Library Staff News

Streamlined Charge Desk!

2012-01-10T16:12:00.001-05:00

Library Staff Has Halloween Fun!

2011-10-31T15:20:00.002-04:00

2011 Pioneer Annual Meeting and Dinner

2011-10-20T11:27:00.003-04:00

The yearly organizational meeting and banquet for the Pioneer Library System was held on October 12, 2011 in Geneseo. Trustees Pete Wright, Nancy Orbaker, Mike Herbert and Rebecca Reinhardt attended along with staff member Bethany Reinhardt and Director Cheryl Gravelle. It was a great night to enjoy a good meal and great conversation with other library members. There are 42 libraries in the system from Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming and Livingston Counties. Author Anne Panning spoke eloquently about the meaning of libraries in her life and read a passage from her latest book, Butter. Here is the Williamson library contingent, joined by Sodus's director Carol Garland and a trustee from Sodus, Nina Osborn.

Legal Issues for Libraries

2011-10-04T10:29:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, October 1, 2011 library trustees Amy Prater and Rebecca Reinhardt along with director Cheryl Gravelle attended a seminar sponsored by the Pioneer Library System. "Legal Issues for Libraries" was presented by Robert Schofield and Ellen Bach from Whiteman, Osterman and Hanna LLC -- a law firm that handles cases in which libraries are involved.

Although it may not be obvious that libraries can have legal problems, employment law, funding, governance, liability, constitutional protections, etc., can all be areas that are potential for lawsuits. The best protection for libraries is to be aware of the pitfalls and the Pioneer Library System presented this workshop to assist trustees and directors to do that.

It was a day well-spent, with the attorneys giving a lot of good information to more than sixty people who attended.

Williamson is Represented at the Pioneer Library System Annual Dinner

2010-10-20T10:45:00.003-04:00

Library trustees Pete Wright and Rebecca Reinhardt, staff members Gail Howard, Bethany Reinhardt and Cheryl Gravelle and Town Supervisor Jim Hoffman attended the 2010 Pioneer Library System annual meeting and dinner at Steamboat Landing in Canandaigua. It was a nice time, and a good way to meet and greet other "Pioneers"! Betsy Morris, Assistant Director of the Pioneer System is also a Williamson resident so she joined the group. And... Guidedog in Training Whitley enjoyed the festivities, and was very good!

We WON!

2010-06-23T11:04:00.002-04:00

2nd prize in the Apple Blossom Festival. Our float, "Make a Splash... Read!" was designed to get the word out about our exciting Summer Program schedule coming up. It's the theme of the activities that are planned for this summer and it means that all kinds of "splashy" fun is ahead. The float, starring Patrick Byrne as the reader, was designed and executed by several members of the library staff. They wanted to share their enthusiasm for the library and all it offers to our community. Booker B. OWWL, the Pioneer Library System mascot joined the group to remind the crowd of the great services provided by libraries in the system. Of course, all the libraries in four counties (Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming and Livingston) work together to provide OWWL Access to library users. That means that if you have an OWWL library card (which is available at all of our libraries), you can instantly borrow materials of all sorts from all forty-two libraries in the system, giving you access to over 1 million items! And it's all free. There's no better deal than that!

Welcome to Our New Staff Member...

2010-04-12T15:31:00.001-04:00

...Kasey Rovito. Kasey has joined us as a library clerk and brings a great smile and a background in English literature to the job. You'll see her on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Say, "Hi!"

Annual Dinner for the Pioneer Library

2009-10-07T10:08:00.003-04:00

The Annual Meeting and Banquet of the Pioneer Library System was held on Wednesday, October 7 at the Valley Oak Event Center in Geneseo. The dinner was a celebration of 20 years and 42 libraries working together to provide the best library service for residents of Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming and Livingston Counties. Josh Cohen, President of the New York Library Association, was the keynote speaker. Representing the Williamson Free Public Library were Library Board President, Pete Wright, Library Board Custodian of Funds Michael Herbert and his wife Wendy, and Library Director Cheryl Gravelle. The annual meeting is part of the organizational requirements of the Pioneer Library System. The dinner is not required, but it's a great way to experience the real spirit of Pioneer!

