SOLS Signal Newsletter
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March 26, 2019 Page 1 of 10 C 9 - Library Info Wednesday March 6, 2019 Governance HUB Staff from SOLS and OLS-North, working with the Ontario Library Boards Association (OLBA), Ontario Library Association (OLA), and Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL) continue to build the Governance HUB as the place to look for governance resources and training for Ontario public library board members. Launched in December 2018, so far, we have collected 'Year One' resources which focus on 'Board Roles and Responsibilities'. In this Year One section, you will find information on topics such as governance principles & best practices; legislative context; the Library Board/CEO relationship; board meetings & decision making and primary board responsibilities. There are short descriptions, videos, links to articles, but there are some longer printable documents. For those who are looking for the type of materials found in old 'Library Board Development Kit', the printable resources in the 'Overview' section can be used as part of a printed orientation package for newly appointed board members. We have also loaded a copy of the SOLS presentation from the OLA SuperConference Trustee Bootcamp In the coming months, we will be building the pages and resources for years two, three and four on the four year board cycle, which we have outlined on the landing page of the Governance HUB. Governance Best Practice Workshops March 26, 2019 Page 2 of 10 C 9 - Library Info The fourteen (14) dates and locations for the spring Governance Best Practices workshops have been confirmed and are now available on the Governance HUB. These 3-hour sessions are an excellent opportunity for new and returning board members and CEOs to learn about boardroom practices that support informed decision-making and strategic oversight. The sessions will be interactive and look at ways to improve board functioning and decision- making. The workshop will build from the Governance Fundamentals webinar (the details of that recorded webinar are described later in this issue of Signal). Registration is in LearnHQ - but you can select the workshop you wish to attend from the list in the Governance HUB and then click through the accompanying link to get to the registration in LearnHQ. Each person who plans to attend must register as an individual. This will help us plan, especially if demand dictates the need for a larger room. EXCEL Relaunch Coming Soon! The EXCEL Program will be relaunching in less than a month on Monday, April 1, 2019! Registration for the program will open on the same day. Visit the EXCEL website for details, including new certificate requirements and upcoming courses. For questions about the EXCEL Program, e-mail the Training Team at [email protected]. Upcoming Workshop Crisis Prevention Institute Instructor Certification Training The Crisis Prevention Institute, in conjunction with Southern Ontario Library Service, will be bringing the Prepare Training Program® to Ontario in Spring 2019. Imagine a facility where challenging behavior is managed early using preventive techniques that have stood the test of time. CPI's Prepare Training Program® training program is a safe, non-harmful behavior management system designed to help staff provide for the best Respect, Service, and Safety at Work. Benefits to You and Your Organization: Reduce the risk of injury by decreasing the number of disruptive incidents. March 26, 2019 Page 3 of 10 C 9 - Library Info Minimize the risk of potential liability. Boost employee morale and increase productivity. Improve employee retention by providing the skills necessary to manage difficult situations. Alleviate the stress and anxiety associated with workplace violence. Comply with legislative mandates and regulatory guidelines. Create and maintain a safe and respectful environment for internal and external customers. The training (over three full days) will give staff a solid framework for decision making and serves as a foundation for a crisis intervention training plan. The cost of Instructor Certification is $2949 (Cdn) and the cost of the one day Foundation Course is $1449 (Cdn) Dates and Locations (confirmed): May 28-30, 2019 - Stratford Public Library, June 4-6, 2019 – Oshawa Public Library, (McLaughlin Branch) To register, or for more information, please contact Katie Polzin at Crisis Prevention Institute by e-mail to [email protected] or by telephone at 877-877-5389 extension 52319. Recorded webinars In the winter, SOLS staff recorded two webinars, both of which are now available for viewing. #1 - Governance Fundamentals With the recent appointments to library boards, there are many questions about the work to be done over the next four years. To start the process, staff from OLS-North and SOLS prepared a webinar on Governance Fundamentals which is now available for viewing at any time through the Governance HUB or LearnHQ. This recorded webinar covers topics such as the legislative context of the library board, the authority of the