Blog Archives

MHLS is pleased to announce the appointment of Laurie Shedrick to the position of Technology Operations Manager. Laurie begins this week in her new position.

Ms. Shedrick has held the position of Business Manager with Innovative Interfaces Inc. (III) since 2011, a leading library technology solutions company serving thousands of libraries in 66 countries and offices worldwide. At III, she managed account plans for libraries throughout the northeast including MHLS, the Nassau Library System, and the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. She served as the MHLS Automation Systems Manager 2002-2011 and as the Library Director of the Town of Ulster (NY) Public Library 1994-2002. Ms. Shedrick was awarded a Master in Library Science degree from the State University of New York in Albany, and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in History degree from the State University of New York in New Paltz.

“Laurie has exceptional expertise and experience in the development, management, and evaluation of library technology operations,” said Tom Sloan, MHLS Executive Director. “Her outstanding work for III, MHLS, and as a public library director is a superb match for supporting the MHLS community,” stated Sloan.

Ms. Shedrick’s duties will include working cooperatively with MHLS 66 member libraries and a wide range of vendors to administer integrated platform services including the MHLS Sierra/Encore ILS, cataloging services including copy cataloging and the maintenance of more than 650,000 bibliographic records, and IT services including help desk support, technology purchasing, and the hosting of member websites.

All MHLS member libraries have access to TumbleBooks and now there is a new mobile app available to help parents on the run connect their kids with quality content! The new app is now available and is set up to work with all MHLS member library patron barcodes. The app is available for iOS and Android devices.

TumbleBooks are animated, talking picture books which help to teach kids the joy of reading. The collection also provides enrichment to students who are reading independently with a variety of high interest material. TumbleBooks are created by taking existing picture books, adding animation, sound, music and narration to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you. The collection includes a large selection of children’s favorite story books, from leading children’s book publishers such as Simon & Schuster, Chronicle Books, Candlewick Press, Charlesbridge Press, Walker & Company, Annick Press, Orca Books, Lerner Books, and HarperCollins Publishers, amongst others.

MHLS will be closed in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 29. There will be no MHLS Delivery Services or Tech Support Services.

What is your library planning to do for the “Building a Better World” Summer Reading Program theme that will empower children, teens and adults to create a better world in your community? The New York Library Association’s Sustainability Initiative wants to know: http://bit.ly/2oHWueF