Eli Guinnee, Executive Director
eguinnee@cclslib.org

First an important request...
In your next delivery bag you will find this letter and form to fill out.  As we transition from Sirsi to Koha, please take a look at your current Sirsi circulation rules and select your Koha circulation rules--this will require director/staff input and board approval.  Time is short, and this may be something you have not looked at in years and years, so please work on it soon!  A little effort now will save us a lot of effort down the line, so thank you for your help.  Please refer questions to Carolyn at chughesman@cclslib.org.  
 

This will be the final eNewsletter that I edit.  (At right is the first one I edited.)  Thank you so much for reading, sending news, and participating in polls.  It's been a lot of fun.  The eNewsletter will take a hiatus in August and will likely be back in September, although it might look at little different.  

I have accepted an offer to be the State Librarian of New Mexico, my birth state.  I have learned so much from all of you and I can't pass up the opportunity to put it to use on a statewide level.  I owe a sincere thank you to all of the directors, staff, trustees, volunteers, and supporters that make our libraries great.  You are amazing, and I can't wait to see what you do next!  

My last day in the office is August 10, however I'll be checking email and working with Construction Grant libraries through the end of August.  Valle Blair will be your very capable Interim Director starting September.  And if you need to get ahold of me after August, my email is eli.guinnee@gmail.com. 
 

Friends,
My last three years as Outreach Coordinator for our library system has been such an incredible time! I am so proud of each of the members, as you have all made considerable strides in your own, unique way. You all have grown so much in your understanding, and advocacy for diversity, and special populations. The amazing heights you have grown in promoting your home libraries, and making them truly visible to all people in our region, is astounding! Every day, I hear something positive about our libraries, and it makes me beam with the pride of a new big brother. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with each of you in various ways. It has been my honor to work with and for all of you to keep library services in each of our communities paramount. 

For the reasons above, and more, it is difficult to announce my departure from working at the library system. As of Monday, August 20, 2018, I will assume the role of Director of the Patterson Library in Westfield, NY. Though my position and role will change with all of you, my heart, stays with our system, and allows me to take on a new role with all of you – a front line collegial role. I am excited to become director of one of our amazing community libraries, and I intend to work hard to continue making library services a major priority in our system. I ask each of you to join with me in reforming our Member Libraries Director’s Council, in order for us to become a stronger, more collaborative community of library leaders. I also invite each of you to come and visit Patterson, and spend some time with us. I will be reaching out to you for advice and guidance, as I start this new role, and I will continue to make myself available to each of you for the same. 

In closing, let us continue to raise each other up as a strong community of libraries, let us continue to grow and adapt for our users, and let us always make sure that our first priority is making our rural libraries shine brightly for the future of our great nation. 

Yours in friendship,
Tom Vitale 
 

Construction Grant projects were presented to the Board on Saturday.  Great job everyone, we have some great projects this year!  The below recommendations will be formally approved at the August 8 Board Meeting at the Salamanca Public Library at 7:30pm.