FLLS Monthly Bulletin September 2026
Member Library Monthly Bulletin | September 2026
Table of Contents:
- Announcements
- From the Director
- Polaris Tip
- Member Library News
- Continuing Education
- Programming
- Grants
Announcements
Our 68th Annual Meeting is coming up on Friday, October 16! See Sarah’s letter below for more info.
The Four County Library System joined our OverDrive lending partnership in late August! Jump to the Programming section to learn more.
From the Director
September has been a busy month at Finger Lakes, especially with library advocacy, and I wanted to share a few updates from the federal, state, and local levels.
Federal Advocacy and E-rate – At the federal level, e-rate remains a concern. The Federal Communications Commission has opened a proceeding that could significantly change the e-rate program, which helps schools and public libraries afford broadband and network connections. This support is especially important to our small and rural libraries. The American Library Association is encouraging libraries and supporters to share local examples, contact members of Congress, and submit comments to the FCC by October 13.
State Advocacy Efforts – FLLS is participating in a statewide advocacy effort with our other 22 public library systems by writing to Governor Hochul’s regional staff about the essential role of library systems. Our service area falls under 3 different regions in which the Governor has regional offices, so FLLS needed to provide 3 letters. Our letters emphasize that FLLS serves 33 individual libraries across our five counties, many of them small and rural. They highlight how libraries help residents navigate government and health services, avoid online scams, understand artificial intelligence, find employment, support children’s literacy and stay connected and involved in their communities. The letters also stress that libraries are trusted public infrastructure and ask the Governor’s staff to support strong, sustained State Aid for libraries in the upcoming State budget.
County Budgets – I joined Laura Lusk, Director of Southworth Library in Dryden, to present our 2027 request for flat funding to the Tompkins County Legislature on September 2. We spoke on behalf of FLLS and the county’s five rural libraries. Legislators appreciated the hard work of our libraries and were impressed by circulation, cardholder statistics, and library visits. They remarked that it was clear that we love serving our communities. Based on the positive response to our presentation, I do not anticipate cuts to our Tompkins County funding.
FLLS Annual Meeting – Please join us for the FLLS 68th Annual Meeting on Friday, October 16, from 9:30am to 1:30pm at Shepard Hills Country Club in Waverly. After our business meeting and trustee elections, Adam Di Filippe, Director of the Holderness Free Library in New Hampshire, will present Crafting an AI Policy for Your Public Library. His experience at a small, rural library will bring a practical perspective to questions about privacy, bias, transparency, staff training, and working with vendors.
Our Annual Meeting is open to all library directors, library staff, and trustees to attend. The Annual Meeting is a chance to connect with colleagues across our five counties, take part in system business, and check out our libraries in Tioga County while you are there. Please register by Friday, October 2 using the online registration form. I look forward to seeing you there!
Have a fantastic weekend,
Sarah
Polaris Tip
Searching in Polaris Leap
To access various types of records, click in the Scan or search field and scan a patron or item barcode to find a specific record. You can search for patron records by typing a patron’s name, address, phone number, email address, or other identifying information. You can search for item or bib records by title, author, subject, keyword, and more. Auto suggestions will appear after you begin typing. Either type in your search query and press enter on the keyboard or choose a suggestion from the drop-down list. Please Note: You cannot search by ISBN in this field, use the Find Tool.
Next, the Leap Find Tool will open with some results that match your search. Double click on the record you would like to open or click on the record and then on the Open button. The record will display on your screen and you can click on different links to access other parts of the record. Click on the red CLOSE button when you are finished.
Instead of using the Scan or search field, you can click on the FIND button to open the Find Tool. Click in the search field and enter your search term(s), then hit enter on your keyboard or click the search button. Your results will show up on the screen, double click on the record and then on open to access the record. You can check the Count Only box (lower left corner) before searching to discover the number of records only.
Member Library News
IN THE NEWS: Seymour Library to Celebrate 150 Years in Auburn
Seneca Falls Library Summer Reading Success!
Seneca Falls Library had a very successful suite of Summer Reading programs this year. The Dry Ice Show with Annie from the Sciencenter (top left photo) was educational, engaging and super fun! Attendees investigated sublimation with dry ice. The kids made fog, shot off corks in the library, and blew bubbles, while observing how dry ice is different than water ice. Young scientists enjoyed exploring and experimenting with this unique substance! For Triassic Treats (top right photo), Youth Services Coordinator Tara Montoney read Sam & Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett to the group and then the participants excavated tiny chocolate chips from chips ahoy cookies to see who could find the most whole ones & then the kids got to make their own fossils in cookie dough that were then baked and painted with food coloring.
Phillips Free Library’s Adulting 101 Classes
Phillips Free Library received funding through the FLLS Family Literacy Grant to hold Adulting 101 classes for teens and young adults! Participants learned invaluable skills through practical sessions focusing on car maintenance (top photo), finances, self-defense, sewing, home repair, cooking (bottom photo) and communication.
Submissions are always welcome! Do you have something to share? Please email jshonk@flls.org.
