Thoughts from "Room For Everyone: A Library Accessibility Day of Learning"

On July 9, the New York State Library held a one-day conference to start a year-long celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I had the pleasure of attending the event and facilitating a panel discussion on ""Building Services Where Everyone Belongs." The panelists were:

• Samir Benantar, NYS Education Department Language Access Coordinator 
• Blaise Bryant, the Communications Specialist for the NY Association on Independent Living 
• Anna DeRosa, Program Research Specialist & Grants Coordinator at the New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities
• Joan Naturale, National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Deaf Studies Archives liaison for students, staff, and faculty at the Rochester Institute of Technology
• Christopher Woodfill, Executive Director of the New York State Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Office

 The State Library has written a summary of the day and I want to capture here some additional thoughts, some of which came after the event had ended:

• Work with local agencies which support people who have disabilities in order to understand how to modify the library appropriate. Consider creating a group of advisors who can review designs, color choices, etc., and provide input.
• Wayfinding is important for everyone including people with limited vision. For example, instead of painting every wall the same color, paint an easy to see wall in each room a different color. Then you can tell people to go to the room with the red wall, for example. I know this means having more paints on hand for touch up, but the benefit will be worth it.
• For someone who is blind or has low vision, consider how to build wayfinding into the flooring. Use texture on the floor to show pathways as well as places with paths cross (and a person might want to turn). 
• Upgrade your meeting rooms with hearing loops which can connect to a person's hearing aid through Bluetooth technology.
• Create a calming sensory room that can be used by children and adults with autism, as well as others who are being overwhelmed by the environment. 
• In my mind, libraries should consider more broadly how to use construction grants or funding from other sources to improve accessibility.
• Work with professional translation services to have library materials (e.g., policies, program information) translated into the languages that are spoken most in your area.  Be sure to have the translations reviewed by someone who speaks the language to ensure that translation makes sense to them. Also have these materials translated into Braille.
• Working with an interpreter (or an online interpreter service) can require some practice. Work to give your staff that practice time. Perhaps hire an interpreter to come, give a demonstration, and then allow people use the interpreter for a few minutes. (Pace, pausing, and clarity are important.)
• Create clear walking paths and do not use those clear walking paths for sudden displays or events. 
• Help staff become comfortable with making mistakes when working with someone who has accessibility needs. Helping a patron/community member can be more important than doing it perfectly. 
• Understand how to connect patrons with talking and Braille books.
• If your library has toys for children, ensure that toys are included for children who have accessibility needs.
• If you have recently renovation your library and did not think about accessibility (e.g., wayfinding), consider how you can now add-in accessibility elements.
• Remember to think about color selection for those who are color blind. Use high contract color combinations. 
• Work to ensure that your library website is accessible and can be read by screen readers.

There is much more to consider. While it can be overwhelming, every change - even small ones - can help your library be more welcoming to its community. 

The State Library is hosting a series of webinars to continue this conversation and education. The summary blog post contains a list of currently scheduled webinars at the bottom. 

 

 

 

Little Free Libraries and Diversity

This spring and summer, I have seen many photos of little free libraries. Each one is carried for and each one is used.  However, let's think about the items in those little free libraries.

The mantra of a little free library (LFL) is: 

Take a book. Share a book.

That means that the LFL is dependent on donations. Someone may be curating the LFL, but it is unlikely that the person is filling the LFL based on a collection development policy. Even if that person does have some standards, do those standards assure diversity of content? Is the content inclusive? Is there accessible content? Does the LFL support the diversity in the community (racial, ethnic, gender, etc.)?

I've helped to install little free libraries and I've placed books in them, but the fact that they are generally reliant on donations means that a LFL may not contain the books that will resonate with the community it's in. Imagine an LFL in a Black and Hispanic community that is filled by non-Black and non-Hispanic people who don't live in that community. Will the materials in the LFL represent the community that is using it? No.

This hit home for me when I looked at a little free library outside of a food pantry and realized that the people filling the LFL were from a different demographic.

I don't know how to ensure that a little free library is filled with works that are diverse and inclusive, without causing more work and more cost. Perhaps if folks recognize the problem, that can be a first step towards making each LFL more inclusive, more diverse, and better connected with the community it serves.

If you have ideas on how to solve this problem, post a comment.

#NYLA2022 : "They don't need you" and other lessons from the Annual Conference

Last week was the New York Library Association (NYLA) Annual Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY. Saratoga is a gorgeous community and always a great place to hold the NYLA conference. This conference was our first "normal" conference since COVID turned everything upside down. There were no restrictions and registration was close to what it was in 2019. (The conference in 2020 was virtual and it was scaled back in 2021, due to COVID restrictions.) 

There were many enticing sessions - often at the same time. Rather than writing about each session, I want to capture a few highlights and share some resources.

Courtney Harge: The Beautiful Revolutionary Future

The keynote was given by Courtney Harge (she/her), who is the CEO of OF/BY/FOR ALL. OF/BY/FOR ALL helps to equip "civic and cultural organizations to become of, by, and for their communities." Her slides are available and I recommend looking at them. Included in her presentation was an overview of their Change Network system.

What stood out to me is how they coach organizations to reach out into their communities, recognizing that gathering information and building relationships is paramount. Harge noted that we often rush to present a solution without knowing what the community wants or truly needs. People want to be listened to, heard, understood, and partnered with. Rushing in with a fully formed idea means that we are saying that we know best, even if we know nothing about that group or community.

Harge did say, "They don't need you." Those folks and groups who aren't using the library are existing without the library. We might rush in and exclaim, "you need us" or "we have a solution", but do we really know what those folks need? Spending time - a lot of time - getting to know the community and its sub-communities is vitally important. 

How do you get to know your community? Attend their events (without talking about the library). Walk through the neighborhoods and visit different businesses (and don't talk about the library). Perhaps try different places in those neighborhoods for coffee or lunch. Ask your staff to introduce you around, if they are willing. However you do it, Harge noted that we cannot immediately pitch an idea, rather we need to listen and learn. We need to understand what our community wants, rather than focusing on the solutions we already have. We need to focus on building trust.

Her presentation was full of wise words (many captured on her slides) including, "Make sure your space isn’t actively harmful.” For me, this also requires a lot of deep listening. Your staff and patrons need to trust you in order to tell you why your organization is actively harmful (if it is) and that trust does not occur overnight. It takes time.

There is a saying, "work at the speed of trust." Trust allows things to happen faster. However, trust takes time to be established and it can be ruined in an instant.

Creating Remote Access to Library Collections

John Raymond, Matthew Kopel, and I did a session on "Creating Remote Access to Library Collections," where we talked about digital lending in a controlled environment. Good to see public and academic librarians in the audience, who are interested in using Copyright Law (Sections 107 and 109), digital technology, and DRM to provide digital access to some of their print collection. We provided lots of information and emphasized the details of CDL (controlled digital lending) including maintaining the owned-to-loan ratio.

