Smoking Prohibited within 100 Feet of Public Library Boundaries
New York passed a prohibition on smoking on the grounds of libraries which took effect on June 19, 2019. Public Health Law §1399-o was amended by adding a new subdivision 6 to read:
6. Smoking shall not be permitted and no person shall smoke within one hundred feet of the entrances, exits or outdoor areas of any public or association library as defined in subdivision two of section two hundred fifty-three of the education law; provided, however, that the provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to smoking in a residence, or within the real property boundary lines of such residential real property.
NYLA has smoking guidance information available.
Libraries (which includes reading rooms) are required to “prominently post” and “properly maintain” signage where smoking is restricted. The signs should be located approximately where the 100-foot restricted perimeter begins, or as close as possible. Libraries which are co-located in a building with non-library entities should contact the local county department of health to determine what is required to comply with the law. A sign needs to be outside of each door of the building, regardless of whether such door serves as a public entrance or exit.
We recommend that each library adopt a Tobacco Free Policy. Below is a sample that libraries can use and customize for their needs.
New York Requires Sexual Harassment Prevention Training and Policies
Under a new law passed in 2018, employers must offer yearly sexual harassment prevention training required by the State of New York. All employees and Board members need to attend the training. Volunteers and interns are strongly encouraged to take the training. Any employee or Board member who does the training through another employer does NOT need to duplicate the effort—just show your completion certificate to your director or other person you’ve designated for tracking compliance. The initial deadline for compliance was October 9, 2019.
In the summer of 2019, CEFLS offered some live training session, but there is another option for those who couldn’t attend: a FREE online certification. This is a course prepared by New York City and has a few points that go further than State law requires, but it does meet all State requirements. Once completed you will be able to print a certificate of completion. It takes about 45 minutes to complete the course. Find it at the following link:
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/cchr/law/sexual-harassment-training.page (Scroll to the bottom of the page—the training is available in both English and Spanish.)
You do not need to report attendance to CEFLS—each library should maintain those records for their employees and board members. Training will need to be completed each year.
Each employer must also have a Sexual Harassment Prevention policy. See Combating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace from New York State for how to create a policy that meets the requirements.
See https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/LAB/201-G for the text of the law.
Archived Webinars from the New York State Library
2018
- Where Do You Find Data Describing Your Community?; Wednesday, February 14.
- 2017 Public and Association Library Annual Reports Webinar, Monday, January 22
2017
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- Helping All Trustees Succeed (HATS) Mini-Webinars — A series of short online webinars focused on information trustees need to know. Issues such as Open Meetings Law, the Role of the Board President, Hiring a New Director, as well as other topics, covered in 10-15 minute presentations.
- Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and E-rate, Wednesday, December 13
- How To File for E-rate Funding, Thursday, December 7
- Like, Share, and Get Noticed! Using Social Media to Connect with Your Community, October 4
- Using the Every Student Present Website: Helping Parents and Educators Utilize Strategies and Data Tools, September 19
2016
- E-Rate Webinar, December 15
- Sustainable Thinking for the Future of Libraries, September 8
- What’s New in the Trustee Handbook?, June 14
- Building for Your Future: Public Library Renovation and Construction from Dream to Dedication; an Overview; June 2
2015
- E-Rate Webinar, December 15
- The Role of Trustees in Planning and Evaluation: Effective Strategies to Utilize All Your Resources for Success, by Jerry Nichols, November 18.
2014
- Public Library Finance and the Trustee’s Fiduciary Responsibilities, by Jerry Nichols, December 4.
- Basics for New Public Library Directors, by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, September 12
- The Critical Partnership: Public Library Trustees and Directors, by Gerald Nichols, June 10
- Public Library Construction Program Webcast Series
2013
- Basic Library Law for Trustees, November 8, 2013; Jerry Nichols, editor of the Handbook for Public Library Trustees of New York State and Director of the Palmer Institute for Public Library Organization and Management; Long Island University.
- Impact Survey,
October 24, 2013; Samantha Becker, Research Manager for the U.S. Impact Study at the University of Washington Information School. - Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Laws for Libraries, September 9, 2013; Bob Freeman, Executive Director of the New York State Committee on Open Government. 75 minutes.
- What New York’s Librarians Need to Know about New York’s Health Benefit Exchange, August 29, 2013; NYLA e-Institute webinar co-sponsored by the New York State Library (NOTE: The complete slides from the webinar are available as a .PDF; to view the webinar, you will be prompted to enter your name and e-mail address.)
- What Every Trustee Should Know, by Gerald Nichols, June 11, 2013
501(c)3 Status for Your Library
A recent series on the site TechSoup.org explains how to go about getting 501(c)3 status. Written by a retired IRS official, the series goes beyond what’s available on the IRS website. The first part is available here: http://bit.ly/1qKJEvg.
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