Director Briefing - September 16, 2024

Minimum Standard Question Follow-Up

After our last OWWLDAC Meeting, quite a few policy questions were sent in. Below are some general answers for everyone.

When will OWWL Library System be looking at Minimum Standard Policy Compliance?

Today (September 16), we sent out the September 3, 2024, Director Briefing and discussed it at the September 6 OWWLDAC Meeting. This is the same check we did last year. Since Systems now need to sign off on assurances, we'll be doing this each year.

What if my library is missing something on the list?

A formal letter will be sent to the Director and Board with a list of items not in compliance.

The library will then be required to comply as soon as possible, or funding will be held up for the entire System.

This is a Commissioner's Regulation, so a library's charter depends on compliance.

What if you sent the letter, but you missed something in your review, and I actually have it?

Let me know! This isn't meant to get people/libraries in trouble; it's the opposite. We're making sure libraries have everything so funding, charters, and services aren't called into question.

Is our confidentiality of library records policy compliant?

Maybe. A good thing to check for is that it upholds the ALA's adopted policies on privacy, Civil Practice Law 4509, and the Systems Access and Confidentiality of Library Records Policy. As long as it checks those three boxes, you're good to go. Here's a template policy that you can use, just update your library's name.

Confidentiality of Library Records Policy Template.docx

Does my staff need to sign off on something for patron privacy?

Yes, they do. The Systems Access Policy says, "To ensure the System as a whole is protected, Member Libraries will be held responsible and liable for any local infraction of this policy. Member Libraries must collect local agreements from their Authorized Users using any form they deem appropriate, providing the agreement upholds this policy and any local patron privacy or confidentiality policies. Libraries are welcome to use this policy’s System Staff Agreement Form below as a sample form."

We hold a lot of legally protected patron information, and if local libraries do not have agreements with their authorized users and a data breach occurs (we've had three in our System so far), the System is unable to help with legal services, liability, and reporting requirements to the attorney general. That means the library will be fully liable for those situations, and the System will be unable to help.

This is also something that could come up in an OSC audit. School Districts have been regularly audited for user accounts and access to student information.

You have some options for this. You can use the acknowledgment form sample that is in the policy, or you can include an appendix in your Employee Handbook. Both are Word documents below.

Sample Staff Acknowledgement Form.docx

Sample Systems Access Acknowledgment for Employee Handbook.docx

Do I need to post acknowledgment forms to the website? Where do I keep them?

No, you do not post the acknowledgment forms from staff. The best place to put them will be in their personal folders or secure in some other local location where you save critical documents.

Is this staff acknowledgment a new requirement?

No, this requirement has been in place since 2021

Are these Minimum Standards policy requirements a new requirement?

No, some have been added over the years, but policies through Minimum Standards have been in place for decades.

Is my Conflict of Interest Policy compliant?

Maybe. It depends on whether modifications were made to it. This policy (and the Whistleblower Policy) is a requirement of the Non-Profit Revitalization Act of 2013 (ratified July 2014). The law can be found here.

Use this template - Sample Conflict of Interest Policy.docx

Other than the library's name, the policy should not be modified. All the provisions included are required by law.

Other than policies, what needs to be on the library website?

Long-range plan, budget, report to the community, and bylaws.

System Board Meeting Follow-Up

The OWWL Library System Board of Trustees met last Wednesday. Here's a summary of what they approved:

• Minutes from September 11, 2024 Board Meeting
• Executive Director's Report
• Central Library Report
  • Central Library 2024 Budget (Approved at OWWLDAC)
  • Central Library 2025 Budget (Approved at OWWLDAC)
• Personnel Items for 2025 Budget Prep
• Executive Director Evaluation Process (Directors will receive an email soon)
• Amended 2024 Budget
• Appointed Nominating Committee
• Discussed Annual Meeting Plan
• Awarded New Directors with a NYLA Scholarship
• Approved OWWL Cost Share Amounts (Directors will receive an email about this soon)
• Re-approved FY 2025 Construction Aid Awards
• Awarded the 2024 Inclusive Collections Aid Awards
• Approved OverDrive Invoice
• Discussed 2025 Budget Plans

RRLC Grant Opportunities

RRLC will be offering the grant opportunities below this fall. Some applications open this Friday, and others open mid-October, so it's a good idea to start brainstorming now. If you send a request and your application to Ron or Piety two weeks before the application deadlines, we would be happy to review it and offer suggestions.

• Action & Innovation
• Collections & Access
• Capacity Building
• Internships
• Special Projects

Visit the RRLC Grant Opportunities page for more info including application due dates.

Phishing Alerts

There have been a few phishing alerts in the last week. Be on the lookout, and if you have any doubts about whether an email is spam or not, forward it to support@owwl.org.

The "From" section may say noreply@owwl.org, but it was actually sent from the @wilbraham-ma.gov email address, which is not affiliated with OWWL.

Remember to always check the sending email address, and forward emails you are unsure about to support@owwl.org.

If you receive a similar email, please mark it as spam.

Zimbra passwords do not expire. Also, the sending email is accenteyes, not OWWL.

In the above email, the cybercriminal put in a little more effort and managed to make it look like the email was went from noreply@owwl.org. Tricky! However, the vague greeting ("Dear ___librarydirector"), a grammar error ("Due to ignorance of last verification warning"), and the urgency ("Removal will occur in exactly 48 hours") reveal it to be phishing. As a reminder, OWWL email accounts do not require verification to stay active.

