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Circulate!
Outreach, Engagement & Other Splendid Stuff
Congratulations to the Bolton Free Library, Greenwich Free Library, and Stillwater Public Library for being awarded a Libraries Transforming Communities Accessible Small & Rural Communities grant from the American Library Association!
Sarah Murphy, the library director of the Greenwich Free Library, secured a $10,000 grant to support the library's partnership with Battenkill Community Services (BCS) to cover the cost of:
- Materials, especially DVDs, audiobooks, and large type books that this group has specifically requested
- Programming fees for artists, teachers, and presenters who can work with this population and the general public
- Sensory friendly furniture and accessories
"It's really an ideal opportunity to strengthen our relationship with some of our most loyal patrons and to spread the word to other people with disabilities in the community," said Sarah. "And our entire community can benefit from these materials and services. everybody wins!"
For those libraries that didn't have a chance to apply for this round of funding, there will be another opportunity in fall 2024, and up to 300 libraries will be awarded funding, thanks to a recent $10 million donation. To be notified when the opportunity opens, sign up to receive ALA’s Programming Librarian e-newsletter.
Ice, Ice Baby
The Inlet Public Library delighted visitors with its frozen tome, part of the Frozen Fire & Lights Festival.
Putt, Putt Away!
The Friends of the Town of Ballston Community Library hosted a mini-golf course fundraiser.
The wet shirt that launched a thousand swoons is up for auction. Sadly, Colin Firth is not included.
Conflict Happens
Four years after the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the United States, along with much of the world, is continuing to struggle with unresolved collective trauma. The cumulative stress, burnout, and trauma are impacting our day-to-day lives, and showing up where we work in our interactions with patrons and each other.
What’s a superstar librarian to do? The Upper Hudson and Southern Adirondack Library Systems are partnering with Mediation Matters to present a three-part series of workshops to identify and address the issue and provide tools to respond to moments of crisis.
There is one more session:
10 - 11:30 am Wednesday, May 8: When All Else Fails
If the environment you set up and the skills you’re using are not working to diffuse the conflict that has you concerned about your own safety or the safety of library patrons and/or staff, this session will facilitate a discussion to create a set of concrete ideas that can be quickly enacted if and when a conflict gets out of control and the safety of all can be maintained.
To register, please complete the form found here: https://forms.gle/jbAPvjby3n1cB2xs8
Due to the sensitive nature of this content, the sessions will not be recorded.
As the buds on the trees begin to turn to leaves, librarians prepare for summer reading. If you'd like to share your excellent ideas, learn from others, and plan for the summer, join us for the virtual Adult Program Swap at 10 am this Friday, April 26. The Adult Program Swap is an interactive session and will not be recorded.
Banner Year
The American Library Association reports that the number of titles targeted for censorship surged 65% in 2023, reaching the highest levels ever documented.
Four key trends emerged from the data gathered from 2023 censorship reports:
- Pressure groups in 2023 focused on public libraries in addition to targeting school libraries. The number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year; school libraries saw an 11% increase.
- Groups and individuals demanding the censorship of multiple titles, often dozens or hundreds at a time, drove this surge.
- Titles representing the voices and experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up 47% of those targeted in censorship attempts.
- There were attempts to censor more than 100 titles in each of these 17 states: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Librarians are on the front lines of the battle for intellectual freedom, where legislators are passing laws restricting access to information, and in Louisiana, some are threatening to criminalize librarians who are members of or join the American Library Association.
Big Five Join Iowa Lawsuit
Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks have joined the lawsuit filed last year against Iowa over its book banning and anti-GLBQT law. The plaintiffs now include all the Big Five U.S. publishers.
The Iowa law would forbid school libraries and classrooms from carrying books describing or showing a "sex act," with the exception of religious texts like the Bible; prohibit educators from discussing "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" with students from kindergarten through sixth grade; and require school administrators to notify parents when students ask to change anything relating to their gender identity, such as their names or pronouns.
The original lawsuit was filed by Penguin Random House, authors Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, Malindo Lo, and Jodi Picoult, the Iowa State Education Association, a high school student, her parent, and three educators.
FLS Randall Enos Conference Scholarship
Are you a member of a Friends of the Library group? Do you serve as the Staff Liaison to your library's Friends group? Do you have a stellar Friends group at your library? Could you or one of the Friends volunteers benefit from a professional development opportunity at the NYLA Annual Conference?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, please consider applying for the Friends of Libraries Section (FLS) Randall Enos Conference Scholarship to attend the 2024 NYLA Annual Conference. The award pays up to a maximum of $1,000 for an individual to attend the conference. Reimbursements may include registration, tickets for events and meal functions, lodging, and travel expenses.
"Some people are drawn to bars, some to church groups, I was drawn to the library!" said Randy Enos, who had a successful professional career supporting libraries and library Friends groups. The FLS Executive Board has honored him by naming him President Emeritus and paid tribute to his commitment to professional development for volunteers and staff by establishing the FLS Randall Enos Conference Scholarship in 2018. The scholarship is underwritten through an endowment funded by designated contributions to FLS.
Whether a community volunteer or a library staff member, applicants must be a member of FLS/NYLA and involved in a local Friends group at any type of library in New York State. Applications must be received by 5 p.m., Saturday, June 1, 2024.
Learn more at www.nyla.org/friends > Our Awards & Scholarships > Enos. The application form and supporting documentation should be submitted to Marie Bindeman, FLS Scholarship Coordinator: mariebind1955@gmail.com. Please contact Marie with any questions via email or by phone: (716) 433-0548. The Scholarship Committee will review all eligible applications and notify applicants of the results in the summer.
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.
Basic Book Repair for Libraries
Binding quality on books is inconsistent and with day to day handling and repeated circulation books can sustain significant damage. Don’t replace these volumes, fix them. This webinar will introduce participants to basic book repair for circulating or general collections.
Attendees will learn how to repair common types of damage, such as hinge repair, tipping in loose pages, page mending and spine repair. During the webinar, participants will be able to watch narrated action videos of the repairs with live step by step instructions.
At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will:
- Be familiar with different aspects of book repair for circulating collections
- Be familiar with book repair tools, supplies, and equipment
Marianne Hanley is the Preservation Librarian for Syracuse University Libraries. She manages the preservation program by defining needs, establishing goals, implementing programs, and managing budget allocations in support of preservation activities. She is Principal Investigator the NYS Conservation/Preservation Grant Program which provides annual state funding to encourage the proper care and accessibility of research materials, by promoting the use and development of guidelines and technical standards for conservation/preservation work. She co-manages the libraries disaster response plan for collections and co-coordinates recovery efforts. She enjoys serving as an instructor for workshops on book repair and disaster preparedness. She holds a Master of Library Science from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Arts from Canisius College, Buffalo, NY.
Live captioning will be provided.