Blog Archives
The 56th Annual Membership Meeting of the Mid-Hudson Library System was held on October 16th at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel. Attending the meeting were 112 library directors, trustees, staff members and special guests. Our theme this year was “Libraries Build Sustainable Communities.”
Camilla von Bergen and Roland Patterson, members of the MHLS Board of trustees and Tom Sloan, MHLS Executive Director
Keynote Speaker, Paul Gallay, Hudson Riverkeeper
Bethia Waterman, Liz Potter and Bernard Handzel of the Phoenicia Library pose with their Outstanding Achievement award for the Grand Opening of their new building.
Read the full summary of the meeting in this week’s MHLS Bulletin
The New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries has announced that the 2015 Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award has been awarded to the Red Hook Public Library for recognition of its innovative programs and successful community engagement partnership efforts.
The Red Hook Public Library, in existence for 150 years has more than 4,500 active card holders with more than 200,000 annual visits. In recent years library visits have increased 516%, library program attendance has increased 140% and circulation has increased 23% due to the library becoming an integral part of its community and developing partnerships with both local and regional organizations as well as with the local school system and Bard College. Library staff recently revised the library’s website (www.redhooklibrary.org) and has begun issuing a monthly e-newsletter.
Sierra Q&A Webinar: MHLS Automation Coordinator Thomas O’Connell will offer his usual lunchtime webinar of training and Q&A on Tuesday October 27th at noon. The topic will be setting up printers within the Sierra client (it is not on setting up printers!) The session will take place online and last for about 45 minutes. There is a 15 person attendance limit, so register soon!
The OverDrive Big Library Read is back! As we have done several times before, all MHLS libraries will be participating in the next worldwide OverDrive Big Library Read, and for the first time ever there are two titles to enjoy! This global event will run from October 7th through the 21st, enabling readers from around the world to enjoy the same eBook titles at the same time, creating a worldwide book club.
Both of these titles will be available for unlimited access in the MHLS Digital Download collection at https://mhls.overdrive.com between October 7 (midday EDT) and October 21 (midday EDT) for the duration of the lending period. During this period the eBooks will be available for every patron that wishes to read them—no holds, no waitlists.
By participating in the Big Library Read, we are joining a global movement of passionate readers and library patrons who support the availability of eBooks at libraries. For more information and available marketing materials, please visit
https://resources.overdrive.com/library/marketing-outreach-community/
The NYS Division of Library Development has shared a new ruling from the State Education Department’s Office of Counsel in regards to whether or not the audit portion of the Non-Profit Revitalization Act applies to public and/or association libraries – it does not apply to either type of library. The ruling remains that the only portion of this law that impacts libraries is the requirements surrounding a conflict of interest policy and whistleblower protection.
Saturday, Sept. 12, at the George Fischer Middle School in Carmel, the Howland Public Library – Beacon Bees became the first team in the programs history to win the Annual Mid-Hudson Library System Battle of the Books Regional Competition for a third time!
The ‘Bees’ congratulate each other on a hard won victory!
The final battle came down to the Beacon Bees (Howland Public Library) versus the Grinnell Grizzlies (Grinnell Public Library District). The Grinnell Grizzlies placed second and Can’t Catch Poughkeepsie! (Poughkeepsie Public Library District) went home with third prize.
This was the 11th year of this nationally recognized literature contest in which young people, in grades 6-9, answer trivia questions based on specific books they have read over the summer. It is designed to encourage young people to read good books, build team-working skills, and get together with other students in a friendly competition.
Register today for the MHLS Annual Meeting!
Libraries Build Sustainable Communities will be the theme of the 56th Annual Membership Meeting of the Mid-Hudson Library System and you are cordially invited to join us!
The event will be held on Friday, October 16th, 2015 at The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel (40 Civic Center Plaza, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601). Registration is required (http://bit.ly/1i4qr58).
