Director Briefing - April 22, 2024

First Amendment Audits and Protests in Libraries

Concern over First Amendment Audits and protests in libraries have been brewing again, so now is a great time to make sure your library is prepared for situations like this.

Feel free to review the "'First Amendment Audit' Public Library Response Policy" that Stephanie Cole Adams, Esq, drafted for us back in 2021. This policy draft can be customized to your library's needs, and covers recording in the library, a template for handling a conversation with "First Amendment Auditors," and policy notes from Cole herself.

Make sure your Code of Conduct, Meeting Room, Video Recording, Collection Development, and Disaster Policies are current and clearly outline appropriate behavior.

SAM Renewal Scam Email

Kelsy would like to share a new SAM (System for Award Management) scam email that a couple of Directors have received. Be on the lookout, especially those who will be applying for State Aid for Library Construction soon. If you are unsure whether an email might be spam, don't hesitate to forward it to support@owwl.org.

From Kelsy:

We have been notified by a couple directors that they are starting to see an increase in SAM (System for Award Management) renewal scam emails, so I wanted to send out an alert about this.

It doesn't cost anything to renew your SAM account, and you should only renew on the official SAM.gov website. If you receive an email about your SAM account from a .com email address, that is a telltale sign that the company is not affiliated with the government and wants you to pay them to help you renew your account. Again, renewing is free, so these services are unnecessary.

Here's an example of one email a director received. Note that this email has a disclaimer about their services at the bottom of the message.

And here is a separate email received by another director. This one has no disclaimer and seems to be trying to pass the company off as more official.

If you receive similar emails, you can mark them as spam or delete them. As always, if you are ever unsure about an email, forward it to support@owwl.org and we will take a look.

National Black Authors Day

Shamika from Livonia will be on a panel of Black librarians for the 2nd annual National Black Authors Day, held at the Blackbox Theatre in Rochester on Saturday, May 4 from 11am - 2pm.

This sounds like a great event, with free books, author readings, and Q&A sessions.

Good luck, Shamika!

Tickets

This Week in OSC Audits

Audit	Key Findings	Takeaways for Libraries
Village of Corinth	Village officials did not develop and manage a comprehensive investment program. During the 12-month audit period, the Village earned $1,516 from money on deposit in the Village’s two checking accounts, which had an average monthly available balance of $4.8 million. Had officials considered other legally permissible investment options, the Village may have earned an additional $148,755 in interest earnings. Village officials did not: Solicit interest rate quotes or prepare monthly cash flow forecasts. Consider other legally authorized investment options when investing available funds.	Review Investment Policies (must be updated annually).
Village of Hunter	The Board and Clerk-Treasurer did not properly manage Village financial operations. The Board did not provide oversight and the Clerk-Treasurer did not perform all required duties. The Board did not: Ensure Board actions were captured in the Village record and transparent to the public, Establish controls to address the lack of segregation of the Clerk-Treasurer’s duties, Provide oversight of the Clerk-Treasurer’s payroll, or Perform required annual audits of the Clerk- Treasurer’s reports and records. The Clerk-Treasurer did not: Prepare or maintain Board meeting minutes, Maintain supporting documentation for deposits, Prepare abstracts for payment of claims, Make timely deposits, or File annual financial reports with the Office of the State Comptroller. The Clerk-Treasurer also was paid $34,988 without support or approval over a two-year period for overtime ($32,462) and unused leave time ($2,526). The lack of oversight and disorganization at the Village office could allow for funds to be misappropriated without detection or correction.	Review Financial Policies for appropriate checks and balances. All bills/expenditures must be reviewed and approved by the Board prior to payment (except for a select few items that would accrue interest of penalties). Be sure the library is filing the Annual Financial Report (AFR), 990 (for 501c3 libraries), and/or compliance forms with the OSC.
Town of LaGrange	The Board did not develop a multiyear financial plan or manage general fund balance in accordance with Town policy. As of December 31, 2022, the general unassigned fund balance was $3.3 million, or 51 percent of the ensuing year’s budgeted appropriations, which exceeded the Town’s fund balance policy limit by more than $725,000.	All Reserves must be noted in a Reserve Fund Policy. Libraries should be cautious of having reserves in excess of their annual operating budget.
Newcomb Central School District	District claims were not properly audited in accordance with New York State Education Law (Education Law) Section 1724 prior to payment. We reviewed 90 claims totaling $1.3 million and determined the Board of Education (Board) did not ensure 60 claims totaling $1.2 million were audited and approved before payment.	Review Financial Policies for appropriate checks and balances. All bills/expenditures must be reviewed and approved by the Board prior to payment (except for a select few items that would accrue interest of penalties). Be sure the library is filing the Annual Financial Report (AFR), 990 (for 501c3 libraries), and/or compliance forms with the OSC.

