The month of January felt like a whole year. Fortunately, the nation had a balm to soothe what ailed us: Bernie memes. For just a moment, we came together to appreciate a cranky, sensibly dressed old man. Bernie Sander's authenticity -- staying true to himself despite occasion or popular sentiment -- was the reminder we needed to connect with our common humanity. Many libraries jumped into the zeitgeist with both feet, imagining a world where Bernie brings his humble mittens to our doors.

While the Bernie memes were the feel-good moment we didn't realize we needed, we still have a lot of work to do. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted digital inequity. As many as one in three US households don't have broadband internet access (25Mbps down and 3Mbps up) which makes working from home and virtual learning challenging, to say the least. According to the Pew Research Center, only 56% of households with income under $30,000 have broadband. Part of the limitation is the high price of access -- the US pays much more on average to connect than other parts of the world -- twice as much as Europe, for less speed.

Despite claims that 98% of New York has access to broadband, many households in our service area remain unable to connect -- or can do so at great cost. We have a chance to let Governor Cuomo's office know about the importance of digital equity through a Digital Literacy Survey of public libraries throughout the state. The survey includes an opportunity for librarians to describe the current state of their digital literacy offerings, give feedback on new digital inclusion initiatives being developed at the state level, and submit recommendations to the State for what resources they would like to see libraries have in order to support digital inclusion and literacy in their broader communities.

The goal is to give the library community an opportunity to deliver their ideas for important digital inclusion resources to the State. Please take a moment to complete this brief five-minute survey by Sunday, February 7th. The results will be shared with Governor Cuomo's Reimagine New York Commission to develop ideas for how to build back better from COVID-19.

Struggling to come up with your next great program idea? Or perhaps you're rocking the new world of make and takes, and virtual programming. If you're an adult programmer, and interested in sharing what you're doing, join us for the Tri-System Program Swap at 10 am Tuesday, February 2.

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/559105413

You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (669) 224-3412

Access Code: 559-105-413

Are you ready to reflect on 2020? Gather your statistics and get ready -- the 2020 Annual Report for Public Library Systems software is unlocked and ready for use. The software is available at https://collectconnect.baker-taylor.com/login.aspx and may also be accessed at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/libs/index.html#annrep.

The Division of Library Development will NOT be enforcing the hours open minimum standard for the calendar year 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will NOT be requesting variances for those member libraries that did not meet the standard. When reporting 2020 minimum open hours on the Annual report, member libraries should answer NO, that they were not in compliance, and then indicate in the NOTES field that it was due to “COVID.” This will be included in the 2020 Annual Report Instructions.

If you'd like help with completing your report, please attend the Annual Report Party, where the intrepid Dianne Winter will walk you through the changes for 2020, and answer your questions. Please register here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KWL2GYB

The Capital District Library Council will host a member forum to discuss digital inclusion efforts in the area at 10 am Wednesday, February 10.

Ahead of the forum, we are looking to informally gather information to help shape our discussion. If you are involved in DI work at your library, contact Andrew Ward: warda@thetroylibrary.org to answer the following questions:

• What digital inclusion programs are you currently offering?
• What digital inclusion programs were interrupted by the pandemic?
• What digital inclusion programs would you like to offer? Are there specific ways CDLC can help?
• What challenges are you facing with your DI programs?
• What resources can you share with others? Programs about free/low-cost services/devices?
• What information would you like to see aggregated/provided on the CDLC website?

Watch out, Tyra Banks! Becky Fasulo, the Director of the Corinth Free Library, recently shared this lovely portrait on the library's Facebook. It's a great way to promote your library and the love of reading! Thanks for being the world's best supermodel, Becky!

ALA’s subcommittee for Serving Refugees, Immigrants, and Displaced Persons (SRIPD) is updating the “How to Serve the World @ Your Library” toolkit, created in June 2008, to reflect current events and how your library to be involved with your immigrant and refugee community. They would love to hear about the types of programs, services, and community events that your library has had the pleasure to host to incorporate as part of the updated toolkit.

