FLLS Bulletin March 2026
Member Library Monthly Bulletin | March 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!
From the Director
As we move into spring, I’d like to take a moment to share a few important updates from recent advocacy efforts, State developments, and what we know about Annual Reports.
National Advocacy in Action
At the end of February, approximately 200 library advocates from across the country gathered for ALA’s National Library Legislative Day, including 14 representatives from New York State spanning public, school, and academic libraries. It was a vital opportunity to bring library priorities directly to federal policymakers.
Key topics of discussion included continued funding for the Library Services and Technology Act, support for E-Rate, concerns around the halting of passport services at association libraries, and the proposed Prison Libraries Act, which would establish a competitive grant program. These conversations were both timely and productive, and I was able to attend six meetings with our elected officials in our service area. Every Congressmember we met with understood the need for library funding and our advocacy priorities.
Looking ahead, the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, including our State Librarian, will soon be in Washington, D.C. for their own legislative meetings, continuing this important advocacy work on behalf of libraries nationwide.
State Budget Developments
Here in New York, both the Assembly and Senate have passed their respective one-house budget proposals, each reflecting strong support for libraries:
Assembly Proposal
- $109.3 million for Library Aid
- $70 million for Construction Aid
- $3 million for NOVELny
- $12 million for the Cultural Education Center (including the State Library)
Senate Proposal
- $114.6 million for Library Aid
- $54 million for Construction Aid
- $3 million for NOVELny
- $12 million for the Cultural Education Center
While these proposals are encouraging, negotiations are ongoing. The state budget is due April 1, though it is often finalized later. We will continue to monitor developments closely and keep you informed.
Annual Reports
We recognize that many of you are waiting for the New York State Annual Report system to open, and at this time, there is still no confirmed timeline. We understand the challenges this creates and appreciate your patience.
Jenny will be sharing out information from the State as soon as we receive it. We will continue to provide key data points, including OverDrive usage, interlibrary loan activity, Polaris statistics, and technical information related to connectivity and E-Rate to help you with your reporting.
While we wait, there are several steps you can take now:
- Keep your trustees informed. Flexibility may be needed around meeting schedules, or a special meeting may be required to approve your report. Please remember that all actions must comply with Open Meetings Law—votes cannot be conducted via email.
- Review the Outline of Major Changes to understand what’s new this year.
- Begin drafting your report using the spreadsheet provided by the State; this will make final submission smoother once the system opens.
- Revisit the 2024 documentation available on the Annual Reports webpage for guidance.
- And as always, reach out with questions!
I will be out of the office and on vacation from Monday, March 30 through Friday, April 3. I will be back in the office on Monday, April 6.
Sarah
Member Library News
Lots of Love at Seymour Library
“From Facebook to Instagram, comments, messages, and post-it notes GALORE, everyone from old to young showered us with love. The soft, squishy kind that makes a long day that much better. We had a total of 95 love notes.” Visit the Seymour Library’s blog to see more love notes from their patrons.
Submissions are always welcome! Do you have something to share? Please email jshonk@flls.org.
Continuing Education
Choose Your Adventure in Mask Making: Working with the Johari Window with Mike Bishop (FLLS)
Thursday, April 9 | 1:15pm-3:30pm | FREE
Building community is one antidote to the many challenges we are facing in living into our core motto: libraries are for everyone. As we enter our busiest time of year, how do we maintain our compassion and manage the traumas experienced by ourselves, our patrons, and our profession?
In this session we will create spaciousness with music and art to explore a practical communication model (Johari Window) and apply our insights with a mask making activity. First, we will take an in-depth look at the Johari Window model and how it can strengthen our ability to share and listen to feedback and stories. Mask making will offer time to creatively get “caught up” in our own stories of strength and endurance. Directions will be provided including several options for mask themes. Participants will leave with insight and inspiration for the work ahead. This session will immediately follow the Spring into Summer Reading Meeting.
Copyright 101 for Librarians with Kaitlyn Garvin (CDLC)
Tuesday, April 14 | 10:30am-12:00pm | FREE
This webinar will provide a practical, plain-language introduction to U.S. copyright law with a broad overview of copyright fundamentals, while also diving into some specific considerations that libraries may need to navigate, including fair use, the public domain, digitization, resource sharing, licensing issues, and instruction and programming.
There is a space on the registration form to submit questions. Your questions will help the speaker shape the presentation to meet the audience’s needs. Questions that are received by April 1, 2026, will receive priority. Please note that the speaker is not able to provide legal advice on specific situations. This program will be recorded. However, the recording will only be sent to registrants.
Witness to Injustice: Fostering truth, understanding and respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples (SCRLC & CLRC)
Wednesday, April 22 | 1:00pm-4:30pm | FREE
The Witness to Injustice Exercise is a unique three-hour interactive group teaching tool. It uses participatory education to share the disturbing history of what Indigenous Peoples have experienced through colonization. The program seeks to foster truth, understanding, and respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the part of the world now known as the United States; especially in the territory stewarded by people of the Onondaga Nation and other Haudenosaunee peoples.
