The MHLS Board of Trustees met on Wednesday, July 9, in the MHLS

Auditorium and:  

• Passed a Resolution recognizing the service of
  former Greene County representative, Bill Conine;   

• Were introduced to Thomas O'Connell the new Automation Coordinator, who assumed his position  on July 7;   

• Authorized the Executive Director to proceed with the Comparative Salary Survey for full-time employees, as stipulated in the CSEA Contractual Agreement;    

• Reviewed the recommended guidelines for ranking Construction Grant applications regarding "energy conservation useful life maintenance projects";  

• Approved the revised Charge of the Trustee Services Committee;

• Authorized Board county delegates to send a letter of introduction and information sheet to member library Board Presidents;    

• Approved the System's 2014 mid-year budget revisions; and, reviewed the projected 2015 budget;   

• Reviewed and accepted the review of the System's 2013 financial statements, prepared by Nugent & Haeussler, P.C., Certified Public Accountants;

• Reviewed the System's Delivery Service operations.

West Hurley Completes the MHLS Essential Documents Inventory! MHLS congratulates Kara Lustiber, director of the West Hurley Public Library and the trustees of the West Hurley Public Library for being the first member library to complete the MHLS Essential Documents Inventory version 2.0!

MHLS Essential Documents Inventory Version 2.0 was released earlier this year. The checklist was expanded and optimized to help library directors and boards work towards a complete set of documentation to help govern, manage and grow your library.

What's new in version 2.0?

• Facility Plan: This is a new item on the inventory and one that we think will help your library extend the useful life of your building and its many components, prepare for the replacement of major systems with predictable replacement schedules - like your roof or HVAC system - as well as to begin the long-term planning necessary for renovation or expansion plans. A sample outline is available from MHLS Coordinator for Library Sustainability, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich: rsmith@midhudson.org

• Itemized internal financial control policies/ procedures, partially based on recommendations from the New York State Office of the State Comptroller (OSC). All libraries are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the OSC publication "Improving the Effectiveness of Your Claims Auditing Process."     

• Nineteen components of a solid Personnel Policy   

• Policies such as:
  • Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)
  • Vulnerable Adults
  • Removal of a Trustee
  • Board Meeting Procedures
  • Business Continuity Plan

Libraries interested in working on their checklist of essential documents may request their updated inventory list and ask for help with prioritizing those items they do not have yet by contacting Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Coordinator for Library Sustainability at rsmith@midhudson.org.

Teaching Skills for Librarians Program - Now Offered Completely Online - Fall 2014 - The New York Library Association, in partnership with the College of Saint Rose, is pleased to offer this exciting ONLINE professional development program. The modules will engage students in the development of foundational skills for teaching and learning for librarians; delivery of Instruction about libraries and library skills; use of technology for teaching and information resources for teaching library skills; and the need for collaboration in selecting content for effectively teaching library skills. The course will run from: Monday, September 8, 2014 through Friday, December 12, 2014.

Module One: A Foundation for Teaching and Learning for Librarians

Module Two: Delivery of Instruction about Libraries and Library Skills

Module Three: Technology and Teaching about Libraries, Information Resources, and Library Skills

Module Four: Collaboration and Subject Matter

Registration: There are two registration options. One including graduate credit and one without.

• $650 (credit is graduate level course credit - accredited by the College of Saint Rose)
• $450 option, without graduate credit

Registration form must be completed and submitted to St. Rose with payment in full by August 31, 2014. Please send all forms to the attention of: Casey Redden, Assistant Registrar for Special Projects, The College of Saint Rose, 432 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12203; Phone: 518.454.2081; E-mail: reddenc@mail.strose.edu. For questions about the content of this program, please contact Dr. Maggie Kirwan at 518.454.5160 or kirwinm@strose.edu

Patricia Reilly Giff