library board, the appointment of officers, the management of meetings, including open and closed meeting processes, as well as begin to discuss roles and responsibilities for policy-making and planning. #2 - Annual Survey 2019 March 26, 2019 Page 4 of 10 C 9 - Library Info Completing the Annual Survey of Public Libraries is a required part of the process to receive provincial library funding. Whether this is your first time completing the survey, or you want a refresher, join staff from OLS-North and SOLS as they guide you through the report. Peggy Malcolm, André Lépine and Rashed Ahmed are OLS staff assigned to assist Ontario public libraries with the survey. The presenters go through the annual survey document, answer frequently asked questions, and provide tips for completing the survey and highlight the new questions in this year's survey. A free recorded version of the webinar is available through LearnHQ for viewing at any time. Networking Opportunities SOLS staff try to make sure that there are networking opportunities for library staff, board members and volunteers - including gatherings of library staff, teleconferences with new library CEOs, meetings of library trustees and online forums. Library Committees Library Committee meetings, offered three times a year, give library CEOs and senior staff an opportunity to discuss common issues. At these meetings SOLS consultants provide updates on SOLS or government initiatives. For Winter 2019, these meetings will be online and anyone can register for any date/time. The remaining dates and times are as follows: Monday, March 4th, 10 am to noon (for Prescott-Russell area - in French) Monday, March 4th, 9:30 to 11:30 am (for Hastings-Northumberland area) Wednesday, March 6th, 9:30 to 11:30 am (for Leeds-Grenville-Lanark area) Thursday, March 7th, 10 am to noon (for Simcoe-Muskoka area) Monday, March 18th, 10 am to noon (for Saugeen area) Trustee Council meetings Due to the Governance Best Practices workshops being held in Spring 2019 at fourteen locations across southern Ontario, the next Trustee Council meetings will be postponed until Fall 2019. Further information on those dates will be available through SIGNAL and the Trustee Council listservs. Professional Resources March 26, 2019 Page 5 of 10 C 9 - Library Info SOLS staff continue to work on our Professional Resources that bring together guides, articles, photos, and more for Ontario public library staff to use. Posted in LearnHQ, this section covers cover topics from Library Services to Management to Planning and Policies. Under each topic, there are links to samples, with the 'Policies and Procedures' resource including sample policies. Sample Policies As a resource for library staff and boards in Ontario, SOLS staff create and regularly update a series of sample policies. Written for the fictional Trillium Public Library, the sample policiesmay be used and adapted by libraries according to their needs and situation. Over the past month, all of the policies related to Human Resources have been updated. We have updated the sample Code of Conduct and altered the samples to incorporate the recent employment standards changes to personal leaves under Bill 47. These updated policies will be posted on the SOLS website by Friday, March 8th. French E-book Platform Migration On February 15, the Archambault French e-book platform was successfully migrated to DeMarque’s Cantook Station. We’re currently working with the DeMarque staff to ensure that all titles and holds were transferred, and are keeping member libraries updated on all changes. In keeping with plans that were in place before this transition, SOLS staff will issue an RFP for French e-book content in the Fall of 2019 for the April 2020 license renewal. March 26, 2019 Page 6 of 10 C 9 - Library Info One eRead Canada/Un livrel Canada CULC’s eContent Working Group is creating an opportunity for libraries to participate in a Canada-wide digital reading event: One eRead Canada/Un livrel Canada. For the month of June, participating libraries will have simultaneous access to Dawn Dumont’s Glass Beads at a cost of 25 cents per checkout. The SOLS shared OverDrive collection will participate, and the title will also be available through other digital content vendors. Details and instructions for participating are available in English and French. Questions may be directed to: [email protected] . CULC’s intention is that this will be the inaugural program, but that the program will be ongoing and will include French language books as well. In addition to promoting a wonderful book by an Indigenous woman, published by an independent Canadian publisher, the data gathered will help Canadian libraries demonstrate that libraries lending ebooks is a good thing for the publishing industry. Introducing the Newest APLL Graduates We are pleased to announce that the following individuals have recently finished two years of concentrated leadership development in the APLL Institute (of the Southern Ontario Library Service) and have just earned a Certificate in Public Library Leadership.