Thank you all for your efforts to advocate for these funds! Despite our wishes for higher operating aid, this was still a successful advocacy year. Given that the Governor started higher than the previous year and both houses advocated for more than the Governor’s proposal, we should be proud of the work we have done to make the case for library systems and our member libraries. We are also grateful to the New York Library Association for their leadership in Albany.

Here is the final budget breakdown: 

• Library Operating Aid: $103.852 million
• Library Construction Aid: $44 million
• Library Materials Aid: $6.25/pupil
• Inclusion of NOVELny: $3 million

Please take a moment to say thank you to your state legislators for their support.

There’s also $500,000 for 50% matching grants available to eligible entities participating in the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. As more information is made available, we will share accordingly.

The Board of the Mid-Hudson Library System met on Saturday, March 16th in the MHLS Auditorium and:

• Appointed Barbara Swanson to represent Greene County. Barbara will serve through the end of the calendar year and if elected at the MHLS Annual Membership Meeting, serve out the remainder of Debra Klein’s term through December 31, 2025;
• Approved a change order to the office building solar project;
• Approved the 2024 funding priorities and definition of an “economically disadvantaged community” for the next funding round offered through the State Aid for Library Construction Program;
• Approved the MHLS NYLA Conference Scholarship Grant program pending the outcome of the State budget negotiations;
• Moved forward several amendments to the MHLS Bylaws which will be voted on at the 2024 Annual Membership Meeting;
• Updated their board “Rules and Procedures” for 2024;
• Voted to name the fund for the MHLS Book Haven Collection in honor of Debra Klein;
• Approved the MHLS Annual Report to the State; and
• Received an orientation to the Members Assessment.

All board documents are available at https://board.midhudson.org/. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the MHLS Board is on Wednesday, May 15th at 10:00 am at the Putnam Valley Library.

Check out the Library Board Meetings chapter for all the latest updates on New York State’s Open Meetings Law and how it applies to public and association libraries. This includes clarification of what documents need to be publicly available on the library’s web site in advance of board meetings; what should be included in the minutes; and an explanation about how to comply with the law when it comes to remote participation at open meetings by trustees.

Trustee responsibilities are small in number but broad in scope. This monthly Bulletin feature is designed to point out sections that are new in the updated version of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State.

Purchase a bound copy of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, 2023 edition from the Mid-Hudson Library System. Order Form

The Trustee Handbook Book Club will continue in 2024! Thank you to all who attended the Trustee Handbook Book Club sessions last year. We hope to see you this year for the continuation of this one-of-a-kind series. 

Join Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, co-author of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, and friends for this fun and informative series! At each session, trustees will take a deeper dive into a topic relevant to their role and responsibilities as a library trustee. Each month trustees are encouraged to read a chapter of the Trustee Handbook. Each session will include a brief introduction to the chapter topic, as well as address any questions that come in live during the event.

• What’s New in the 2023 Edition of the Trustee Handbook | Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | 5:00-6:30pm | REGISTER
• Libraries for the Future: An Introduction to Sustainability as the Newest Core Value | Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | 5:00-6:30pm | REGISTER
• Governance Structure: The Role of Board Officers and Board Committees | Tuesday, October 15, 2024 | 5:00-6:30pm | REGISTER

Member Libraries can access the full Trustee Handbook Book Club series and resources for past recordings (as well as earn trustee education credits) in the Trustee Academy on the MHLS Training on Demand platform. Those without access to the platform can view materials via the MHLS webpage (certificates cannot be provided when viewed via the webpage). 

Purchase a bound copy of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, 2023 edition from the Mid-Hudson Library System. Order Form