Monday Briefing - November 8, 2021

2020 Census Information from DLD

Last week the Division of Library Development sent out a notice indicating that the recently published 2020 Census figures will be used in calculating State Aid for 2022. Overall, we had a minor decrease in our System-wide population (309,251 in 2021 to 306,106 in 2020) so we're hoping this will have a minor impact on our overall decrease for State Aid. We won't know for sure until the budget figures come out, but the redistribution of funds to areas of population growth may have an impact as well.

For those new to the System, State Aid makes up a majority of our System budget. It is also where Local Library Service Aid (LLSA) to your library comes from.

As I learn more I'll keep everyone posted.

PLSDAC Agenda

Friday, November 12, 2021, at 10:00 AM is the PLSDAC Meeting. Here is the link to the agenda, https://docs.owwl.org/Members/DirectorsAdvisoryCouncilAgenda20211112. I've updated a few items this morning, notably, the FAQ document about OverDrive Magazines. One director pointed out (thank you) the data that is available regarding our past relationship with digital magazines. While the data is admittedly weak, it is something to review before our conversation.

Question of the Week

Question:

Hi Ron,

I noticed in the NYLA newsletter that these bills were signed by Governor Hochul. Do we know when these take effect?

S1150A /A1228A: Requires that open meeting documents be available upon request or posted to the public body's website at least 24 hours prior to the open meeting at which such documents will be discussed. (Chapter 481)

S4435B /A6121B: Requires library board of trustee members to complete a minimum of two hours of trustee education annually. (Chapter 468)

Answer:

Absolutely, I've been keeping an eye on the progress of both pieces of legislation on the OWWL Docs Advocacy Page.

The first one (S1150A), requiring open meeting documents to be available upon request, is in effect now. If someone requests a document that will be discussed at your board meeting, you must make it available within 24 hours of the meeting. This is not new, simply an amendment. The law used to read that documents must be made available "to the extent practicable." Being that this is a vague statement, governments were finding loopholes around it. This new language sets a clear directive for all governed by Open Meetings Law.

The second (S4435B), requires library boards to complete two hours of training annually. The summary of provisions reads, "beginning January 1, 2023." To be safe, it's probably a good idea to start tracking hours and getting in the habit of attending workshops now. We will have plenty of 2022 Trustee Workshops to cover everyone. Keep in mind that this needs to be tracked locally. In my opinion, this seems like a good job for the Vice President.

Thank you for the question!

Book Challenge News Bits from Suzanne

Following up on recent book challenge news, BookRiot has published All 850 Books Texas Lawmaker Matt Krause Wants to Ban: An Analysis. This piece provides an overview of the books on this specific list if you have not had time to read up on this case.

You can keep up with Intellectual Freedom News, report Book Challenges, and learn more about library privacy on ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom Blog. Although I could not confirm this statistic, it has been circulating (there's that pun again) on Library Twitter that book challenges are up 60% nationwide right now making this is an important topic to be up to date on (and check your local policies!).

Construction Grant Update from Suzanne

Last Wednesday, Governor Hochul signed the follow amendment into law:

Amends Education Law 273-a to permanently extend the time period for State Aid for Library Construction project completion from three years to four years. This new provision applies to those construction projects funded as part of the State FY 2020/2021 budget and all future funding cycles. Projects funded as part of the State FY 2017/18; 2018/19 and 2019/2020 budgets already have four years to complete all project activities per the provisions of Chapter 120 of the Laws of 2020, which was enacted during the pandemic.

How does this impact your project? Here's the cheat sheet: