A regular feature of the Library Trustees Association of New York State (LTA)’s newsletter and web site, “Ask Joe Eisner” answers questions that frequently come up for member library boards. Here’s the latest question:
Q: Are telephone conversations, letters or emails between library board members a violation of the requirements of the Open Meetings Law?
Part of the MHLS Increasing Circulation Initiative
The Weeding Workshop You Have Been Waiting For!: Weeding for Packrats, “Would”-chucks, and the Rest of Us presented by Jo-Ann Benedetti and Mary Fellows, consultants at the Upper Hudson Library System will be offered as part of the MHLS 2015 Increasing Circulation Initiative!
Weeding is hard. It’s time-consuming, intellectually challenging, physically taxing, and sometimes dirty. That’s enough to put weeding last on many librarian’s To Do list, even though we know it’s essential.
In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn to:
• Overcome your reluctance to weed
• Establish practices for keeping up with weeding
• Make informed decisions about each item in your collection
• Judiciously dispose of weeded items
Please register for one of the two sessions being offered this June:
Tuesday, June 2nd
MHLS Auditorium (105 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601)
or
Wednesday, June 3rd
Saugerties Public Library (91 Washington Ave., Saugerties, NY 12477)
Please register online for the workshop that best fits your schedule.
Virtual Library Legislative Day on the Federal Level: All this week library supporters are asked to contact their federal legislators electronically and by phone about key library issues. Your personal, real world library experience is the key to helping federal-level legislators understand how the policies and legislation they are working on can impact library patrons – you know, the people who vote for them! Please join us for Virtual Library Legislative Day 2015: If you’re a Twitter user, join YALSA’s Tweet Your Congressman campaign
During the critical first years of life, very young children need action-based learning such as movement, rhythm and music, to nourish and organize the developing brain. These are essential parts of each child’s growth and education to develop early literacy. All library staff and volunteers who provide programming for children who are pre-walkers, toddlers or pre-school age are invited to a developmentally-based active and interactive workshop:
PlayMove&Sing Developmental PlaySkills
Wednesday, May 20 from 12:15 to 3:45pm
MHLS Auditorium (105 Market St., Poughkeepsie)
Opportunities on the Horizon: 2015 Purchasing Forum & Trade Show, the annual professional development training conference and vendor showcase from Procurement Services (NYSPro), a division of the New York State Office of General Services (OGS). NYSPro is responsible for establishing and managing contracts for goods and services needed by government entities across the state. To learn more please visit http://purchasingforum.ogs.ny.gov/
Get the YES Vote Out: Tips & Trends from Around the Country: This workshop is perfect for member library directors, staff, trustees and Friends Groups of libraries that currently have a public vote on their budget, plan to have a public vote on their budget or see a building referendum in their future.
Thursday, May 7th from 12:30 – 2:30pm
MHLS Auditorium, Poughkeepsie, NY
Presented by John Chrastka, Executive Director for EveryLibrary, the first nationwide political action committee for libraries
Join us for a deep dive into library funding and building campaigns from around the country. Since it started in 2013, EveryLibrary has provided pro-bono consulting and coaching to 25 library communities at the ballot box, winning 19 and securing over $46 million in stable tax revenue for those libraries. John will share real-world insights and actionable ideas for rural, suburban, and urban library campaigns, particularly for low-resourced communities.
Whether you are on the ballot in 2015 or sometime in the next 3 years, come to learn about:
You’ll hopefully come away with a new framework for Information Only and YES campaigns. Please register online
Spring Display at the Dover Plains Library. Photo courtesy of library director Susan Totter who is a Trusted Advisor in the MHLS Increasing Circulation Incubator Project. See more display ideas on the Project’s Pinterest page, started by one of our Project’s Early Adopters, Sarah Potwin, Director of the LaGrange Library.
2015 Trustee Institute: The Library Trustee Association (LTA) of New York will hold their annual Trustee Institute on Friday, May 1st and Saturday, May 2nd, in Syracuse, NY.
The theme of the conference is Crucial Connections.
The Keynote Speaker will be Dr. David Lankes, from Syracuse University. Dr. Lankes’ talk is entitled “Expecting More from Libraries” and will help trustees get a better feel for the big picture as our libraries play a vital role in community engagement.
Institute workshops will cover a range of topics including:
• Understanding the Audit Process: How to Prepare for and Complete a State Audit
• How to Best Connect with Elected Officials and the Library’s Community
• Legal Issues: What Trustees Need to Know.