Send your short, concise descriptions of successful programs or services that directly provide and celebrate their immigrant, refugee, and non-English speaking populations. Descriptions should include a brief background on the population and its need, a summary of the library’s program or service and how it meets that need, acknowledgment of any partner groups, organizations, or leaders, and a photo of the program or service in action with appropriate permissions to be published in the updated toolkit. Please send the contact information, including the name, email, and/or phone number, of the appropriate staff to contact to discuss the project.

They are also looking for quotes from patrons or staff on why serving new Americans, immigrants, refugees, and non-English speaking populations is important for libraries. Quotes should be no longer than 2-3 sentences in length with the speaker's name, the library they are from, and an affiliation title if appropriate (e.g., Librarian, Volunteer, Advocate, Patron, etc.).

Please send your descriptions, contact information, and quotes to Shayna Ross, rosss@carnegielibrary.org, and Rachel Gut, rgut@daytonmetrolibrary.org, by March 31, 2021. We appreciate your willingness to share and will contact everyone who responds, whether we can use your content in the guide or not. Thank you for your consideration.

The Friends of Libraries Section (FLS) of the New York Library Association (NYLA) is gathering information about Friends groups in New York State that support rural and small public libraries. The goal is to better assist these volunteer support organizations in their growth, development, and long-term success.

All Friends groups that respond to the survey will be entered into a drawing for a free one-year organizational membership in FLS/NYLA, a $50 value. (If the winning group is already a member, their organizational membership will be extended by one year.) In the event of multiple survey responses from a group, only a single entry will be placed in the drawing.

The survey link is posted on the FLS homepage (www.nyla.org/friends) or use this direct link.

The survey can be completed by a representative of the library or a representative of the library's Friends group. Survey respondents do not need to confer with other members of the organization. Multiple replies from various group members are acceptable and would be appreciated. Responses are being accepted through Wednesday, March 31, 2021.

FLS wants to gather information from groups that are distant from an urbanized area. Rather than "small" referring to Friends groups with a small number of volunteers on their roster, FLS defines "small" in relation to the population of the library's potential service area, generally less than 10,000 residents. However, FLS welcomes any library or Friends group that identifies their library as rural and/or small to complete the survey, whatever the population of the library's service area. FLS is interested to learn about specific challenges faced by Friends organizations that support these libraries.

FLS' mission is to create a network to connect and inspire Friends groups in all types of libraries to support the New York library community. Thank you for assisting us in our work by taking the time to participate in this survey!

The Build America's Libraries Act (S. 127) by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), has been re-introduced. The legislation would provide $5 billion to support long-term improvements to library facilities, including addressing needs that have arisen due to COVID–19, to enable libraries to better serve rural, low-income and underserved areas, as well as people with disabilities and other vulnerable library users.

America's aging library infrastructure faces challenges ranging from broadband capacity, mold, and accessibility barriers to COVID-19 to natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires. The average U.S. public library building is more than 40 years old. Inadequate capital funding has made it difficult for libraries to address building concerns. At the federal level, Congress has not provided dedicated funding for library facilities since 1997. Nationally, public libraries have billions of dollars in assessed facilities needs, including more than $1.5 billion of needs in New York.

The Build America's Library Act would begin to address decades of underinvestment by providing funds to repair and construct modern library facilities in underserved and disadvantaged communities. Specifically, funding could be used for:

• Constructing, renovating, modernizing, or retrofitting library facilities, including by enhancing facilities to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and vulnerability to natural disasters. * Investing in library infrastructure projects to improve internet access and connectivity.
• Reducing or eliminating the presence of potential hazards to library staff and patrons, including toxic substances, lead, mold, mildew, and unsafe drinking water. * Making library facilities more accessible and inclusive to people with disabilities.
• Improving library facilities for the purposes of supporting place-based services or community-based partnerships that provide library patrons with access to educational, workforce, behavioral health, mental health, and social services.

ALA is asking library advocates to urge their Senators to join as cosponsors of the Build America's Libraries Act.

Is it performance art? A protest against tubers? A call for more food in libraries? No one knows, but someone's been leaving baked potatoes on the lawn of the Wayland Library in Massachusetts.