NYS Minimum Standards for Public Libraries

I found the session on the New York Public and Association Libraries Minimum Standards to be eye-opening and helpful. While I've studied the minimum standards, it was useful to hear others talk about how they are applied and what happens if a library is not meeting one (or more) of them.

One eye-opening tidbit is that all public library trustees need to fulfill the annual NYS mandated sexual harassment prevention training requirement. If a trustee takes this training in their workplace, they can use that training to fulfill their requirement as a trustee. Not having to take the training twice is good news. The bad news is that some of the sexual harassment training that is being used to fulfill this requirement is structured to meet the requirement and not to be truly helpful (in my opinion).

Mary Lou Carolan, from the Newburgh Free Library, shared their strategic plan during this session. (Having a strategic plan is one of the 14 minimum standards.) I like looking at library strategic plans and this one contains interesting activities.

Carolan noted that the Newburgh Free Library serves a community that is 50+% Hispanic. By hiring someone from the Hispanic community, translating the website, etc. into Spanish, & better outreach, they have increased the number of people from the Hispanic community who are engaged with the library. 

Combating Racism in Libraries: Creating Spaces to Educate and Inform Our Communities

I believe these archived webinars were mentioned in the "Reinventing Ethnic Library Services."  On this page are:

• Community and Communication in the Dialogue on American Racism - Past, Present & Future
• Using Collection Development and Readers Advisory to Introduce Race Relations 
• Inclusive Programming - Every Race, Every Month 
• I Write about Race - a panel discussion
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Human Resources & Microaggressions in the Workplace
• Teaching Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and American Culture in ESOL Classrooms 

And on this page are:

• Let's Talk About Anti-Asian Hate
• Reintroducing R.A.C.E. with Teens (Racial Awareness and Community Education)
• Evaluating for Inclusive Programming
•  Impact of Racism on Community Health
• Microaggressions in Academic Libraries

Good Weather, People, and Food

The weather this year was warm and gorgeous, and everyone took advantage of it! So nice to not have to take a winter coat or worry about rain.

One of the benefits of being in Saratoga is all of the good food. I didn't have one bad meal! Since NYLA will be in Saratoga again next year, I look forward to visiting places like Walt Cafe and Darling Doughnuts again. 

Of course, NYLA brings people together from across NYS (and beyond) who are interested in the sessions and then who find a myriad of other library-related things to talk about. The sessions and the conference structure become the backdrop for powerful conversations with existing and new library buddies.  I'm thankful to have seen folks whom I only see at NYLA and to make new friends!

Future Conference Locations

Finally, here is where the NYLA Conference is scheduled for the next five years. Yup, alternating between Saratoga and Syracuse!

2023: Saratoga Springs, November 1-4
2024: Syracuse, November 6-9
2025: Saratoga Springs, November 5-8
2026: Saratoga Springs, November 4-7
2027: Syracuse, October 27-30

Partners in Planning: A Strategic Planning Approach for Friends Groups

This New York Library Association webinar was focused on "A Strategic Planning Approach for Friends Groups" as they partner with their public libraries. Joy Fuller, who has 10+ year in strategic planning, gave this webinar. She is the author of Strategic Planning for Public Libraries.   

My Summary:

Interesting that most people attending the webinar are familiar with strategic planning. Perhaps what was different for us is seeing explicitly how a library friends group can participate in the library's strategic planning. From Fuller's comments, a friends group can participate from the start - and that is the real lesson. As a library is engaging in strategic planning, it should include its friends right away and keep the friends engaged. This will allow the friends to provide input into and support for the process. In addition, it will ensure that the friends are aligned with the library through the strategic planning life cycle.

Notes:

Fuller began with two polls:

• How engaged is your Friends group with your library's strategic planning process?  - 62% of the webinar participants are not directly engaged in their library's strategic planning process.
• How familiar are we with strategic planning concepts and approaches? - 79% somewhat or very familiar

Why should friends be partners in planning?

• Enables friends organizations to fulfill their purpose and mission
• Supports the library's efforts to create a community-focused plan
• Facilitates ongoing alignment between the library and friends
• Helps build awareness and membership for friends

In this webinar, Fuller talked about framework and approach.

Four Key Phases

These are common phrases, even if approaches may differ.

1) Prepare for strategic planning

What will the library do?

• Define governance and approval process
• Select and organize the core planning team
• Evaluate the need for external support
• Develop a project plan and timeline
• Identify key internal and external stakeholders
• Prepare a communications plan

Friends might be involved how?

• Serve as a representative on planning team
• Receive updates from library on the process and timeline
• Be included as key stakeholders for continued involvement
• Support communications plan within the community
  

2) Conduct community assessment (most mission critical)

What will the library do? Library turns outward in the community to understand how the library can serve the community.

• Determine data needed for assessment
• Gather and analyze existing data
• Conduct conversations with key stakeholders and community members
• Survey the community 

How might friends be involved? Friends can have a huge impact.

• Sharing existing data with the library
• Advise on groups or individuals to include in community conversations
• Promote participation in library surveys and community conversations
• Include friends questions in library survey

Benefits for friends: 

• Directly support and provide input into the strategic plan
• Outreach opportunity for friends

Case study: Penfield Public Library conducted a community survey as part of their 2021 strategic planning process. The friends included a question in the survey about learning more about becoming a friend of the library.  50+% respondents were interested in working with the friends. One result was new volunteers for their annual book sale.

Tips: Being active in the first phase will help the friends become a part of the survey. Make your questions actionable. Don't use sentiment or awareness questions, because they are less actionable. Limit yourself to 1-2 questions. Have a plan for following up quickly.  Provide actionable options. Help new friends get to know and work with existing friends. Maintain engagement and continue to follow-up.

3) Develop strategic plan content

What will the library do? 

• Align community assessment with internal capabilities
• Craft mission, vision, and values statements
• Mission: The what - purpose & who the organization serves.
  
• Vision: The why - what the community could be if the library achieves its mission. Future focused.
  
• Values: The how - The norms and behaviors that are encouraged as the organization works towards its mission. They are observable and actionable.
  
• Identify strategic priorities and goals
• Strategic priorities: Broad, high-level area where the library can drive significant impact
• Goals: Description of what the library will accomplish through the strategic priorities
  
• Review the strategic plan with key stakeholders
• Finalize the strategic plan
  

How might friends be involved? 

• Review the plan before it is finalized (for feedback, not approval)
• Gather library priorities and goals to inform friends priorities
• Update broader friends group and community
• User library strategic plan to inform friends' strategic planning
  

Benefits

• Opportunity for the library and friends group to gain alignment
• Visibility into library strategic priorities and goals that will inform friends initiatives
  

4) Implement and measure progress - the longest part of the cycle. This is where you see the intertwined partnership with the friends.

 What will the library do? 

• Create SMART objectives
• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound
  
• Develop an action plan - A list of all the things the library will do over the next one year to advance its strategic goals and objectives.
• Initiative
• Ownership
• Start date
• End date
  
• Measure the success of initiatives
• Manage and communicate change
• Integrate continuous improvement
  

How might friends be involved? 

