Bulletin Header
Vol. 13-46                                                                                                                      11.12.13
Trustee Essentials Workshop

In December trustees have the opportunity to attend the MHLS workshop: "Essential Trustee Duties and Responsibilities."

 

This workshop is designed specifically for new board members, but open to all! If you are a trustee who is looking for the basic information about your library and the role of a trustee this is the workshop for you!

 

Here's what people are saying about MHLS' Trustee Essentials workshop:

  • Excellent presentation! Very helpful to a new trustee.
  • I'm more confident now!
  • This was incredibly helpful and inspiring!
  • Thank you for the well organized, well paced info.

Attendees will learn effective ways to carry out the nine essential library trustee duties and responsibilities (everything the board does either falls within one of these duties or is done in support of them.) Register for one of the following sessions: 

Please register online at http://calendar.midhudson.org  
MHLS Announcements 

A Message from our New Executive Director, Tom Sloan: It is an honor and privilege to serve as the new MHLS executive director. I have already had several opportunities to talk with library staff and trustees from all five counties about the outstanding expertise of MHLS staff and the importance of MHLS services to member libraries and the communities we serve. I look forward to learning more about what MHLS does exceedingly well and what MHLS can do to better serve member libraries.

 

On November 1, I attended the MHLS Continuing Education/Professional Development Advisory Committee. Meeting twice a year, the committee oversees the creation and promotion of methods of professional development to ensure staff and trustees have the skills and knowledge to provide excellent library services. Many valuable ideas were discussed including a reminder that staff time spent in training (including travel) should be paid work time. Merribeth Advocate, MHLS Assistant Director, reported on the 46 unique MHLS sponsored workshops held/planned (some presented in multiple locations) with 1,149 attendees to date. She also described the findings of four post-workshop outcome-based evaluations. For the Essential Trustee Duties and Responsibilities workshop, 66% of the respondents reported they had made changes as a result of attending. The Orientation for New Library Staff workshop had 75% of respondents reporting changes including a staff member who stated they had "began pointing patrons to our online resources more often."            


I look forward to meeting more member library staff and trustees at upcoming MHLS events!

Professional Development

The newly revised, freshly tweaked New York Library Association Library Assistants Training Program will be coming to the MHLS Auditorium in January 2014! The cost is $250.  

 

This program will meet on three consecutive Tuesdays in 2014 from 9:00am - 4:00pm with an hour lunch break:

  • January 7
  • January 14
  • January 21
  • January 28 (reserved as a snow date if any of the other classes are cancelled)

It is focused on participants who ALREADY HAVE library jobs...particularly those with five or fewer years of experience. Additional details will be sent out soon.

Marketing, Advocacy & Funding
World Book Night 2014 giver applications are now open!
Each year, 30- 35 books are chosen by an independent panel of librarians and booksellers. The authors of the books waive their royalties and the publishers agree to pay the costs of producing the specially-printed World Book Night U.S. editions. Bookstores and libraries sign up to be community host locations for the volunteer book givers.  

 

After the book titles are announced, members of the public apply to personally hand out 20 copies of a particular title in their community. World Book Night U.S. vets the applications, and the givers are chosen based on their ability to reach light and non-readers. The selected givers choose a local participating bookstore or library from which to pick up the 20 copies of their book, and World Book Night U.S. delivers the books to these host locations.

 

Givers pick up their books in the week before World Book Night. On April 23rd, they give their books to those who don't regularly read and/or people who don't normally have access to printed books, for reasons of means or geography.    

 

The application portal will be open until January 5, 2014. Here are the two links you will need:  

Job Openings

The Town of Ulster Public Library has an immediate opening for a P/T Library Clerk. The position is approximately 15 hours per week, with some weekends required. The appointed Library Clerk will perform a variety of library circulation and clerical procedures with a heavy concentration of public contact, including but not limited to: performing all circulation desk duties using computerized system, performing opening/closing procedures in work area/public areas, answering phone and routes calls as necessary, assisting patrons in locating materials through the OPAC, assisting with library programs and displays; registration, signs, crafts, book lists, etc., shelving materials/reading shelves.

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  • Ability to follow written and oral instructions
  • Ability to learn Dewey Decimal system, automated circulation system, and library circulation policies and procedures
  • Ability to create courteous pleasant first impression of library
  • Ability to establish good patron rapport
  • Flexibility to deal with multiple and extra unexpected tasks and patrons simultaneously
  • Basic typing/computer skills
  • Ability to learn media/computer operations

Qualifications: A high school diploma or the equivalent and some experience in using libraries, OR, an equivalent combination of education and experience substituting on the basis of one year of experience for each year of education. 

 

To apply, please send letter of interest, along with resume and three references to director@townofulsterlibrary.org. Applications will be reviewed until position is filled.

MHLS recommends that the minimum starting salary of a full or part-time librarian with an MLS degree be at least equal to that of a teacher with a master's degree in the same community.

 

Member Libraries are welcome to submit items of interest and job openings to the MHLS Bulletin: bulletin@midhudson.org. 

The MHLS Bulletin is available on line at http://midhudson.org/bulletins/main.htm.