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Contact Us
The MHLS Bulletin welcomes submissions from member libraries.
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The Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS) has received a $20,000 grant from the New York State Census Equity Fund in The New York Community Trust
to train library staff on how to help people complete the Census, create and distribute print and digital material to promote the Census in hard-to-count (HTC) communities, and connect libraries with HTC communities in the Mid-Hudson area to improve responses to the Census. In 2020, Census Training Workshops in each county and online will provide an overview of the upcoming Census, tools and strategies for promoting the Census, and best practices for supporting community members in completing the Census questionnaire. Libraries can help ensure a complete count by partnering with Community Based Organizations, local governments, and anyone interested in getting the word out about the Census. Libraries can also provide support as tech hubs and trusted organizations in their community. Libraries looking to promote the Census in their community and learn more about what to expect in 2020 can visit
midhudson.org/census-2020
There are a lot of things tied to the Census, including the basic tenets of democracy and representation in our State and Federal government, and, what resonates more with people in studies, state and federal funds received locally; young families are more likely to participate in the Census when they find out it affects funding for their community. Federal funding for Medicaid, local schools, highway planning and construction, CHIP, WIC, SNAP,
HEAP, and more are distributed using formulas based on the decennial Census. Similar formulas based on the Census or based on formulas based on the Census are used to allocate state funding for programs like the Community Development Block Grant Program, and Census data is used for planning purposes by businesses and nonprofits. An inaccurate count will result in lost funding, which helps offset state and local funds, and reduced representation at the state and federal levels.
MHLS has developed a sample Get Out the Count toolkit
that you can use to inform your library and your community's strategy for preparing, getting the word out, and helping people complete the Census. There are sample images, messages, videos, and more that you can use in newsletters and social media to make sure everyone knows how important it is to be counted. Please visit
midhudson.org/census-2020
to access Census resources or contact MHLS Library Sustainability Coordinator, Casey Conlin,
[email protected]
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MHLS Announcements
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The MHLS Board of Trustees met on Saturday, December 7th
, in the MHLS Auditorium and:
- Passed a Resolution of Appreciation recognizing Mark Wilson for his dedication and leadership during his tenure as Vice President (2016-2017) and Board President (2018-2019).
- Received a report from Executive Director Aldrich that included updates/information on: Planned initiatives for legislative focus in 2020; Countrywide and System efforts to end MacMillan publisher's embargo on new eBook licenses for libraries; The status of contract negotiations with the Town of Union Vale and claims of "serious inequities and hardships" by the Beekman and Millbrook libraries; MHLS' receipt of a $20,000 Census Get Out the Count Grant that will be utilized by System staff to provide information/resources to prepare member libraries for participation in the 2020 Census.
- Passed a Resolution in Support of Fair Access to Digital Content.
- Reviewed ongoing and planned MHLS facility projects for 2020.
- Approved the MHLS New York Library Association Conference Attendance Grants for 2020.
- Approved the 2020 MHLS Budget, as presented.
- Agreed to pursue approval of an amendment to list all standing board committees in the Committee Section of the MHLS Bylaws, at the 2020 Annual Membership Meeting.
- Elected the following slate of Board officers for 2020;
- President: Richard Swierat
- Vice President: Barry Ramage
- Treasurer: Mark Wilson
- Secretary: Michele Ment
- Board Member: Lisa Baker Brill (to serve on Executive Committee to fill the position normally held by a past seated Board President);
- Scheduled the following dates and locations for its 2020 Board, Outreach and Annual Membership meetings (all begin at 10:00am except the Annual Membership Meeting):
- Saturday, January 18th @ MHLS Auditorium
- Saturday, March 21st @ MHLS Auditorium
- Wednesday, May 13th @ Stanford Free Library
- Wednesday, July 15th @ MHLS Auditorium
- Wednesday, September 16th @ Claverack Free Library;
- Friday, October 23rd, Annual Membership Meeting @ FDR Presidential Library & Museum;
- Saturday, December 12th @ MHLS Auditorium
- Passed a resolution to "authorize and direct" the MHLS Executive Director to implement systemwide service restrictions, as requested by the Beekman and Millbrook libraries, for cardholders of the Town of Union Vale, as specified in the MHLS' Free Direct Access Plan, if no contract is in place on January 1, 2020.
The next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 10:00am in the MHLS Auditorium
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 Christa Cerul has been named the new director of the Stanford Free Library
. Christa was previously the assistant director and got started in her new role at the library in early December.
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Resource Sharing & Sierra
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 It has recently been announced that Innovative, our ILS software vendor, is being acquired by their largest competitor in the academic market, Ex Libris. Ex Libris, owned by ProQuest has a long history in the library software industry. The merger will take place early in 2020 and both companies are optimistic about the positive impact it will have on customers. MHLS Assistant Director & Technology Operations Manager, Laurie Shedrick will keep members posted as more information is made available.
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Administration & Management
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REMINDER:
The New York State (NYS) Minimum Wage Increase for workers north of Westchester County, increases to $11.80 per hour effective December 31, 2019. The minimum wage will reach $12.50 on December 31, 2020 and increase to $15 on an indexed schedule to be set by the Director of the Division of Budget in consultation with the Department of Labor. For more information please visit
https://on.ny.gov/35BwcjR
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This is the last MHLS Bulletin issue of the year.
See you in 2020!
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