part of the MHLS Horizon Series where we bring you content on emerging issues that are impacting our communities and the work of libraries.

Please contact Laura Crisci, Library Sustainability Coordinator, if you have questions, lcrisci@midhudson.org.

Banned Books Symposium: Proactive, Reactive, Supportive – REGISTER HERE

This half-day conference will feature presentations in all capacities of banned and challenged books and programs.
Cost: $25, includes lunch

Schedule of events
8:30 am: Registration Opens
9:00 am: Welcome Remarks
9:15am – 10:05 am: First Session
10:00 am – 10:20 am: Break
10:20 am – 11:10 am: Second Session
11:10 am – 11:45 am: Lunch Catered by Lola’s in Poughkeepsie
11:45 am – 1:00 pm: Keynote, Q&A

Keynote Speaker: Jeff Trexler
Jeff Trexler has served since 2020 as Interim Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting free expression and the legal rights of the comics community. He has extensive experience providing strategic advice to librarians, teachers, retailers, publishers, creators, legislators, and even law enforcement on responding to attempts to restrict access to graphic novels. An attorney himself, he is also the first CBLDF director since its founding in 1986 to provide direct legal representation in censorship cases, most notably the successful defense of Gender Queer against an unconstitutional attempt to prohibit the book’s sale or distribution in Virginia.

This Symposium is in partnership with Southeastern New York Library Resources Council, Ramapo Catskill Library System, Mid-Hudson Library System, Mount Saint Mary College, SUNY New Paltz and BOCES School Library Systems of Dutchess, Orange-Ulster, Rockland, Sullivan, and Ulster.

The MHLS Board Packet will be available on the Mid-Hudson Library System Board of Trustees page.

Meeting of the Resource Sharing Advisory Committee.

Meeting of the MHLS Nominations & Elections Committee.

Meeting of the Ad Hoc OverDrive Committee.

REGISTER HERE

Join colleagues to discuss the Sierra Integrated Library System, Vega and related platforms.   Let’s talk workflows, projects and share “how we did it”s related to the Sierra systems.

MHLS staff will cover the most recent Sierra upgrade and the next upgrade on the way.
New products, The Mobile Patron App and LX (Library Experience) Launch for notices.
We will also take a look back at Mobile Worklists!

Meeting of the Columbia County Library Association.

This is a closed session available ONLY to participants of the May 3rd workshop: Balancing Acts: Cultivating Compassion for Library Worker Wellness. 

This is the first of four, ONLINE mini sessions to help participants of the May 3rd workshop: Balancing Acts: Cultivating Compassion for Library Worker Wellness, apply the principals learned during the workshop.

Workshop participants will be emailed a link to register for this online event.

Though this session will be held online it will not be recorded to help foster a safe space for participants to have an open dialogue.

Meeting of the MHLS System Services Advisory Committee.

The monthly Youth Services Rendezvous is open to all Mid-Hudson Library System member library youth services staff who work with birth to teen. Find out what others are doing for programming, outreach, collection development, ask questions of your peers and share things that have worked for you.

For more information about this event please email Christine Pacuk, cpacuk@saugertiespubliclibrary.org or call 845-246-4317 ext. 5.

This event is organized by member library staff.

Meeting of the MHLS Board of Trustees.

This is the workshop for MHLS member libraries participating in the Early Literacy Cohort program. Login information will be sent directly to cohort members.

Meeting of the Dutchess County Directors Association.

Meeting of the Ulster County Library Association.

REGISTER HERE

The American Library Association has called climate change the “greatest challenge of our generation.” In partnership with the Mid-Hudson Library System and Ramapo Catskill Library System,  Sustainable Hudson Valley has designed a program of action planning, training and support for libraries as living laboratories for climate resilience in their communities.  This will help library leadership make their facilities energy-secure, safe and comfortable in extreme weather, and position them  to serve as community hubs for education and action projects to help their surrounding neighborhood deal with climate change.

This cohort program includes 4-sessions to facilitate participants’ understanding of climate resilience needs and opportunities at and around their locations, and the participatory approaches to working with local stakeholder partners to capture these opportunities.

Session 4:  Howland Public Library | Putting it all Together. Based on the outcomes of the place assessment, workshops and input from community stakeholders and partners, each library identifies specific priority projects and a pathway to their implementation.

Meeting of the MHLS Audit Committee.

REGISTER HERE

At this meetup we’ll check in with MHLS member library teams going for a 414 vote this year, share best practices and ensure your team is on track to hit all of the required milestones for a successful vote. This is also an opportunity to learn from your peers also working on 414 vote campaigns this year.

Meeting of the County Funding Advocacy Group

This event is designed for those working to advocate for county-level funding for member libraries. Directors, staff, trustees and Friends are welcome.