• Provide ongoing support of library strategic initiatives in alignment with friends mission
• Cascade communications to the community
• Maintain regular cadence of touch-points with the library
  

Benefits:

• Supercharges friends core, day-to-day initiatives
• Helps friends with continued planning and prioritization
• Ensures consistent messaging with the community

Planning for Friends Groups - what she has present is relevant, however:

• Identify your friends stakeholders
• Preview outputs from the library's plan
• Gather feedback from stakeholders
• Align friends and library plans 

Resources mentioned during the brief Q&A:

• Libraries Need Friends: Starting a Friends Group or Revitalizing the One You Have by Sally Gardner Reed
• Sample Memorandum of Understanding Between Friends and Libraries
  

Building accessibility into what your organization does

The other day I heard about a fireman's carnival that used imaged of the different drink that could be ordered, so people could point at what they wanted. That was useful for those who are Deaf and, since the environment was quite noisy, it was useful for everyone else. It also meant the staff could cross out anything that was no longer available, which was helpful for those ordering drinks. That was an easy accommodation that benefitted everyone. It likely didn't take a lot of time to create and probably saved time and frustration during the carnival.

Today I was in a diner where two Deaf friends were ordering breakfast. The server was having a hard time understanding a detail about their order, which meant that ordering took a bit longer. That made me wonder if the menu could be formatted differently not only to help with communication, but also in understanding food options. How some restaurants changed their menus and food ordering during the COVID pandemic tells me that the answer is "yes." Some restaurants used the pandemic to narrow (focus) their menus. Others simplified options available. Still others added online ordering and payment - even if you're sitting in the restaurant - as a way of limiting exposure to COVID and deal with not having enough staff, while maintaining good customer service. Yes, some of these changes did increase accessibility depending on how they were implemented.

BTW the image above is from the Starbucks on H Street in Washington, DC which is known as the "signing Starbucks." Everyone who works there - both Deaf and hearing - are proficient in American Sign Language (ASL). There are also digital tablets available for anyone who needs to write their order rather than sign it. When you give your name to the server that is used to signal on a digital board that your order is ready. (I'm sure their ordering system will accommodate someone who is Deaf-blind, although I didn't see in action.) Everyone is welcome and everyone can have a Starbucks experience.

With all of that in mind...How has your organization - library, museum, archive, whatever - built accessibility into its daily operations? Not "we can be accessible if asked", but being accessible as a default.

• What did you learn about accessibility during the COVID pandemic when you perhaps moved programs online? 
• When you made adjustments in your physical space, how did those changes increase access for those who use assistive devices? Did you make signage easier for everyone to read? Is your layout more obvious?
• Have you implement captioning for your recorded videos and live video presentations? 
• Automatic captioning is useful, but it can produce errors. If you are using automatic captioning, please take time to go through and make corrections, including adding in some punctuation. (Having a 10-minute run-on sentence, for example, is not helpful.)
  
• How have you made your website more accessible, no matter the type of device being used to view it?
• Who tests your accessibility options so you know you are truly accessible?
• If accessibility isn't part of your daily operations, then why not?
• Where is accessibility on your list of priorities?
• How has your accessibility efforts made your organization a preferred place to work?

I have had blind students in my classes, have friends and family with mobility issues, and now have friends who are Deaf, so I perhaps think about accessibility a bit more than most people. If you have accessibility as something that is always part of your thinking, you will be surprised where you will see the need for changes, perhaps even in your own organization. I encourage you to makes changes, even small ones at first. Every change you make on the path of being full accessible will be worthwhile.

Article: What Does My Library Need to Know about Ebook Laws?

In this month's American Libraries Magazine "Letters of the Law," Mary Minor and  guest author Kyle K. Courtney "discuss the library ebooks landscape and state-level efforts to institutionalize fair licensing terms."  They are both steeped in law and libraries, so fitting that they tackled the following questions:

• What short- and long-term problems do libraries currently face with regard to ebooks? Why are states working on ebook bills for libraries?
• What do these state bills look like? How have they fared so far?
• Have there been attempts at the federal level to solve the ebooks issue? What comes next?

As you might imagine, even their brief answers are in-depth! Definitely worth reading.

Webinar: Community Update: Controlled Digital Lending, March 10

FYI...

Community Update: Controlled Digital Lending
March 10 @ 11am PT / 2pm ET
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_E-Z7q8sYS0-_n37LBCKKdw

From the hundreds of libraries using Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) to meet the needs of their communities to the many working groups and vendors investigating its potential, it’s clear that this innovative library practice is on the rise.

Want to learn more about what’s going on across the community? Join us for a public webinar to hear from active projects, including:

• Controlled Digital Lending Implementers group;
• NISO’s grant from The Mellon Foundation to support the development of a consensus standards framework for implementing CDL;
• Boston Library Consortium’s efforts around CDL for interlibrary loan;
• CDL Co-Op (ILL & resource sharing);
• Internet Archive, with an update on the publisher’s lawsuit against CDL & libraries;
• CDL vendors;
• and more!

Presentations will be followed by a facilitated Q&A. Whether you are new to Controlled Digital Lending or have already implemented it in your library, this session will give everyone an update on where the community is today & where it’s going.

Learn more & register at: http://blog.archive.org/2022/02/16/community-update-controlled-digital-lending/

Jan. - April 2022: Jill's Presentation Schedule

In 2021, all of my presentations were online and it will be the same for the foreseeable future in 2022. While being virtual allows me to be anywhere and everywhere, I do miss seeing people face-to-face and without a screen between us. May that occur again soon!

Here is what's coming up for me. Perhaps you'll be in the virtual room?

Jan. 28, 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET - Breaking the White-ness of the Profession for the Kentucky Community/Chapter of the Special Libraries Association.  Description:

The library profession is more homogeneous than we like to admit. Why? What can each one of us do to change that, no matter what type of library we work in? 

 

Registration is open. (Registration link added 1/14/2022)

April 13, 2:30-4:00 p.m. ET (updated 2/14/2022)  - Understanding Fair Use During the Pandemic and Other Emergencies for ALA eLearning.  If you have questions about the work your library is engaged in - especially in the wake of changes during the pandemic - then this is the webinar for you.  While the scenarios are important, your questions are even more important because they get at what you really need to know.

Description:

No one would have predicted that when the pandemic struck copyright would become a hot topic. However, when libraries and school closed their physical doors in spring 2020 and moved online, questions emerged about the use of materials in the online environment. For example, could a book be read in an online storytime? Confusing the matter were publishers who “gave” permission, while those knowledgeable in copyright said that permission was not needed.

This webinar will use four common scenarios to discuss the application of Fair Use during a pandemic and other emergencies, as well as in normal times. Each scenario will focus on a common library activity. Basic copyright information with be provided, so that everyone enters the scenarios with similar knowledge. There will be time for participant questions throughout.

