Back when I was a clerk, I always reminded every new patron that the library card I was handing them was the most valuable item in their wallet. It unlocked new worlds, provided an information superhighway, and would spark endless curiosity. I now stride confidently through the world with two library cards at all times. I have all of my information, and entertainment needs met with a quick scan of either card. My library cards allow me to stream movies, make delicious meals, write grants, hear amazing authors, learn new things while traveling thousands of miles, and meet amazing people.

I hope all of our libraries have experienced a flood of eager new patrons this summer, excited about becoming part of a community of lifelong learners. And remember -- don't leave home without it (your library card, natch!)

The Richards Library received a $4,000 grant from Preserve New York (PNY). It will allow the library to hire Landmark Consulting of Albany to complete a thorough building condition report. The Library board hopes the compilation of this report will help them plan, prioritize, and initiate preservation improvements that will allow the windows to become more energy-efficient and usable, and to repair the entryway and stairs so they resemble their original appearance once again.

The Preservation League of NYS and their program partners at the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) are thrilled to help fund this important work.

The Richards Library serves the community local to Warrensburg and was constructed in 1901. The building was constructed using a design developed by A.W. Fuller of Albany and constructed by Jonah Hesse of Johnstown. The library is an excellent example of early 20th-century architecture celebrating local materials and handiwork. It was made from native, rough granite that was quarried nearby. Although library administrators have made updates and renovations to the building over time, it has never been fully surveyed or studied by a professional preservation architect. Deterioration issues have begun to accumulate, notably the historic windows, main doorway, and granite steps.

The 2019 PNY grant cycle was the most competitive in the program’s 26-year history, with more than 70 applications.

Preserve New York is a regrant partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League of NYS. PNY enables the Preservation League to support projects in all of New York’s 62 counties.

The Saratoga Springs Public Library will be hosting an 8-hour Mental Health First Aid training certification course from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm on Friday, September 27. Everyone is invited to attend. Click Here To Register

Since 2016, SALS's Libraries Mean Business initiative has supported small businesses and entrepreneurs. We provide funding to train Notary Publics for each SALS's library, and are builidng a digital collection of business-related e-books and e-audiobooks.

If your library has not yet taken part in the Notary Public Training program, or if you would like to have a second person trained, there's good news!.

SALS will cover the cost of one person from each member library to:

• Attend the Notary Exam Preparation Course at SUNY Adirondack
  
• Take the one-hour Notary Exam
  
• Secure a Notary Public License
  

In exchange, participating libraries MUST:

• Let Erica know they intend to participate
  
• Register with SUNY Adirondack & identify as part of the SALS group
  
• Pay for the class, registration, and license
  
• Submit paperwork to be reimbursed -- including documentation indicating completion of the SUNY Adirondack class and Notary Public Exam and registration. Libraries will only be reimbursed after the Notary Public Exam has been completed.

The Notary Public License Exam Preparation—Face-to-Face classes are four hours long. There are two in-person classes:

• 12:30 to 4:30 pm Friday, October 25 @ SUNY Adirondack Queensbury Campus

OR

• 9:30 am to 1:30 pm Friday, November 15 @ SUNY Adirondack Saratoga

The price of the class is $65.

• All materials will be provided, and information about how to link to NYS Department of State licensing information, booklets and forms will be distributed.
  
• The Notary Public exam will not be given during this workshop. There will be an 80-question practice exam.
  
• Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course. Submit this with the paid bills to SALS for reimbursement.

There is also an online learning opportunity, available from September 9 through December 13, allowing anyone interested to move at your own pace.

Please identify yourself as a SALS member when registering to obtain documentation of online course completion to submit with a copy of the paid bill to SALS for reimbursement.

To register and pay for the course call 518-743-2238, e-mail conted@sunyacc.edu, or complete and submit the registration form.

Please note that you must complete all required components of the course and submit your paid bill, course participation documentation and proof of completed and passed Notary Public exam to receive reimbursement from SALS. The deadline for submitting documentation for reimbursement to Erica is December 31, 2019. No reimbursements will be made after that date.

Support for this program comes from the New York State Library’s Adult Literacy Library Services Program.

Census 2020 is coming! Are you ready?

Katherine Dillon from the US Census will discuss what we can expect, potential ways to partner, and the importance of counting everyone during a workshop about the census at 10 am Thursday, October 10 at the Southern Adirondack Library System.

We encourage all directors and youth services staff to attend since young children are historically undercounted. Register online to attend.

Imagine a world where all people have access to the Internet and the tools they need to use it. That's the goal of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, which will be celebrating Digital Inclusion Week (DIW) from October 7-11, 2019, to raise awareness about digital inequities and nationwide efforts to close those gaps.