Sustainability speaks to our capacity to endure. We are part of our community’s “ecosystem” and must be attuned to sustainability beyond our own operations. Libraries speak to the triple bottom line of sustainability: we impact our local and global environment, contribute to a healthy economy and are a core community institution devoted to social equity. Sustainable libraries are only possible when our communities are also sustainable. Our role as a community partner should encompass a focus on the sustainability of our communities, as well as ourselves to ensure a bright future for us all.
Agenda:
8:30am Registration & Coffee
9:00am Hot Breakfast Buffet
9:45am Annual Meeting
10:45am Keynote Speaker
Our sustainability focus this year is brought to life through our keynote speaker, Paul Gallay the Hudson Riverkeeper and president of the Riverkeeper organization.
His talk is entitled “Do Try This At Home: Citizen Action for Cleaner Water and Sustainability.”
For more information and to download the registration form please visit: http://bit.ly/1i4qr58
Public Library Administrator’s Certificate Program in Westchester: The Westchester Library System is partnering with the Palmer Institute of Public Library Organization and Management to once again make this certificate program available through WLS and to customize the offering to address regional library realities and the needs of busy library administrators.
The challenges faced by today’s public library administrators require a solid foundation of training and experience. The Palmer School’s post-Master’s Advanced Certificate program in Public Library Administration is designed to develop and enhance the management skills and credentials of professional librarians working within the public library sector and to train the leaders of tomorrow. This certificate program is a five-course, fifteen-credit graduate-level public library management training program. This program is recognized by the New York State Education Department. You will receive an Advanced Certificate in Public Library Administration from Long Island University upon completion of the full program.
Each course will be offered in seven (7) half-day sessions. Classes will meet at the Westchester Library System, 540 White Plains Road-Suite 200, Tarrytown, NY 10591 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Wednesdays. The first course is expected to begin in the Spring 2016, with classes held March through early May. Exact dates will be determined once sufficient enrollment is confirmed.
Instructor: The primary instructors of the program will be Dr. Terry Kirchner, Executive Director of the Westchester Library System, and Jerry Nichols, Director of the Palmer Institute for Public Library Organization and Management, and former Director of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System.
Cost: The Westchester Library System / Palmer Institute for Public Library Administration and Management partnership make this program available to library administrators at a group institutional discount rate. With the minimum number of participants (20), the tuition for each class will average $1,300 ($1,250 for 2015-16 academic year to $1,350 for 2017-18 academic year).
Here are some comments from previous participants:
• “This class has been invaluable to me. Every week I come away with ideas for improving my library or resolving current problems. The instructors are extremely knowledgeable! I’ve often wondered why they didn’t include a class like this in the MLS curriculum, but feel it is much more useful when you have some experience dealing with specific library management issues.”
• “I think the class is great! I’m learning a lot of background library things that I never knew/understood and the conversation is fabulous. I think professionally it is helping me for information (obviously), new ideas (or better ways), professional contacts and just knowing that someone else has faced or is facing whatever project I am is very reassuring.”
Interested participating? Please contact Elise Burke at the Westchester Library System (eburke@wlsmail.org) by November 15, 2015.
Essential Trustee Duties and Responsibilities Presented by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Coordinator for Library Sustainability and Merribeth Advocate, MHLS Assistant Director
Great for new board members, but open to all. Library board members looking for essential, baseline information to increase their effectiveness in serving on a library board will benefit from attending this session.
Attendees will learn effective ways to carry out the nine essential library trustee duties and responsibilities (everything the library board does either falls within one of these duties or is done in support of them).
- Saturday, November 14
10:15am – 12:30pm at Town of Esopus Library, 128 Canal St., Port Ewen 12466
- Tuesday, November 17
5:30 – 8:00pm at Desmond-Fish Library, 472 Route 403, Garrison 10524
- Thursday, November 19
5:30 – 8:00pm at Mid-Hudson Library System Auditorium, 105 Market St., Poughkeepsie 12601
- Friday, November 20
10:15am – 12:30pm at Germantown Library, 31 Palatine Park Rd., Germantown 12526
All attendees will receive a free copy of the brand new 2015 edition of the Handbook for Public Library Trustees in New York State – hot off the press!
Please register online at http://calendar.midhudson.org