 

Registration is open. (Registration link added 1/20/2022)

March 7 - Start of a six (6) week asynchronous online course - U.S. Copyright Law in the Library: A Beginner's Guide for ALA eLearning.  Description:

The library is a hub of content, all of it subject to copyright law. The legal reality of copyright is dynamic—changes in technology have created a landscape that is constantly adapting and can be difficult to predict. If you don't have any formal training in copyright law, it can be intimidating to know how to answer your patrons' copyright questions and to know what you can and cannot do with your library’s content and resources. It can be tough to understand the line between providing information and answering a legal question.

In this eCourse, you will be guided through the basics of copyright law and provided with the foundation to become your library's copyright expert. Sections on the law covered included the rights of the copyright owner, fair use, limitations related to libraries and archives, first sale doctrine, and using copyrighted works in education. Among the applications of the law discussed is controlled digital lending.

Each week, you'll learn how copyright law informs what libraries, library staff, and patrons can do with their materials and how you can stay up-to-date as this area evolves. You'll be able to check and affirm your knowledge through focused self-assessments.

April 29, 10:00 a.m. ET - Moving Beyond Hope for the  Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP) as part of their 2022 Annual Conference. I am honored to be their Roger Summit Lecture Award Recipient. Description: 

The founding of Dialog by Roger Summit issued in an era of innovation and hope for information professionals. In every information era, we hope for the cutting edge technologies that will propel us forward. However, what we need now are not new technical variations, but the development of an expanded community. To do that, we need to move beyond hope into action.

Interested in a presentation for your organization? Contact me at hurst@hurstassociates.com.

Besides Presentations

I'm working on several projects, including working as a facilitator on a long-term project and ensuring that team makes steady progress. Here is a one-sheet on Hurst Associates for you to share with your organization, if you would like my assistance on one of your projects. (Link updated 1/14/2022)

The Basics and the Intricacies of the Open Meeting Law

I began this blog post in March 2021 after attending a webinar entitled "The Basics and the Intricacies of the Open Meeting Law," which was focused on open meeting law in New York State.  Even though that event was months ago, I'm going to summarize information from from the event, because it is still relevant.  I've kept some of the COVID-related information, because it might be interesting or useful.

Background

Since I became ta member of my public library system's board of trustees,  I have been learning about Open Meeting Law in New York State. Public institutions in NYS must comply with Open Meeting Law. The text of the law is on the NYS Committee on Open Government (COOG) website. What is the Committee on Open Government? The site says:

The Committee on Open Government oversees and advises the government, public, and news media on Freedom of Information, Open Meetings, and Personal Privacy Protection Laws. The Committee offers guidance in response to phone inquiries, prepares written legal advisory opinions, and provides training to government and other interested groups.

Text of the law is on the website and it is not long; however, it can cause an organization to raise many questions, which you can see in the opinions rendered. The basic idea of Open Meeting Law is that the governing bodies of public institutions should be transparent in what they are doing and thus their meetings should be open, Open Meeting Law states what that means and provides rules to follow. Following the law can be both easy and hard.

Notes

• Open Meeting Law is codified in NYS Public Officer Law, Article 7, which was updated in 2021. The COOG website includes those updates.
  
• The COOG website contains advisory opinions index alphabetically by key phrase. When looking at the opinions, it can be helpful to look at several since they may provide different information.
• Public business be held in an open and public manner.
  
• Citizens have the right to attend and listen to deliberations.
• With a public body, the whole public body (e.g., all of the trustees) are together one type of committee that is subject to open meeting law. In addition, a subcommittee, which is entirely comprised of members of the larger body is also subject to open meeting law. The fact that it is less that the quorum of the entire body is irrelevant.
• For example, a 15-member city council, with a 3-member subcommittee. That subcommittee is its own public body. (More than 2 members.)
• Are you having a meeting?
• Is there a quorum present? Quorum is 50% of the entire board/counsel.  If the board has 11 members (even if some positions are vacant), the quorum is 6.
  
• Will you be discussing public business?
• If yes, you are having a meeting regardless of the intent to take action. 
• There is no legal distinctions between workshops, meetings, agenda setting sessions, informal gathering, if you are discussing or conducting public business.
• What might be outside the scope of a public meeting?
• Site visits - no discussion or deliberation. Only for gathering information.
  
• Retreat or educational seminar. Team building. Not there to discuss their own public interest.
  
• Attendance at committee meeting as a member of the public
  
• Social, e.g., holiday gatherings
• During the COVID pandemic, how a meeting was defined changed due to the Governor's Executive Orders and actions taken by the State Legislature. Given what we experienced during the pandemic, the question is whether some of those changes may become permanent.
• You cannot conduct a meeting by teleconference (phone) or email. Sharing information through email is appropriate. There should not be substantial deliberations via email.
• Notice of Every Meeting
• Time and place of the meeting
• Prior to every meeting
• To the media - local media must have notice that the meeting will occur
  
• Must be posted on a designated physical location
• On the website
• Must be given 72 hours for meetings schedule more than 1 week in advance
• For meeting on short notice, notice must be given to extend practicable.
• Do you need to meet quickly? What would the harm be if delayed?
• Minutes
• Must include motions, resolutions, votes
• Does not need to be a verbatim account of the meeting
• Does not need to include a summary of deliberations or public comments 
• Must be available within two weeks for open sessions, and within one week for executive sessions (if action taken).
• Does not matter whether minutes are unapproved or in draft form
• Nothing in the law states that minutes must be approved
• They must be made available upon request
• Recording
• Any meeting that is open to the public can be photographed, recorded, or broadcast
• Agency is not obligated to record
• Agency may establish reasonable rules to limit disruption
• Executive Session
• It is part of an open meeting
• Cannot be held prior to an open meeting
• It cannot be a separate session 
• Most have a motion
• Upon majority vote
• Specificity of the motion, signal proper purpose
• Discuss items that would be harmful if disclosed
• Cannot just say that you are entering an Executive Session for "personnel" matters. The wording needs to be more specific. (See the law)
• Public Participation
• Not required
• Can establish reasonable rules, e.g., time limits, limited to agenda items
  
• Implement fairly and consistently
• Hearings are not the same as meetings. There are other statutes that govern public hearings.
• Matters/Records Scheduled to be Discussed
• There is no obligation to prepare or follow an agenda
• Proposed resolutions, etc., shall be made available by required, prior to the meeting, or at the meeting
• Section 108 Exemptions for Meeting Behind Closed Doors
• Judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings
  
• Deliberations of political committees, conferences or caucuses - discussion must be limited to political business
  
• Any matter made confidential by federal or state law, e.g., meetings with agency attorney covered by attorney client privilege.
• Non-Compliance and Enforcement
• Enforcement is through the initiation of a CPLR Article 78 proceeding in State Supreme Court. The Court has authority to:
  
• Award costs and attorney's fees
• Invalidate action - likely if the violation is substantial
  
• Require training 

Questions

Some of these questions were specific to meetings being held during the pandemic.

