Category Archives: Director-Home Page

MHLS Leadership Circle: Thursday, May 5th from 12:30-2:00pm (after the DA meeting). Topic: Leading Through Change.

This event is designed for MHLS member library directors to provide an opportunity to discuss the opportunities and challenges of being a library leader.

At this event, the fourth meeting of this group, we will discuss:
• Leadership in the face of fast-paced change and disruption
• Balancing “keeping up” with proactive leadership
• Key relationships and communications skills that assist a director during times of change

MHLS Mini-Grant available to help underwrite attendance at Teen Services professional development opportunities: MHLS is offering a 75% reimbursement of the cost to member library staff for two national online professional development courses regarding teen services. This mini-grant is made possible through NYS 2016 Coordinated Outreach Categorical Aid to MHLS.

Teen Services Fundamentals is an Infopeople Online Learning Course, approved by ALA’s Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) program.

• It runs from May 24^th to June 20^th.
• The cost is $150 and MHLS will reimburse $112.50 to the member library.
• Full information and registration at http://bit.ly/1VC0bk7

Collaborating with Teens to Build Better Library Programs is an ALA eCourse.

• It starts May 30^th and runs for 4 weeks.
• The cost is $175 and MHLS will reimburse $131.25 to the member library.
• Full information and registration at http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=3864

Reimbursement will be based on MHLS’ receipt of the form provided on the MHLS Alerts list and a copy of the participant’s certificate of completion by July 6. Questions should be directed to MHLS Assistant Director, Merribeth Advocate: madvocate@midhudson.org

MHLS is proud to partner with Riverkeeper to get the word out about the Riverkeeper Sweep, Riverkeeper’s 5th Annual day of service for the Hudson River taking place on May 7th!

We are inviting all member libraries to join us in helping Riverkeeper recruit volunteers throughout the Hudson Valley for 100+ stewardship projects – cleanups and plantings – from NYS to Albany that will be carried out on May 7th. This is a family-friendly volunteer opportunity that can bring your community together around something we all care about!

How you can help:

The application process for the 2016 “Leading to the Future” ALA Leadership Institute (August 8-11, Eaglewood Resort, Itasca, Illinois) is now open, with applications accepted through April 15, 2016. This four-day immersive leadership development program for up to 40 mid-career librarians helps future library leaders develop and practice their leadership skills in areas critical to the future of the libraries they lead.

Gearing Up for Earth Day 2016: In the spotlight from the New York Library Association’s Sustainability Initiative (NYLA-SI): “Libraries have long been in the reduce-reuse-recycle business. Way before the first Earth Day celebration kicked off 46 years ago, we’d been resource-sharing and reducing consumption for generations. Earth Day is Friday, April 22nd. Don’t miss this opportunity to show your community how the library honors and sustains our most precious resource, our planet. Here are 5 things you and your library can do to celebrate Earth Day this and every year!

1. Partner with your local community supported agriculture (CSA) and be a food pickup location, like the Valley Cottage Library (NY)

2. Engage your community to participate in a regional litter cleanup of parks and roads, like the Mundy Branch of the Onondaga County Public Library in Syracuse, NY

3. Craft using recycled and found materials, like the Daniel McHugh Library in Piermont, NY.

4. Work with your administration and board to sign a resolution like the Climate Smart Community Library Pledge like the Kingston Library, Kingston, NY

5. Help the Earth Day Network reach their goal of 3 Billion Acts of Green by reducing e-waste, beginning a composting project or ending use of disposable plastic in your library

The NYLA-SI Sustainability Spotlight provides weekly news items related to how New York’s libraries are and can be more environmentally sustainable, economically feasible and socially just.

Erica Freudenberger, Director of the Red Hook Public Library, has been named a 2016 Library Journal Mover & Shaker! This industry award identifies emerging leaders who are “up-and-coming individuals from around the world who are innovative, creative, and making a difference.” Erica was cited for her leadership that has led to impressive increases at her library since 2010:
• 250% increase in annual visits
• 23% increase in circulation
• 102% increase in program attendance
• 97% increase in publicly-approved funding
How has she done it? “Collaboration, partnership, and community engagement,” she says. “We’ve chosen to focus on helping our community reach its aspirations, which has transformed how people feel about the library and our community.” MHLS congratulates Erica on this significant acknowledgement of her leadership and vision. Read the full article about Erica

Sierra Questions Webinar: Monday, March 21st at noon – MHLS Automation Coordinator Thomas O’Connell will talk about the Sierra Knowledgebase and answer questions. This session takes place via GoToMeeting and will last for about 45 minutes. There is limited “seating” so register today through our online calendar

The Sierra software will be upgraded to version 2.1 the night of March 22nd. There will be approximately three hours of downtime beginning around 11:00pm and ending around 2:00am. No other disruptions are expected, however, clients may take longer than normal to start the morning of March 23rd. MHLS staff will be on hand to assist with reloading clients if necessary: techsupport@midhudson.org

Orientation for New Programmers: This program is designed for library staff and volunteers who are new to library programming, but open to all who would like to attend. Providing nuts-and-bolts information about making the most of programming at your library, the workshop will cover:
• The importance of year-round (including summer) programming for all ages
• Best practices for program planning, scheduling and reporting
• Making connections for community-based programming in the Hudson Valley
• Resources available to your library from MHLS

Presented by Merribeth Advocate, MHLS Assistant Director, and Kerstin Cruger, MHLS Marketing & Program Assistant.

● Tuesday, March 15 from 10am-12pm at the Germantown Library (31 Palatine Park Rd, Germantown 12526)
● Wednesday, March 23 from 10am-12pm at the MHLS Auditorium (105 Market St., Poughkeepsie 12601)

Please register for the session of your choice at http://calendar.midhudson.org:

Trending on Facebook… member libraries are stepping up to the plate to get the word out about the high return on investment patrons receive by using their library. Phoenicia, Cold Spring, LaGrange, Millbrook, Beekman, Kinderhook, Olive… libraries all over the region are posting pics of patrons – young and old – who have calculated their annual savings through use of the library to inspire their neighbors to use the NYLA Online Advocacy Center to contact their NYS legislators to encourage them to increase State Aid for Libraries this coming year. Get into the act! For more info contact Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Coordinator for Sustainable Libraries