Director Briefing - December 27, 2022

OWWL.org Website Launch

The long-anticipated update to our OWWL.org site is scheduled to launch this week! Patrons and staff should not have any difficulty with the shift. The search function of the catalog operates the same way, with the search box placed prominently at the top of the site. To access OWWL Docs and Staff Email accounts, staff can use the same URLs that have been in place (https://docs.owwl.org and https://mail.owwl.org).

Consumer Reports, Mango Languages, and the OWWL App Go Live with the Website

Along with the launch of the new website, the System's subscription to Consumer Reports, Mango Languages, and the OWWL Android and iPhone App will be live once the site launches.

We will post on social media in the new year with approved advertising. Once those are sent via the System's Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts, your library is welcome to share locally.

2023 Advocacy

We've been meeting with legislators and prepping for 2023 Advocacy Day (February 28, 2023). There will not be a bus this year and I am unsure how many of our legislators will be available on February 28, so the in-district visits are incredibly important this year. We have two left, Assemblywoman Marjorie Byrnes will be today at 1 PM and Senator Helming will be on January 10.

System Board Meeting Follow-Up

Highlights from December 14, 2023 System Board Meeting

• Subrata Paul (Wayne County) and Judith McKinney (Ontario County) took their oaths of office to serve on the System Board from January 2023-December 2025.
• System Bylaws were amended to allow a change in representation - the System Board now has one representative from each county, one Central Library representative, and four at-large representatives from anywhere in the System.
• 2022 System Satisfaction Survey Results
• Updates to the System Policy Manual
  • Corrections to the Open Meeting Policy
  • Amendments to the Resolution on Fines and Fees as a form of Social Inequity
• Discussed the Draft Data Breach Policy
• Approved the 2023 Slate of Officers, Committee Assignments, Claims Auditor, and Organizational Actions
• Approved the 2023 Cost and Services to Member Libraries Document (formerly the Fees and Grants Document)
• Approved the Junior Systems Administrator Job Description (a new position we will be hiring for in 2023)
• Executive Director's 2022 Evaluation
• Other items can be found in the Meeting Agenda and Meeting Minutes.

RRLC Annual Report

The Rochester Regional Library Council sent along its Annual Report and Member Value Report.

As we quickly will come to the end of 2022 we would like to share with you both the RRLC Annual Report as well as your RRLC Member Value Report. The Member Value Report serves to highlight RRLC services that you and your organization are currently using while also describing services that could be of potential benefit in the future. Please reach out if you have any questions about any of these services.

We value your membership and we look forward to supporting you in the coming year as you continue to collaborate and enhance the Rochester area library community.

• RRLC 2021-2022 Annual Report
• Member Value Report

New York Requires Employers to Provide Electronic Versions of Mandatory Workplace Postings

On December 16, 2022, Governor Hochul signed a bill that amends Section 201 of the New York Labor Law (NYLL) and requires employers to make mandatory workplace postings available to applicants and employees electronically. The bill became effective immediately upon the governor’s signature.

§ 201. Laws and orders to be posted. Wherever persons are employed who are affected by the provisions of this chapter or of the industrial code, the commissioner shall furnish to the employer copies or abstracts of such provisions, rules and orders as he may deem necessary affecting such persons. The copies or abstracts shall be in such language as the commissioner may require and shall be kept posted by the employer in a conspicuous place on each floor of the premises. Digital versions of such copies and abstracts shall also be made available through the employer's website or by email. Employers shall provide notice that documents required for physical posting are also available electronically. All other documents required to be physically posted at a worksite pursuant to state or federal law or regulation shall also be made electronically available in the manner described pursuant to this section. Source: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/LAB/201

Labor Law Section 201 mandates that employers post certain legal notices provided by the NY Commissioner of Labor in a conspicuous place on each floor of their premises. The amendment requires that in addition to posting physical notices, digital versions of applicable federal and state notices must also be made available through the employer’s website or by email. The electronic posting requirement will apply to all documents required to be posted at a worksite under state and federal law or regulation.

HR Works, the consulting firm we use, posted this helpful article.

Question of the Week from WNYLRC Ask a Lawyer

In the recent email update from the WNYLRC's Ask a Lawyer, the following question was posed: "Can we use the email addresses of our patrons from our ILS patron database to send a donation request for our association library's annual fundraising drive? We would exclude requests to minor patrons."

https://www.wnylrc.org/ask-the-lawyer/raqs/296

I was excited to see this answer because we have been asked the same question many times over the years. While each System handles this differently, our response was to develop the Systems Access Policy to support our feeling that it does not matter who owns the data. What matters is the responsibility we have as libraries to protect patron information. This is why we no longer run reports that will be used outside of the general operation of the library.

Our ILS does not have the capability for patrons to opt into consent-driven mailing lists. However, libraries are more than welcome to set up a local database by asking patrons to opt in. If you are considering this option, be sure to adopt the appropriate safeguards and policies that govern the use of those lists. Local lists would not fall under the protections from the System's policies. Libraries are subject to data privacy laws, including the SHIELD Act, and other laws dictating privacy in New York.

Privacy and data are complex arenas for libraries to operate in, but we must make sure we uphold state laws as well as our responsibilities to patrons.

Before this question was published, we had our Systems Access and Confidentiality of Library Records Policy reviewed by our attorney to make sure it was legally sound. The only suggestion was to add an FAQ section to help better explain the policy. While we are confident that all laws and obligations are being upheld with this policy version, we plan to take our attorney's advice and develop the FAQ section in 2023 to help further explain how the policy impacts libraries and the data they are entrusted with.