To avoid loss of data:

Only one person at a time should be logged into a member library report.

Libraries should not have reports from two different years open at the same time

To Save

Save button is located at the top and bottom of each page. (On some pages, you may have to scroll down).

Auto calculating fields may not calculate until the page is Saved.

To update the outlet information

A link to an Excel sheet listing prior year outlets is located in section 9. After the sheet is completed, email it to collectconnect@baker-taylor.com; Baker & Taylor will upload the information.

To update the trustee information

A link to an Excel sheet listing prior year trustees is located in section 10. After the sheet is completed, email it to collectconnect@baker-taylor.com; Baker & Taylor will upload the information.

To print

Click on the Printer icon in the menu at the top of the page. Go to “Show Web Report.” Click Control P to Print (Command-P if using a Mac)

1.24 Population Chartered to Serve

Figures are based on the 2020 Census.

Report of Unusual Circumstances

This question asks “has the library experienced any unusual circumstance(s) that affected the statistics reported (e.g., natural disaster, fire, closed for renovations, massive weeding of collection, etc.)? If yes, please annotate explaining the circumstance(s) and the impact on the library using the Note.”

Additional criteria you can add to this list could be:

• start of a new library director
• closed for extreme weather
• construction on roads around library
• loss of programming staff
• loss of funding for programs
• global pandemic

2.10

The total provided by MHLS for this question includes suppressed materials with a status of Discard, Lost & Paid, Claims Returned, Missing, Missing in Transit, Repair, Billed, and On Search. Items with a status of Discard, Lost & Paid, or Claims Returned are purged from the ILS database after 3 months, and items with a status of  Missing, Missing in Transit, Repair, Billed, or On Search are purged from the ILS database after 3 years.

2.13

The total provided by MHLS includes MHLS shared ebook collection, advantage account collection information and CPC titles purchased by your library.
If your library provides access other eBook collections you will need to add that information to your total. For eBook collections that are not curated by the library but have a circulation period ( for example Hoopla Instant Borrows or Freading) report the number of circulations for this question.
For collections with a circulation period and curated by the library (for example Hoopla Flex purchases), count:

• titles with rights to a single user at a time are counted as 1 “unit”
• titles providing access to simultaneous users, count the number of users (for example a single title with 10 simultaneous users would be counted as 10 “units.”)

Got Kindles? E-books packaged together as a unit (e.g., multiple titles on a single e-book reader) and checked out as a unit are counted as one unit and would be reported as one E-book.

2.17 Audio-Downloadable Units

If your library provides access to electronic resources not individually selected by the library with a circulation period report the number of audiobook circulations.
For collections with a circulation period and curated by the library (for example Hoopla Flex purchases), count:

• titles with rights to a single user at a time are counted as 1 “unit”
• titles providing access to simultaneous users, count the number of users (for example a single title with 10 simultaneous users would be counted as 10 “units.”)

2.18 Video-Downloadable Units

If your library provides access to electronic resources not individually selected by the library with a circulation period (including Hoopla or Kanopy) use the number of video circulations.

2.19

The total MHLS provides to this question includes items with a Material Type of Juvenile Software, Adult Software and OverDrive Magazines. Report collections of digital photographs like Hudson River Valley Heritage here.

2.23

The total MHLS provides to this question includes items with a Material Type Juvenile Other, Equip Realia, and Microform. Museum Passes are reported in Q2.23 (all other print circulating physical items).

Program sections have been restructured and renamed. Some questions are now prefilled with prior year answers but not locked to allow for changes if needed. Some skip logic has been added such that some questions may be eliminated or presented based on the Yes or No answer of a previous question.

Programs – 2023 Report New Wording

The descriptors “synchronous” and “asynchronous” are no longer used. Programs are either:

• Live Onsite
• Live Offsite
• Live Virtual
• Prerecorded or
• One-on-One

Take and Make kits that are not part of a synchronous program such as a story hour. Report Take and Make kits that are left out for patrons to pick up under Q3.31, One-on-One Program Sessions, and Q3.32 One-on-One Program Attendance. Count each kit prepared as one session, and each kit picked up as one attendee.

Live Onsite Programs that also have a virtual attendance option (for example a live concert that is also streamed for virtual viewing) – report the program session only once as a live onsite program. When reporting attendance:  report the number of live attendees on the appropriate “Live Onsite Program Attendance” question (Q3.17b, 3.18b, 3.19b, 3.20b, or 3.21b) and report the number of virtual attendees under the appropriate question under “Live Virtual Program Attendance” (Q3.31b, 3.32b, 3.33b, 3.34b, 3.35b).

Live Offsite Programs that also have a virtual attendance option (for example a live concert that is also streamed for virtual viewing) – report the program session only once as a live onsite program. When reporting attendance:  report the number of live attendees on the appropriate “Live Onsite Program Attendance” question (Q3.24a, 3.25a, 3.26a, 3.27a, 3.28a) and report the number of virtual attendees under the appropriate question under “Live Virtual Program Attendance” (Q3.24b, 3.25b, 3.26b, 3.27b, 3.28b).

