Director Briefing - June 16, 2025

Books by Mail | Three-Year Review and Strategic Alignment

The third anniversary of our Books by Mail program is around the corner. As you know, we've been conducting a comprehensive review of all our outreach initiatives to ensure they align with our mission and provide the maximum value to the communities we serve. Our analysis so far has revealed some important insights about Books by Mail.

While we're proud the program has been able to serve patrons across our region, participation data shows that of our 96 enrolled participants, approximately 30 consistently use Books by Mail. Our cost-per-patron analysis revealed that substantial resources are required at the System level, since the System is not set up to handle direct patron interactions.

From the beginning, Books by Mail was envisioned as a pilot initiative that would eventually be handed off to interested member libraries, with each library able to customize the program to meet community needs. Your libraries are the true experts in patron engagement, as you already provide direct patron services and maintain the necessary community connections to make programs like this one effective.

As we consider the program's future direction, we're eager to hear your thoughts on how Books by Mail might evolve to better serve patrons while aligning with each organization's strengths and mission.

Please send Piety (pexley @ owwl .org) any specific comments regarding Books by Mail that may help us determine the next steps for this program.

Now Available: System-Wide Community Survey for 2025 Long Range Planning Cohort

We're excited to announce that the System-wide Community Survey is now available! As a reminder, this survey is designed to gather valuable insights from library users System-wide. The survey will run June 16 through July 14, 2025. While specifically intended to support libraries participating in the 2025 Long Range Planning Cohort, the insights gathered will benefit all member libraries.

• Click here to view the survey, or visit the friendly link http://owwl.org/2025CommunitySurvey
  
• Promotional materials (a .png, .pdf, and QR code) are attached at the bottom of this page.
• A printer-friendly version of the survey is available here. Please send handwritten survey responses to OWWL HQ through delivery.

OML Lessons from the Ebermann vs. MVPL Decision

A recent court ruling in the case of Axel Ebermann v. Mount Vernon Public Library (MVPL) underscores the critical importance of a library's strict compliance with open meetings laws — lessons every library director should heed.

What Happened

• May 5, 2025: Local resident Axel Ebermann filed a petition to halt a $1.7 million bond referendum for acquiring the childhood home of E.B. White (101 Summit Avenue) to create a children’s branch library.
• January 7, 2025: MVPL’s Board passed Resolution No. 099-24 with two trustees present in person and one attending remotely.
• June 13, 2025: Acting Justice Sheralyn Pulver ruled the resolution null and void because the meeting did not comply with New York's Open Meetings Law: a lawful quorum must be physically present.

The ruling invalidated the board action, delayed the initiative, and called into question the library’s governance practices.

Implications for Library Governance

• Formality Matters: Quorum requirements are not procedural niceties — they are legal obligations.
• Remote Participation Isn’t a Loophole: Remote attendance does not count toward quorum under current NYS law.
• Legal & Reputational Risk: Invalid votes risk delays, legal challenges, and community mistrust.
• Transparency Builds Credibility: Clear notice, open meetings, and accurate records protect libraries and foster public trust.

Best Practices for Library Boards

Governance Action	Why It’s Critical
Verify quorum in person	Avoids legal invalidation of board decisions
Post meeting notices and agendas publicly	Ensures transparency and promotes public trust
Record minutes diligently	Creates a defensible record of board actions
Train board members on OML compliance	Builds confidence and reduces risk
Engage the public early and often	Encourages support and minimizes opposition

Final Thoughts

The Ebermann case serves as a critical reminder that library boards must conduct their business with full attention to governance and legal obligations. Public trust — and your library's future projects — depend on it.

Directors: When leading your boards through big decisions — such as referenda, building projects, or budget expansions — ensure every action is taken in compliance with state law and best practice.

Transparent, lawful governance is not optional — it’s essential.

Important Email Security Notice

Kelsy sent out the below notice regarding email security.

On Monday morning, we discovered that three OWWL Mail accounts had been compromised sometime after midnight. These accounts were not accessed through brute force methods, meaning the cybercriminal(s) had the passwords to the accounts. This can happen if someone unknowingly interacts with a phishing email and shares their username/password, or if a password was reused across multiple sites and was exposed in an unrelated data breach.