At this event we will discuss:
County funding updates from each county.
Effective strategies to position libraries to receive county funding.
Grassroots advocacy efforts that work.

MHLS will be closed on May 27, 2024 in observance of Memorial Day.

There will be no deliveries and the MHLS ticket system will not be monitored.

Meeting of the Putnam County Library Association.

This is a closed session available ONLY to participants of the May 3rd workshop: Balancing Acts: Cultivating Compassion for Library Worker Wellness. 

This is the second of four, ONLINE mini sessions to help participants of the May 3rd workshop: Balancing Acts: Cultivating Compassion for Library Worker Wellness, apply the principals learned during the workshop.

Workshop participants will be emailed a link to register for this online event.

Though this session will be held online it will not be recorded to help foster a safe space for participants to have an open dialogue.

REGISTER HERE

The Mid-Hudson Library System is partnering with Dutchess BOCES School Library System to offer a free book care workshop with Kimberly Young, the Book Doctor from DEMCO. Book Doctor Workshops provide book care training with the aim of helping you keep your collection in circulation longer.

Training includes protection and repair techniques and offers:

• A hands-on experience
• Ideas for protecting books ahead of circulation
• Tried-and-true methods for a variety of repairs

Kimberly will tailor the 3-hour training to your specific needs but workshops typically cover basic page repairs, tip-ins, hinge and spine repairs, book jacket and laminate applications, and how to reinforce spines.

Hardcover and softcover books, as well as small tools, will be supplied for participants.

Course Instructor: Your Book Doctor is Kimberly Young. She has worked in a wide variety of library settings across regionally, socially, and culturally diverse areas of the U.S. Her work focuses on collection development, material processing, and book care. As the Book Doctor, she has traveled the country helping hundreds of attendees build a range of new skills, a better understanding of processing books, and confidence. Kimberly loves meeting all the new people who are as passionate about book care as she is.

The current Directors Association Meeting Packet will be available at Mid-Hudson Library System Directors Association page.

REGISTER HERE

Libraries are under increasing pressure to connect with the media and to generate publicity that will attract attention, create interest, and win support for their libraries and programs.

Understanding media and publicity can be a daunting task but with the right Public Relations plan in place, you can reach more of your community and promote your library in a way that will build support from your local community members.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• How to set realistic publicity goals in 3-6 month increments
• How to identify spokespeople in your library that can be introduced to media
• How to write a press release
• How to create and execute a successful public relations strategy
• The best ways to nurture relationships with writers and publications after a story is published
• How to collaborate with local influencers to gain publicity

Presenter: Kosi Harris has been a public relations specialist for the past ten years. She specializes in non profit, consumer products and hospitality clients including: EveryLibrary, Time Warner Center, American Heart Association, Easter Seals, Wethos, Peru Tourism, Bird + Stone Jewelry, Tourette Association of America, Wham-O Toys, Grand Canyon Railway, and Reebok Watches.

She has become adept at amplifying the voices of brands and maximizing client visibility through key relationships with press, media, and prominent influencers such as Harper’s Bazaar, Fatherly, Thrive Global, USA Today, Forbes, People Magazine, Buzzfeed, NY Times, and Yahoo Finance.

This session is co-sponsored by Ramapo Catskill Library System, Mid-Hudson Library System, and Westchester Library System.

REGISTER HERE

Particularly for new board members, but open to all. Library board members looking for essential, basic information to increase their effectiveness in serving on a library board will benefit from attending this session.

Learning Objectives
Attendees will develop a working knowledge of library funding and organization in New York State; receive a clear overview of stakeholder roles and responsibilities and receive an introduction to Open Meetings Law and best practices for effective board meetings. This webinar provides a foundation of knowledge that other workshops in the MHLS Trustee Education Series will build on.

This is a closed session available ONLY to participants of the May 3rd workshop: Balancing Acts: Cultivating Compassion for Library Worker Wellness. 

This is the third of four, ONLINE mini sessions to help participants of the May 3rd workshop: Balancing Acts: Cultivating Compassion for Library Worker Wellness, apply the principals learned during the workshop.

Workshop participants will be emailed a link to register for this online event.

Though this session will be held online it will not be recorded to help foster a safe space for participants to have an open dialogue.

REGISTER HERE

This intermediate-level course is for trustees who have been on the board for at least a year.
Library boards are trusted with public and private funds to provide quality library service to their community. Transparency and accountability must be at the forefront as a board makes decisions pertaining to the library’s finances. This course will focus on the financial and fiduciary responsibility involved with:

The library’s budget

• Library funding
• Financial policies
• Reports to the board
• External audits

The current Directors Association Meeting Packet will be available at Mid-Hudson Library System Directors Association page.

Followed by a New Directors Forum.