Search Tips
At NYLA a speaker from Google made the point that Google's increasingly powerful search capabilities will require libraries to teach patrons how to use them. To help, below you'll see a new feature-- The Best Search Tips.
Vote on the RLRT Action Plan
1. RLRT Members, please look at the action plan here.
2. Then vote here.
Results of the online ballot
Wow 77 responses to the online "absentee" ballot and 138 over all. Click here to see a spreadsheet with all the answers or click below for just the online ballots (prettier).
Key results:
We support the minimum wage increase.
We mostly are concerned with funding issues.
We want RLRT to offer more workshops, especially on strategic planning and grant writing
We're into Sustainability
Rural Librarians are the Best!
Photo of the Week
Click above to learn more
Not yet a The Best! subscriber yet? Try it, it's free and easy and open to all (we just ask that you please love libraries, and consider joining RLRT, it's only $5!).
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The Best! 
What's the best?
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Last Week:
Will you attend NYLA next year?
Yes, I went this year, and I'll be back next year! -- 61.4%
I went this year, but not sure if I'll go next year -- 36.4%
I didn't go this year, but yes I'll try to be there next year! --2.2%
Nope --0%
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Freedom is The Best!
Build a culture of Freedom, Diversity, and Equality in Your Library
Tell your community that your library is for everyone in 2 steps
1. Put out a small bowl (50 cent candle holders) with Safety Pins ($1/100).
2. Download, print, and post the sign below
Thank you to the Southern Tier Library System for sending this!
Click above to download a printable version of these signs
Click here for a publisher version you can edit. |
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The Best Search Tips 
Find Out When, How (and Sometimes even Where) a Photo Was Taken
What: Did you know that photographs have all sorts of hidden metadata? Dig into a photograph's "Exif" metadata to find information on the conditions under which it was taken.
How:
1. Go to any Exif viewer (search for exif viewer) such as this one
2. Upload the photo
3. Find out all sorts of information, like when the photo was taken, what device took it, and sometimes even get the location.
Why? This is a great detective's tool for researchers and photographers.
Challenge: Below is a picture from Library Day at the Chautauqua Institution's Smith Memorial Library. Can you figure out what year this was? What day was Library Day that year? (Answers at bottom of page, no peeking)
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The Best! News
Pulteney Library receives $75,000 in construction funds from Senator O'Mara
Pulteney, N.Y., November 5—State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I- Big Flats) today announced that he has secured $75,000 in state funding to assist the construction of a new and expanded Pulteney Free Library to serve the families and residents of this rural community in Steuben County.
Earlier this spring, O’Mara joined Library Trustees, Library Director Barbara Radigan and members of the Building Team to celebrate the Library’s receipt of land to construct a new building adjacent to the Pulteney Town Hall.
The Library currently shares building space with the Town Hall and has outgrown its section of the building. The new library will provide significantly expanded space, enhanced services and holdings, and lower the costs of operation through planned energy efficiencies. A fundraising effort remains underway in the community and library officials are working with the Southern Tier Library system to leverage additional state and federal funds. The $75,000 in state funding O’Mara is providing will be utilized for the initial engineering and architectural expenses.
Construction on the new library is scheduled to begin in the Fall of 2017 and be completed in the Fall or Winter of 2018.
...Read more here.
Where are these libraries?
Click to locate featured libraries and find contact info.
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The Best 
Ask for Advice | Give Advice
New Question : What's the one thing you wish you knew when you began as a director/library manager? -Erica
Last Week: My program coordinator serves wine at many of our adult events. I should probably make her stop, right? --Dontwanttogo Tojail
A: Do you have a policy in place about serving wine at events? If not, its time to talk to your Board. You have to weigh the pros and cons: people like wine, and it may draw new people to events (or in the case of a wine-making or home brewing program, be a part of the program itself). The downside is, people may enjoy whatever you're offering too much, and get in a car while impaired. If someone got hurt it would not only suck, but the library may be liable. Is that something you want to take on? Could you set parameters? Good luck! -- Lushy McLushface
A: I would really really urge you to contact the State Liquor Authority and ask. My experience has been that they are really helpful and you can ask questions anonymously. It all depends on the circumstances, like if it's a public event, if you're charging money, if it's a tasting or full glasses, etc. The number for licensing questions is (518) 474-3114. And if you do have to get a license it's not that expensive and doesn't take long. Oh, and the hold music is really funky-- they know their audience. --Em
The Best! Disclaimer: Advice offered in this column is for entertainment purposes only. Please assume that The Best! readers are not lawyers, and while all The Best! readers are super intelligent geniuses with many years of experience, please nonetheless consult your lawyer or library system on legal issues, HR snafus, policy questions, and other areas in which anonymous comments from strangers might normally be treated with caution. Disagree with any of the advice above? Add your two cents here.
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Opportunities
*New Opportunities in Red
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Book Angels Alight in Rochester
Submitted by Claudia Depkin.
Three years ago the Rochester Public Library focused on the problem of literacy in the Rochester City School District. Only 5% of students were considered “proficient” based on the Grades 3-8 ELA Assessments. The graduation rate was 49% and 90% of students come from economically disadvantaged households.
Literacy Coordinator Shelley Matthews met this challenge head-on with a ...Read on Here
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Great things happening at your library?
Send your photos, news, happenings, ideas and information to Eli Guinnee, editor.
eguinnee@cclslib.org
(if you got this by email, just hit reply) |
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Become a Rural Libraries Roundtable member
It's So Easy to Become a Member Now!
NYLA members can now add additional Section and Round Table memberships to their existing membership online!
1. Log In to nyla.org
2. Click on ‘personal record detail’ from the left-hand menu
3. Click ‘Add Sections / Round Tables’ from the list of options.
4. Choose the Rural Libraries Round Table (cause we're The Best! if you haven't heard)
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Contacts
Margo Gustina, President: gustinam@stls.org
Eli Guinnee, eNewsletter Editor: eguinnee@cclslib.org
Tom Vitale, VP: tvitale@cclslib.org
RLRT Website
Webmaster: Angela Gonzalez
Click above to request access to the members-only RLRT group!
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