As February draws to a close, we're gearing up for the New York Library Association's Annual Library Advocacy Day this Friday, February 26. Due to the pandemic, we'll be joining colleagues from across the state for a virtual advocacy day. Advocacy Day allows us to share our success stories and let legislators know what challenges our communities face and how we're working to address them. It's a celebration of the great work we do all year long, combined with an honest needs assessment.

This year, we're reminding our representatives of the critical role played by public libraries and that persistent underfunding of our organizations has disenfranchised millions of our friends and neighbors who lack access to trusted sources of information, the internet, and other essential resources to navigate 21st-century life successfully. We're asking for increased aid to support New York State libraries' foundational framework, improving the lives of residents of all ages, abilities, and economic statuses.

Join us to remind our representatives:

• Library usage and demand for services are surging statewide.
• Libraries are a core component of our state’s educational infrastructure.
• Libraries are critical for access and equality.
• Library systems are models of shared services.
• For every state dollar invested in libraries, they return $7 to their community.

To take part in Library Advocacy Day, email Jack Scott at jscott@sals.edu and let him know you're eager to make a case for library support! Be prepared to brag about the terrific work you do.

The Division of Library Development has updated the minimum standards public libraries must meet to retain their charters. Public libraries have until December 2021 to have community-based strategic plans in place. To help our member libraries meet that requirement, SALS will be hosting a five-part Engaged Planning series.

The series will guide member libraries through each of the stages of strategic planning. We’ll begin with an overview of the planning process, discuss landscape reviews, facilitate community conversations, and create meaningful plans that resonate with your community. Each workshop will be several weeks apart, so participating libraries will have a chance to complete homework in between, resulting in a completed plan.

All workshops in this series will be virtual. Please save the following dates/times:

• 10 am – 11:30 am Tuesday, March 2
• 10 am – 11:30 am Tuesday, March 30
• 10 am – 11:30 am Tuesday, April 20
• 10 am – 11:30 am Tuesday, May 25
• 10 am – 11:30 am Tuesday, June 22

If you’re interested in taking part, please sign up here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CN63GFV

Last year at this time, we were focused on ensuring our communities would be able to participate in the US Census. Despite many obstacles, the Census was completed, and information is now available.

To find out how to access Census 2020 data, SALS will host the United States Census Bureau's representative to discuss the bureau’s top surveys and data products. The presentation will cover the availability and accessibility of Census data, including the American Community Survey, the American Housing Survey, a sample of the Economic Surveys, and demographic programs.

Census data has wide-ranging applications, such as grant writing, education planning, research, infrastructure projects, and much more. The meeting will also review some available tools to locate census data and upcoming training. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on 2020 Census best practices identified by partners over the 2020 Decennial Census.

Register for this workshop here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7XFXR38.

The Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act or CASE Act, sponsored by Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, was included in recent legislation related to COVID relief and omnibus spending.

This bill creates the Copyright Claims Board, a body within the U.S. Copyright Office, to decide copyright disputes. Damages awarded by the board are capped at $30,000. Written to protect creators whose work is shared online, the CASE Act could be problematic for libraries.

If your library shares images or memes online, proceed with caution and utilize resources that provide images without attribution or through a creative commons license. Resources include:

o https://www.pexels.com/

o https://nappy.co/

o https://unsplash.com/

o https://www.wocintechchat.com/blog/wocintechphotos

o https://pixabay.com/

o https://genderphotos.vice.com/

The internet is a wonderful place, providing a wealth of information at our fingerprints. As information professionals, we know that not all information is created equal. The arrival of COVID-19 has amplified what some are calling an infodemic -- the spread of faulty and misleading information, resulting in catastrophic public health outcomes. The World Health Organization has put together a terrific resource to help shape conversations and evaluate information about the pandemic.

The director of the Lafayette Parish Library resigned after the library board decided that a voting rights program, supported by the Louisiana National Endowment of the Humanities, was too political. The program included book discussion of Bending Toward Justice by Gary May and Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All by Martha S. Jones.

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is providing funding for museums, libraries, and universities to digitize thousands of Native American oral histories. Many of the recordings reflect Indigenous activism of the 1960s and 1970s. The Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums will serve as the project's national coordinator.

Cameron Dequintez Williams, a library worker and community activist known as C-Grimey has been fired from the Chatanooga Public Library for allegedly burning books by conservative authors. The alleged action took place when Williams was not at work.

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 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.

Partners for Education at Berea College is excited to invite applications for the Rural Library Fellowship. The application, along with information about the application process, can be found here. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2021.

For assistance with questions concerning the application or to discuss the Fellowship further, contact Wendy Johnston Program Manager, Rural Impact at johnstonw@berea.edu to schedule your session.

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.

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