Reruns

2024 Continuing Education Scholarships

The OWWL Library System will award six Continuing Education Scholarships up to $900 each to the New York Library Association Annual Conference and Trade Show at the Oncenter in Syracuse, November 6-9, 2024.

Application is open to member library staff who have demonstrated a commitment to professional development and supporting their library community. Click here for more information. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 3, 2024.

Save the Date / Call for "How To" Proposals

The third Small Libraries Summer Symposium will be held at the OWWL Library System headquarters on Friday, July 12, 2024.

We are now accepting "How To" program proposals for the symposium. "How To" proposals should offers practical skills, programs, or services that can be taught in a 20-minute session. It’s a fun way to learn something new from real library experiences!

Click here for the application. The deadline to submit is Thursday, May 2. Accepted programs will be notified the first week in May; conference registration will open Monday, May 13.

RRLC is Now Accepting Nominations

Library of the Year This year, the nominations for the RRLC Library of the Year Award come from you, library staff! Nominations must be self-submitted by library staff and from any RRLC public, school, academic, or special library. Library staff may submit one nomination per library.*Click here to learn more and nominate your library!*

Library All Star Do you know of a library staff member that deserves recognition for their outstanding service? Staff at RRLC member libraries are invited to nominate their colleagues to be chosen as a RRLC 2024 Library All Star!*Click here to learn more and nominate your Library All Star!*

Library Award winners will be chosen by the RRLC Board of Trustees in June. Awardees will be honored and invited to attend the RRLC legislative event this coming fall. All nominations must be received by April 24, 2024.

Apply Now: Harold Hacker Fund for the Advancement of Libraries Grant

Each year Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library (FFRPL) offer a grant opportunity for Rochester area libraries through the Harold Hacker Fund for the Advancement of Libraries. This grant opportunity is open to all RRLC member libraries and library systems, all OWWL Library System libraries, and all Monroe County Library System libraries.

Funding will be available for projects that meet the following areas:

• To further education and professional development for librarians and library staff throughout the five-county region served by Rochester Regional Library Council.
• To further innovative library projects and programs at RRLC member libraries and the Monroe County Library and OWWL Library Systems and their member libraries.

Application deadline is May 1, 2024.Click here to learn more.

System Workshops, Meetings, and Events

Upcoming System-sponsored workshops, meetings, and info sessions:

• Spring Holdings Staff Workshop Tuesday, April 30 @ 10am (online)
  
• Going the Extra Mile: Making Your Library ADA-Friendly Instead of ADA-Compliant Thursday, May 2 @ 10am (online)
• OWWL Library System Board Meeting Wednesday, May 8 @ 5pm (hybrid)
• Teaching Technology at Your Library Tuesday, May 14 @ 2pm (online)
• Working with the Board, Director, Staff, and Friends Wednesday, May 15 @ 5pm (hybrid; in-person held at Sodus Community Library)
• Teaching Technology at Your Library Thursday, May 18 @ 10am (online)
• Women's Leadership Book Discussion Tuesday, May 21 @ 3pm (in-person)

Click here to visit our NEW calendar. Kindly preregister for events.

Other Workshops, Meetings, and Events

• DLD/NYSL Understanding SEQR (and SEAF): A Primer for Library Construction Projects Monday, April 22 @ 2pm (online)
• LILRC LGBTQ Cultural Awareness Friday, June 21 @ 11am (online)