Director Briefing - January 22, 2024

Employee Handbook 2024 Legal Updates

In 2022, we provided an Employee Handbook that could be modified for your library to cover all the required/legal personnel policies. This year, we are supplying the required 2024 legal updates.

If your library used the Employee Handbook Template, you should update the policies in the HR Works 2024 Legal Updates (included in the link below). After that, have your Personnel Committee review and the full Board approve the updated handbook.

2024 Legal Updates and Instructions for Handbook

Visit https://docs.owwl.org/Community/EmployeeHandbookTemplateProject for the original Employee Handbook as well as the legal updates.

Please note that organizations are legally required to have these policies according to the NY DOL and Minimum Standards for Libraries.

Executive Budget Update

Governor Hochul’s budget book has been released and it includes an increase in Library Operating Aid to $102.1M, the same level of Construction Aid as last year ($35M), and $3M for NOVELNY.

I do not remember a time when the Executive Budget did not include a cut for libraries, so I'm pretty excited about what this means for our 2024 advocacy initiatives.

"Support for Libraries. The Executive Budget supports public libraries by providing $102.1 million of Library Aid, a $2.5 million increase over FY 2024 Enacted Budget levels, and $34 million for Library Construction to fund various capital projects. In addition, the Executive Budget appropriates $3 million to ensure continued access to the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library (NOVELny), a free online library of magazines, newspapers, maps, charts, research, and reference books available to all New Yorkers.”

Update Library Mileage Reimbursement

On December 14, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced the 2024 standard mileage rate. The increase began on January 1 and raised the rate from 65.5 cents per mile to 67 cents per mile. When your library reimburses staff for mileage, be sure to use the new rate.

Source: IRS issues standard mileage rates for 2024; mileage rate increases to 67 cents a mile, up 1.5 cents from 2023

State Aid for Library Construction Info Session

Join us for an information session regarding the State Aid for Library Construction program. It is recommended that any libraries considering projects over the next few years should attend. We’ll review eligible projects, the procedure to apply, updates from the NYS Division of Library Development, and the approximate timeline of the FY 2025 grant cycle.

Click here to register.