• Must members of the public identify themselves when attending a meeting? No.
• Must members of the board/committee have cameras on at all times? In non-COVID times, yes.
• If a meeting is recorded in non-COVID times, the recording needs to be kept for 4 months. There is no obligation that a transcript be prepared.
• We note on our meeting minutes who from the public attended (which could be staff). Do we need to do that? This is not needed. Members of the public may not want to be listed.
• Under the Governor's Executive Order (during COVID), the transcripts created by Zoom, etc., are sufficient.
• Do attendees need to identify themselves? No. Attending a meeting cannot be conditional of identify yourself. 
• During COVID, you may collect this information for contract tracing.
• If the building has security procedures which require identification, that is different than open meeting law.
• Definition of committees:
• If the committee is comprised of only members of the larger body, it is subject to the Open Meeting Law.
• Advisory committees with mostly non-board members are not likely subject to Open Meeting Law.
• Committees subject to NYS statute are subject to Open Meeting Law.
• During COVID and the Governor's Executive Order, a committee can meet in person and give the public a remote option for attending. 
• The in-person gathering, under COVID, must be able to accommodate social distancing.
• Telephone meetings - less than a quorum - are allowed.
• If action is taken in Executive Session, your clerk should be present to record the action.
• If a virtual meeting is live-streamed (during COVID), the public can watch. They do not need to be able to make comments.

Final Thoughts

This was not my first training on open meeting law and likely will not be my last. (See NYLA2018 post, elective session script) While the law seems simple and it is easy to implement, it is hard because it means being very transparent and that can be awkward if people feel that they are discussing something sensitive like the budget. We need to keep in mind that being transparent is good for our communities.

The idea that a agenda does not need to be followed is liberating for me, but I also have learned that having a standard agenda is helpful for everyone involved. Personally I think the agenda should help the organization focus and be able to change when needed.

Personally, I appreciate minutes which capture some of the discussion. Why? Because I think it is important to know what was discussed.  I've been in groups where someone will say, "check the minutes" and then see that the minutes don't provide any clues about what was said.  I think minutes should be helpful and provide a historical record. But that's me and I know that it is more than what is needed. (Yes, I recognize that people can keep their own notes, but that doesn't help when everyone who was around when 'that thing happened' is gone.)

I've learned that even committees can have executive sessions. Useful and good to know.

In another training, I've learned that anyone can attend an open meeting, whether or not they live in that area.  In other words, there is no residency requirement. You might want to exclude someone, but you can't. 

Also interesting that you do not need to capture the name of everyone in attendance.  If it is your practice to capture everyone's name, a person can ask to be unnamed.

The meeting is for the board/committee that is meeting and it should be useful for them. Hearing from others - e.g., a time for receiving comments - is not needed. If a board decided to receive comments, it should do so in a consistent manor and only receive the comments and not get into a discussion.

BTW checking the advisory opinions, I see that adhering to Robert's Rules of Order is not in the law, although a body may adopt to use Robert's Rules or adopt another set of rules.

Finally, having gone through open meeting law training, I think the more people trained in it for a public body (e.g., board), the better.  That will help the public body consider and implement open meeting law well, even when being transparent is uncomfortable. Honestly, I keep learning new things about open meeting law and how to implement it, which means that there is much to consider in how it is applied.

#NYLA2021: Notes from Day 2 In-person Conference, Nov. 5

This year, the New York Library Association held its annual conference in both virtual (Oct. 28-29)and in-person (Nov. 3-6) day 2 of the in-person conference.

 

Friday I started with Trustees (Not In) Legal Jeopardy! with Stephanie "Cole" Adams, JD.  Adams did her session like the Jeopardy game show, with questions on the screen and the participants yelling out answers. Adams then would give us additional information.  That made the session a lot of fun and also hard to take notes.

Description:

Being a trustee takes dedication, awareness, and a willingness to learn the ropes of library and not-for-profit legal considerations. Since that is a lot of work, this session will make it fun, promoting awareness of the most critical aspects of library trustee ethics and responsibilities through a game-show format: "What is...a fiduciary?" "What is...a conflict of interest?" "What is...Director's & Officer's Insurance?"  You will wager all of your late fees as you test and build your trustee skills in this fun and highly informative session! (Non-trustees also welcome.)

Resources:

• NYS Charities Bureau.(2015) Right from the Start: Responsibilities of Directors of Not-For-Profit Corporations.
• U.S. Department of Labor. (2015) Fact Sheet #14A: Non-Profit Organizations and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). See section on volunteers.
• VIS. (2019) What Kinds of Insurance Coverage Should a Nonprofit or Volunteer-Driven Organization Have?  Adams suggested asking your insurance carrier what they provide.  In addition, she suggested that your insurance carrier might provide relevant training.
• Board Effect. (2018) The Importance of D&O Insurance for Nonprofit Boards. Check to see if 
  your board is already covered by D&O insurance, e.g., under your municipality.
• New York Consolidated Laws, Civil Practice Law and Rules - CVP § 4509. Library records. Adams asked that we consider what a library record is. 
• NYS Archives. Retention and Disposition Schedule for New York Local Government Records (LGS-1).
• Adams, Stephanie. (2021) Shared Vocabulary for a Supportive Workplace. (from her other NYLA 2021) [added 11/28/2021]
  

My last in-person session was Friendly Relationships, Working Together for the Library. I've already written about this session and you can read it here.

Final Thoughts

This was my first in-person conference since ALA Midwinter in January 2020.  If I had known that trip to Philly would be my last for many months, I would have enjoyed it more, which would have included eating more sticky buns! Since then I've attended many online events, including a number of conference, and have given webinars, conference presentations, and keynotes.  Our pivot to doing everything online wasn't always smooth, but we were able to do it...bumps and all. 

 

The in-person portion of the NYLA Annual Conference had to comply with rules for the convention center, which is a County facility. Those rules included wearing a mask at all times, except when eating.  In conference sessions, we sat 6 feet apart, which gave us space for our bags and backpacks (a positive). 

 

The conference made it easy for people to signal how comfortable they were with physical contact. A red ribbon on a person's badge meant they did not want any touching. A yellow ribbon, which I had, signaled elbow bumps. A green ribbon meant that handshakes and hugs were welcome.  I hope some version of this remains at conferences in the future, since I know that we all have different tolerances for hugs from colleagues we really don't know.

Reportedly there were 380 people registered for the in-person conference, plus those staffing the Trade Show. This is noticeably smaller than normal and fit with the rules of the convention center, which put a cap on how many people could attend. This made is a cozy conference, which I think people appreciated.

Next year's conference will be on  November 2-5, 2022 in Saratoga Springs.  That location attracts people from all across the state. Will there be an online component? Time will tell. I know it takes a tremendous effort to do a virtual conference, plus an in-person conference, plus on-demand sessions. NYLA will have to determine what is best for NYLA members and what it's conference budget can bear.

#NYLA2021: How to Hire and Inspire (and Occasionally Fire) Library Employees, Legally!

This year, the New York Library Association held its annual conference in both virtual (Oct. 28-29) and in-person (Nov. 3-6) formats, as well as having on-demand content. Below are notes from one of the virtual sessions.

