FLLS Bulletin August 2026
Member Library Monthly Bulletin | August 2026
Table of Contents:
- Announcements
- From the Director
- Polaris Tip
- Member Library News
- Continuing Education
- Programming
- Grants
Announcements
The Reciprocal Lending Arrangement (RLA) update went live in Libby! Jump to the eContent section to learn more!
FLLS is seeking three new trustees! Check out the Letter from the Director for more information.
From the Director
Here are some updates for our end of summer newsletter:
Library Card Sign-Up Month Coming – September is Library Card Sign-up Month, an annual celebration of the many opportunities a library card provides. This year’s national theme, “A Library Card Hits All the Right Notes,” reminds us that libraries offer something for everyone, from books, eBooks, and educational resources to technology assistance, programs, and creative spaces. As students and families settle into a new school year, September is an ideal time to encourage residents of all ages to visit their local library, sign up for a card, and explore everything their library has to offer. The American Library Association also provides free promotional graphics and resources that libraries may use throughout the month.
FLLS Board Members Needed – FLLS is seeking three individuals to serve on our Board of Trustees beginning in 2027. The following positions will be elected at the FLLS Annual Meeting on Friday, October 16:
- One At-Large representative for a four-year term
- One Cortland County representative for a four-year term
- One Tioga County representative for a five-year term
At-Large candidates may reside in Cayuga, Cortland, Seneca, Tioga, or Tompkins County. Candidates for the county-designated seats must reside in the county they will represent. Nominees do not need to currently serve on a local library board, and self-nominations are welcome. We encourage directors and trustees to consider community members who would bring a variety of professional experiences, perspectives, and skills to the FLLS Board. Please help us share this opportunity with individuals who are interested in supporting libraries throughout our five-county service area. For more information, please email or call me.
Plan of Service – Our work on the 2027–2031 Plan of Service is also continuing. Thank you to everyone who participated in our focus groups and completed the system-wide survey earlier this year. Your feedback is helping us identify priorities and shape how FLLS will support its 33 member libraries over the next five years.
As part of this process, FLLS will soon distribute the proposed Free Direct Access Plan to all member libraries. The Free Direct Access Plan describes how residents within the FLLS service area may use public libraries throughout the system and is the only portion of the Plan of Service that requires approval by a majority of member library boards. We must receive approval from at least 17 of our 33 member libraries before the plan can be submitted to the New York State Library.
Directors and trustees are asked to reserve space on their September board meeting agendas to review and vote on the Free Direct Access Plan. The plan will be distributed by email to directors and trustees shortly. We appreciate your assistance in making sure this item is placed on your agenda and acted upon promptly.
Holiday Closure – FLLS will be closed Monday, September 7, to observe Labor Day. There will be no deliveries that day. All member libraries will receive a delivery on Tuesday, September 8.
I hope everyone has an enjoyable rest of your summer!
Sarah
Polaris Tip
Periodical Volume Number Procedure
Please pay close attention to the procedures for entering dates on your Polaris periodical [magazine] item records. There are two very important points to make:
- Entering date data in the Volume field of the item link has to be performed for every periodical.
- You can continue to add dates in the Call number field of the item link, but the current procedure requires entering specifically formulated dates in the Volume field.
Here are some helpful hints on how to transcribe a date from the periodical to the Volume field of the item record:
- Dates to be entered into the Volume field should be derived from the title page of the periodical. Do not use cover or spine dates, if possible.
- Enter the year first, the month second, and the specific date third.
- It is critical that you do not forget to insert hyphens between sections of the transcribed date. DO NOT use slashes ( \ or / ), or blanks.
CORRECT: 2011-05-30 (see further examples below)
INCORRECT: 2019/05/30 or 2020 05 30 or 2026-May
The examples below show how you should enter each instance into the Volume field.
- May 23, 2026 = 2026-05-23
- Apr. 11, 2026 – Apr. 17, 2026 = 2026-04-11 (2nd date not entered)
- June 2025 = 2025-06
- July/Aug 2025 = 2025-07 (Aug left off)
- Spring 2026 = 2026-Spring
- WINTER 2025-2026= 2025-Winter (2nd year not entered)
- 2025 Supplement 1 = 2025-Supp 1
- 2024 Special issue = 2024-Spec
This is not a comprehensive listing of all possible dates that you may encounter. If you receive any item that doesn’t fit this standard, please contact Deb.
Member Library News
Cortland Free Library
Jurassic Dave, Unearth Art with Molly, and Dinosaurs Rock were just a few of the amazing programs Cortland Free Library was able to offer this year! Visit their Youth Services Facebook page to see more pics!
Kellogg Free Library in Cincinnatus
What could be better than Puzzles & Pie?! “This is our 3rd summer doing this program. We purchase pies from a local baker and the teams race to see who can complete the same puzzle first. The winning team wins bragging rights & the first ones to get to eat pie but at the end of course everyone gets to enjoy the pies!” Visit Kellogg’s Facebook page to see more pics!
Seymour Library in Auburn
“Miss Jill and our families discovered a new game of catch with super-cool dinopants! Everyone joined in on the fun, taking turns wearing these oversized pants!🦖“
“Families loved the selection of FREE books; our young readers were excited to see such a large selection of books to take home with them!“
Submissions are always welcome! Do you have something to share? Please email jshonk@flls.org.
Continuing Education
NY250: Collaboration Opportunities from New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSL)
Tuesday, September 15 | 2:00-3:00pm | FREE
This webinar focuses on a variety of 250th initiatives from New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Learn about the Enslavement to Freedom project including 2027 anniversaries, the research and development process, exhibit themes, and ways that your library can engage with this work! Participants will also receive an overview of OPRHP’s Revisit the Revolution traveling exhibit. Presenters are India Futterman, Aine Leader-Nagy, Lavada Nahon, and Mallory Schultz.
Is This for Real? Understanding AI Scams (CLRC)
Wednesday, September 16 | 2:00-4:00pm | FREE
Digital scams have been a growth industry for at least the last two decades. But new AI advances have made scamming easier than ever, and more effective at scale. Americans lost nearly $900 million from AI scams in 2025 alone, and that number is growing. It’s imperative that library workers gain a deeper understanding of how AI scams are supercharging fraud and misinformation in our communities. Alison Macrina from Library Freedom Project will lead this training on understanding and identifying common AI scams. She’ll cover how to tell when text, audio, or video has been AI-generated or enhanced. She’ll close by sharing LFP resources on protecting ourselves and our patron communities.
How Gen Z use and don’t use public libraries: New data and analysis (WebJunction)
Tuesday, September 22 | 3:00-4:00pm | FREE
A new survey shows big increases in use and trust of librarian recommendation. How do Gen Z use public libraries? Learn why libraries fit into Gen Z book discovery behaviors, and what prompts Gen Z to identify as readers—or not. Professors Kathi Inman Berens and Rachel Noorda, media researchers at Portland State University, present 2025 data and insights about how Gen Z use libraries. The researchers contextualize their longitudinal survey data with ethnographic research and conversations with many librarians. What are some successful strategies libraries use to reach and serve Gen Z? What paradoxes characterize Gen Z’s media identities and behaviors? Participants will leave with tips on how to strengthen Gen Z’s connection to libraries, how to understand Gen Z, and how promote services that resonate with younger audiences.
Director Handbook Book Club: The Director-Board Relationship (MHLS)
Friday, September 25 | 10:00-11:30pm | FREE
Strong libraries rely on strong partnerships. In this Director Handbook Book Club session, Ron Kirsop, Executive Director of OWWL Library System, will guide directors through the core expectations, boundaries, and communication practices that support a healthy, effective relationship between a library director and a board of trustees. We will cover the distinct roles of governance and management, where responsibilities overlap, and how to steer a board toward healthier patterns if expectations have been unclear or the board has overstepped in the past. The session will also offer practical strategies for communication between meetings, trustee onboarding and education, board meeting success, and director reporting that reduces surprises and builds trust. We will close with a structured look at director and board evaluation practices that strengthen accountability, clarify goals, and connect leadership performance to strategic planning.
Programming & More
Summer Reading Survey
On August 4, directors and youth services staff received an email with the link to the 2026 Summer Reading Evaluation Survey. In this survey, the NYS Library is interested in learning about your summer programming. (Some of the information you submit is also requested on the NYS Annual Report.) The survey will close on Monday, September 28. Please reach out to Heidi if you have any questions.
FLLS Website: Director and Trustee LibGuides Now Live!
As part of our website accessibility work, we’ve been updating some webpage content. Under the Resources menu tab, you’ll find two new additions: the Director LibGuide and the Trustee LibGuide. These guides contain useful information about library management and governance. Much of the content was inspired by the most common questions we receive from directors and boards and the desire to have that info in one location.
If you have suggestions for content, please reach out to Heidi. And you can always reach out to FLLS with any library related questions. (You never know what situations you’ll encounter as a library director or board member!)
Library Card Sign Up Month
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide encourage parents, caregivers and students to sign up for a library card. The campaign started in 1987 as a response to then Secretary of Education William Bennett, who stated, “Let’s have a campaign … Every child should obtain a library card and use it.”
This year’s theme is “A Library Card Hits All the Right Notes.” The ALA website provides a variety of free tools and ideas for promoting Library Card Sign-up Month in your local community:
- Sample press releases in English and Spanish
- Sample proclamations in English and Spanish
- Social media graphics
- Use hashtag, #LibraryCardSignUpMonth, on social media
eContent
On Tuesday, August 18, the Reciprocal Lending Arrangement (RLA) update went live in Libby. You and your patrons should begin to see the notification about lending partnerships, and patrons’ partner libraries should begin to update.
Here a few resources for library staff about the update:
- Libby Help page: About library lending partnerships
- Lending partnerships in Libby overview video
- An updated Reciprocal Lending Arrangement eLearning module
OverDrive’s Marketing team is working on updating the RLA materials, so those should be available in the Resource Center soon.
Next up: We’re excited to bring Four County Library System on board! They are slated to join our library partners on Monday, August 24th. We’ll reach out when everything is live.
Hoopla Lunch and Learn Save the Date: Wednesday, September 16
At this virtual Lunch and Learn on September 16 from 12:00-12:45pm, you’ll meet Christine Garrow, our service area’s Hoopla rep, to learn more about this service. Come with your questions about this platform. More details, including Zoom link will be sent out in an upcoming email this September.
(Please note: FLLS will not be adding Hoopla to our digital services. However, several FLLS member libraries currently subscribe for their patrons as a supplement to OverDrive/Libby.)
National Voter Registration Day is September 15
National Voter Registration Day ( September 15, 2026) is dedicated to getting every eligible American registered to vote ahead of the various state deadlines and seeks to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities during a single 24-hour democracy blitz to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise. Every eligible citizen should have the option to exercise their right to be heard at the ballot box, and with well over 6.3 million registered voters to its name since 2012, National Voter Registration Day is the perfect day to start getting America #VoteReady for Election 2026 on November 3rd. Libraries can celebrate this civic holiday by hosting a nonpartisan voter registration event or partnering with another organization to bring voter registration to the library.
Additional resources include:
- Join the American Library Association’s (ALA) campaign to get every community Reader, Voter, Ready! Use and share resources and get your community mobilized to vote.
- WebJunction has shared a “Library guide to civic engagement,” that includes a curated selection of resources, tools, and ideas to help inform your library’s approach to this important work.
Grants
SCRLC Ask the Grant Advisor!
SCRLC is excited to pilot a new service, Ask the Grant Advisor, to help our members find grants and other funding sources. Whether you have a specific project in mind or a general idea, this program will help you identify potential sources of funding to help make it happen.
We’ve contracted with Brit Campese, a professional grant writing consultant, to work one-on-one with our members. Members can request assistance and we’ll put you in touch with Brit to discuss various fundraising strategies and consult through the resource mobilization and grant writing processes.