SLS News Archive: News Home

                 SLS NewsBlast 2023.06.23

 Happy almost summer vacation!

Congratulations to all on a successful school year.  This time of year is a little bittersweet because we usually bid farewell to a few friends and colleagues.  On that note, Roxanne Willard of East Rochester Elementary School and Vicky Polk of Klem Road North Elementary in Webster are retiring this month and Becky Hibbert will be leaving East Irondequoit Middle School to pursue other opportunities.  We wish Roxanne, Vicky, and Becky a fond farewell and every success in the future!

NOVELny Update

As I shared with you earlier this spring, the NOVELny will be available, unchanged through June 30, 2024.  At our last SLS Council and Communications Coordinators meeting on May 25^th, I shared that all indications were that funding for NOVELny would not be available after June 30, 2024.  On June 5^th, the NY Division of Library Development announced that NOVELny will cease to exist as of June 30, 2024.  The full text of that announcement is as follows:

The NOVELny program and its online resources (currently from Gale and Britannica) will cease on June 30, 2024.

This successful NYS Library pilot program, which has provided a variety of databases since 1999, is no longer sustainable with the NYS Library's current funding sources. The Cultural Education fund has not received any recent increases, staff and database costs are rising, and federal funding has only increased moderately.  This has led to the difficult decision to cut the NOVELny program.

Fortunately, we end this program equipped with valuable knowledge that can help transition this service to those who need it. The State Library will continue to work with our library partners to establish relationships with NOVELny vendors so they may continue this service at a regional or local level if they wish.

The NYS Library will continue to support its goals as stated in the New York State Library Services and Technology Act Five-Year Plan<https://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/lsta/LSTA227Final.pdf> (FFY 2023-2027) submitted to the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Provided by the New York State Library, NOVELny is a Statewide Internet Library connecting New Yorkers to 21st century information. NOVELny is supported with Federal Library Service and Technology funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The NOVELny e-resources cost $2,654,778 for 2022-2023 and are supported fully with IMLS funds.

In anticipation of this announcement, the School Library Systems Association formed a committee focused on looking at pathways forward, building awareness, finding partnerships, and identifying funding to continue to have statewide resources for all New Yorkers.  To help build a picture of the impact, that group is looking to collect stories from the field. Please consider sharing how this decision will affect you and share this as well with others who may be impacted by the loss of resources:  https://gvboces.typeform.com/novelstories

NYLA (the New York Library Association) announces Free For All: New Yorkers for Intellectual Freedom Website

NYLA is thrilled to announce the Free For All: New Yorkers for Intellectual Freedom website has been launched!

• Free For All: New Yorkers for Intellectual Freedom is an educational campaign that aims to inform, educate, and activate library industry professionals and library advocates across New York State about the rise of intellectual freedom challenges.
• This campaign was developed by a team of fierce library advocates from the New York Library Association, the Public Library System Directors Organization (PULISDO), the Empire State Library Network (ESLN), and the School Library Systems Association (SLSA).
• The website has a plethora of tools for both library industry professionals and library advocates to utilize when faced with intellectual freedom challenges - from resource links to template opinion pieces to talking points when speaking on the importance of protecting intellectual freedom.
• This campaign will be an ongoing resource for all to learn more about intellectual freedom, and the challenges we are facing in New York State, and will be a hub for upcoming events like our Intellectual Freedom Support Group.
• Join us in educating, informing, and activating our library community around the rise of intellectual freedom challenges TODAY by sharing our website shared below. Together, we can ensure our intellectual freedoms are protected!

Summer Regional Professional Development Day Wednesday August 23

The five School Library Systems in the Rochester region invite you to join us for a one-day workshop, The Creative Spark.  This professional learning opportunity will take place on Wednesday, August 23, from 9am-3pm at Artisan Works.  Presenters from FableVision Learning will focus on building creative mindsets in the classroom and library.  This is a free event and lunch will be provided.  More information is contained in the attached flyer. Click here to register.

Upcoming Monroe One BOCES SLS Professional Development (plus an opportunity from Model Schools, too!)

Book Party! Will be back.  This workshop was extremely successful this year.  To see a brief video see the Book Party After Party.  For the full reviews, click here.  If you are interested in participating next year, registration information can be found here.

A flyer is also attached for Monroe One BOCES Model Schools’ Summer Learning Beach Bash.

SLS MiniGrants 2024

The SLS will again offer MiniGrants next fall.  Because our funding from the state was held flat next year (which is actually a cut when inflation is considered) we are not yet sure about the total funding available.  Applications will be available in September and the turnaround will be relatively quick.  If you are considering applying, the 2023 application will be similar to the 2022 application.

Over the summer things slow down a bit here in the Library Services office, but from time to time we may share items of importance, so we hope that you will check your email now and again.

Have  wonderful summer!

Your Monroe One School Library Services Team