Director Briefing - October 23, 2023

Trustee Handbook Bookclub: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Access & Justice Recording

Guest speaker: Freddimir Garcia Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer for the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® (HGAR), a not-for-profit trade association representing over 13,000 real estate professionals doing business in The Bronx, Manhattan, Orange, Putnam,

Watch Recording Here.

Resources:

• The Inclusive Services Assessment and Guide
• ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities
• Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA
• Free website accessibility checker
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Policy & Procedure Analysis Framework (Mid-Hudson Library System)
• Example of a transparent process for someone to learn more and express their interest in joining an association library board (Patterson Library
• There is no “grandfather” clause in the ADA
• Windows and mirrors

Ellen Hopkins at HWS on Monday, November 6, 2023

Join for a discussion with the bestselling author Ellen Hopkins about her banned book "People Kill People." A community conversation about the national movement to limit access to literature… Monday, November 6, 2023 at 7 PM in the Sanford Room, HWS Library

Evergreen Upgrade: Coming Soon!

We are upgrading to Evergreen 3.11 overnight on November 1. When you start your workstations up on Thursday, November 2, you will have access to the newest version of Evergreen.

What's new?

A lot of updates are coming your way, including major changes to the look and feel of the holdings editor, a completely redesigned interface for notes and alerts, and much more.

You can find a full list available on OWWL Docs here.

Upgrade review session recording

Hot off the digital press is a recording of this afternoon's upgrade review session. You can access the recording here.

Please note that the passcode is: evergreen!311

Test server available

In case you missed it, you can try out the Evergreen 3.11 test server to get a sneak peek at our next version of Evergreen.

Passwords and usernames are the same as the live version of Evergreen as of the end of August. You'll have to register a new workstation.

Be careful, though: This is just a test server, so anything you do on the test server (adding holdings, checking out to patrons, etc.) is fake and will only show up on the test server. Don't access this test server from a circ desk computer to avoid mixups.

To prepare for the upgrade

Before Wednesday, 11/1, make sure you have followed the steps listed at the bottom of the upgrade's OWWL Docs page.

It is especially important that you export your holdings templates and your print templates for this upgrade. Further instructions, including video walkthroughs, are available on OWWL Docs for exporting your holdings templates and for exporting your print templates. Every library staff member who works with holdings should export their templates. Holdings templates are tied to staff logins, not to workstations.

Feel free to submit this totally optional Google Form to make keeping track of your workstation(s) easier if you'd like. Both you and OWWL staff will get a copy of the workstations you submit on this form.

OWWLUG next Friday, 10/27

We have an OWWLUG meeting scheduled next Friday, 10/27 (register here!). We won't go over the upgrade in depth like we did at the review sessions this afternoon and last month, but we will have plenty of time to answer any questions about new features.

Questions?

Please send your questions and requests -- about the upgrade or about anything else! -- to evergreen@owwl.org.

Articles to Read

NYLA Voice: Good Things Small Packages by Suzanne Macaulay

It is the most magical time of year – fall conference season! Conferences are a fantastic opportunity to meet non-local library people, gather new ideas for programs and services, and discuss relevant topics in the field. Most importantly, conferences can help recharge those library worker batteries.

If you are fortunate enough to attend multiple conferences each year, you might not mind so much if one falls a little flat. But often, in small libraries, the continuing education budget is tight* and you feel as if you have one shot to get the most out of your conference experience. Avoid the pressure to absorb every word at every session, network with every attendee, and go back to your library and implement every single thing! Here are a few strategies I like to use to manage my expectations and have a positive conference experience...Click here to read the full article.

FL Times: OWWL Libraries Helping to Give Back This Fall

CANANDAIGUA — This month, the OWWL Library System is sponsoring a service initiative, collecting personal-care items to support community members in need. Thirty-one libraries across four counties, including Ontario and Wayne, are participating in a project called “The Great Give Back...Click here to read the full article.”

