Director Briefing - October 28, 2024

OWWLDAC - November 1 at Wadsworth Library

OWWLDAC is scheduled for Friday, November 1, 2024 at 10 AM. It will be in-person at Wadsworth Library (24 Center Street, Geneseo, NY 14454) with a hybrid option.

Please note: Hybrid meetings may encounter technical difficulties. While we will strive to address these issues promptly, we cannot guarantee a completely uninterrupted experience.

Agenda and Zoom information here: https://docs.owwl.org/Members/DirectorsAdvisoryCouncilAgendaNovember12024

Let me or Grace (Avon) know if there's anything you would like to see added to the agenda.

@owwl.org Email Recommendation to All Library Staff

The OWWL Library System recommends that all member library staff who will need to send or receive emails as part of their job duties be provided with an owwl.org email account. Some of the key benefits include:

• Professional communication: An owwl.org email account ensures that all communications with patrons, vendors, and colleagues are conducted through an official channel, maintaining a professional image for the library and its staff.
• Privacy protection: Using a work email protects the privacy of staff members, as it keeps personal email addresses separate from work-related matters. Additionally, by using a work email account, staff will not have need to save patron contact information to their personal email account.
• Compliance with public records laws: Communications related to library business are subject to Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests. Using work email keeps these communications within the library’s domain, making it easier to manage and respond to requests without involving employees’ personal accounts.
• Unlimited accounts: Libraries can request as many email accounts as needed, free of charge, ensuring all relevant staff have access to a professional communication channel.

Email accounts can be requested by going to OWWL Docs, hovering your mouse over Get Help, then clicking on Setup or Change an Account.

Email accounts must be deleted when an employee resigns or is terminated. You can follow the same steps as above to request account deletion. Accounts can be deleted immediately, at a future date (such as in cases where the employee has given their resignation notice but will need their email until their last day on the job), or forwarded to the library director for up to three months.

Item Cataloging permissions

This week's Evergreen upgrade allows us to close a permissions loophole that has existed for a while. Currently, any staff member is able to create an item, even those without Item Cataloging permissions.

If you have a staff member who is no longer able to add items after Thursday but was previously able to, please email evergreen@owwl.org to request that the staff member is granted Item Cataloging permissions if you would like them to be able to add items.

Update on in-progress OWWLDAC items

We are still working on a few of the Evergreen changes that were approved at last month's OWWLDAC meeting::

• Phaseout of the Out-of-System Patron profile
• Removing OverDrive access for expired patrons
• Implementing the new automatic item deletion scheme

The first two should be on target for completion in the next few weeks. The item deletion report should be available on 12/1, meaning that automatic item deletions will start in January 2025.

OverDrive Funding Commitment Agreements for Calendar 2025

The information regarding OverDrive Funding Commitments is out now. As a reminder, contributions from OWWL Member Libraries are held in a pooled fund account with OverDrive to purchase downloadable fiction materials.

In 2024, OWWL Library System contributed $35,000 from our budget to fund our OverDrive Collection. For 2025, we have requested a 3% increase on your 2024 commitment.

Please complete and return via email the 2025 OverDrive Funding Commitment Form by October 31 to Kelly.

OverDrive Funding Commitment Form 2025.pdf

2025 OverDrive Funding Summary - Member Libraries.pdf

2024 Electronics Recycling Drop-Off

OWWL HQ will be accepting electronics for recycling between 10 AM and 3 PM Tuesdays through Thursdays for the month of November. OWWL HQ will be closed November 11, 28, and 29, and unable to accept drop-offs on those days.

Items eligible for recycling include:

• Library computers
• Monitors
• Printers
• Network equipment (routers, firewalls, modems)
• Accessories (mice, keyboards, cables, etc.)

When dropping off equipment, please park behind the building next to the garage door and let someone in the CANS Department know you are here. There will be a sign posted with a number to call. Do not send recycling through delivery.