Through the use of meaningful quotes and blankets that represent part of Turtle Island (the Western Hemisphere), we explore this shared history that non-native people rarely learn in school or other settings. The Exercise helps participants deepen their understanding about the European colonization of Turtle Island, learning through the eyes of our Indigenous neighbors. It details the denial of Indigenous peoples’ nationhood throughout U.S. history up to the present time. After the Witness to Injustice Exercise, participants have the opportunity to share with the group what they learned, felt, etc., and, resources are shared by facilitators to help participants continue to learn more.
We hope this program stimulates deep discussion and reflection, and points the way toward ongoing steps to address the grievous wrongs which have been done to Indigenous Peoples. Join Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) and Haudenosaunee facilitators as we participate in learning and dialogue through this exercise.
eContent
E-content: Looking for More Libby Titles?
We’re celebrating four years as part of an OverDrive Reciprocal Lending Arrangement (RLA) with the Southern Tier and OWWL Library Systems! Informally called “Read Across the Region”, this partnership creates a shared OverDrive collection, opening up access possibilities for all of our patrons (especially useful when readers are trying to find a title in a series!) It’s easy for patrons to add STLS and OWWL libraries.
To be clear, not all titles in our collection are available to out-of-system patrons; our agreement prioritizes FLLS patrons for high demand content. (Just like OWWL and STLS’s provides for their patrons.)
Learn more about our RLA on our website!
Programming
Summer Reading
Our Spring into Summer Reading Planning Meeting is coming up on Thursday, April 9th at FLLS. If you didn’t get a chance to register, reach out to Heidi to get signed up.
Have you visited our FLLS Summer Reading 2026 LibGuide? It’s where we compile all the latest info about Summer Reading, like updates on the NYS Library’s Summer Reading Lunch n Learns and new partners and presenters with program ideas.
All New York State public libraries have free access to the Collaborative Summer Learning Program resources! CSLP online manual codes were first shared in an email back in October 2025.
Love Your Library Fund Performer and Presenter Winners
Congratulations to the following member libraries who have an extra $250 to put in their Summer Reading Performers and Presenter budgets. The Love Your Library Fund is made possible by our fellow New Yorkers who support libraries.
- Cayuga County: Seymour Public Library and Aurora Free Library
- Cortland County: Phillips Free Library and Lamont Memorial Library
- Seneca County: Edith B. Ford and Waterloo Library
- Tioga County: Apalachin Library and Coburn Free Library
- Tompkins County: Lansing Community Library and Ulysses Philomathic Library
Resources from Programming Librarian
Did you know? You can browse and filter through program ideas on the Programming Librarian website! Check out some recent articles and program ideas below.
- New Landscape Report on the Current State of Library Programs for Older Adults
- Engagement and Advocacy Start with Community Mapping
- Legacy Story Project Program Idea
- Creepy Clay Crafting Program Idea
- Tape Town Program Idea
Grants
Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library Education Grants
Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library offers monetary assistance through education grants to staff members of Tompkins County public libraries and Tompkins County K-12 school librarians to attend professional meetings, workshops, training sessions, and conferences.
The Committee also supports students seeking an advanced degree in library service, primarily those who are interested in public or school librarianship. Students must be enrolled in an accredited Library Science graduate program. These grants may be given for more than one year if the library school student has completed all previous courses successfully.
The 2026 Education Grants application is available on the Friends website. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Applicants will be notified shortly thereafter.
FLLS Family Literacy Grant
The 2026 FLLS Family Literacy Grant is now open! Libraries can apply for up to $500 to fund collection development, program materials and supplies, or performers and presenters. You can find more details, including the application link on our FLLS Outreach Grants LibGuide.
OMG! Apply for an Outreach Mini-Grant
Member libraries in our service area can apply for an Outreach Mini-Grant. Applications are open for the 2026-2027 grant cycle. $25,000 is available! All applications are due March 31, 2026. Visit the FLLS Outreach Grants LibGuide to view helpful documentation and to access the application link.
Art Resources Transfer’s 2026 Poulin Project box set is now available!
“If you are a public institution in New York State, we warmly invite you to request a free box set of poetry, literature, and nonfiction books. Poulin Project requests are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis and we still have room on our request list so please do not hesitate to sign up.
Request your set by completing this short form here.
The Poulin Project is a NYSCA-funded initiative that provides New York State libraries, schools, prisons, and reading centers with free box sets of contemporary literature from small presses around the state. Sets include 100 titles by publishers including Archipelago Books, Brooklyn Arts Press, Futurepoem, Graywolf Press, Haymarket Books, New Directions, Roof Books.
A.R.T. also provides public institutions with free books on contemporary art through our Library Program. We are pleased to offer all Poulin Project recipients a supplemental box set of free books from the A.R.T. Library Program.”