The Association of Rural and Small Libraries' (ARSL) pilot leadership institute, Outstanding In Their Field, is officially open! ARSL is looking for 30 outstanding people who are currently working in rural and small libraries to join this professional development opportunity.

Applications will be accepted through February 24, 2021.

Participants, a.k.a. “Outfielders,” will undertake 18 months of online and in-person interactive sessions.

It’s a BIG commitment, and rewarding! Participants will gain:

• skills and confidence as leaders
• a network of colleagues throughout the country
• experiences at two ARSL conferences

The ARSL Leadership Institute is for accidental library leaders: people who may not have a Masters in Library and Information Science and maybe not even a college degree. They work in a small and/or rural library who are now are ready to grow as leaders. These folks came into the library from various jobs: the cashier at the local Mini-Mart with good customer service skills, the cataloger who worked at the library for 12 years and just became the new library director, or the schoolteacher who ends up running the public library. They already are informal leaders and are ready for change.

All participant travel, materials, and instructional expenses (worth approximately $8,000) are covered by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). So while there are no monetary costs for participants, they will outlay their time, consistent engagement, and dedication to growing themselves and others as leaders.

The Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) seeks applicants representing a wide variety of communities and has a commitment to the representation of groups that have been historically marginalized or excluded due to ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, economic background, educational attainment, and age.

“Media Literacy in the Library: A Guide for Library Practitioners" contains information, program ideas and conversation starters on topics like misinformation and disinformation; architecture of the internet; civics; media landscape and economics; and media creation and engagement. The 30-page guide also explores ways to “meet patrons where they are” by integrating media literacy into reference interactions and existing programs. Download the guide for free here.

Starting in winter 2021, a series of one-hour webinars will explore concepts from the guide. Led by project advisors, the webinars are free for all library workers. View a full list of the free webinars and register now!

The American Library Association (ALA) has announced plans to award nearly $2 million to small and rural libraries in 2020 and 2021 to help them address issues of concern in their communities.

Through Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries, up to 650 U.S. libraries in small and rural communities will receive $3,000 to tackle issues ranging from media literacy to COVID-19 safety to unemployment. The initiative is part of ALA’s longtime commitment to preparing library workers for the expanding role of libraries.

Library workers may apply online for grant funding until February 5, 2021, at ala.org/LTC. Up to 650 grants will be distributed over two funding rounds. Read the full project guidelines.

The opportunity is open to libraries serving small and/or rural communities in the U.S. and U.S. territories. The Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) defines small communities as those with a legal service area population of 25,000 or less and rural communities as those more than, or equal to, five miles from an urbanized area.

Selected libraries will develop their facilitation skills through online training, talk with community members (virtually or in-person) about local needs, and undertake a project that benefits their community. Grant funds may cover a range of expenses, from hotspot purchases to personal protective equipment to staff time to undertake community engagement work.

Grant recipients will also receive a copy of “Ask, Listen, Empower: Grounding Your Library Work in Community Engagement,” edited by Mary Davis Fournier and Sarah Ostman (ALA Editions, 2020).

Applications are now open for the Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services NY's Spring 2021 Planning & Assessment Services Round!

This is the first application round of DHPSNY's second five-year iteration and includes important COVID-19 safety precautions. Most significantly, these services will only be offered virtually to ensure personal safety. Applications are due Friday, March 26, 2021, for consideration in the spring application round.

Begin your application process by deciding which of our services is best for your program. To help you get started, we've outlined each of our services below with links to testimonials and application materials.

Our Planning & Assessment page also features helpful tools for navigating the application process, including sample applications and frequently asked questions.

If you're still unsure which service to apply for or whether your institution is ready, DHPSNY staff is here to help. For assistance, questions about eligibility, or additional information, contact DHPSNY Program Manager Anastasia Matijkiw at (215) 545-0613 extension 338 or amatijkiw@dhpsny.org.

The American Library Association and Dollar General Literacy Foundation invite public libraries to apply for grants to expand services for adult English language learners or adults in need of basic education and workforce development. Up to 16 grants of $5,000 each will be awarded. Public libraries are eligible if they serve adult English language learners and are located within 20 miles of a Dollar General Store, distribution center, or corporate office. Visit the Dollar General Store Locator.

