Calendar

MHLS will be closed on May 27, 2024 in observance of Memorial Day.

There will be no deliveries and the MHLS ticket system will not be monitored.

Meeting of the Putnam County Library Association.

This is a closed session available ONLY to participants of the May 3rd workshop: Balancing Acts: Cultivating Compassion for Library Worker Wellness. 

This is the second of four, ONLINE mini sessions to help participants of the May 3rd workshop: Balancing Acts: Cultivating Compassion for Library Worker Wellness, apply the principals learned during the workshop.

Workshop participants will be emailed a link to register for this online event.

Though this session will be held online it will not be recorded to help foster a safe space for participants to have an open dialogue.

REGISTER HERE

The Mid-Hudson Library System is partnering with Dutchess BOCES School Library System to offer a free book care workshop with Kimberly Young, the Book Doctor from DEMCO. Book Doctor Workshops provide book care training with the aim of helping you keep your collection in circulation longer.

Training includes protection and repair techniques and offers:

• A hands-on experience
• Ideas for protecting books ahead of circulation
• Tried-and-true methods for a variety of repairs

Kimberly will tailor the 3-hour training to your specific needs but workshops typically cover basic page repairs, tip-ins, hinge and spine repairs, book jacket and laminate applications, and how to reinforce spines.

Hardcover and softcover books, as well as small tools, will be supplied for participants.

Course Instructor: Your Book Doctor is Kimberly Young. She has worked in a wide variety of library settings across regionally, socially, and culturally diverse areas of the U.S. Her work focuses on collection development, material processing, and book care. As the Book Doctor, she has traveled the country helping hundreds of attendees build a range of new skills, a better understanding of processing books, and confidence. Kimberly loves meeting all the new people who are as passionate about book care as she is.

The current Directors Association Meeting Packet will be available at Mid-Hudson Library System Directors Association page.

REGISTER HERE

Libraries are under increasing pressure to connect with the media and to generate publicity that will attract attention, create interest, and win support for their libraries and programs.

Understanding media and publicity can be a daunting task but with the right Public Relations plan in place, you can reach more of your community and promote your library in a way that will build support from your local community members.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• How to set realistic publicity goals in 3-6 month increments
• How to identify spokespeople in your library that can be introduced to media
• How to write a press release
• How to create and execute a successful public relations strategy
• The best ways to nurture relationships with writers and publications after a story is published
• How to collaborate with local influencers to gain publicity

Presenter: Kosi Harris has been a public relations specialist for the past ten years. She specializes in non profit, consumer products and hospitality clients including: EveryLibrary, Time Warner Center, American Heart Association, Easter Seals, Wethos, Peru Tourism, Bird + Stone Jewelry, Tourette Association of America, Wham-O Toys, Grand Canyon Railway, and Reebok Watches.

She has become adept at amplifying the voices of brands and maximizing client visibility through key relationships with press, media, and prominent influencers such as Harper’s Bazaar, Fatherly, Thrive Global, USA Today, Forbes, People Magazine, Buzzfeed, NY Times, and Yahoo Finance.

This session is co-sponsored by Ramapo Catskill Library System, Mid-Hudson Library System, and Westchester Library System.

REGISTER HERE

Particularly for new board members, but open to all. Library board members looking for essential, basic information to increase their effectiveness in serving on a library board will benefit from attending this session.

Learning Objectives
Attendees will develop a working knowledge of library funding and organization in New York State; receive a clear overview of stakeholder roles and responsibilities and receive an introduction to Open Meetings Law and best practices for effective board meetings. This webinar provides a foundation of knowledge that other workshops in the MHLS Trustee Education Series will build on.

This is a closed session available ONLY to participants of the May 3rd workshop: Balancing Acts: Cultivating Compassion for Library Worker Wellness. 

This is the third of four, ONLINE mini sessions to help participants of the May 3rd workshop: Balancing Acts: Cultivating Compassion for Library Worker Wellness, apply the principals learned during the workshop.

Workshop participants will be emailed a link to register for this online event.

Though this session will be held online it will not be recorded to help foster a safe space for participants to have an open dialogue.

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

The current Directors Association Meeting Packet will be available at Mid-Hudson Library System Directors Association page.

Followed by a New Directors Forum.