Lobby Day 2009

2009-01-23T11:34:00.004-05:00

Each year, library advocates have a special opportunity to visit with their New York State legislators to tell them how important libraries are in their lives. This year, March 10 was the day that library staff, board members and patrons traveled to Albany to walk the halls of the Legislative Office Building, making the rounds to speak with elected state officials. The Pioneer Library System, with sponsorship of many Friends of the Library groups and other library supporters, provided a bus to take advocates from Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming and Livingston counties to the capital region to lobby their representatives. The opportunity is not only to ask for their continuing support, but even more importantly, it allows library users to thank their legislators for the funding that enables library systems like the Pioneer System, to provide access to millions of items across county lines with shared transportation and technology.

Williamson staff members Kristen Johnson and Cheryl Gravelle visited Assemblyman Bob Oaks and Senator Michael Nozzolio to thank them for their continuing support and to re-emphasize the importance of funding for the Pioneer Library System. The library system is the "heart" of the system -- all of the materials that are shared between libraries are pumped through the delivery system and circulation system by the Pioneer Library System. Having a cooperative system saves money and resources for libraries and gives the taxpayer the most access to materials and services for the money!

Gail Goes to Albany! ... And it Worked!

2008-11-23T12:10:00.005-05:00

Update 12-11-08 The New York State Legislature has decided to allow approved funding for 2008 to go to libraries. That is an important step in insuring that libraries can continue to be open. More than ever, libraries need to be there for the public!

It's a tough time in New York State. Budgets are stretched to the max and we are all trying to cut wherever possible. All libraries in the Pioneer System are doing everything they can to hold the line on costs while providing the most service possible. The funding from New York State is critical for the Pioneer System to continue to provide the "circulation system" that is the heart of the four county network. The Pioneer System transports the thousands of items shared by the libraries using vans and drivers who make daily or every-other day visits to the 42 libraries in the system. The money that goes to the system to provide support services in Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming and Livingston counties has more "bang for the buck" because it maximizes what all of the libraries can do with a minimum of cost. On November 18, many Pioneer Library staff and supporters went to Albany to emphasize the impact that funding cuts would have on thousands and thousands of users in the Pioneer System. Williamson staffer Gail Howard was part of this important visit.

Amy Prater -- New Trustee on Board!

2008-09-29T09:43:00.005-04:00

After the death of Trustee Terence Spencer in April, the Library Board has been actively searching for a new trustee to complete his term, which runs through May of 2011. The response from the community has been gratifying and several excellent candidates came forward to volunteer. While that is a great problem to have, the Library Board had a hard time selecting just one. After some deliberation, and considering the segments of the community who were already represented on the board, the Library Board recommended Amy Prater to fill the vacancy. Their recommendation went to the Town Board for approval on September 23 and Amy was confirmed as a trustee at the town meeting that night. She has been duly sworn in as a trustee and will assume her duties at the next Library Board meeting on October 16. Amy and her family have been long-time library users and supporters. She is employed at the Williamson Middle School and the parent of two children. She says, "Since both my children are bookworms, I feel we'll be here for many years to come; so any help I could be, I would!" Thanks, Amy and welcome aboard!

Congratulations to Kristen!

2008-08-12T11:07:00.004-04:00

Kristen Johnson, Young Adult Specialist and Library Clerk, is known around here as a creative and enthusiastic person. She has had an exciting summer at the library with a record number of teens participating in reading contests and activities like the Guitar Hero tournament. However, she's just as creative outside of the library. She's an artist who does wonderful pastels and paints -- and now her most recent achievement is winning "Best of Fair" at the Wayne County Fair for her gorgeous knitted shawl. She won several ribbons for her knitting and then took the top prize overall! We're glad to have Kristen here, and we all enjoy and benefit from her talents and spirit.

Library Staff Members Participate in Continuing Education!

2008-07-07T12:44:00.004-04:00

Three members of the staff of the Williamson Free Public Library enjoyed the NYSLAA (New York State Library Assistants Association) conference in Liverpool, NY in June. While there, they participated in several useful workshops to increase their proficiency in new technologies and library services. It is opportunities like this, supported by the library board, that keep our staff up to speed with new developments and better ways to help library patrons. Gail Howard, Nicki Haupt and Betsy Poray also attended social events to network with colleagues and make new connections with library staff members from throughout the state. They all felt that they benefited from the experience and look forward to attending future conferences.