Category Archives: Director-Home Page

• September 7: Leadership Circle – Topic: Director-Board President Relationship
• September 13: Planning Effective Programs with Princeton Public Library’s Janie Hermann
• September 17: Regional Battle of the Books Competition
• October 6: New Directors Roundtable – Topic: Budgeting Basics with Tom Lawrence
• October 12: The Inside and Outside of Evaluations: How they impact planning, growth & funding
• October 14: MHLS Annual Membership Meeting @FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park, NY
• October 28: Fall Into Books Children’s & Teen Literature Conference
• November 2-5: New York Library Association Annual Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY (Early Bird Registration ends August 19)

SouthEastern New York Library Resources Council (SENYLRC) has announced new software and interface for Southeastern Access to Libraries (SEAL) regional Interlibrary Loan (ILL) System (SEAL 2.0), making regional ILL easier.

Using SEAL, MHLS member libraries can borrow and loan materials among different library types – including college and university, school and public libraries within the Ramapo Catskill Library System throughout eight counties:

Training webinars and classes are offered this summer and fall to help library staff make the most of this resource for their patrons.

Whether you are already a SEAL ILL System participant or a library new to regional resource sharing, you are invited to participate.

July 15 is the first 2016 deadline to take advantage of the MHLS Member Library Mileage Equalization Grant Program. Reimbursement is contingent on member libraries providing their staff reimbursement at the IRS rate for travel to attend training or to participate in meetings sponsored by and located at MHLS headquarters in Poughkeepsie. For more information and to access the claim form directors should visit https://da.midhudson.org/

More than a dozen opportunities are offered this summer for member library input on the draft plan of service and its related components, the Free Direct Access Plan and the Central Library Plan. The drafts of the Plan of Service are available at https://midhudson.org/about-mhls/mhls-plan-of-service/. Member library directors are encouraged to sign up for one of the many focus groups being offered to bring their library’s input to the table for consideration in the planning documents. A full listing of focus group opportunities is available through the MHLS online calendar at http://calendar.midhudson.org.

Sierra Questions Webinar: On Thursday, June 23rd, MHLS Automation Coordinator Thomas O’Connell will offer a lunchtime webinar from noon-12:45pm. The topic will be Create List Refresher. Please register for this online session soon, seating is limited: http://calendar.midhudson.org

Construction Grant Technical Assistance Workshop: Tuesday, June 7th from 10:00am – 12:00pm in the MHLS Auditorium | Presented by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Coordinator for Sustainable Libraries

This workshop should be considered mandatory for libraries who have indicated they intend to apply for the next round of funding through State Aid for Public Library Construction program. This workshop will focus on the technical aspects of the grant application and associated paperwork and cover:

• An orientation to the online application portal
• A review of the mandatory attachments
• Answers to frequently asked questions, including an open Q&A period

Please register online for this event at http://calendar.midhudson.org

The deadline for E-rate Form 471 filings has been extended for libraries until July 21st, 2016. this new deadline does not allow for new requests (Form 470), but if you’ve had difficulty filing your form 471 due to insufficient free and reduced lunch data or difficulties with your filing type (library vs. library system), these can be resolved during this extended window.

The American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) have released “Progress in the Making: Librarians’ Practical 3D Printing Questions Answered” The document poses and answers sixteen practical questions related to establishing 3D printing as a library service.

(above: 3D printer @Pawling Free Library)

“Libraries represent the public on-ramp to the world of 3D printing and design,” said Dan Lee, chair of OITP’s Advisory Committee. “Library professionals who have adopted, or are looking to adopt, a 3D printer must answer questions related to printer operation and maintenance, workflow management, cost recovery, patron safety, and much more. Libraries are democratizing access to, and facilitating learning through, 3D printing technology, we need to make sure they have the necessary technical know-how to keep that trend going.”

The New York Library Association’s Library Leadership & Management Academy (L&MA) is an educational program for emerging leaders in the library profession. Participants will gain the skills and knowledge they need to advance up the career ladder in library management. The Academy is designed for mid-career library professionals interested in obtaining the practical knowledge and basic skills critical to becoming a library leader or manager.

Applicants must either have five years of library experience and a Bachelor’s Degree OR two years of library experience and an MLS. Enrollment in the Library Leadership & Management Academy is limited to 40 students each year. Enrollees are required to complete ten courses over a four year period to receive a Leadership and Management Academy Certificate.

APPLICATION DEADLINE in order to participate in the June 2016 Summer Session is Friday, May 20.

For more information about the Leadership & Management Academy and to enroll: http://bit.ly/21Ejn0d For questions about the Leadership & Management Academy, please contact director@nyla.org

A Better World Books drop box has been installed at MHLS headquarters on Market Street in Poughkeepsie for use by member libraries!

Donation Guidelines

Learn more about Better World Books