FLLS Bulletin February 2026
Member Library Monthly Bulletin | February 2026
Table of Contents:
- Announcements
- From the Director
- Member Library News
- Continuing Education
- eContent
- Programming
- Grants
Announcements
Learn more about the Handbook for New Public Library Directors in New York State: 2025 Edition!
The New York State Annual Reports have not been released at this time. We are hoping to know more in early March. Jenny will send out updates via the Directors email distribution list.
From the Director
I am currently in Washington, D.C., attending the American Library Association’s National Library Legislative Day and meeting with our Senators and Representatives. It is always energizing to connect with colleagues from across the country and to speak directly with federal legislators about the work happening in our libraries. I look forward to sharing more about the experience with you in next month’s newsletter.
NY State Advocacy Day – On February 3, more than 700 library advocates from across New York State gathered in Albany to meet with elected officials and advocate for increased library funding and the passage of priority legislation that supports libraries and library workers.
The Governor’s proposed FY2027 Executive Budget includes the following:
- Library Operating Aid: $104.67M
Decrease of $1.655M - Library Construction Aid: $34M
Decrease of $10M - NOVELny Databases: $3M
Flat funding - Office of Cultural Education Stabilization: $12M
This new fund is intended to stabilize the Office of Cultural Education and maintain a fully operational State Library, both now and in the future.
As we approach the April 1 budget deadline, we will continue to share advocacy updates. Your voices matter, and we will be asking for your help in reaching out to your elected officials in the coming weeks.
Annual Reports and Board Meetings – Login information for the New York State Annual Reports has still not been released. While we have encouraged libraries to begin gathering information and preparing statistics, access to the new reporting software is not yet available. We understand this creates uncertainty in your planning, and we appreciate your patience as we wait for the system to open.
Please remember that Boards of Trustees must formally approve the Annual Report, and the approval date must be entered into the report before it can be submitted to FLLS.
We have also received questions about whether boards may vote on items via email. The 2023 Handbook for Library Trustees (page 42, Quorum section) states: “Voting by email does not meet the requirements of Open Meetings Law and therefore no votes taken via email are legal. Attendance and voting by phone also do not meet the requirements of Open Meetings Law.”
You may need to adjust your March Trustees meeting date to accommodate approval of the Annual Report. If you would like to talk through timing or process, please reach out to me or to Jenny Shonk at FLLS. We are always glad to help.
Sarah
Member Library News
Phillips Free Library had an ice sculpture made to celebrate the recent Homer WinterFest! You may recognize this character as Pigeon, from Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! It was created by The Ice Farm in Jordan, NY.
Submissions are always welcome! Do you have something to share? Please email jshonk@flls.org!
Continuing Education
Forming a More Perfect Union: Library Construction Projects and NY State Funding (NYSL)
Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | 2:00 to 3:00pm | FREE
In this webinar, we will be looking at how to take a proposed library construction project through the process of applying for funding through the State Aid for Library Construction program. Funding for this program comes through the New York State budget each year, and projects have multiple years to be completed. Find out how your library’s project might fit within the guidelines for the program, and how to prepare the application to make the best case for funding.
Neuro-Inclusive Libraries: Rethinking Access, Engagement, and Belonging (NYSL)
Friday, March 13 | 11:00am to 12:00pm | FREE
Explore how libraries can better support people with ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence through intentional design, inclusive programming, and equitable policies. Based on research, this program invites library staff to examine traditional expectations around attention, behavior, and communication in library spaces and to reimagine services that create a sense of belonging for all. Participants will learn ways to break down barriers to access, make spaces more inviting, and recognize neurodiversity as a valuable part of building strong, connected communities. Presented by Dr. Courtney Tsahalis. This session is part of our yearlong Room for Everyone series of programs supporting library accessibility. To view all the programs in this series, please view the Accessibility programs on our event calendar.
Managing Up: How to Work Well With the Boss You Actually Have (Library 2.0)
Wednesday, March 18 |1:00 to 2:00pm | FREE
Your relationship with your supervisor may be the single biggest factor in how much you enjoy coming to work. When it’s working, almost everything feels more manageable. When it isn’t, even good days can feel like you’re pushing a boulder uphill. Managing up is a method of career development based on consciously working for the mutual benefit of yourself and your boss. That distinction matters: mutual benefit, not just theirs. In this webinar, you’ll get concrete, practical strategies for the parts of the supervisor relationship that trip most of us up: figuring out what your boss actually needs, building the kind of trust that gives you credibility when it counts, and staying grounded when you feel like you have very little control. No fluff, no corporate-speak — just real tools for the real dynamics you’re navigating every day.