Description

In this session, we will discuss a variety of employment law topics and the laws that govern them. Topics will include hiring and firing of employees, paid leave laws and policies, employee misconduct, discrimination and harassment, interpersonal conflict and bullying, wage and hour concerns, performance issues, safety concerns, and more. Using real world scenarios that arise in libraries, we will identify legal issues and plan practical approaches to resolving personnel problems. We will examine how federal and state employment laws and library policy work together, with a special focus on the requirements imposed by new legislation and recent court decisions.

Presenters

• Ellen M. Bach, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP 
• Robert T. Schofield, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP 

Notes

Bach & Schofield used hypothetical situations during this session. You will notice many questions below and not always a "do this." Also I was taking notes quickly, so there could be other laws which apply in these scenarios.

Hypothetical #1: Yes, the position sounds great...can I do it from home? The person has a child who learns from home virtually on some days.

Do you have an obligation under current law to hire this person and allow the person to work from home? Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FSCRA)? Not currently. NYS COVID leave law? But this is only during a quarantine or something else that sends the person home. And that is not remote work, but is paid leave.

But what if they ask was about accessibility and accommodations, and the person has documentation to support them working from home part-time? That changes the analysis. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and NYS Human Rights Law would cause you to engage with the person and see what is possible for that person to work from home.

What if the person's job is being done virtually, e.g., someone doing children's programming? How does that change the scenario for you?

Can you pay a bonus to help the person cover the cost of childcare, so the person will work in the office full-time? This would not be a gift, but paying something to get something.  A gift would be illegal for libraries who are receiving public funds.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policies apply to large association libraries (over 50 employees). FMLA applies to pubic libraries, but there are more technicalities. Take to HR or your attorney before you implement a policy.

A relevant opinion from the NYS Comptroller's Office is 91-32. It is not about a library, but Bob Schofield referenced it.

Hypothetical #2: Can't we just make the employee "on leave," leave?

What laws apply?

• Family and Medical Leave Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• NYS Human Rights Law
• Workers Compensation?
• Civil Service?

Is there a part for discipline? Is there a pathway towards a disability? You need to talk directly to the employee.  If the person will not talk with you, you need to send a letter and know that it has been received. Explain that the employee has been out without a basis for the absence. Establish that the person needs to have a conversation with you.  If the person does not talk with you and does not respond, you can send a follow-up letter with what the discipline is.

You might want the employee to talk with their doctor, with their job description in hand, to determine what accommodation the person needs in order to do their job.

Hypothetical #3: Go sleep at home...and don't come back? An employee seems to be sleeping at work and may have a mental health condition for which the person is taking medication.

Sleeping on a job - in a perfect world - is a fire-able offense. You would need to document the occurrences, as well as have counseled and disciplined the employee. You need written warnings and perhaps a last chance warning.

However, here there is rumor of a mental health condition. Is the condition or the medication causing the employee to fall asleep?  Don't assume a disability, but also don't hide your head in the sand. If you seem to know that there is a disability, the court will take that into account.

What laws apply?

• Family and Medical Leave Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• NYS Disability?
• Civil Service?

A disability issue is a big issue. Mental health and substance abuse issues are becoming a large part of Bach and Schofield's practice. 

Do not second guess medical professionals. You may need to ask additional questions, but don't assume the role of a doctor.

Question: We are an association library and are considering a retroactive raise this year at the end of the year. We also considering an equivalent of a week's pay at the end of the year. Are these OK? They are funded by a 414 levy. 

If they were not publicly funded, this would be fine. Private employers do this!

If it is a public library, you do not want to make a retroactive gift. You could make a longevity bonus, because you would get something (longevity) for the gift. 

The Comptroller does recognize that retroactive raise as the result of a collective bargaining settlement is fine.

Hiring Considerations:

• Think about the basic discrimination statutes.
• Consider blind reviews of resumes.
• Do not ask for medical, conviction, or salary history.
• Be careful with background sheets. Get all of the right consents.
• Be careful of asking questions that try to get at protected information in a round about why.
• Focus on the person's experience, etc.
• A person may volunteer information.

Hypothetical #4: The protected poor performer...  

If a person has voiced concerns about the workplace (harassment, etc.), the library director should have someone look into these allegations.  It should be an outsider who is skilled in handling these matters.

If two employees are not getting along, is there something that is actionable? An investigator may find there is none.

Be careful that you do not overlook discriminatory circumstances.

What laws apply?

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act?
  
• New York State Human Rights Law?
• National Labor Relations Act
• Education Law 226(7)
  

Communications through social media may be protected activities. The posts may be annoying, but you may not be able to do anything about it.

Employees need multiple places to report concerns, because the director might be the harasser or a friend of a harasser. A claim a discrimination made to the trustees needs to be given to someone who can dig into it.

Question: Can you elaborate more on when and how you can do background checks?

If you are going to do a background check, you need to receive consent from the employee. If you are going to use the information, perhaps not to hire the employee, you need to give the employee an opportunity to correct the information.

There are positions in libraries where you might want to do a background check. You should do it after you have made a hiring decision. Make a conditional offer and then do the background check. Does the nature of the conviction have a nexus with the requirements for the job?

Corrections Law and Human Rights Law comes into play.

Question: I have a plot twist with the association library wishing to pay retroactive raises or end of year additional week pay. The funds we would like to use this year are from the PPP/Cares Act grant from the federal government. This is the Paycheck Protection Program. Would this be allowed? 

Perhaps. Schofield would want to talk in detail with the client, to ensure that the money is segregated.

#NYLA2021: Notes from Day 1 In-person Conference, Nov. 4

This year, the New York Library Association held its annual conference in both virtual (Oct. 28-29)and in-person (Nov. 3-6) day 1 of the in-person conference.

The conference began - as it always does - with the NYLA Business Meeting and breakfast. For me, the most important item on the agenda was approval of the revised NYLA bylaws, because I had helped ot work on them.  Bylaws should be reviewed regularly and updated as needed. Unfortunately, the NYLA bylaws hadn't been touched in a while so an update was needed. NYLA members voted to adopt the new bylaws!

The roles of the conference facility were that we had to wear masks at all times, except when we were eating. For me, this cut down on the free food I was willing to eat, because that meant removing my mask.  In all of the sessions, people were spaced out (see photo above) to maintain social distancing. The exhibitors in the Trade Show area where also spaced out more for the same reason.

After the business meeting is the keynote speaker.  This year, the speaker was author Robert (Bob) Kolker, who wrote Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family (paid link). No notes can capture his ability to tell a story and the complexity of the real-life family in this book. The parents had 12 children (10 male, 2 female), with six of the males having schizophrenia. It is extremely rare to find Schizophrenia in that many siblings, which means that have been studied by medical researchers in order to learn more about this disorder. You can read about this book on the book website, NPR interview, and Forbes review.  It is a complex story and one that will likely draw the reader in. 

