I've succumbed to Olympic fever. I spend my free moments watching humans do unimaginably amazing things, sparking curiosity and awe. As I watch people break world records, I wonder what something similar would look like in our profession. And then, lo and behold, I discovered that literature was part of the Olympics from 1912 to 1948.

In shining a light on excellence, the Olympics brings people from around the world to celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of the people in their countries. Their passion and pride are unfettered, reaching beyond the world's political, economic, and social issues.

Librarians and library staff can play a critical role in November's election by providing non-partisan information to help people make informed choices about the candidates. There are several initiatives to take part in, including:

• Joining the Freedom to Read Community Day of Action on October 19
• The National Issues Forums Institute provides free training on using its Everyone's In tools and With the People project to bring people together to talk about challenging issues courteously and thoughtfully.

Though we may not win a gold medal for our efforts, we can significantly impact our communities. By encouraging our friends and neighbors to take an active role in democracy, we empower them to make a difference.

As Alice Walker wrote in Anything We Love Can Be Saved:

"It has become a common feeling, I believe, as we have watched our heroes falling over the years, that our own small stone of activism, which might not seem to measure up to the rugged boulders of heroism we have so admired, is a paltry offering toward the building of an edifice of hope. Many who believe this choose to withhold their offerings out of shame.

This is the tragedy of our world.

For we can do nothing substantial toward changing our course on the planet, a destructive one, without rousing ourselves, individual by individual, and bringing our small, imperfect stones to the pile."

Are you a new library trustee who's term began on July 1? This is a reminder that New York State Public Officer's Law §10 requires all public library trustees (except association library trustees) to take and file an oath of office within 30 days of beginning their term.

Public library trustees are public officers and the oath of office is required to officially undertake and perform the duties of a public library trustee. If a public library trustee does not properly complete and file an oath of office, the trustee’s position may be deemed vacant (see Public Officer's Law §30(1)(h)).

For more information about how and why the oath of office is administered, and where to properly file an oath of office, please see the Trustee Oaths of Office on the New York State Library website.

Are you ready to celebrate the great work done by Friends of Libraries? Start planning now for National Friends of the Library Week from October 20-26, 2024. United for Libraries has compiled helpful resources to help promote your Friends, raise awareness, and encourage membership.

Ideas for Friends groups:

https://www.ala.org/united/events_conferences/folweek/friends

More information:

https://www.ala.org/united/events_conferences/folweek

Are you a new trustee, or a seasoned trustee who would enjoy a refresher? Join us for a hybrid Trustee Training session from 5 to 8 pm Thursday, October 3. In-person attendees can arrive for dinner at 5 pm; the training will begin at 6 pm. There is no charge to attend, but registration is required.

Five library systems will converge for the next Adult Program Swap at 10 am Thursday, October 17, to share experiences about programming for seniors and the power of partnerships. Anyone interested should register. All registrants will receive a link to Zoom before the meeting. To encourage robust conversation, this session will not be recorded.

Are you ready for Welcoming Week (September 13-22)? The annual celebration is an opportunity for organizations and communities bring together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity. You can add your event to the calendar, partner with local organizations, and use this handy toolkit to help you plan.

Did you know Benjamin Franklin created the first library in the United States? He started with a member subscription service, then began inviting non-members to participate.

Franklin understood the importance of libraries to democracy, writing: “These libraries have improved the general conversation of the Americans” and “made the common tradesmen and farmers as intelligent as most gentlemen from other countries.”

Our libraries carry on that proud tradition.

Many became librarians because we love connecting people to great books and information. That desire to serve has been challenging as attacks on the Freedom to Read expanded in 2023, the year with the most challenges to titles since the American Library Association began tracking it two decades ago. In the past couple of years, we've seen the challenges focus on specific communities, including the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual+ (LGBTQIA+), and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

What began as challenges to materials in school and public libraries have metastasized to legislation, investigations, threats of violence, proposed fines, and even potential jail time for librarians. Despite these obstacles, public and school libraries persist.

As we move into the last half of 2024, we can be optimistic but not complacent. Librarians, publishers, writers, and others are pushing back, reminding challengers of the freedoms of being in the United States, including unfettered access to information. ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom has been spearheading a response to the challenges and to proposed legislation. Publishers are providing resources for the Rally for the Right to Read. Librarians continue educating their communities about evaluating information, connecting people to information that enriches their lives, and providing abundant resources to delight and spark creativity.

The National Medal for Museum and Library Service is the nation’s highest honor for institutions that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. Since 1994, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has presented the award to outstanding libraries and museums of all types and sizes that deeply impact their communities.

The National Medals program recognizes outstanding libraries and museums of all types and sizes that deeply impact their communities by:

• fostering a lifelong passion for learning for all people, nourishing curiosity and imagination from early childhood through adulthood, for people of all abilities and needs;

• providing access to information by building a literate, well-informed community and advancing digital capacity, focusing on digital inclusion and access to digital and informational resources, including e-books and materials to help address workforce development and public health;

• enriching the lives of community members by being trusted community spaces for convening, connection, and conversation; enlightenment and shared thoughts and opinions; and preserving natural and cultural heritage and community memory; and

• catalyzing connections, collaborations, and/or coalitions that advance community wellbeing.

Has a librarian made a difference in your life or gone above and beyond to serve your community? The I Love My Librarian Award invites library users like you to recognize the accomplishments of exceptional public, school, college, community college, or university librarians. Each year, up to 10 librarians are honored at a ceremony held in their honor and receive a $5,000 cash award.

Since the award was established in 2008, 160 librarians have received this distinguished honor. In that time, library users nationwide have shared more than 23,000 nominations detailing how librarians have gone above and beyond in their commitment to inclusivity, literacy, and digital access.

Would you like to build community relationships? Do you want to be ready for crises that may affect youth and families in your community? If so, you’ll want to consider participating in the University of Maryland's Ready NOW: Supporting Youth and Families During Crisis initiative.

In its second year, Ready NOW is integrating learnings from the first year of the initiative and expands on work in the publication Library Staff as Public Servants: A Field Guide for Preparing to Serve Communities in Times of Crisis (AKA The Field Guide). The Field Guide outlines four Essential Tasks that libraries and their staff need to embrace to serve historically marginalized youth and families successfully.

The Ready NOW project team is now recruiting library staff from across the United States to join in on the IMLS-funded next phase of the initiative. Participating library staff will benefit from the opportunity to:

• Build strategies for working with community partners in support of historically marginalized youth and families
• Gain knowledge of how to prepare, with community partners, for crisis situations
• Attend a series of participatory design training sessions to gain skills in community engagement, co-creation, iteration, and re-imagining systems and structures
• Design materials for use by others across the US working to serve their communities during emergencies

Staff from 13 libraries across the United States will be selected to work with their state library agency to participate in year two of this initiative. A $2000 stipend to use in support of learning about community and building crisis related services will be provided for selected libraries.

Project activities for selected library staff begins in September/October of 2024 and continues through the spring of 2025.

If you have any questions, contact the Ready NOW team at: readynow@umd.edu and visit the website.

Art Resources Transfer's Library Program provides free books on art and culture to public libraries, schools, and incarcerated readers nationwide.

The book catalog offers 300+ titles published by leading museums, galleries, and independent presses nationwide. Books are free and shipped free of charge. To get started, sign up through the website here.

Email: efreudenberger@sals.edu
Website: www.sals.edu
Location: 22 Whitney Place, Saratoga Springs, NY, United States
Phone: 518 584 7300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernAdirondackLibrarySystem