Library Advocacy Day Carpool: Seats Still Available!

Library Advocacy Day 2016 is quickly approaching: on March 2nd hundreds of librarians, trustees & other library advocates will flock to Albany to meet with their legislators.

Why is it important to travel to Albany to talk with your legislators about library issues?

Libraries need you to speak out for them.
Libraries need more state money.
Legislators need to learn what libraries do for citizens of New York State.

A car will be leaving SALS (22 Whitney Place, Saratoga Springs) on March 2nd at 7AM – please let Laurie Buckley know if you would like to carpool from the SALS parking lot, or if you plan to join us for our Advocacy Day visits.

Car parking is available under the Empire State Plaza in the Visitor Lot. You can get to this lot by taking the Empire State Plaza Exit off I-787. There is a fee to park in this lot and it usually fills up fairly early. In addition, the driver has to show a photo ID to enter the parking lot. Further information, directions, and additional information on downtown parking lots can be obtained by visiting the NYS OGS web site

View/Download the SALS Legislative Day Schedule

View/Download the NYLA 2016 Legislative Agenda

View/Download the 2016 SALS Advocacy Guide

As always, if you are unable to travel to Albany – please consider visiting our legislators in their home offices, or reaching out through NYLA’s Advocacy Page. It only takes a few minutes to contact your elected officials to ask them to support libraries.

Check out our 2015 Library Advocacy Day Photos, and we hope you’ll join us on March 2nd:

Program of the Year Award Nominations due 3/25/16

Nominations for the Library Program of the Year Awards are due on March 25^th. A program may be nominated by the library, by a community member, or by a Trustee. The winners will be honored at the SALS 58^th Annual Meeting on May 16^th, 2016. Two awards will be given. One program per library will be considered. The SALS Library Services Committee is responsible for the selection of the award recipients.

Eligibility Requirements:

Program must have been initiated during the 2015 calendar year.
Any program—adult, outreach, young adult, children, community services or public relations is eligible.
Selection is based on programs that have demonstrated creativity and innovation, demonstrated community partnerships, enhanced services to the community, or reached a previously unserved constituency.
Program must have pursued excellence in library services and sought to have the library make a difference in the community.

The program being nominated should be described on library letterhead and accompanied by any supporting materials. Nominations by e-mail or fax will not be accepted. The nomination must be received at SALS on March 25^th before 4:30 PM, Attention: Sara Dallas.

Last year’s winners included: Argyle Free Library for their Underground Railroad Program and Cambridge Public Library for their Geek Squad Program. This year’s winners will be announced at the April 19th, 2016 SALS Board Meeting. Awards consist of a framed certificate honoring the library’s achievements and a financial award to the library. In the event that a representative from an award-winning library is not present at the Annual Meeting, the certificate will be given to the library’s Board President for presentation at the library’s next Board Meeting.

View/Download the PDF of this announcement

Library Trustee of the Year Award Nominations due 3/25/16

The Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) Board of Trustees has approved the Trustee of the Year Awards, and wishes to recognize the hard work and devotion of Trustees in our member libraries. Last year’s recipients were Arnold E. Elman of Clifton Park-Halmoon Public Library and Barbara Caimano of Crandall Public Library in honor of their above & beyond involvement and support.

An individual may be nominated by the Library Director or a Trustee. The nomination should be submitted on library letterhead and accompanied by any supporting materials. Nominations by e-mail or fax will not be accepted.
Nominees should meet the following Eligibility Requirements:

Member of the Board of Trustees of a SALS member library for the 2015 calendar year
Initiated service(s), program(s) or community involvement on behalf of the library
Demonstrated exemplary leadership characteristics
Pursued excellence in the library and sought to have the library make a difference in the community

One Trustee per library will be considered, and the SALS Personnel Committee will select two award recipients. Winners will be announced at the April 19th, 2016 SALS Board Meeting, and the awards will be presented at the SALS 58^th Annual Meeting on May 16^th. The award consists of a framed certificate honoring the recipient’s achievements; there will not be a financial award. In the event that the award recipient is not present at the Annual Meeting, the certificate will be given to the library’s Board President for presentation at the library’s next Board meeting. The nomination must be received at SALS before 4:30 pm, March 25^th, 2016, Attention: Sara Dallas.

View/Download the PDF of this announcement