Read the project guidelines and apply online by Friday, January 29, 2021.

ALA has a recorded webinar about the grant.

The American Dream Literacy Initiative strives to develop tools and resources for libraries and library staff to provide effective literacy services to adult English language learners in their communities and across the country. American Dream libraries build replicable programs, develop coalition-building strategies, and provide annotated lists of vetted resources for libraries across the country.

The American Dream Literacy Initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. It is administered by ALA’s Public Programs Office and Office for Diversity.

The American Library Association invites library workers to apply for the inaugural Peggy Barber Tribute Grant, a programming grant named after the transformative ALA leader responsible for the creation of National Library Week and the Celebrity READ series.

The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant supports meaningful programs in libraries with limited programming budgets. Up to three grants of $2,500 will be awarded annually. Applications for the 2021 award will be accepted from December 1, 2020, to February 5, 2021. Read the grant guidelines and apply online.

The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant will support a different type of library programming each year. This year, libraries are invited to submit applications in support of humanities-based programming. The funding may be used to continue an existing program or create a new one.

All library types — including public, academic, K-12, tribal and special libraries — in the U.S. or U.S. territories are eligible. Applicants must have a personal or institutional membership with either the American Library Association OR the Association for Rural & Small Libraries.

Barber served as ALA's associate executive director of communications from 1970 to 2000. In that role, she established ALA’s Public Information Office, Public Programs Office and the ALA Graphics department. After leaving ALA, she was a principal consultant with Library Communication Strategies and served as co-president of Friends of Libraries USA, now known as United for Libraries. She passed away in August 2019.

The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant was created with donations from Barber’s friends and colleagues. To support the grant, make a contribution to the Peggy Barber tribute fund within ALA’s Cultural Communities Fund.

Talk Story: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture is a literacy program that reaches out to Asian American, Pacific Islander and American Indian families. Talk Story celebrates and explores Asian American, Pacific Islander, and American Indian stories through books, oral traditions, and cultural arts to provide an interactive and enriching experience. This grant provides financial support to libraries and community organizations who want to introduce a Talk Story program. 2021 Talk Story programs may be conducted in person or virtually.

Talk Story is a partnership between the Asian Pacific American Library Association (APALA) and the American Indian Library Association (AILA) and 2021 grant funding is available through the generous support of Toyota California Community Foundation.

Eligibility
Libraries and community organizations that serve Asian American, Pacific Islander, and/or American Indian children and their families are eligible to apply. We encourage libraries and community organizations to work together on a Talk Story program. With the exception of cross-border tribal organizations, all organizations must be based in the United States or U.S. territories.

Organizations who have previously been awarded two Talk Story grants are ineligible for additional awards.

Two grant winners for each organization (APALA and AILA) will receive $750 to fund a program that meets the criteria of the grant.

Application
Applications are now being accepted for American Indian or Asian American & Pacific Islander programs.

Please submit a complete and detailed application including a Statement of Need, Narrative, and Proposed Budget. Please describe the program your library or community organization would do with the award and what types of programs highlighting Asian American, Pacific Islander, or American Indian cultures you are interested in planning for your community.

You may apply for either an APALA grant OR an AILA grant. You may not apply to both organizations.

Applications must be received by Thursday, April 1, 2021.
Awards will be announced by Saturday, May 1, 2021.

Past grant winners have included language programs, early childhood literacy, youth identity development, and a variety of arts programming including dance, music, and writing. “There is a lot of room for creativity in this grant,” said Angela Thornton, Co-Chair of the Talk Story program. “We want people to explore partnerships in their communities and see what they can create.”

Applications are due by April 1, 2021. Eligibility details and past winners can be found at www.talkstorytogether.org/grants.

Email: efreudenberger@sals.edu
Website: www.sals.edu
Location: 22 Whitney Place, Saratoga Springs, NY, United States
Phone: 518 584 7300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernAdirondackLibrarySystem