Director Briefing - December 11, 2023

Library Card Order from Kelly

Hello Everyone,

I will be placing a library card order at the end of December. Please check your supply and plan accordingly as we only place orders twice a year (I will not be ordering again until June 2024).

There are 3 products to choose from: cards, keytags, and card/keytag combo. The vendor requests a minimum quantity of 250 per product per library.

Please complete the order form using the link below and submit your order no later than Friday, December 22, 2023.

https://docs.owwl.org/Members/LibraryCardPurchase

I have already received orders from Arcade and Newark, so these libraries do not need to submit another order.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Update on New York's Project Salary Level for Exemption

A few weeks ago, the Director Briefing had a section about the Estimated Exempt Salary Level Increases, the updated proposed amount was became slightly less last week. For our area, the exemption salary is set to be $1,124.20 per week ($58,458.40 per year) starting on January 1, 2024.

The NY DOL will either make amendments or approve this amount over the next month.

Source: https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2023/09/mw-orders-update-9.20.23.pdf

This Week in OSC Audits

Audit	Key Findings	Recommendations	Lessons for Libraries
Village of Schaghticoke – Board Oversight (2023M-78)	The Board did not provide adequate oversight of financial operations. As a result, the Board cannot be sure it has accurate financial information to make decisions and gauge the Village’s financial condition. The Board did not: Establish controls or other oversight procedures to compensate for the Clerk-Treasurer performing all functions of the financial and recordkeeping duties. Audit the Clerk-Treasurer’s records and reports for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2022.	Establish compensating controls, including periodically reviewing bank statements, cancelled check images and bank reconciliations prepared by the Clerk-Treasurer. Annually audit the Clerk-Treasurer’s records and reports.	Libraries must have established financial control policies to protect public assets.
Putnam Northern Westchester County Board of Cooperative Educational Services – Overtime (2023M-82)	The Board of Education (Board) did not always ensure non-instructional employee overtime was properly monitored, approved or calculated. The 15 highest overtime earners received overtime totaling $254,820 during the audit period. Our review determined BOCES officials may have been able to reduce overtime by up to $28,337, or almost 11 percent. BOCES officials: Paid a total of $66,295 to 13 employees for work on Saturdays that included $22,091 additional pay for working overtime on a Saturday. However, the BOCES Classified Employees’ Association collective bargaining agreement (CBA) supports a Tuesday through Saturday work week. Therefore, this overtime may have been avoided if some employees worked Tuesday through Saturday, as outlined by the CBA. Paid $5,445 to employees who charged a full day to their leave accruals while working a partial day. Had employees only charged leave for the hours not worked, the overtime payments may have been avoided or reduced. Made overtime calculation errors totaling $408 and paid $393 in overtime that was not approved.	Adopt written policies and procedures to convey management’s expectations for reviewing, approving and supporting overtime. Ensure overtime is properly monitored.	All employees who work more than 40 hours in any given week must be paid overtime (including non-exempt directors). The library should have a policy for overtime.
Town of Colesville – Procurement (2023M-92)	Officials did not always use a competitive process when purchasing goods or services and some officials were unfamiliar with the Town’s procurement policy requirements. Of the 28 purchases reviewed totaling $1.2 million, officials did not properly seek competition for three purchases totaling $170,575.	Comply with Board policies and statutes when procuring goods and services. Retain adequate documentation of actions taken when procuring goods and services.	Libraries must have a board approved procurement policy and collect supporting documentation for purchases.