OverDrive Magazines: Checkouts and Reporting Issue Notice

From OverDrive:

An error with our magazine autocheckout service prevented some new magazine releases from being automatically checked out to subscribed users during the period of August 13 – September 11. We have fixed the issue and are processing all missed checkouts. As a result of this error and the fix, your magazine checkout numbers will likely look lower than usual from August 13 - September 11, and you will likely see an increase in magazine checkouts from September 11-13.

This Week in OSC Audits

Audit	Key Findings	Takeaways for Libraries
Hammondsport Central School District - Multiyear Planning	District officials did not develop comprehensive written multiyear financial and capital plans, and their budgeting practice of consistently appropriating $1.4 million in fund balance over these three fiscal years that is not needed to finance operations is, in effect, a reservation of fund balance that is not provided for by statute and a circumvention of the 4 percent statutory limit imposed on the level of surplus fund balance that may be maintained. As a result: District officials maintained surplus fund balance levels at more than three times the 4 percent allowed by New York State Real Property Tax Law Section 1318. Five reserves totaling $2.3 million had balances in excess of the District’s needs totaling $1.4 million. In addition, while District officials prepared an annual reserve and fund balance plan each January, the plan lacked key pieces of information required by the Board’s reserve policy and best practices. Specifically, the annual reserve and fund balance plan did not include: the maximum funding goal or annual contributions for each reserve; gains or losses on the sale of investments or detail the total interest earned; permitted uses of excess reserve funds; or an analysis of the projected needs of reserve funds in the upcoming year(s).	Local governments always need a plan for their finances. Thinking one, two, three or more years out about what your library needs is not only a good idea, but it's appropriate fiscal planning.
Hammondsport Central School District - Investment Program	The Board of Education (Board) and District officials did not develop and manage a comprehensive investment program. From July 1, 2022 through February 29, 2024, the District earned $321,316 from its 37 interest bearing bank accounts and 27 certificates of deposits (CDs). Had officials considered alternative legally permissible investment options, the District may have earned $738,137, or $416,821 more than earned. District officials did not: Create, and the Board did not adopt, a comprehensive investment program with written procedures for the investment of District funds. Prepare monthly cash flow forecasts to estimate funds available for investment. Formally solicit interest rate quotes. Annually review and re-adopt the investment policy as required by New York State General Municipal Law (GML) Section 39.	Use investments, but do so with a legally compliant policy. I'm happy to help you write one.
Town of Berkshire - Board Oversight	Town officials did not ensure non-payroll disbursements were for appropriate Town purposes. The Board did not: Segregate non-payroll disbursement duties. Approve all claims, require adequate supporting documentation for 59 claims totaling $51,519 or establish procedures to detect and prevent duplicate payments. We identified $12,465 in duplicate payments. Annually audit the Supervisor’s records and reports. Ensure the AFRs were filed, as required.	Segregation of duties and approving all claims is a must for local governments and libraries. This also mentions the need for annual audits and checking the AFRs.
Town of Wells - Records and Reports	The Supervisor did not maintain complete, accurate and timely accounting records, and inadequate financial reports were provided to the Board. As a result, the Board lacked reliable records and reports to manage the Town’s financial operations. All nine balance sheet accounts for 2022 and six accounts (67 percent) for 2023 were not accurate. Two accounts were overstated by a combined total of $1.4 million and 13 accounts were understated by a combined total of $451,664. Of the 10 revenue accounts we reviewed as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2023, two accounts were overstated by a total of $22,987 and two were understated by a total of $7,642. Of the 10 expenditures accounts we reviewed as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2023, three accounts were overstated by $21,392 and three were understated by $47,964. Bank reconciliations were not always performed. As a result, adjusted bank balances did not agree with general ledger cash balances at month-end for 18 of the 40 (45 percent) bank reconciliations we performed. The Supervisor did not provide adequate monthly financial reports to the Board and the Board did not annually audit the Supervisor’s records as required by New York State Town Law (Town Law) Section 123.	Every dollar spent by the library needs to have account records that go along with them. Check your bill pay, requisition, and purchasing policies in order to make sure you're following them in an appropriate way.

HBR: Tip of the Day

Defuse the Simmering Resentment on Your Team

If you’ve noticed an uptick in subtle digs and snarky comments on your team, it may be indicative of a deeper issue: simmering resentment. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to restore harmony before it’s too late.

Start by paying close attention to team dynamics—and if you see something, say something. Don’t assume issues will resolve on their own. Instead, open lines of communication, preferably one-on-one. Show genuine interest in your team member’s well-being and make space for them to express their thoughts and feelings. A simple “How’s everything going?” can lead to deeper conversations.

Remember that resentment may be directed at you. If that’s the case, don’t get defensive. Instead, seek feedback with curiosity. Your openness can defuse tension and rebuild trust. If you find that your team’s frustration is with the organization as a whole, listen to their perspectives, support their needs, and advocate for them (to the best of your abilities).

Finally, resentment can surface during routine meetings or communication, so shake things up. A walking meeting or an experiment with rotating leadership roles can reset negative communication patterns and create new dynamics. Focusing on common goals and proactively celebrating wins can shift the team’s energy from conflict to collaboration.

This tip is adapted from “When Resentment Is Building on Your Team,” by Rebecca Knight