Email delays and "undelivered" bounce messages

One of the compromised accounts was used to send thousands of spam emails. As a result, we were added to a few email blacklists, which we have requested to be removed from. Until those requests are processed and approved, we may experience delays with emails being delivered to certain email addresses, or we may receive "bounce" messages that an email was not delivered.

Phishing education

Cybercriminals continue to create new phishing campaigns, as well as refine existing ones, so it's important to stay up-to-date and be on the lookout for phishing warning signs. This OWWL Docs page includes multiple examples of common phishing emails and tips for identifying them.

If you receive an email that seems strange or "off," please forward it to support @ owwl . org. We can let you know whether or not it's phishing, and this also helps us monitor and communicate about new or particularly tricky threats.

Please mark phishing emails as Spam rather than simply deleting them. By doing so, you help improve Zimbra's spam filtering for everyone across the System.

Directors, I am available to provide phishing training, either in-person or over Zoom, if you feel it would be beneficial for your library's staff. If you would like to schedule a training, please email support @ owwl . org.

Password security

Please take a moment to review the Systems Access Policy (specifically pages 4-5) for guidance on creating strong passwords for OWWL Mail and other OWWL Information Systems (Evergreen, LibCal, etc.).

If your OWWL Mail password is not unique (meaning it is a password that you use on other accounts), please take a moment to change it. Click the arrow next to your name in the top right corner of Zimbra, then Change Password.

Email retention

At this time, we do not believe that this situation has resulted in a data breach, but I wanted to include a reminder about email retention as outlined in OWWL's Email Account and Use Policy (pages 4-5):

"In the course of conducting business, account holders may use email to communicate confidential information about patron accounts and library usage, including patron personally identifying information (PII). In the event of an email hack or breach, messages containing such information put the System and its Member Libraries at risk for litigation, as well as financial loss through legal and administrative fees and staffing costs related to dealing with such a breach.

Users who send or receive email messages that contain confidential or sensitive information, such as PII, are expected to delete such messages from all email folders, including Inbox, Sent, and Trash, as soon as the email is no longer necessary for carrying out library business."

If you need to retain an email that contains patron PII, saving the email as a PDF and storing it on your computer's hard drive is a good option. We have instructions on how to save emails as PDFs on this OWWL Docs page.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please submit a ticket to support @ owwl . org.

Swank Survey Report

The Central Library explored purchasing a System-wide Swank movie license for all 42 member libraries in the OWWL Library System, funded by reallocating approximately $13,000 from Central Library's non-fiction OverDrive collection. A survey was conducted with member library directors to assess interest and feasibility.

Key findings: While 20 of 22 respondents expressed initial interest in using a System-wide license, support declined significantly when funding mechanisms were explained. Only 4 libraries remained supportive of the OverDrive reallocation, while 18 libraries expressed concerns or uncertainty about the funding trade-off. Additionally, only 8 libraries indicated willingness to subsidize OverDrive to maintain current collection levels.

Financial analysis reveals the proposal would not generate System-wide savings. The per-library cost ($310) exceeds current individual license renewal rates for most libraries. Combined with limited support for the funding mechanism and potential future cost risks, the survey results are insufficient to support proceeding with this initiative.

Read the full report here.

For those interested, OverDrive circulation statistics for January through May 2025 are as follows:

Nonfiction

• 10,626 ebooks
• 17,195 audiobooks
• 27,821 total

Fiction

• 59,505 ebooks
• 69,679 audiobooks
• 129,184 total

WXXI Updates

Cara from WXXI had some interesting updates to pass along. A couple were already included in Friday's OWWL Post, but I wanted to bring them to your attention as well.

Pre-Screenings with WXXI | No licensing required

PBS Kids will partner with your library to offer free screenings of unreleased, forthcoming TV programs, no licensing required! Let Piety know if you would be interested in this and she will pass along your information to Cara.

PBS Kids at Library Events

PBS Kids is getting out in the community more. Let Piety know if your library has any upcoming events that you would like a PBS Kids presence at, and she will pass along your information to Cara.

Protect My Public Media

With WXXI's federal funding at risk, Protect My Public Media provides a way to take action.

Support Library Priorities | NYLA

NYLA shared the below opportunities to take action to support The Freedom to Read Act, the Open Shelves Act, and the Cultural Education Fee Increase.

• Click here to support The Freedom to Read
• Click here to support the Cultural Education Fee Increase

This is a great actionable item for any library advocates.