As we experience a collective loss of innocence and consider how this pandemic will change how we experience the world and provide services to our communities, it's easy -- and completely normal -- to feel overwhelmed. Those of us who read post-apocalyptic or Zombie-filled fiction now have the unnerving experience of what it feels to inhabit a dangerous landscape, where breath, touch, and even air can be dangerous. The Institute for Disaster Mental Health at the State University of New York in New Paltz has released a Community Stress Management Tip Sheet which provides guidance on how to best deal with our current challenges. It recommends:

1. Take charge of your anxiety by breaking your concerns down into manageable chunks.
2. Change what you can, and work on strategies for accepting and coping with what you can’t. Limit your media exposure so you’re not dwelling on the situation.
3. Stay connected, through whatever means are available, to the people that are important to you.
4. Remember what stress management strategies work for you, and use them to get through this challenging outbreak.

“Amid this pandemic, we can't underestimate the emotional trauma people are facing or underestimate the pain of isolation. It is real," says Governor Andrew Cuomo. "This is not the human condition — not to be comforted, not to be close to friends, not to be able to hug someone. This is all unnatural and disorienting. But my hope is that while New York may be socially distanced, we remain spiritually connected. We will overcome this challenge and we will be stronger for it.”

If you or someone in your community is struggling, use the new hotline established by New York State for free emotional support, consultation and referral to a provider, call 1-844-863-9314.

Take care of yourselves and your team, stay healthy, move every day, and find joy where you can.

Thanks to the incredible Jill Ryder, all of the SALS member libraries will have free access to TumbleBooks through August 31, 2020.

TumbleBooks’ databases are easy to use, and feature unlimited access from home! Your patrons can read as many books as they want, when they want, and on any device. There are no checkouts, holds, or bulky downloads. Books are available instantly.

We'll be sending out an email to all directors shortly with more information. Jack will be working with any interested libraries to put links on your websites.

There's been a lot of chatter about libraries providing curbside services for patrons -- please don't! There is ample scientific evidence that the COVID-19 virus lives on surfaces -- including paper -- for multiple days. In the interest of keeping our communities healthy, please remind patrons that they should keep any material they currently have checked out, and take advantage of our digital services. And keep washing your hands -- for at least 20 seconds!

The Capital District Library Council will be holding online meetings this week to stay connected and engaged with your colleagues during this time of change. We created two standing Zoom meetings to help you share thoughts on your new work environment, expound on innovative service ideas, and discuss opportunities for virtual engagement. You can also check in to just say hi as we take the time to support one and other!

Our online Zoom meetings are scheduled for Tuesdays at 10:00 am and Thursdays at 1:00 pm. Click on the buttons below to join a meeting:

Tuesdays at 10:00 am | https://zoom.us/j/309834807 | Meeting ID 309 834 807

Thursdays at 1:00 pm | https://zoom.us/j/651018316 | Meeting ID 651 018 316

To join any of the meetings by phone in New York, dial (646) 558-8656 and enter the Meeting ID for that day of the week.

The outbreak of COVID-19 is creating challenges for the US Census, which has launched. Due to social distancing guidelines, all in-person events to promote the census have been canceled, and field operations have been suspended until April 1.

In the meantime, we can still get the word out. Please use your social media to help spread the word about the importance of completing the Census 2020. There are short videos that can be embedded, information that can be shared, and Jack & I will be working on social media posts for all of our member libraries to share in the next week. Libraries in Warren County can share posts from the Warren County Complete Count Commission on Facebook and Instagram.

Now that the Census is live, we can track the response rate for our state, city, town, county, congressional district, and tribal area:
Track Census Response Rate

The overall response rate for NYS residents is 16.3%, compared to the 19.2% response rate across the US. With so much on our minds right now, the people of NYS may need a reminder of how to complete the Census and why it's so important.

How to complete the Census

People across the country are receiving invitations to complete the Census. Invitations arrive via paper mail, and include a unique code that households need to enter online to fill out their Census form. Visit the Census site for examples of what all the Census mailings look like:
Census Mailings

With the Census Bureau suspending field operations until April 1st, it's more important than ever that people who have access to the internet fill their Census out online. There is also a call-in option for those who don't have online access.

Why it is important to complete the Census

Funding. Census data plays a huge role in the allocation of federal funding to states, cities, and communities. NYS receives billions of dollars in funding each year, and this funding could be in jeopardy if there is an undercount. For example, in 2016, NYS received more than $73 billion dollars from the federal government based on Census data: Counting for Dollars, New York

Representation. The number of seats that NYS holds in the federal House of Representatives is based on Census data. An undercount of NYS residents will mean that we lose seats in the House, which means our state will not be as well represented as it should be. There are 435 representatives allowed in the House, to be divided by all 50 states. NY deserves its fair share of representatives!