That All May Read: An Overview of the New York State Talking Book & Braille Library (FLLS)
Thursday, April 23 | 11:00am to 12:00pm | FREE
New York State Talking Book and Braille Library Senior Librarian Laurenne Teachout provides an overview of services, focusing on eligibility for service and the important role public libraries play in connecting community members to accessible reading materials. Learn more about TBBL: tbbl.nysed.gov. Registration is required. Session will be held on Zoom and will be recorded. View our Code of Conduct for Programs.
eContent
Libby Reads
OverDrive has shared the featured title for the first global Libby Reads program of 2026! From March 26 to April 9, readers worldwide can check out Meet the Neighbors by Brandon Keim with no waitlists or holds in the Libby app. A beguiling invitation to discover an expanded sense of community and kinship beyond our own species, Meet the Neighbors opens our eyes to the world of vibrant intelligence just outside our doors.
OverDrive has provided:
- A patron-facing page where readers can learn more about the title
- A marketing kit with ready-to-use promotional materials.
- A blog post with programming ideas on how to engage your patrons in this program.
Programming
Summer Reading
Congratulations to the Groton Public Library for being selected to participate in the CSLP Building Community Based Summers/BCBS cohort for Spring 2026! BCBS is designed to help member libraries identify the “whys” behind their summer services, build strategies to engage community voices, and create and provide inclusive summer services for all members of their communities. The discussions and activities will focus on how to connect with communities experiencing marginalization to design and implement summer library services. Selected participants will have the opportunity to engage with a nationwide cohort of library staff to dig deeply into inclusive summer services.
GPL was one of 14 libraries chosen. Director Sara Knoebel said she was inspired by the FLLS Community Read “The 12 Steps to a Community-Led Library”. Co-author Dr. Audrey Barbakoff was the speaker at the FLLS Annual Meeting in October 2025.
Save the Date! The FLLS 2026 Summer Reading Meeting is on Thursday, April 9 from 9:30am to Noon with special guests from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Museum of the Earth, and the Sciencenter. Watch for details and registration coming in early March.
Meanwhile, the FLLS Summer Reading LibGuide is where we’ll post the latest info for all things Summer, including America250 programming ideas.
Support Summer Reading with NOVELny
Wednesday, May 6 from 11:00 to 11:30am
Summer reading programs encourage children, youth and families to read and help children maintain reading skills and your NOVELny resource, Gale Books and Authors, can help! This resource offers countless ways to explore authors, titles, genres, and literary topics so that your patrons can discover books they can’t put down. In this webinar, we’ll delve into Gale Books and Authors along with other valuable NOVELny resources, demonstrating how they can support and sustain your readers’ enthusiasm for reading throughout the summer. Register to attend or receive a link to the recording.
Resources from Programming Librarian
Did you know? You can browse and filter through programs on the Programming Librarian website! Check out some recent articles and program ideas below.
- 9 Tips for Staying Organized from Busy Programming Librarians
- 8 Tips for Financial Fitness from Programming Librarians
- Around The World In 49 Days Program
- Novel Brews Program
Grants
SCRLC Digitization Grants
South Central Regional Library Council’s Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the 2026-2027 grant round for regional digitization projects. Funded projects will start after July 1, 2026 and conclude by June 30, 2027.
Full and affiliate SCRLC members are encouraged to submit projects that allow materials to be accessed regionally through New York Heritage, New York State Historic Newspapers, the Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative, the 360 degree Empire State Immersive Experience (ESIE), or discoverable through Wikipedia.
For 2026-2027, applications are especially encouraged for:
- community partnerships increasing representation of and with communities that have been historically and systematically oppressed;
- geographically underrepresented communities in the SCRLC region;
- creative approaches to availing digitized collections, e.g., holding or co-organizing a Wikipedia edit-a-thon to add links to New York Heritage collections, walking tours, virtual tours through ESIE, or HistoryForge participation.
All proposals received will be presented to a review panel comprised of expert individuals from outside the SCRLC region for evaluation and funding recommendations. Individual applications are limited to $5,000; partnership applications, to $8,000.
The application packet is available in Word or PDF format at our website. Applications must be completed and submitted electronically to Claire Lovell, SCRLC’s Digital Services Librarian, at clovell@scrlc.org by Friday, April 10, 2026. Please contact Claire with any questions.