Director Briefing - June 10, 2024

2024 RRLC Library of the Year and Library All Stars

Congratulations to Naples Library for winning RRLC 2024 Public Library of the Year! Way to go, Kendyl!

Also, congratulations to both Brandi Rozelle from Geneva and Sara Schlinger from Livonia for winning RRLC 2024 Library All Stars!

Read more here.

Strategic Planning Survey

The System's 2022-2024 Strategic Plan is coming to a close! This upcoming 2025-2026 Strategic Plan will bring us to the end of our 2022-2026 Plan of Service, which is submitted to the Department of Library Development. In preparation for both Plans, we hope you will share your feedback via the Strategic Planning Survey linked below. The five-question survey asks about accomplishments and challenges your library has faced over the past few years.

Although I can't promise to address everything in the survey, your input is incredibly valuable as we craft the Plans that will ultimately benefit the whole System.

Access the Strategic Planning Survey here.

Thank you for your insight and time!

Update to Mediated Computer Purchasing

Bob sent this update out to Directors last week about availability and price increases:

Dell is in the process of upgrading their models and pricing (again).

• Desktop's are now Optiplex 7020's with a $23 cost increase.
• The All-In-One's are now Optiplex 7420's. Because these can be fragile when moved I have added 3 year accidental damage. The result is an $18 cost reduction.
• Laptops are currently unavailable while Dell updates their site. No ETA on the update.
• The low cost OPAC/Self Check computers are no longer an option. There is just nothing else I can remove to reduce the price.

While the order form is available, I would recommend waiting until July before placing any orders. Prices and availability will likely change in the coming weeks.

The new order form is dated 6/07/2024.

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

Please share with staff members that order computers and let me know if you have any questions.

Libraries for the Future: An Introduction to Sustainability as the Newest Core Value

The next Trustee Handbook Book Club is scheduled for Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at 5 PM. Details and registration are below. 

Join co-author of the Handbook For Library Trustees of New York State Rebekkah Smith Aldrich and friends for this fun and informative series! At each session, trustees will take a deeper dive on a topic relevant to their role and responsibilities as a library trustee.

Click here to register .

This Week in OSC Audits

Audit	Key Findings	Takeaways for Libraries
Village of Airmont	The Board did not audit claims before payment to ensure that claims were for appropriate Village purposes, accurate, and adequately supported. As a result, we identified potential overpayments, and claims with insufficient documentation to ensure they were appropriate. One member of the Village Board would not respond to our emails. We reviewed 30 claims totaling $883,765 of the $3.3 million in claims paid during the audit period and determined that none of these claims were audited by the Board. In addition: One vendor was potentially overpaid $36,905 for snow plowing services due to the vendor’s use of the higher year-end Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate instead of the monthly CPI rate. Six claims totaling $42,406 did not comply with the Village’s purchasing policy. These claims also did not contain sufficiently supported documentation to ensure claims were appropriate, accurate and approved.	Libraries must have a Claims Auditing Policy and a procedure they follow. All claims must be reviewed and approved by the full board.
Town of Byron	The Town Board (Board) and Town officials did not always comply with GML Section 103 and the Town’s procurement policy. Had Town officials complied, they may have saved money by using a State fuel contract and may have paid less for other goods and services. The Board and Town officials: Procured fuel totaling $59,795 without obtaining competitive bids as required by GML Section 103 and the Town’s procurement policy. Furthermore, the Town paid approximately $4,000 more than the State contract price for the more than 16,700 gallons purchased during our audit period. Did not obtain quotes or request proposals in accordance with the Town’s procurement policy for 10 purchases totaling $68,103. Did not use request for proposals (RFPs) or another competitive process to procure services from seven professional service providers totaling $630,336.	Libraries must have a Procurement Policy that upholds General Municipal Law and follow the procedure when purchasing goods or services for the library.
Town of Exeter	The Supervisor did not maintain complete, accurate and timely financial records and reports, which hindered the Board from monitoring the Town’s financial condition. While revenues and expenditures were recorded accurately and in a timely manner, balance sheet accounts were not properly maintained due to carrying over unsupported balances for interfund activity, receivables and cash balances from prior years. As a result, the general fund balance was overstated by $81,929. Annual financial reports (AFRs) have not been filed since 2016, as required by New York State General Municipal Law (GML) Section 30. The Supervisor did not provide the Board with his records for audit, as required by New York State Town Law (Town Law) Section 123. The issues identified may have been detected if the Supervisor presented his accounting records to the Board and the Board conducted the required annual audit of the Supervisor’s records.	All purchases must have supporting documentation to maintain the library's financial records. Libraries need to file their AFRs on an annual basis.

HBR: Tip of the Day

Working for an Overly Critical Manager

Do you work for an overly critical boss? When every task seems to invite scrutiny, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and demoralized. But you’re not powerless. Here’s how to manage up effectively and reduce the emotional toll of chronic criticism.

View feedback as engagement. Your boss’s criticism means they’re invested in your work. Separate their tone from what they’re saying to extract insights that could actually be valuable. Translate harsh words like “This is unacceptable” to “There are issues to address” in your mind.

Get ahead of their negativity. Proactively seek your boss’s input. Before starting a project, ask for their thoughts, then show them rough drafts early on to capture their expectations and conserve your energy.

Put them on the spot. Encourage more balanced feedback by asking what’s going well, not just what needs work. And when they deliver vague criticism, ask for specific examples and clarification to make the feedback constructive.

Try “yes, and...” Acknowledge your boss’s perspective (“yes”), then add your own (“and”). For instance, “Yes, the timeline is tight, and I believe we can meet deadlines if we adjust our resource allocation slightly.”

Reward good behavior. Acknowledge when your boss gives constructive and positive feedback. A simple “Thanks for sharing! That helps me feel more motivated” shows what kind of feedback has a positive impact on your performance.

This tip is adapted from “How to Work for an Overly Critical Boss” by Melody Wilding.