Have extra time at home and worried about your library skills getting rusty? Fear not! A number of institutions and archives would love to have your expertise in transcribing archival materials.

You deserve a break, so hear's Levar Burton reading Neil Gaiman's Chivalry. Listen with someone you love.

Feeling challenged by having to remain at home and not mingle? Imagine being Papa Hemingway, who found himself quarantined at home with both his wife and mistress during the Spanish flu. Included in the fun were Hemingway's child and nanny. Readers, it was a two-bedroom house.

The New York State Education Department is accepting applications for the 2020 Summer Food Service Program. Sponsors are organizations that are fully capable of managing a food service program and agree and assure to serve meals to any eligible child in accordance with Federal Law, USDA policy, guidance and instructions including federal civil rights laws, regulations and policies.

Approximately 400,000 free meals are served daily to New York State children through the USDA's Summer Food Service Program, which will operate this summer throughout New York State from June 15 through September 7, 2020.

The Summer Food Service Program was established to ensure that low-income children, 18 and younger, continue to receive nutritious meals when schools are not in session. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service administers the Summer Food Service Program at the national level and the New York State Education Department (SED) administers it at the State level.

To serve the eligible children in their communities, sponsors must verify that the site where they plan to serve meals is located in an area where at least half the resident children are from households with incomes at or below the eligibility level for free or reduced-price school meals. In most instances, current year school data provides the most accurate economic status of a particular community. Potential and existing sponsors can request data from the schools or from the SED to determine eligible program sites.

Summer Food Service Program sponsors receive federal and State reimbursement for each meal served to a child, according to predetermined reimbursement rates set by USDA. SED will hold training workshops in March and April for sponsors planning to participate in summer 2020.

Potential new sponsors may obtain additional information on the Department's Summer Food Service Program website or by contacting the New York State Education Department, Child Nutrition Program Administration, 89 Washington Avenue, Room 375 EBA, Albany, NY 12234, (518) 486-1086. Email is also available at cnsfsp@nysed.gov.

The American Library Association (ALA) has released a set of free professional development materials to help library workers in small and rural communities develop the facilitation skills they need to thrive in the 21st-century library. The materials are designed to help library workers prepare for and lead discussions and overcome common challenges that arise when people gather to speak in groups.

Available materials include:

"Leading Conversations in Small and Rural Libraries," a practical 30-page guide that covers the basics of leading discussions in the library, including roles and responsibilities, setting ground rules and managing group dynamics.

"Libraries Transforming Communities: Facilitation Training for Small and Rural Libraries," a five-part e-course available on ALA's eLearning platform. Module 1, "Conversations in the Library: Getting Started," will be followed by four additional modules to be released monthly this spring. Sign up for the full e-course series to receive notifications when new modules are added.

Libraries Transforming Communities: Facilitation Skills for Small and Rural Libraries is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant number RE-17-19-0041-19. The initiative is offered by ALA's Public Programs Office in collaboration with the National Coalition of Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD), the Association of Small and Rural Libraries (ARSL), and the Chief Officers of State Library Associations (COSLA).

Would you like an opportunity to honor an active library supporter, Friend or Friends of the Library? The Daniel W. Casey Library Advocacy Award is sponsored by the Friends of Libraries Section (FLS) of NYLA. Given annually since 1993 (through the precursor of FLS, the Empire Friends Roundtable), the award honors a volunteer member or group from the library community whose efforts have contributed to the growth of libraries or Friends of the Library organizations.

To learn more about Daniel W. Casey and to find the nomination form, go to www.NYLA.org/Friends to the “Awards and Scholarships” page. The deadline to submit nominations for this prestigious award is Monday, June 1, 2020. This year’s award recipient will be announced at the FLS annual membership meeting in Saratoga Springs on Friday, November 6, at the NYLA Annual Conference.

Nominations must include all relevant information outlined on the application form. Make sure to describe the contributions of the nominee (group or individual) to library service in detail; including positions held, years of service, accomplishments, successful fundraisers, etc.

Please submit the nomination form and all supporting materials (press releases, promotional materials, etc.) electronically to Marie Bindeman, Coordinator, via email at mariebind1955@gmail.com, or mail three copies to Marie Bindeman, 5498 Hartford Drive, Lockport, NY 14094. Paper copies sent by mail will not be returned.

