Accessibility Update
Beginning with this month’s reports, Department Heads and Team Leaders have begun entering their reports on the new system developed to meet new accessibility standards for webpages. While there may still be occasion to attach PDF or other files, and there is a learning curve as we navigate the new reporting system, we will endeavor to have reports entered in a manner both accessible and timely. Many thanks to Brendon Kozlowski and Don Flinton who have led our efforts in this regard.
SaratogaREADS!
The public ballots are now open for voting for the next season of SaratogaREADS! programs and discussions, to begin in early 2027. This is a fiction year in our alternating fiction/nonfiction cycle, and five novels are in contention for the 2027 selection. An online ballot can be found at this link: We Want Your Vote! | Saratoga Reads!
Saratoga Book Festival
The Friends Book Festival weekend is nearly upon us, with official events scheduled from Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 4, kicking off with Eric Idle at Universal Preservation Hall on Thursday evening. Other headline events include sessions with Chris Bhojalian, Julia Alvarez at UPH and Joan Lunden at Skidmore College. The Night Marketplace returns to UPH on Friday evening, and the Sunday KidZone moves to the Saratoga Children’s Museum this year. A full schedule of events can be found at this link: 2026 Festival Sessions - FRIENDS of the Saratoga Springs Public Library
Policy Review
This month’s agenda includes adoption of two policies included on the agenda of previous meetings: the Draft Program Policy, and the American Library Association’s Library Workers Bill of Rights. Upcoming meeting will include consideration of a new policy regarding Artificial Intelligence, currently in development, and review of the library’s fiscal and procurement policies, which can be found under the following links:
- Fiscal Responsibility Policy and General Accounting Practices - SSPL.org
- Fixed Asset Capitalization - SSPL.org
- Investments - SSPL.org
- Saratoga Springs Public Library Procurement - SSPL.org
Insurance Renewal
Jen Ferriss and I met with Amsure President Matt D’Abate to discuss our insurance renewal for the current fiscal year. Amsure is our broker for all non-health insurance policies, for which we use Marshall and Sterling as our broker. As anticipated, there will be slight increases in nearly all premiums, with the most marked increase in Workers Compensation premiums, based on our experience modification.
Programs and Community Involvement
My Books and Tea discussion group wrapped up the summer reading season with a lively discussion of Come, Tell Me How You Live, Agatha Christie’s memoir of her time accompanying her husband, the archaeologist Max Mallowan, on digs in Syria during the years between the World Wars. Following a summer of archeology-themed reading, participants are eager to move on to new territory. Our next discussion is of the multi-generational family saga The Sisters by Jonas Hassen Khmeriri.
On September 22, I will be participating in presenting a program about Positive Peace Conversations with the Rotary Club of Saratoga Springs. The evening’s discussion will focus on “The Free Flow of Information” which is one of the eight pillars of positive peace as outlined by the Institute for Economics and Peace. The evening will focus on the following four questions for conversation and reflection:
- How easily can people in your community access independent news and facts?
- Where do you notice censorship or a lack of open dialogue around you?
- How does misinformation or social media change how people trust each other locally?
- What steps can local groups take to share honest and clear information during tough times?
Members of my cohort of fellow Rotarian Positive Peace Conversations moderator trainees from across the state will be present to help moderate discussions.
Respectfully submitted by A. Issac Pulver, Library Director