If you need help getting the equipment to OWWL HQ, or if none of these days/times work for you, please email support@owwl.org.

Some of the computers and monitors that are brought in may be retained for System-wide programs. Let the CANS Department know via email or during drop-off if you would prefer your equipment go straight to e-waste recycling.

Evergreen Upgrade - October 31

Dan sent out the below information regarding the Evergreen upgrade coming Thursday, October 31, 2024. If you have any questions, send them along to Dan at evergreen@owwl.org.

What's New?

Most of the changes coming with this upgrade are generally smaller improvements. There are not any significant changes like in last year's upgrade. We have a detailed list of what to look forward to available on OWWL Docs.

To Prepare for the Upgrade

This part is important! On or before next Wednesday, 10/30, please make sure you have followed the steps listed at the bottom of the upgrade's OWWL Docs page. The quick version is:

• Please take note of your workstation name. You can always submit this totally optional Google Form to make keeping track of your workstation(s) easier if you'd like.
• If you use a receipt printer, please export a copy of your receipt templates for safekeeping. You only need to press the export button once, and then you can just leave the .json file that Evergreen will create in your Downloads folder.

On Thursday, 10/31

This part is also important! Please make sure to clear your browser's cache when starting your computer up for the day. We have more information about how to do so available on the upgrade's OWWL Docs page.

When you clear your cache, it is absolutely crucial that you do not clear your cookies. If you clear your cookies, you will lose your workstation settings. Clearing your cache but not your cookies will help ensure that the scariest thing you'll see next Thursday will be your patrons' costumes, not Evergreen.

OverDrive Ending Support for Desktop App and Website MP3 Downloads

I received the below notice from OverDrive regarding the MP3 format and desktop app. Hopefully, it won't affect you or your patrons at all, but if it does, this should answer any questions that may come up. See also this help page.

To reduce user confusion and ensure the most consistent patron experience, we will remove the MP3 audiobook format from your OverDrive website on November 13, 2024. At this time, we will also end support for OverDrive’s legacy desktop app for Windows and Mac.

OverDrive’s legacy desktop app for Windows and Mac is required for downloading MP3 audiobooks. This app has not been available to install since February 2022. As a result, this causes confusion for users who attempt to download the MP3 audiobook format but can’t install the necessary software.

Within the next week, we will add a message to your OverDrive website letting patrons know that this change is happening.

After this change, users can listen to audiobooks using the following options:

• Stream on a computer using the “Listen now in browser” format on your OverDrive website
• Stream on a computer using libbyapp.com
• Download for offline listening using Libby on a supported Android, iOS, or Amazon Fire device.

NYSL Digital Equity Academy

Registration is now open for the Digital Equity Academy from the New York State Library. This free program will run for seven months, with a time commitment of approximately four hours per month.

For more information on this opportunity including how to register, watch this brief video.

HBR: Tip of the Day

The Structure of a Great Speech

Public speaking is a critical skill for business leaders. Whether you’re giving a presentation to your team, pitching a client, or making comments in a moment of crisis, many of the same principles for good speechwriting and delivery apply. Here’s how to structure your speech to effectively persuade and captivate your audience.

The Opening: This is your opportunity to establish an emotional connection with your audience. This requires starting with a greeting—as simple as an enthusiastic “hello”—and then sharing who you are, what you do, and why you’re there.

The Middle: This is the meat of your presentation, where you’re trying to bring your audience to see your point of view. Including too much data can overwhelm people, so focus instead on human stories that show—rather than tell—the problem, solution, and change you’re proposing.

The Ending: This is not the time to introduce new concepts, but a way to bring back the emotional connection you created in your introduction. You have to give your audience hope that your vision can actually be achieved.

This tip is adapted from the HBR IdeaCast episode, “What We Can Learn from Great Political Speakers,” featuring Terry Szuplat in conversation with HBR’s Alison Beard.