Outraged at Scholastic’s Option to Opt in—or Out—of Receiving Diverse Books, Librarians Seek Book Fair Alternatives

Amanda Jones has hosted Scholastic Book Fairs in her Louisiana school library for nine years. There will not be a 10th.

“I was so disappointed in Scholastic this year and canceled my fair for next year,” says Jones, a Louisiana middle school librarian and 2021 School Librarian of the Year. “When I had my book fair meeting with my rep, she told me that I could opt in for a ‘Share Every Story’ case of diverse authors and characters. I said absolutely I was opting in. Then she asked me again if I was sure, and I said the same thing. In all fairness, my rep is wonderful and knows all I’ve faced in the past year, so I think she was just looking out for me. But still.” Click here to read the full article.

Sharpen your Work Skills from EAP

For libraries that subscribe to the EAP, you can let staff know of training opportunities beyond the Sexual Harassment Prevention Training.

Looking to advance your career? Explore thousands of free E-Learning trainings to grow your work skills. Here’s a sampling, but you can search for more by clicking on “Member Login” at www.theEAP.com/TotalCare-EAP. When signed in, click on the comprehensive training library in the “Training Center.”

• NEW! Leadership Fundamentals | Course ID: SVL_1022128
  Learn the essentials of becoming a great leader in a 17-minute interactive course, covering basic tips for being a leader, the difference between leadership and management, and a few common leadership styles.
• NEW! Basic Computer Skills | Course ID: SVL_1022149
  This 22-minute video includes 4 lessons: introducing computer input and output devices, the basics of operating systems, network connections, and how to use internet browsers.
• Communicating Through Body Language At Work | Course ID: SVL_102152
  This 7-minute course will help you understand nonverbal communication, how to read nonverbal cues from others, and better control your own body language.

This Week in OSC Audits

Audits	Key Findings	Takeaways for Libraries	Related Policies
South Kortright Central School District – Claims Audit (2023M-69)	The Board did not comply with New York State Education Law Section 1709 (20-a) when it appointed the Clerk of the Board as the deputy claims auditor. The claims auditor and deputy claims auditor, as part of their claims audit process, did not verify that requests for proposals (RFPs) were solicited for seven professional service providers and the insurance provider that were paid a total of $205,042 during our audit period. 18 claims totaling $20,834 were approved without documentation to verify compliance with the District’s procurement policy.	Establish and follow a local Claims Auditing procedure/policy. "In recent years library boards have been criticized by the State Comptroller for insufficient oversight of library expenditures. Specifically boards are instructed to establish a “claims auditing” procedure where one or more trustees are assigned to review the monthly bills and make a recommendation to the full board for payment. All trustees are encouraged to exercise “due diligence” in the payment of claims. Bills must be available for trustee review at board meetings at which they are approved should questions arise." - Trustee Handbook, pg. 52	Claims Audit Process
Uniondale Union Free School District – Information Technology (2023M-61)	District officials did not adequately manage nonstudent network user accounts and permissions. As a result, the District had an increased risk of unauthorized access to and use of the network and could potentially lose important data. In addition to sensitive information technology (IT) control weaknesses that were confidentially communicated to officials, we found that the Technology Supervisor did not: Establish written procedures for granting, changing and disabling nonstudent network user account access, and regularly review the accounts to ensure they are necessary. Disable 3,471, or 71 percent, of the District’s enabled nonstudent network user accounts that were not needed...	Local policy may dictate how libraries grant access to the various computers and information systems. All user accounts that have System-wide access must be disabled as soon as someone leaves employment from a library. The Systems Access Policy dictates how all library staff should be accessing and using that information.	Technology Policies Privacy Policies Systems Access and Confidentiality of Patron Records Policy
Baldwin Union Free School District – Sexual Harassment Prevention Training (S9-23-17)	SHP Training was not provided to all employees and any Board members. Of the 120 total individuals we tested (115 selected employees and all five Board members), 17 employees or 15 percent of employees tested and the five volunteer Board members did not complete the annual SHP Training.	Make sure all employees and board members take the sexual harassment prevention training annually.	Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy