Calendar

If your library isn’t applying for E-Rate, you are not alone. Most MHLS libraries are not receiving E-Rate. With changes in the process and new Directors at the helm, it is time to reconsider E-Rate. In this first session, we will explore what E-Rate is and isn’t. The timing of this session is in line with getting you through the 2023 funding year. Additional sessions will be scheduled to cover all of the deadlines and forms at the time they are relevant. If you decide E-Rate is not for your library, or you change your plans, you can drop out at any time.
(Bonus) – Attendees who register before September 15th will be provided local information.

This session will cover:
– Eligibility and funding for your library
– E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) account (September-Dec)
– Competitive Bidding and form 470 (Oct-Jan)

Register here for the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color taking place in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

This free online event will highlight trends and best practices in creating more inclusive and more equitable library spaces through keynotes from recognized leaders in EDI initiatives as well as panel discussions of practitioners from local MHLS member libraries.

Please register for each session you would like to attend.

Morning Session 9:30 am – 12:15 pm | REGISTER

This morning session is designed for library board members, directors, and administrators, but all are welcome to attend.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Freddimir García, Co-Founder & Program Advisor for The Board Institute, Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress

Freddimir García is the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer for the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® (HGAR), a not-for-profit trade association representing over 13,000 real estate professionals doing business in The Bronx, Manhattan, Orange, Putnam, Rockland & Westchester Counties. It is the second largest REALTOR® Association in New York, and one of the largest in the country. In this newly created role, Freddy leads the Association’s efforts in developing and executing HGAR’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

An active member of the community, Freddy is currently serving on various boards across the region including Family Services, Inc., RUPCO, Inc., Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, and Rhinebeck Bank. He also works with various organizations in the Hudson Valley on the development, understanding, and implementation of DEI strategies to help create environments of inclusion and accountability. He is also the co-founder and Program Advisor of The Board Institute designed to diversify boards across the Hudson Valley by equipping people of color with the knowledge, support, and tools to serve.

He is a two-time Marist College graduate with a Masters in Business Administration and holds a Diversity & Inclusion Certificate from Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Topic: Inclusive Leadership | Unmanaged Bias Limits Leadership 

We will be taking an excursion to understand the practical practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion while also identifying the key elements of an inclusive leader as a board member. We will challenge ourselves to also recognize the power of our minds and together, discover the functions and impacts of bias in our approach to governance decisions and board recruitment.

PANEL DISCUSSION: Members of the Mid-Hudson Library System Board of Trustees EDI Working Group will share their experiences and resources developed over the last two years. Facilitated by MHLS Executive Director Rebekkah Smith Aldrich.

Afternoon Session 12:45 pm – 3:30 pm | REGISTER

This afternoon session is designed for library staff and directors, but all are welcome to attend.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Maria Estrella, Founder of Young Diverse Readers

Maria F. Estrella (she/her/hers/ella) earned a Master of Communication and Information in Library and Information Science from Kent State University, two Bachelors of Arts and Sciences in Social Work and Spanish from Cleveland State University and received Diversity and Inclusion certification from Cornell University. She also holds two decades of library experience working in a five-star rated urban-research library system, including eight years working as a Children’s/Teen Librarian and a Youth Services Subject Department Librarian. Maria similarly has thirteen years of significant knowledge advocating, promoting, and providing services to youth and caregivers. She served on national committees, juries, and task forces, whose primary goal is to provide diverse literacy and technological resources/services to enhance the lives of young readers and encourage them to become life-long scholars.

Maria is actively a REFORMA (National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking) Executive Board Member, the Children, and Young Adults Services Committee Chair, and a REFORMA liaison to the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Maria was honored with the 2021 REFORMA Dr. Arnulfo D. Trejo Librarian of the Year Award and was recognized as a 100+ Latinos Cleveland Must Know, 2021 Edition. She will begin her 2022-2025 term as an American Library Association Councilor-at-Large as well as a Board Member of the Association of Library Services for Children.

Topic: Flourishing Institutions: Best Practices for Inclusive and Equitable Library Spaces

It’s crucial for libraries to successfully foster and continue a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion (EDI) are at the center of every library initiative. During this presentation, attendees will be introduced to basic EDI concepts, theories, and terminology key for establishing and continuing inclusive and equitable library spaces.

PANEL DISCUSSION: Representatives from three member libraries will talk about their experiences in implementing practices and programs at the local level to help engage their communities in conversations around diversity and employing hiring practices to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment.

Certificates of attendance will be sent to participants after the event.

Questions? Please contact MHLS Outreach & EDI Specialist, Kerstin Cruger.

This is a post-graduate level course for those library directors/staff enrolled in the Palmer School of Library and Information Science at Long Island University working towards an Advanced Certificate in Public Library Administration.

This is a closed group. For more information visit their website here. Questions about this program can be addressed to MHLS Executive Director Rebekkah Smith Aldrich.

Meeting of the Greene County Libraries Association.

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.

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

REGISTER HERE

Meeting of the MHLS Sierra Users Group. Our focus will be on the Vega Discover public access catalog bringing everyone up to date. We will also be taking a look at the new developments for Sierra. As always, we look to you and the staff of your libraries to make this a true user experience. Please send an email to lshedrick@midhudson.org, and we can discuss:

• Are there ways that your library utilizes tools in Sierra that others might benefit?
• Do you have projects or questions that we might discuss as a group?
  Sierra Users Group

Adult programmers from Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS) and Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS) are invited to come together for a presentation and group sharing at this online, interactive event.

The session will open with a keynote from Marie Pierre and Morgan Strand presenting DEI Initiatives on A Shoestring Budget. Following the keynote, we will move into small discuss groups to discuss a variety of topics focusing on adult service programming.

REGISTER HERE

Meeting of the Columbia County Libraries Association.