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Volume 18-14 | 4.3.18 
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From Awareness to Funding
A new report is out that is of interest to all libraries: From Awareness to Funding: Voter Perceptions and support of Public Libraries in 2018.  
OCLC has partnered with the American Library Association (ALA) and its Public Library Association (PLA) division to investigate current perceptions and support among US voters and how they may have shifted since 2008 when OCLC published  From Awareness to Funding: A Study of Library Support in America, a national study of the awareness, attitudes, and underlying motivations among US voters for supporting library funding.
Key Findings:
  • a majority of US voters believe public libraries are essential to communities and a source of civic pride
  • voters still highly value traditional library services such as free access to books and quiet areas, but also increasingly value the library as a community hub
  • there continues to be a disconnect between the services libraries offer and public awareness and support for those services
  • although a majority of voters are likely to support library funding at the local ballot box, fewer are committed to definite support than a decade ago
  • a majority of voters still do not realize that the primary source of library funding is local
To read the full report visit: https://bit.ly/2pLpC7t
MHLS Announcements

You're invited! The MHLS Executive Committee on behalf of the MHLS Board of Trustees invites you to join us at a cocktail party for outgoing MHLS Executive Director Tom Sloan
Where : River Station Restaurant, Poughkeepsie
When : Friday, May 4 from 5:00-7:00pm
Please RSVP by April 20th, reserve your spot today: https://bit.ly/2GfJutT
 
Reminder: "Intent to Apply" Form for 2018 Outreach Mini Grant Program is due April 9th : MHLS is seeking libraries interested in applying for mini grants of up to $2,000 to develop programs and services to attract and connect to outreach target populations and form relevant community partnerships at the local level. By April 9, 2018 interested libraries need to fill out an 'Intent to Apply' Form. This form,information, requirements and ideas of previous successful projects available at https://tinyurl.com/MHLS-outreach-intent
 
On March 24th MHLS hosted the "Violence Against Youth-Listening to Our Community" forum which, featured a variety of speakers including Cassidy Douglas (shown left), a tenth grader at Poughkeepsie High School. The forum
was the second MHLS sponsored regional event on a topic of broad community interest.
Danny Hairston, the Program Coordinator for SNUG , spoke about the evidence-based street outreach program he leads which treats gun violence like a disease by identifying its causes and interrupting its transmission. "Thank you Mid-Hudson Library System for providing this platform for discussion and seeking to make beneficial change in our community," stated Mr. Hairston.

NY Assemblymember Didi Barrett , representing the 106th Assembly District and Chair of the Assembly Committee on Libraries and Education Technology,
spoke of the movement started by teenagers to end gun violence and the passage of the NY SAFE Act following the Sandy Hook Elementary School
shooting in Newtown, CT. 
Dr. Eve Waltermaurer, Director of Research & Evaluation at The Benjamin Center, SUNY New Paltz presented her research
over the past two decades regarding violent assaults and homicides. "Libraries serving as facilitators for community conversations on broad topics connects neighbors, creates new library users, and strengthens libraries as essential community organizations," said
Tom Sloan, MHLS Executive Director . For full coverage of the event check out the Poughkeepsie Journal's interviews with many of the event's speakers: https://pojonews.co/2pOf2f4
MHLS Libraries
Germantown Library Opens First Makerspace in Columbia County! The Germantown Library Makerspace is a place where people can gather to create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using a variety of tools and materials. Learn all about this new space at https://makerspace.germantownlibrary.org/

Resource Sharing & Sierra
Upgrades Coming This Month:
  • April 10th: Sierra upgrade to version 3.4
  • April 17th: Encore upgrade to version 4.7 
Job Openings
Southeastern NY Library Resources Council is hiring a Resource Sharing & Cataloging Librarian. This full-time position plays a crucial role in Southeastern's resource sharing and digital services. Responsibilities include: planning, implementing, managing, and conducting training for Southeastern Access to Libraries, the regional virtual union catalog and interlibrary loan system; supporting the Hudson River Valley Heritage service by editing images, creating and editing metadata; contributing to a positive work environment and effectively communicating with members, partners, and staff.

The position will remain open until filled, preferably prior to July 1, 2018.

Please visit Southeastern's website ( https://www.senylrc.org/node/513) to see the complete job announcement. 
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