Outreach Services

Image of TCPL staff and patrons at the Next Chapter Book Club — During the 2017-2018 Outreach Mini-Grant Cycle, TCPL was awarded funds for their Next Chapter Book Club.

Image of a Little Free Library at Montezuma Wildlife Refuge. — Lang Library in Cato used their funds from the 2018-2019 Outreach Mini-Grant cycle to create a Little Free Library at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.

Image of a group of library patrons with their finished floral paintings. — Senior Citizens living in Dryden were able to attend several engaging art programs at Southworth Library thanks to the 2018-2019 Outreach Mini-Grant.

The following resources are available to help underserved groups and people with special needs to use their library. Our targeted outreach groups include: 55+ individuals, people with visual, physical, or developmental disabilities, residents of institutional facilities, individuals with an educational disadvantage, jobseekers, individuals who are geographically isolated, ethnic minorities, incarcerated individuals, and individuals with criminal records. Please contact Jenny Shonk, Continuing Education and Outreach Librarian, for more information: jshonk@flls.org.

Outreach Mini-Grants

Do you have an idea for an outreach project but lack funding? Member libraries in our service area can apply for an Outreach Mini-Grant. Have a question? Stuck on an idea? Read the Outreach Mini Grant FAQs and Tips document or email Jenny Shonk at jshonk@flls.org.

Applications are CLOSED for the 2020-2021 grant cycle!
2020-2021 Outreach Mini-Grant Application
*Please enter your information in the Word document and then save it as a PDF before emailing.

Final reports for the 2019-2020 grant cycle are due June 30, 2020.
2019-2020 Outreach Mini Grant Final Report Form

Projects:

Demographic Data Resources:

American FactFinder Community Facts
City-Data
NYS Dept of Labor Statistics
NYSED Data Site (Graduation rates, etc.)
Policy Map
United States Census Bureau

Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL)

People who cannot easily use printed materials can receive free audiobooks by mail or download through the NYS Library.

Application for Adults
Application for Children/Teens

Eligibility Requirements
BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download)
BARD Mobile App Information
Victor Reader Streams – TBBL provides a free player to each patron (pictured above), but many patrons also prefer to purchase a third-party alternative. The Victor Reader Stream is a popular option due to its small size.
Printable Handout

TBBL Contact Information: 1-800-342-3688 or tbbl@nysed.gov. The phone line is staffed M-F between 9:00am-4:30pm, or you can leave a message anytime with your question/request and they will call you back. See the TBBL website for more contact information.

TBBL Services Available from FLLS: As a sublending agency, FLLS provides applications, local exchanges for nonworking machines, and informational outreach in our service area (please note we do not provide books in this format directly; they are mailed directly to qualifying individuals). Contact us at 607-319-5613 or jshonk@flls.org.

Services to Correctional Facilities and Jails

Correctional Facilities

As outlined in the Guidelines for the New York State Public Library System Services to State Correctional Facility Libraries State Aid Program , the Finger Lakes Library System serves four correctional facilities in our service area:

- - Auburn Correctional Facility
  - Cayuga Correctional Facility
  - Five Points Correctional Facility
  - Willard Drug Treatment Campus

Services to these facilities include:

- - Interlibrary Loan: Includes interlibrary loan of FLLS materials systemwide, as well as materials borrowed from other libraries worldwide. Holds can be placed electronically from the correctional facility using OCLC and the PowerPac catalog.
  - Reentry Guide: FLLS publishes a reentry guide for our service areas to help inmates prepare for release. The guide is supplied to each facility librarian to reproduce as needed. Our bilingual reentry guide lists community resources for people returning from prison or jail to our service area. Updated for 2020.
    - Finding Your Way: A Reentry Guide for People Returning from Prison or Jail to Cayuga, Cortland, Seneca, Tioga and Tompkins Counties in NYS
    - List of similar publications in NYS outside our service area
  - Consultant Services: Training, bibliographies, identification and location of vendors for specialized materials, and visits to facility libraries to assist the librarians in making effective use of resources, assistance with program development, workshops for inmates, exhibits, etc.
  - Collection Development/Programming: Purchase of all types of library materials to supplement the collections of the correctional facility libraries, or to provide speakers/performers at the facility. Consultation with the facility librarian ensures that the most-needed materials are purchased for long-term loan to the facility. Such materials remain the property of the public library system. Materials may include books, audiobooks, materials for the blind, newspapers, periodicals, equipment (note: office equipment does not qualify).
  - Reference Services: Responses to reference question requests, supplemental material for educational purposes, booklists for patrons needing non-English material or other special needs, and other research to help inmates and staff find the information they need.
  - Special Formats: Assistance in gaining access to library materials in alternate formats, including Braille, large print, recorded and digital format for people with print-related and other disabilities.
  - Delivery: Materials are delivered and picked up at regular intervals determined by FLLS and the CFs.
  - Continuing Education: Continuing education and specialized programs are offered to system member libraries and the CFs we serve.

County Jails

The Finger Lakes Library System also serves the five county jails within our service area by providing a number of paperback titles to maintain their reading rooms each year.

For more information on either program, please contact the Continuing Education and Outreach Librarian, Jenny Shonk at jshonk@flls.org.

Coordinated Outreach Services Advisory Council (COSAC)

COSAC advises FLLS’s Outreach Department, assists in the evaluations of its coordinated outreach activities, and works to promote collaborative efforts and partnerships. The Council is comprised of a mix of library directors and representatives from local human service agencies and institutions who serve our targeted outreach populations.

COSAC Members:

- - Jeffrey Boles, Finger Lakes Independence Center
  - Gail Bundy, Cortland County Community Action Program
  - Tania Doverspike, Seneca County Jail
  - Georgianna Horvath, Literacy Volunteers of Broome/Tioga Counties
  - Elizabeth Helmetsie Spencer Library
  - Nicole Sedorus, Cayuga County Office for the Aging
  - Brenda Walsh, Auburn Correctional Facility

Resource Guides

Accessibility Resource Guide: This guide includes information about accessible reading formats at your local library, signing up with other special-need lending libraries, local disability resources, and a collection of disability-related links.

Guide for Creating Print and Online Materials in Accessible Formats

Jobseeker Resource Guide: Search for jobs online, get help with your resume, plan your career, and find local assistance resources. This guide is tailored for residents of Cayuga, Cortland, Seneca, Tioga and Tompkins Counties.

Literacy Resource Guide: Find materials and resources for people of all ages who need help with reading, writing, or speaking English and/or basic computer skills. Also included: TASC Tests! New York State has selected a new high school equivalency test called the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC™) to replace the General Educational Development (GED®) as the primary pathway to a New York State High School Equivalency Diploma effective January 2, 2014.

TASC Brochure English
TASC Brochure Spanish

Community Resource Guides

Each guide includes helpful resources for the following categories: alcohol and substance abuse, education and literacy, food and emergency assistance, health services, housing, jobs and training, legal help, local libraries, mental health, and transportation. Updated for 2018.

Cayuga County Community Resources 2017-2018 Community Directory, Living in Cayuga County.
Cortland County Community Resources
Seneca County Community Resources
Tioga County Community Resources
Tompkins County Community Resources