Monday Briefing - April 26, 2021

Gratitude for Opening Tickets

Thank you so much to everyone who acted on my email last week and began opening tickets for Tech and Evergreen support. It may seem like an insignificant formality, but it helps so, so much when handling and accounting for all incoming issues. I would like to also extend my gratitude because everyone made the change without question just to make sure they were doing everything they could to help us out. This is why our community is so fantastic.

The Evergreen update was challenging and we learned a lot. Luckily our team was able to triage the situation and find solutions as quickly as they popped up. With your help, even if future updates do not run as smoothly as we would like, at least we'll have solid communication in place.

If you have any comments or suggestions on this, hit "reply" and let me know.

Again, thank you.

A Few Delivery Updates

As a heads up, we will be handling changes in delivery staff over the next couple of weeks. If runs are changed, canceled, or postponed we are very sorry for the inconvenience. Suzanne will certainly keep you up to date on any changes.

There are two new drivers potentially joining the delivery team and we will be running new training methods on routes. We appreciate any patience you can offer us while we work through this transition.

If you have been unable to provide an emergency contact for delivery situations for your library, please let Suzanne know as soon as you can. This will help in case we run into any unforeseen situations.

Also, just a reminder, the quarantine for outbound delivery has been removed. The only quarantine to consider is if you would like to implement anything locally.

Public Library Minimum Hours Open Begin June 1, 2021 from DLD

I will be attending the April 30 meeting and will report out. If you have any questions that you'd like me to ask go ahead and hit "reply" and let me know.

To: Directors of Public and Association Libraries and Directors of Public Library Systems in New York State

From: Lauren Moore, Assistant Commissioner for Libraries and State Librarian

Subject: Public Library Minimum Hours Open Begin June 1, 2021

Congratulations to those public libraries that have made significant progress in reopening their doors for in-person services! With more New Yorkers now vaccinated, and good news such as the recent CDC guidelines about surface transmission, the State Library is seeing more and more libraries in the State reopening to the public and no longer having to quarantine library materials. With assistance from New York’s 23 public library systems, a NYSL/PULISDO Reopening Committee has been collecting and reviewing monthly snapshot data about the status of library reopening since late fall 2020. The March 2021 snapshot data indicates that 73% of public libraries are currently meeting minimum standards for open hours.

Therefore, by June 1, 2021, the State Library expects that all 756 public libraries will once again be open to the public for their required minimum hours. To help achieve this goal, “open hours” can include both curbside/lobby hours and onsite services. Hours open are defined as any time a patron receives direct, in person services. Hours open include a regular, publicized schedule of hours during which the public directly interacts with library staff. Email and telephone services alone will not be included. We look forward to every New Yorker having the opportunity to visit their library for curbside/lobby pickup and/or in-library services before school is out for the summer.

Please let your Library System know ASAP if there are issues with compliance by June 1. The Public Library Systems would like to help member libraries be successful in meeting this requirement.

A Public Library Minimum Open Hours Q&A webinar will be held on Friday, April 30 at 10:00 AM. Click here to register. If you have questions, please submit them to Frank Rees (francis.rees@nysed.gov) no later than Wednesday, April 28, 2021.

March 12, 2021 Open Hours Snapshot Survey Results

For the purposes of the March Snapshot Survey, regularly scheduled weekly hours include both curbside/lobby and onsite in-library services. Hours open are defined as any time a patron receives direct in person services. Hours open include a regular, publicized, schedule of hours during which the public directly interacts with library staff. Email and telephone service alone are not included.

• Survey data was entered for 765 (72%) of 1065 outlets.
• Survey data was entered for 549 (73%) of the 755 main libraries; no data was entered for 206 main libraries.
• Of the 765 outlets entering data, 759 (99%) had regularly scheduled hours and 6 (1%) did not have regularly scheduled hours.
• Of the 549 main libraries for which data was entered, 403 (73%) are meeting minimum standards for hours open per the survey definition.
• 3 library systems did not enter data and 10 library systems did not enter data for all their libraries.

Congratulations!

As Suzanne mentioned in PLS Notes on Friday, congratulations to all of the award winners this year! I am very happy to have our group represented so thoroughly at this event. Well done.

The Rochester Regional Library Council Annual Meeting was held on Thursday, April 22 and OWWL Libraries were well represented!

Stacey Wicksall, Director of the Macedon Public Library, was named an RRLC 2021 Library All Star for providing exceptional library service to the Macedon community as well as providing mentorship and support to many of her OWWL Libraries colleagues over the past year.

The Livonia Public Library, led by Director Frank Sykes, was named RRLC 2021 Public Library of the Year. This patron-nominated award highlights the importance and value of the library and the library's staff, Trustees, and Friends to the Livonia community.

Additionally, the Clifton Springs Library was acknowledged for being named a Library Journal Star Library for the third consecutive year, and Grace Frenzel from the Livonia Public Library was recognized for being named an Outstanding Librarian by Senator Sean Ryan (Chairman of NYS Committee on Libraries).

Congratulations to all of the winners and honorees. OWWL Libraries have turned the challenges of 2020 into opportunities to serve their communities in new and interesting ways. It is wonderful to see OWWL Libraries and staff highlighted for their hard work and dedication.

Click here to learn more about RRLC Annual Meeting and view the full list of award winners.

Collective Knowledge Podcast

This week, Ron and Suzanne talk about Cancel Culture.

Listen on YouTube.

Rerun: OWWL Libraries Program Calendar from Andrea

LibCal has been especially helpful during COVID-19 when programming and promotion had to suddenly pivot to exclusively virtual formats. It has also been beneficial for OWWL Libraries to collectively come together to promote their offerings to community members.

We are excited to open up the option for even more member libraries to join the OWWL Libraries Program Calendar! The seven-month commitment starts June 1 (just in time for Summer Reading). We estimate the cost to libraries for the remainder of 2021 to be approximately $25 and billing would be in late May. Towards the end of the year, all new and current LibCal subscribers will have the option to continue.

Click here to add a LibCal subscription for your library by Friday, May 7, 2021 .

If you would like to schedule a demo of the OWWL Libraries Program Calendar or have additional questions, please contact Andrea by April 23, 2021.