Continuing Education
An Introduction to NYS Historic Newspapers (NNYLN)
Wednesday, September 30 | 10:00-11:00 | FREE
The New York State Historic Newspapers project provides free online access to a wide range of newspapers chosen to reflect New York’s unique history, features over 15 million pages, and includes content covering 300 years. It’s a vital tool to support research on genealogy, local history, and more. Join Chuck Henry, manager of the NYS Historic Newspapers project, for an overview of this robust resource. This one-hour session will be a straightforward tour of search functions, tools for documentation, and tips for printing, followed by Q&A. It is intended for users new to the resource. Workers from all types of libraries, researchers, genealogists, history enthusiasts, and anyone interested in learning about the resource are welcome.
No Such Thing as Work/Life Balance – Sustaining Your Boundaries and Mental Health While Thriving at Work (CLRC)
Thursday, October 29 | 10:00-11:00am | FREE
The idea of perfect work/life balance is often unrealistic. This one-hour CEU workshop explores a more flexible approach to managing professional responsibilities while protecting personal well-being. Participants will learn practical strategies for setting healthy boundaries, recognizing early signs of stress and burnout, managing competing demands, and communicating limits effectively. The session also addresses common challenges such as guilt around saying no and the pressure to be constantly available. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to build sustainable habits, strengthen resilience, and support their mental health while remaining engaged and effective in their professional roles.
Programming & More
eContent
The Four County Library System joined our OverDrive lending partnership in late August, increasing access to e-content for patrons. How much more? Let’s take a look at the math:
Each of the four library systems in our lending partnership sets its own checkout limits. Here’s a look at the lending limits at FLLS and at each of our partner libraries:
- 5 items at Finger Lakes + unlimited magazines
- 5 items at Southern Tier
- 8 items at OWWL
- 6 items at Four County
If a patron’s home library has a checkout limit of 5 and the library they’re a visitor at has a checkout limit of 5, they could borrow 10 items. So, FLLS patrons can technically borrow 24 items at a time!
*Please note that this could change as OverDrive rolls out tools that allow partnership libraries to limit the number of items visitors can borrow. But for now, enjoy!
Libby Help
Recently we fielded an interesting patron question about Libby about a glitch that happened after they re-installed the app. They noticed that loans from partner libraries weren’t showing up on their Shelf. Fortunately, there was an easy fix for re-syncing partner libraries after a Libby reset. You and your patrons can find other helpful tips at Libby Help including help videos.
The recent Libby Lifesavers webinar addressed this and other common issues . You can view the webinar on demand
FLLS LibGuides
As we re-design our website with accessibility and user experience in mind, LibGuides have been a useful way to organize and manage content. (LibGuides are a content magament system geared towards libraries.) In addition to our Summer Reading LibGuide, we now have guides on:
Our goal is to have a dedicated place where library staff and trustees can find information on a variety of topics relevant to their library’s operations. If you have suggestions for content or questions please reach out to Heidi.
LibGuides in Action:
You can find policy resources, including a list of recommended policies, sample policies, policy development guidance and more on our Director LibGuide Policies page. (The LibGuide is on our website under Resources).
The update to Minimum Standard 4 (policies) states that by January 1, 2027 libraries must have policies related to:
- Selection of Materials and Reconsideration
- Public Usage of Library Space and Meeting Rooms
- Patron Codes of Conduct
- Patron Privacy and Confidentiality of Library Records
- Personnel
- Disaster Planning
- Financial Controls
Please reach out to Sarah and Heidi with policy questions!
SuperSpace Tiles
Recovering from summer programming and need something quick and easy? SuperSpace Tile kits are a super easy way to engage youth (and adults!) with STEM concepts like engineering.
Reach out to Heidi to coordinate delivery of the kit to your library.
Grants
The Friends of Tompkins County Public Library Education Grants
The Friends of the Library Education Grants Committee is now offering grants for Fall 2026. These grants provide assistance for participation in professional development opportunities, as well as supporting aspiring librarians as they pursue a Library Science degree. The grants are available to applicants working and/or living within the counties served by Finger Lakes Library System.
Grant applications will be accepted until midnight, October 16, 2026. For more information and application instructions, go to the Friends website.
2027 ALSC/Candlewick “Light the Way” Grant
The Grants & Awards Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (a division of the American Library Association) is now accepting applications for the 2027 ALSC/Candlewick “Light the Way” Grant!
This annual award is generously sponsored by Candlewick Press and is presented in honor of Kate DiCamillo and the themes she eloquently explores in her novels. The grant provides $3,000 to help a library conduct impactful outreach to underserved populations through a new program or an expansion of existing work. The award committee recognizes that underserved populations vary from community to community, and all programs designed to directly address local needs and reduce barriers to library access are encouraged to apply.
Who Can Your Project Serve? The grant is open to any project that seeks to engage an underserved population of children from birth through age 14. These populations may include (but are not limited to):
- Children with learning or physical differences
- English language learners
- Children in non-traditional school environments
- Children in non-traditional family settings (such as teen parents, foster youth, children in the juvenile justice system, and children in LGBTQ+ families), etc.
Key Details:
- Award amount: $3,000
- Deadline to apply: December 18, 2026
- Grant implementation period: One calendar year– with reports due on June 30 and September 15
- Eligibility: Projects focused on underserved populations of children 0-14.
- Where to apply: ALA ALSC Website
If you have questions about your application, please reach out to the co-chairs of the Grants & Awards committee, Lauren Brandstetter and Sarah Clarke.