Here are two ways to participate:

1. Register as a Digital Inclusion Week Host to be included on the NDIA website.
2. Join the conversation on social media by using the hashtags #Digitalinclusion and #Digitalequityis_______ on your DIW social media posts.

This week has been all about celebrating the controversial with Banned Books Week. We've been reveling in our freedom to read, thinking critically, and accessing a wide range of ideas. What are your plans to challenge censorship?

ALA International Games Week Registration is open for 2019!

Transform your library by participating in the International Games Week. This event is an annual celebration of games, play, libraries, and learning that is free for libraries!

This event has only one requirement - you have to have some sort of game-related activity in or around your library, on or around the official dates, November 3rd through the 9th. That's it! The games can be videogames on a library console, tabletop games, social games, party games - whatever you think will work for your individual library and community.

To register, fill out the form at http://bit.ly/IGW2019Register and tell us a bit about your library.

(photo by Christopher Paul High @ Unsplash)

The Voynich Manuscript continues to confound scholars, and despite many attempts and claims of success, has never been fully understood. The medieval text safeguards its secrets in Yale's Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

When the Tully Free Library in Central New York began lending out hotspots to their patrons, they never expected to get hit with a whopping bill for $880 in roaming fees, but that's just what happened when a patron took the hotspot over the border into Canada. Verizon initially declined to waive the fees, but eventually succumbed. Lesson learned: When providing mobile hotspots to the public, be sure to put an international roaming block in place -- or be prepared to pay dearly.

Harlequin is excited to launch a mentorship initiative as part of our Romance Includes You programming, which aims to support increased diversity and inclusion in romance publishing.

Here is an overview of the details:

• One winner will be chosen to receive a year-long mentorship program with a Harlequin editor, including an offer to publish their book, plus a $5000 (US) stipend.
• The submission period begins September 1, 2019 – October 15, 2019.
• The contest is open to aspiring romance writers living in North America from underrepresented communities
• We want to work with authors from a wide range of backgrounds, communities and cultures, including [but not limited to] people of color, members of racial and ethnic minorities, LBGTQIA+ communities, Indigenous communities, people with disabilities and other diverse and own voices.
• Interested aspiring romance authors will need to submit a story synopsis (maximum 2,500 words), a first chapter of the novel (maximum 7,500 words), and a personal statement on why they want to write a romance novel (maximum 500 words).
• More information can be found at http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/mentorship/
• Link to the press release: https://corporate.harlequin.com/press-room/harlequins-romance-includes-you-mentorship-initiative-supports-increased-diversity-and-inclusion-in-romance-publishing/

If you have any questions, please contract Lisa Wray at Lisa.Wray@harpercollins.com.

The "Autism Welcome Here: Library Programs, Services and More" grant, sponsored by Libraries and Autism: We're Connected, will accept applications beginning September 1, 2019.

The grant honors the groundbreaking work of Meg Kolaya, co-founder of Libraries and Autism: We're Connected and a pioneer in the area of library service to people with autism. It celebrates her contributions in promoting inclusion, connecting libraries and the autism community, and bringing awareness of the needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families to the library community.

The grant is a direct outcome of the Illinois State Library's broad and ambitious project, Targeting Autism: A National Forum on Serving Library Patrons on the Spectrum, and is funded by Barbara Klipper, retired librarian, consultant and trainer, and the author of Programming for Children and Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ALA Editions, 2014).

A total of $5,000 will be awarded. Depending on the applications received, one grant for the full amount or multiple grants for smaller amounts totaling $5,000 may be awarded.

The application deadline is December 1, 2019.

Any type of library in the United States or Canada can apply, and the proposal can fund projects and services for any age group. Applicants may propose to initiate a new, creative program or service, bring an already-existing, successful program or service to their library for the first time, or enhance a program or service they already offer. All programs or services proposed must benefit people with autism or their families, directly or indirectly. Funds may be used to hire a trainer to present a workshop, to buy program materials, to pay for staff, etc.

Applications will be judged on the basis of:

1. The project is clearly described and well thought out.
2. The potential impact is significant.
3. There is institutional support for the program or service
4. People with autism, family members or other community stakeholders are involved in the development and/or implementation of the project.
5. The program is one that would be replicable in other communities.
6. The program or service is based on an understanding of the needs of people with autism and/or best practices in working with this population.
7. There is a plan for the continuation of the service or program after the grant year.
8. The project would not be possible without outside funding.

Please direct any questions to Barbara Klipper: b.klipper@icloud.com

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