FLLS Bulletin April 2026
Member Library Monthly Bulletin | April 2026
Table of Contents:
Announcements
Reminder! You can submit requests for CLSA (Central Library Services Aid) books at any time using this CLSA Request Form! All purchases will be made available to the entire system immediately, no restrictions. Not all requests can be fulfilled and some titles may not be available in the format you requested. If the item is purchased, it is not guaranteed that your patron will receive the item first.
Did you know? The ADA Website Accessibility Rule has been extended to April 2027 for organizations with populations over 50,000 and April 2028 for organizations with populations under 50,000. Learn more on the Federal Register website. We’ll be sharing guidance in a special section of future bulletins to get you ready for that date!
From the Director
Here are some updates for the month of April at Finger Lakes Library System:
State Budget Update
At this time, a final New York State budget has not yet been passed, and there are no new updates to report, unfortunately. The New York Library Association is engaging with legislators and working on the Freedom to Read Act and the Open Shelves Act in addition to monitoring the State Budget. As soon as the budget is released, I will be sending out information.
National Library Week
Happy National Library Week! This is a time to celebrate the vital role libraries play in our communities. Organized by the American Library Association, this annual event highlights how libraries bring people together, foster lifelong learning, and provide access to essential resources and services. It is also an opportunity to recognize the dedication of library staff, trustees, and volunteers who make this work possible every day for our 33 libraries. I have loved seeing all of your fantastic social media posts this week, highlighting your dedicated library staff in such fun ways!
FLLS Plan of Service Focus Groups
FLLS has started our focus groups for our upcoming Plan of Service, and focus groups have taken place across Tompkins, Tioga, Seneca, and Cortland counties. These sessions have gone well and have provided valuable insight for both FLLS leadership and the Plan of Service Committee. We appreciate the thoughtful participation and feedback from everyone involved, which will help guide priorities and strengthen our planning efforts moving forward. We will be hosting our Cayuga County focus group on May 11 and have two opportunities for participating through Zoom in May. Sign-up for the Zoom sessions was shared with directors and trustees through e-mail, but if you have any questions, please e-mail or call me for more information.
Finalizing Annual Reports
As we approach the May 1 deadline for submission to the New York State Library, I want to extend a sincere thank you to all directors and trustees for your hard work on this year’s Annual Reports. We recognize that this has been an unusual and at times challenging reporting cycle, and we truly appreciate your flexibility and commitment to make sure your reports were completed this month. Your efforts ensure that we can submit complete and accurate reports on time, which is essential to our continued funding. Thank you and an enormous thank you to Jenny Shonk at FLLS for her hard work on coordinating this important work!
Sarah
Member Library News
Cortland Free Library Construction News!
Cortland Free Library is in the process of installing a brand new HVAC system, which will provide much-needed air conditioning to the library. View the Instagram post online to read the full caption!
Submissions are always welcome! Do you have something to share? Please email jshonk@flls.org.
Continuing Education
Adult Program Swap: 250th Commemoration (NYSL)
Thursday, April 28 | 2:00-3:00pm | FREE
This year New York joins the nation in America250, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Find out what your colleagues have done (or plan on doing) to recognize and explore this historic milestone in their communities in shaping New York’s history at the next Adult Program Swap. Adult Program Swap is a virtual meet-up of Adult Programming Library staff to network and share ideas. We start with a short intro and then hear from a series of presenters who have volunteered to briefly share what has worked at their libraries. You can also register for a webinar about the New York State Library’s New York at 250: A Resource Guide for Public Libraries and Partners at 11:00am on Tuesday, May 5th.
Library Accessibility 101: Because People with Disabilities Need Libraries (NYSL)
Friday, May 8 | 10:00-11:00am | FREE
This presentation will provide some basic knowledge on disability etiquette and discuss the pivotal role libraries play for people with disabilities. We will also discuss some challenges libraries face such as service animals vs. emotional support animals, disability that manifests in behavioral issues that may challenge the library environment, and why libraries are important for the wellbeing of people with disabilities.
That All May Read: An Overview of the NYS Talking Book & Braille Library (FLLS)
Thursday, May 28 | 11:00am-12:00pm | FREE
New York State Talking Book and Braille Library Senior Librarian Laurenne Teachout will provide 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.
Programming & More
Summer Reading
Is it time to rethink Summer Reading? At our April Spring into Summer meeting, the possibility and the power to reframe Summer Reading came up. (Even the phrase summer reading may not be the best description of what your library does in July and August.) Every library does summer in their own way to meet their community’s needs and their library’s capacity.
In December 2024 FLLS invited Courtney Tsahalis, director of the Millbrook Public Library to present her popular webinar, Rethinking Summer Reading, where she wondered if there was a different way–and then made some changes to the way she and her staff approached the summer season. You can watch the recording of the Rethinking Summer Reading webinar (Passcode: TT9$a4es).
Explorer Backpacks
We’d like to thank Lyanne and Greg at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s K-12 Education department for creating and sharing the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Backpacks with our member libraries.
We’re already hearing feedback from folks:
“Just wanted to let you and people at Cornell Ornithology know that the backpack that you put together was a big hit with my grandchildren. They are four and eight years old. They took the backpack and spent about an hour walking all over the yard, stopping and looking for things. The eight year old loved the fold out identifiers.”
Collection Development
So many books, so little time! Usually that phrase describes the quandary of a book lover’s reading or listening choices, but for smaller libraries, collection development can be a challenge. How to decide what titles to add to the collection? How does price and availability impact what’s on the shelves? And what about the processing of items once they arrive?
While we don’t have all the answers, here are a few free resources to help libraries with selection decisions:
Grants
FLLS Family Literacy Grant
Do you have an idea or current literacy project that needs funding? The Finger Lakes Library System Family Literacy Grant may be the solution. This competitive mini-grant provides funding for member libraries to use for collection development, program materials and supplies, and performers/presenters that support the library’s literacy work for at-risk youth* ages birth-21 years. The due date for the 2026 FLLS Family Literacy Grant Application has been extended to Friday, May 8th. (The original due date was May 1.) Please reach out to Heidi with questions.
FLLS Aunt Flow Mini-Grant
The Aunt Flow Mini-Grant program allows FLLS member libraries to provide menstrual products to underserved groups and individuals with disabilities in the FLLS service area. The application will open on May 1 and applications are due May 31. The application link (live on May 1), guidelines, a copy of the application, and the report are available on the Outreach Grants LibGuide! For this grant, you will apply for dispensers or products and FLLS will purchase on your behalf and deliver to your library. Please reach out to Jenny with questions.