New York State Librarian Lauren Moore held a session entitled A New Way to RAC (Regents Advisory Council). The description was:

Building on the success of the Vision 2020 plan, RAC (Regents Advisory Council on Libraries) is looking at newer ways to improve services.  This program will include a discussion and we need your input.  The RAC Vision Plan 2020 presented strategic directions for New York's libraries and library systems and was developed in partnership with the state's library community.  It provided a clear vision of what excellent libraries should look like, and affirmed the ongoing value of the library system.

This was a brainstorming/feedback session, where Moore provided background on information being collected by RAC statewide, then asked for our input. We worked in small groups. 

The Regents Advisory Council thinks deeply about the needs of all type of libraries across NYS and provides information to the Board of Regents.  Having served on RAC, I think most people have no idea this group exists and how influential they can be.  It really behooves people - especially library staff - to know who represents their region on RAC and to help them think about the needs of libraries. Some members of RAC are not librarians, so giving them input can be quite helpful.

The last session I attended on Thursday was Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Toolbox with Kelly Harris and Trina Reed. The session description was:

In 2020 a group of library administrators from Nassau and Suffolk counties came together to address the issue of diversity, equity and inclusion in libraries. Together, they created a toolbox to empower libraries to give employees access to equal opportunities, no matter who they are or where they are from. Our goal is to educate, engage and create policies for staff, trustees and patrons to make libraries truly a place where everyone feels that they belong. The toolbox provides tips and templates to create policy, educate staff and trustees, and provide resources to help recruit and retain a diverse workforce.

A good portion of the content they covered can be found in the Nassau County Library Association The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Toolbox.

Additional Resources:

• An Essential Reading Guide For Fighting Racism (2020)
• How microaggressions are like mosquito bites
• 5 Tips For Being An Ally (2014)
  

And that was the end of day 1 in-person!

#NYLA2021: Fundraising Without Book Sales

This year, the New York Library Association held its annual conference in both virtual (Oct. 28-29) and in-person (Nov. 3-6) formats, as well as having on-demand content. Below are notes from one of the on-demand sessions.

Description

Friends groups are always searching for new ideas that go beyond the book sale. Come discover how our panelists are using new and trusted out-of-the-box thinking and creative ideas to redefine fundraising.

Speakers

• Emily Cullings, Friends of the Hampton Bays Library
• Mary Giardini, Friends of the Olean Public Library
• Helen Rados,  Friends of the Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library
• Kerstin Cruger,  Friends of Libraries Section (moderator)
  

 

Notes

Helen Rados 

• Pave the Way
• LilyDale Trip
• Holiday Cookie Bake Off
• Chair Auction 
• Commemorative Journals
• Taste of Sullivan County
• Gift cards donations from over 30 restaurants. 
• Make specific requests (e.g., $25 gift certificate). 
  
• Restaurants were given a decal marking them as a participant. 
• Gift cards were bundled to make four unique prizes worth $500, $200, and $100 (x2). 
• Friends members and local businesses sold tickets (1 for $5.00 or 6 for $20.00).
• Told restaurants what was in it for them. They were seen as "proud contributors."
• When approaching the restaurants, they talked with the owner or manager.
  
• One of the benefits was raising library awareness.
• Tried to keep costs low by having local businesses donate printing, etc. or provide those services at a low cost. 
• Prize totals, etc., all depend on how many donations are obtained.
• They do this every other year.
• Do check with NYS Gaming Commission on raffles as well as local laws/guidelines.  Make sure you are compliant.

Mary Giardini

• "Our Library Can Read Between the Wines"
  
• Got the idea from Cuba, NY. 
• Olean Friends only had been doing author receptions.
• Did both a wine tasting and a beer tasting, six months apart.
• The wine tasting was 7:00-9:00 p.m. on a Friday night in the library. Having it in the library allowed them to show of recent library reservations.
  
• Tickets were $20/each or $35 for two, purchased in advanced.
  
• Had wine tasting and an educational talk from a sommelier. Sommelier did two talks in the gallery room.
• Also had a basket raffle. (25 baskets)
  
• Had light appetizers (donated by the friends) and non-alcoholic options.
• Did constant communications with her committee members.
• Contacted all of the wineries within 1-2 hours drive by letter and received zero responses. A friend - former bartender - drove to wineries and asked in person, and he was able to get wine donations.
• Created pouring stations using tables already in the library. Decorated the tables with existing materials and with rented materials. Rented wine glasses.
• Had about 100 guests.
• At the end, gave thanks, made announcements, and ensured people were able to get home (e.g., Uber, Lyft).
• For this event, needed approval from the Board of Trustees and the library's insurer.
• Workers need TIP training, which is good for three years. ($40 per person)
• They hired a professional security guard.
• Had to get a liquor license.
• Considered different music options.
• Used social media and other options for advertising.
• Their first event brought in over $3000 in total.  It also brought people into the library, who had not done so in a long time.
• They learned from their events and made changes over time.
  

Emily Cullings

• They decided to do a calendar fundraiser, which was an idea they got from other library.
• Wanted to do a 2021 calendar, but produce it in summer 2020 so it could be sold to tourists.
• They reached out to photographers on Facebook and received a good response.
• However...then the pandemic happened. They decided to highlight local businesses and first responders in the photos.
• They went to every store and restaurant. A business photo could be in the calendar for $25. (This covered their cost.)
  
• They also asked that businesses wanted to buy calendars to sell in their businesses, but that didn't work.
• The businesses that said "yes" were indeed very local businesses. The friends made better connections with these businesses.
• The calendar also had a page about the library and a page about the friends group. 
• There were also a couple pages dedicated to highlighting local first responders. This helped them build relationships with them.
• There was a page decided to the local schools.
• They stapled their membership form in the middle of the calendar. It did yield a few new members.
  
• The created the calendar online and used an online printing service, which was cost effective. Someone in the friends, who was tech savvy, was able to help with the production.
• They bought 500 calendars. Sold about 200 at $10/piece.
• For 2021-2022 they are doing different photography (more scenic). Business donors gave $100 each to sponsor a page, as well as sponsors on the back page.  These sponsors covered the cost of production.
• 16 month calendar.
• Giving partial proceeds to the photographer, which had previously been in a life altering accident.
• Calendars will be sold in a variety of different ways, including at local grocery stores.
  
• $12/each.
• Calendars are a lot of work, but she says the work is worth it, because they built new connections in their community as well as raising funds.
  

Questions

How do you define a successful funding raising program? 

• How much money raised
• Visibility of the library and friends increased
• New friends members - active members
• Get new people on their mailing list
• Making community connections
  

Advice to other friends groups?

• Get out there so the friends group is not a secret anymore.
• Allow the friends to brainstorm ideas without immediately dismissing ideas.
• Get all of the friends involved in the ideas.
• Don't expect that the event will go as envisioned. Be adaptable. 
• Don't try to control everything. 
• Leave your ego out of it. 
• Delegate and coordinate.
  
• Give people tasks within their range of abilities.

#NYLA2021: Community Partnership Social Workers in Libraries

This year, the New York Library Association held its annual conference in both virtual (Oct. 28-29) and in-person (Nov. 3-6) formats, as well as having on-demand content. Below are notes from one of the virtual sessions.