If you have any questions, please contact Marie Bindeman at mariebind1955@gmail.com or call 716-433-0548. Thank you for your interest!

The Association for Rural and Small Libraries has opened applications for a series of scholarships to attend this year's annual conference in Wichita, Kansas.

And there's another opportunity as well:

The American Library Association (ALA) and ARSL have announced an opportunity only for ARSL members who are interested in learning to lead conversations.

Specially designed for the needs of small and rural libraries, Libraries Transforming Communities: Facilitation Skills for Small and Rural Libraries is a new learning series that helps library workers develop skills to engage with their communities.

As part of the project, ALA is offering travel stipends of $1,000 each and free full conference registration to the 2020 ARSL Conference in Wichita.

Fifty libraries will be selected, and each library will send one employee to participate in a one-day pre-conference workshop covering facilitation skills. (And of course, you are welcome to stay for the entire conference.) Library workers receiving the travel stipend/conference registration agree to:

• Participate in an LTC: Facilitation Skills for Small and Rural Libraries online course (May - September 2020)
• Attend monthly coaching sessions (May – December 2020)
• Participate in the one-day, in-person pre-conference for LTC: Facilitation Skills for Small and Rural Libraries on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, at the 2020 ARSL Conference in Wichita, Kansas.

Please read the full guidelines and apply online:

http://www.ala.org/tools/librariestransform/libraries-transforming-communities/LTCARSLStipend/guidelines.

Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, April 15. Winners will be notified on April 30 (before general registration for the conference opens).

Questions? Email ALA’s Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org.

Share your library’s community engagement breakthroughs! Submissions should highlight a current project or one completed within the past year that impacts and extends your public library’s reach by engaging with your community. Three libraries will be recognized with an award and each will receive $5,000. To learn more and complete the form, visit the OCLC Community Engagement Award page.

Winners will be selected by a panel of OCLC member library leaders. Each winner will be contacted prior to a public announcement in June 2020. OCLC is accepting nominations from all public libraries in the Americas now through April 30, 2020

Girls Who Code Clubs are FREE after-school programs where 6-12th grade girls join a sisterhood of supportive peers and role models while using computer science to impact their communities. Below are resources as well as next steps to start your own Club or partnership:

• Girls Who Code Clubs Overview: Explains the requirements to start a Club

• 2019-2020 Clubs Overview: Provides details on what girls will learn in Clubs

• 6th-12th Grade Curriculum: Check out this curriculum by following the instructions below. It’s a quick, non-binding process that lets you interact more with the online platform.

• Visit the online learning platform, Girls Who Code HQ
• Create an HQ Account by clicking “Sign Up” and indicating “I want to start a club or I want to volunteer for a club.” NOTE: This brings you to the curriculum preview page, and does not require you to submit a Clubs Application!)

If you are interested in starting one Girls Who Code Club, apply here. To start a Club you need a space at a nonprofit location with computer and internet access, and an adult Facilitator who doesn’t need to have any prior coding experience.

If you think your library might be interested in potentially starting two or more Clubs, check out our information about how we work with Clubs Community Partners - including how to obtain additional financial support! All you need to do is complete this brief Partnership Form.

Documentary Heritage & Preservations Services for New York (DHPSNY) is currently accepting applications for four FREE Planning & Assessment Services, designed to support New York organizations in improving and advancing program efforts while forming strategies for future growth and development.

Taking part in DHPSNY's Planning & Assessment Services can help your organization:

• Secure future grants and other funding opportunities
• Gain knowledge of the standards and best practices for collections management & preservation as well as confidence in applying this knowledge
• Increase the accessibility and use of your institution’s collections
• Build a lasting relationship with DHPSNY’s supportive professional staff

We are accepting applications for four Planning & Assessment Services:

• Archival Needs Assessments are an excellent way to examine your archival program holistically through an external lens
• Strategic Planning Assistance helps organizations think proactively about their future and shape a three-year plan to serve as a road map for future decision making under a trained facilitator.
• Preservation Surveys consist of a general evaluation of your institution's preservation needs, pinpointing areas of concern and recommendations for improvement.
• Condition Surveys are a valuable tool for institutions that have received a Preservation Survey (through DHPSNY or another program) and are looking to evaluate the conditions of collection materials on a more granular level.

To be considered for the current round, applications must be submitted by Friday, March 27, 2020.

For assistance, questions about eligibility, or additional information, contact DHPSNY Program Manager Anastasia Matijkiw at 215-798-0105 or amatijkiw@dhpsny.org.

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