Sierra Lunchtime Webinar: MHLS Automation Coordinator Thomas O’Connell will offer his monthly lunchtime webinar of training and Q&A on Wednesday, February 22 from noon – 1:00pm. The topic will be patron data entry. The session will take place online. Seats fill up fast for this session so sign up soon! Registration is required. Log-in information for the webinar will be sent to your email address in advance of the event. Register today
Category Archives: Director-Home Page
Storytimes have long been a beloved staple of library programming but their design and purpose have dramatically changed in recent years. Research has demonstrated that the first five years of a child’s life are critical for brain and early literacy development.
Participants will learn about the early literacy practices, techniques and skills on how to incorporate early literacy asides into intentionally planned thematic storytimes. This workshop is intended for library staff that work with children who are birth to school entry.
Two sessions to choose from:
• Tuesday, March 7, 1:00-3:00pm, Mid-Hudson Library System Auditorium
• Wednesday, March 8, 1:00 – 3:00pm, Kingston Library
This workshop is offered as part of the Ready to Read at New York Libraries initiative developed by the New York State Education Department. This program supports the impact public libraries can have as early literacy professionals through NYS Family Literacy Funds.
In light of the Governor’s proposed cuts to library aid now is the time to contact our State legislators to help them understand why this is bad for New Yorkers. As the library director you have significant influence to inspire others to speak out against the cuts. Help connect legislators with their constituents:
- Write to them. The New York Library Association (NYLA) makes this easy through their Online Advocacy Center, they’ve even drafted a message for you! Take five minutes to send a quick message.
- Call them. Taking the time to call in the age of email and Tweets makes a big impression. Contact info for all MHLS area legislators
- Visit them. Face-to-face communication is the most effective thing we can do to help legislators understand how underfunded library aid and construction aid is. They need to hear your story, put a face with a name and get a real sense of what is going on in their district. Visit them in their local office, invite them to your library, come to Albany with us in March – any or all three of these activities will go a long way!
Writing an Effective Technology Plan, a MHLS workshop presented by Robert Drake, MHLS Technology Operations Manager on Tuesday, February 7th (after the Directors Association meeting) from 12:15-2:15pm in the MHLS Auditorium (105 Market Street, Poughkeepsie). Learn best practices for writing a multi-year technology plan that will guide library directors and trustees as decisions are made in these fast paced yet economically challenged times. This is a local presentation of the standing-room-only presentation at the 2016 New York Library Association Conference. This is a 1-hour presentation followed by a 1-hour planning assistance session. Please register for this workshop online at http://calendar.midhudson.org
2017 MHLS Directors Association Meeting Dates:
- Tuesday, February 7
- Friday, March 3
- Wednesday, April 5
- Friday, May 5
- Thursday, June 8
- Friday, July 7
- Wednesday, September 6
- Tuesday, October 3
- Thursday, November 2
- Friday, December 1
All MHLS Directors Association Meetings are held from 10:00am – 12:00pm in the MHLS Auditorium.
Annual Report Workshops for New Directors There are three dates to choose from, all sessions are held in the MHLS Conference Room at 103 Market Street in Poughkeepsie and will run from 10:00am-12:00pm. Seating is limited so register for the date of your choice soon!
- Tuesday, January 23
- Wednesday, January 24
- Thursday, January 25
Please register online at http://calendar.midhudson.org
It may be chilly outside but the 2017 Summer Reading Program manuals are now available! They have gone digital and are available online only. All member library staff involved with your library’s Summer Reading Program now have online access to all four manuals: Children, Early Literacy, Teen & Adult. The manuals include clip art to go along with the 2017 theme: Build a Better World! Login information was sent via the MHLS Alerts list to all member library directors.
Weeding out your magazines? Weeding paperbacks that would be of interest to men? Our correctional facility libraries would love to receive these. If you bring them to a MHLS meeting or workshop (please do not use the delivery for donations) we would be pleased to pass them on to the correctional libraries. Thank you in advance for giving your materials a second life and for helping to contribute to the literacy, information seeking and recreational reading of many people.
Get the scoop on the new Overtime Rules with an upcoming MHLS webinar with Shari Fallon, PHR, SHRM-CP a Compensation Consultant from Cornell University on Thursday, December 15th from 2:00 – 3:30pm.
New Opportunity for Regional Delivery of Materials and New Routing Slips
MHLS, in partnership with the Southeastern New York Library Resources Council (SENYLRC), is now shipping and receiving items using the New York State statewide academic libraries internal delivery system, Empire Delivery Systems (EDS). This pilot project is proving to be quite cost effective. Items going back to the following libraries can be sent in the delivery to MHLS ILL, and MHLS will send it out through EDS. Make sure to use the new routing slips.
- Bard College
- Columbia-Greene Community College, SUNY
- Dutchess Community College, SUNY
- Marist College
- New Paltz, SUNY
- New York State Library
- Orange County Community College, SUNY
- Ramapo Catskill Library System member libraries
- Rockland Community College, SUNY
- Sullivan County Community College, SUNY
- Ulster County Community College, SUNY
- US Military Academy
- Vassar College