Description

Middle Country Public Library (MCPL) welcomed a licensed social worker into their service model over 15 years ago and has sustained this model through deep community partnership.  Learn about how this model has been so successful in forging new relationships and meeting patron needs. Meet our licensed social worker who will talk about the types of services she can offer with her professional training and how these services work within a public library. Kristen Todd-Wurm, National Coordinator for Family Place Libraries will talk about how the library set up and sustained this ongoing beneficial relationship over the years.

Speaker

Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library (MCPL). She is the National Coordinator for Family Place Libraries. Her title for this talk was "Expanding Library Services with Social Workers."

Notes

I've organized these notes around a list Todd-Wurm had at the end of her talk.

Assess the need in your community 

Parents, seniors, teens, children, and adults -- What stressors are we seeing in our libraries for these groups? 

Librarians are not equipped to help people with all of the needs that they have. 18 years ago, MCPL realized that it needed to help community members with their stressors.

Poverty in NYS is at 15.1%.  Poverty by race: 

• 9.8%White NYers
• 22.5% Black NYers
• 24.4% Hispanic NYers.

A living wage for one adult and one child household, $36/hr.

What can we do? Libraries are always changing to meet our community needs.

What limitations do libraries face in addressing the se needs?

• Not sure it falls under library purview
• Lack of funding - partner with county services. look for grant funding
• Lack of staff - no more work by staff than usual
• Lack of space - a private space for meeting. A filing cabinet that locks (to comply with HIPPA/ Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Ac), phone, and computer.
• Lack of staff expertise - the social worker brings expertise.
• Attitude of staff, administration, and community - This isn't want libraries do? Look for grants so it is not all out of library funds.

Identify potential health and human service partners

How can libraries be part of the solution to some of these issues without doing it all on their own?

• Partnership!
• MCPL worked with an agency who could hire and supervise social workers
• The partnership helps the agency gain access to more people who need their services. People who need help may be more comfortable coming to a library.
  
• Work cooperatively.
• Planning is important, so you can find adequate funding and structure the services. 

MCPL has a social worker for 15 hours per week with those hours varied across days. Yes, they have turnover often because social workers obtain a full-time position.

The outside organizations captures statistics and helps the library show the need in the community.

Get administration support

Understand what roles will need to be filled by library staff and administration.

• Liaison
• Scheduler
• Staff can make appointments for people. They ask for very limited info from people (initials).
  
• Outreach in the community and in the library
• Publicity - on social media and through other agencies
• Grant writer / grant reporter
• Interviewer of potential new social work hires
  
• Fiscal agent - for MCPL this is done by Family Services which works with them as their fiscal agent

Meet with a prospective partner and present proof. Work towards a win-win.

Develop a memorandum of understanding with your partner(s). Document each organization's responsibilities, as well as the library's responsibilities.

 

Identify and solicit funds.

MCPL is building some funding into their programming budget to help sustain this service, because they want to be able to continue during years when grants are not a prevalent.

Funders also appreciate seeing  a breath of funding sources. They don't want you to rely on one source.

Setup space, etc. See info above on what is needed.

 

Create and disseminate publicity.

 

Engage in ongoing communications

• Regularly scheduled meetings between the library and its partners
  
• Share ideas
  
• Identify trends
• Keep minutes
  
• Administrative level communication 
• Fiscal issues
• Personnel
• Future plans

Engage and educate library staff.

Do outreach to community agencies.

Other

Best Practices:

• Periodic meetings of everyone involved
  
• Social worker schedules that balance client sessions with time to do outreach
• Family centers are most effective when there is designated library staff/liaison

Evolution? More services and programs to address:

• Homing insecurity (homelessness) - at Riverhead Library they've implemented a "I Can do This" Group.
  
• Food insecurity - added the Long Island Cares Mobile Food Van
  
• Gang recruitment - have a social worker interacting directly with teens. Help parents recognize the signs of gang recruitment.
  
• Immigration - started a "Amigas Latinas" group

Final Thoughts

First, this session related to the NYLA 2018 keynote, Our Voices Together: How Conversations Create Change.

Second, given what our communities have been through in 2020 and 2021, I hope more public libraries - and perhaps K-12 and academic libraries - will have social workers available in their buildings. Doing so could be a huge help to our communities.

#NYLA2021: Friendly Relationships, Working Together for the Library

This year, the New York Library Association held its annual conference in both virtual (Oct. 28-29) and in-person (Nov. 3-6) formats, as well as having on-demand content. Below are notes from one of the in-person sessions.

Description

Friends of the Library can be valuable members of the library team. Trustees provide governance, library directors manage the operations of the library, and a Friends group provides an opportunity for citizen volunteers to give support and financial assistance. All parties in this alliance need to understand their well-defined responsibilities and the limits of their roles. Frequent, clear, and open communication is the key to a successful partnership, along with joint planning sessions and establishing an operating agreement to address the needs and expectations of all. Robust, positive relationships between these key players will impact customer satisfaction and achieve long-term goals, helping libraries to be strong and resilient. Our panelists from the Hamilton Public Library will share ways their Friends, director, and trustees work together successfully.

Speakers

• Travis Olivera, Library Director, Hamilton Public Library
  
• Diane Finch, Board member, Friends of the Hamilton Public Library 
• David Hopper, Member of the friends, Hamilton Public Library 

Notes

The three speakers interacted well with each other and provided a lot of information.  I did not capture everything they said. 

• Note that the Hamilton (NY) Public Library website contains information about their friends group. 
• Friends help the library with items that are "beyond the scope of normal funding."
• Someone gave the example of a friends group providing funding towards digital resources for their library system, which benefited their library.
  
• Friends do not have their own agenda. They are a booster club for the library.
• The friends group should consider whether it needs to have its own insurance.
• Friends may be asked to have a representative on the search committee for a new executive director. Why is this important? The friends will interact with that person frequently. The director needs to work well with the friends group,
• Friends should have a newsletter which talks about what they are doing.
• Among the things that a friends group might do is to fund snacks and thank yous for the library staff.
• What can the library do for its friends group? 
• Provide physical space which the friends can use. They did state that sometimes a friends group - especially if the group does book sales - may need more space than the library can provide.
• Provide advice and act as an intermediary.
• Promote what the friends are doing through the library's website, social media, and/or newsletter.
• Allow the friends group to use the library's mailing address. 
• The library may understand purchasing better than the friends, so when possible help the friends with their purchases.
• Include information in the library's annual report about what the friends have done. (example)
  
• The friends need to focus on library programs only. They are the friends of the library, not the friends of some other group.
• The friends need to have a memorandum of understanding with the library and the library's board of trustees. The friends should also have written policies.  The speakers noted that they are putting various documents in place now.
  
• Recruit friends from frequent patrons.

Final Thoughts

Good to hear these three talk about their friends group. While some of the information overlapped with other friends sessions I've attended, some tidbits were new. That's a good reminder that there is always something new to learn! 

I hope they will speak again at NYLA once they have created all of the documents they mentioned (bylaw, etc.). I think that could be an important update to this session.