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Contact Us
The MHLS Bulletin welcomes submissions from member libraries.
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Green Business Certification
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The Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS) has achieved "Green Business Certification" from the Green Business Partnership (GBP)
, having undergone a thorough and rigorous process to become more sustainable in all areas of operation. This is the first step towards the Library System becoming fully certified through the New York Library Association's Sustainable Library Certification Program. A certification currently being pursued by more than 50 libraries statewide
including 8 MHLS member libraries: Town of Esopus Library, Desmond-Fish Public Library (Garrison), Highland Public Library, Mahopac Public Library, Millbrook Library, Phoenicia Library, Saugerties Public Library and Town of Ulster Public Library.
 "Libraries are arguably a community's greatest resource and equalizer and the best place to learn and get inspired, thus it is no surprise that the Mid-Hudson Library System has not only achieved its own green certification but has inspired 8 member libraries to pursue the same goal,"
said Dani Glaser, Program Director of the Green Business Partnership, "The spirit of cooperation and resource-sharing present in the MHLS and among its 66 members truly captures the essence of both leadership and sustainability."
"In order to contribute to a sustainable, resilient future for the residents of the Hudson Valley, we committed ourselves to examining our operations and ensuring that we are making the best possible choices with the resources that have been entrusted to us,"
said MHLS Executive Director Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, "We are excited that our work has been a catalyst for our members to consider their environmental impact and sustainability leadership potential as well."
The Green Business Partnership (GBP) is a nonprofit membership organization that helps New York businesses and nonprofit organizations become sustainable and achieve green certification. Using an online dashboard, participants set environmental policies, measure emissions and implement strategies relating to
energy, transportation, waste management, land use and water. An internal Sustainability Team manages the process and serves to engage all employees as stakeholders in a common mission.
 "NYLA applauds the time and effort the Mid-Hudson Library System has put into the completion of their GBP certification,"
said New York Library Association Executive Director Jeremy Johannesen, "With support coming from every corner of the staff, the System has truly embraced sustainability in every facet of their operations. MHLS's actions stand as an example to all of their member libraries, and to other library systems across New York State."
The library system's key achievements through this process include affirming an organizational commitment to recycling and reducing the use of disposable and one-time-use materials, educating staff about reducing use of power and water, and changing the way decisions about purchases and policies are approached.
The GBP was founded in 2009 as the Westchester Green Business Challenge, a program of the Business Council of Westchester in partnership with Westchester County and Green Team Spirit LLC. In 2014, it expanded to offer an official green business certification. In 2017, responding to widespread demand for access to the GBP's turnkey system, it relaunched as the Green Business Partnership and made the program available to businesses and organizations throughout New York State. Learn more at
www.greenbusinesspartnership.org
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MHLS Announcements
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In August,
NYLA Sustainability Initiative Co-Founders Rebekkah Smith Aldrich and Matthew Bollerman
(pictured above) were invited to present at the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) World Congress in Athens, Greece where they also stopped by to pick up
the Green Library Runner Up Award for the New York Library Association for the Sustainability Initiative.
This award is administered by the Environment, Sustainability and Libraries Special Interest Group (ENSULIB) of IFLA. The award notes NYLA's Sustainability Initiative as "...an initiative whose strengths are relevance, visibility and global impressiveness on going green. It brings out the emphasis of green libraries as practical contributors to environmental sustainability. The initiative also showed political courage."
NYLA is the first United States organization to be recognized through this award program!
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MHLS will be closed on Wednesday, December 25th and Wednesday, January 1st.
There will be no deliveries and the MHLS ticket system will not be monitored.
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 The East Fishkill Public Library District started offering two new services this year for patrons who want a reusable bag.
The first is, "Take a bag, leave a bag." Patrons can take a reusable tote bag when they forget their own, or they can leave bags for others if they have too many bags at home. The second option is "Borrow a bag." Patrons can check out a reusable library tote bag with their books and bring it back when they return their items. The bags can be checked out for 3 weeks and renewed twice. Patrons have responded well to these new services, and bags are being checked out regularly.
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Resource Sharing & Sierra
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REMINDER:
On the first of the year all totals in the Year to Date Circulation (YTD) will be moved to Last Year circ (LYR), replacing the numbers stored there from the previous year.
During the third week in January Patrons whose cards have been expired for 3+ years and fines less than $10 will be deleted. Information will be extracted to an excel sheet and stored.
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Administration & Management
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The MHLS Annual Report Workshop for New Directors is designed for Directors who are new to submitting the NYS Annual Report with Bibliostat software but is open to all. You will be entering your library's data during this program so please bring data to be entered. The workshop will cover:
- Logging in to the software
- Entering your data
- Dealing with "Edit Checks"
- Writing "Notes"
- Submitting your report
Three dates to choose from:
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Job Openings
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Library Clerk 2 - Part Time, Downstate Correctional Facility (Fishkill)
Downstate Correctional Facility located in Fishkill, NY is seeking applicants for a part-time Library Clerk 2 position.
Minimum Qualifications: Must have graduated from High School or be in possession of a High School Equivalency Diploma or one year of library clerical experience; or 30 semester credit hours, of which at least nine college semester credit hours are in any combination of the following: Library/Information Science, Computer Application or Information Studies.
Duties Description: As a part-time Library Clerk 2, coverage would be required in one of four libraries and law libraries in the correctional facility. The part-time Library Clerk 2 would also be expected to fill in for staff out on vacation or sick leave. Responsible for maintaining stock in the general and law libraries.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
For more information or to apply for the position please visit
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.
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