Q3.29 Views of Prerecorded Programs count only of views of prerecorded program presentations for a period of thirty (30) days after the presentation was posted, even if that period extends beyond the survey reporting period (or fiscal year). Count unique views.

• 4.8 & 4.9

Circulation of Museum passes goes under Q4.8, Circulation of Adult Other Materials, or Q4.9, Circulation of Children’s Other Materials.

Internal Library usage is not considered part of circulation by NYS for the purposes of this report.

•  4.12 Use of Electronic Material

This question includes your OverDrive eBook, eAudio, and eVideo statistics. If your library has additional statistics for similar online library resources that require user authentication and have a circulation period (for example Freading, Hoopla, or Kanopy) add that usage here.

• 4.13 Successful Retrieval of Electronic Information

This question includes,  TumbleBooks statistics (which are collected by library patron barcode prefix). It also includes your portion of the database statistics (assigned on a per capita ratio) from the systemwide group buy databases (JobNow, Transparent Language, Universal Class). If your library has additional statistics for similar online library resources that require user authentication but do not have a circulation period (for example Acorn TV, Qello, Great Courses Online, Freegal, or Indieflix) add that usage here.

• 4.18 Over Due Fines

Report if the library charged overdue fines to any users when they fail to return physical print materials by the date due. Libraries may use the note field to indicate additional information for example if the is was only during part of the reporting period or if only for fines are charged only for adult items.

• Reference Transactions

Passport applications can be reported as reference questions.

• 5.7 – 5.9 – To see if your library files for E-rate Benefits, you can visit this site, and search for your library.  MHLS does not apply for E-rate Benefits for member libraries as part of a consortia, so the answer to 5.8 and 5.9 would be “no.”
• 5.10  – Contact for person responsible for the library’s IT services: Unless your library employs an on-site IT person, the contact information here should be for the library director.

Q6.6 and Q6.7 Previous questions relating to Librarian (certified). These now simply state Librarian, with revised definition of “Librarians with master’s degrees from programs of library and information studies accredited by the American Library Association.”

Q6.18 and Q6.19 Previous questions relating to Entry Level Librarian (certified). These now simply state Librarian.

• 7.7 – The State Librarian has provided the following statement regarding the issue of regularly scheduled open hours to meet the minimum standards:
  • “On January 1, libraries must provide regularly scheduled open hours that meet minimum requirements. These regularly scheduled hours must be for in-person services; curbside and lobby services no longer count toward hours open.
    We understand that libraries might have to close temporarily due to operational issues like temporary staff shortages. As always, those temporary deviations do not have to be reported and will not count against regularly scheduled hours open. However, the expectation is that otherwise libraries will remain open and serving the public through in-person services.”

Starting with the 2023 report, most fields will be pre-filled with prior year’s answers but no locked to allow if changes are needed.

Test the download and upload speed of your public computer at these sites:

• https://www.measurementlab.net/tests/ndt
• http://www.speedtest.net

Run both the Download Test and Upload Test on one of your public PC’s and report the results for Questions 29 and 30 in Section 9.

• Questions related to trustee information have been streamlined for the 2023 report. Information has been prefilled based on prior year answers but is not locked to allow for editing.
  You can email your list of trustees using the Spreadsheet Template and email address provided in the Annual Report software in Section 10 Part 1, or enter the information directly into the report.
  • If you choose to add your trustees in the Annual Report, you can follow the procedure below.
    • Answer items 1-16 for officers and members of the library board as of February 1, 2024. The number of board member records should be the same as the number of voting board member positions entered in questions 10.3 or 10.4.
      Hit save after adding information for each trustee.
    • To add more Trustees, click the Add Group button to get a new set of Questions for trustee info.
      • When you hit the Add Group button, the page will reload, and bring you back to the top.
        • Scroll down past the last Trustee you entered, and you should find a new set of questions
        • Hit Save.
        • Repeat this step until you have entered all your library’s Trustees.
      • Please note: when entering Trustee info in Section 10, there is a point at which the software will push the info and questions for the most recent Trustee you’ve entered to another page or Part.
      • After you enter the info for your third trustee (the first time you’ll use the Add Group button) the software will create a Part 2 page in your report under Section 10, and your third Trustee will be in that Part.
      • Each Part of Section 10 will list up to five Trustees. When you use the Add Group button to add a sixth Trustee to Part 2, or Part 3, you will scroll down and enter that Trustee info in that Part, but after a you hit Save, that Trustee will show up on a new Part page, which will also be listed in the Annual Report’s Navigation Menu on the left side of the report.
    • If a position is vacant, enter “Vacant” in question 1 and N/A in questions 2 through 15 of the repeating group for each vacant voting board member position.
• Trustee Education
  This is now a single attestation: Q10.6: “I attest that all trustees participated in trustee education in the last calendar year (2023). If entering No, provide explanation in a Note.”

New 2023 Deleted question:

• Q12.20 Postage and Freight. This question has been deleted; please enter this information in Q12.23 Other Miscellaneous expenses

These questions have been removed for the 2023 Report.