Empire State Library Network - Discover. Connect. Engage.

ESLN Services Webinar Series

January to September 2022
Last Friday of the Month at 10 a.m

Please join us for this nine-part webinar series exploring the various services the Empire State Library Network has to offer. 

On the last Friday of each month at 10 a.m. starting on January 28, 2022, come meet ESLN staff and service providers. We’ll be covering such topics as New York Heritage, Ask the Lawyer, Empire Library Delivery, and more! You must register for each webinar separately.

This series is free to ESLN Members. Registration is required.

All sessions will be recorded and live captioning will be provided.

View the ESLN Services Webinar Series YouTube Playlist

See the Slide Decks from Each Session

1/28/2022 - Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative

Webinar Description:

New York State institutions are home to archival, special and historical collections that document a wide range of topics, people and organizations. Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative (EmpireADC; www.empireadc.org) brings together descriptions of these collections (called “finding aids”) to help connect people with the resources they need and the organizations that have them. Repositories of all types and sizes are welcome to contribute finding aids to EmpireADC. The service is administered by Empire State Library Network (ESLN; www.esln.org). Support to contributing organizations is provided regionally through ESLN’s nine multi-type library systems.

This session will introduce attendees to the EmpireADC service and provide an overview of the technology and tools used to support the contribution – and discoverability – of finding aids. There will be time for Q&A.

Is your organization interested in providing greater exposure to your unique collections? Attend this session and find out how ESLN and EmpireADC can help!

About the Presenter:

Jen Palmentiero is the Digital Services Manager at Southeastern New York Library Resources Council (Southeastern), one of the nine multi-type library systems that together form the Empire State Library Network (ESLN). Jen supports Southeastern member organizations in building digital collections and online exhibitions. She also serves on the leadership team steering the development of the Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative (EmpireADC). Jen received her MLS in 2007 from St. John’s University, with a concentration in the organization of information.

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2/25/22 - New York State Historic Newspapers

Webinar Description:

The New York Historic Newspapers (nyshistoricnewspapers.org) provides free online access to over 700 historic newspaper titles, comprising more than 11 million pages, from every county in the state. The project also provides an affordable microfilm digitization process that makes it easy for libraries, historic associations and museums to get prized newspaper microfilm scanned and added to the website. Contributors include more than a hundred academic libraries, public libraries, historical societies and museums from across the state.

About the Presenter:

Chuck Henry is the Integrated Technologies Coordinator at the Northern New York Library Network. A former NYS certified teacher, Chuck routinely provides professional development and software training to teachers, librarians, and administrators in the North Country region. As Technical Project Lead, he manages the newspaper digitization process, provides server maintenance, and web development for the NYS Historic Newspaper Project. Chuck also serves as the primary web developer for the newly redesigned NY Heritage.

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3/25/22 - New York Heritage Digital Collections

Webinar Description:

New York Heritage Digital Collections features curated selections of digital cultural heritage
materials from libraries, library systems, historical societies, museums, archives, and other
cultural institutions across the state of New York. More than 380 contributing organizations have contributed over 340,000 cultural objects to our platform. This service is administered by eight of the nine library councils (METRO has Digital Culture of Metropolitan NY), supporting contributors through training and other resources. This year, we will begin adding exhibits from our contributing organizations. While the process for contributing to New York Heritage varies between regions, this presentation will give an overview of the platform, the types of collections we feature, and our new exhibit platform.

About the Presenter:

Ryan Perry is the Digital Collections Librarian at the Central New York Library Resources Council and Statewide Project Coordinator for New York Heritage Digital Collections. He holds a MA in History from the University of Rochester and an MS in Library & Information Science from Syracuse University. In his spare time, he enjoys running, backpacking, and spending time outside with his family.

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4/29/22 - Empire State Immersive Experiences

Webinar Description:

Empire State Immersive Experiences, or ESIE, is a free platform for the hosting of 360-degree images of places of note within New York State. ESIE is also a platform for the sharing of community spaces and stories through panoramic “tours” of linked images, complete with embedded audiovisual material to fully illustrate the context of the image. From virtual tours of libraries or museums to remote orientation for distant students, remote instruction to documentation of times past, the uses are only limited by your imagination.

About the Presenter:

Jason (Jay) Barone is the Technology Services Coordinator at the Western New York Library Resources Council. He has worked in several libraries, both public and academic, in Buffalo and Ohio, most recently at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. Outside of the library, Jay enjoys rumbling subwoofers, classic cars, Formula 1, and various outdoor precision sports.

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5/27/22 - Ask the Lawyer

Webinar Description:

“Ask the Lawyer” (ATL) is a resource-sharing effort to give libraries, museums and archives access to timely guidance and advice about legal issues impacting mission and operations. Since 2016, the ATL service has been providing answers to members of participating Library Resource Councils in New York State. ATL features questions submitted by librarians, connecting real-world situations to practical, timely, and ethics-focused legal commentary, on topics such as Ethics, Copyright, Trademark, Not-for-Profit law, Information access, CPLR 4509, Contracts, Format transfer, Preservation, Library policies, and more. 

About the Presenter:

Stephanie A. Adams, Esq. (Nickname: Cole), is an attorney practicing from her own law firm in Buffalo, NY. Adams chose a career in the law so she could focus her professional life on the law’s impact on creativity and communication. She has also worked as a print and broadcast journalist. Adams’s extensive writing on legal issues facing today’s libraries, including issues impacting the freedom to read, can be seen regularly on the “Ask the Lawyer” service, hosted by the Western New York Library Resources Council.

Adams’s focus on speech-related legal issues started with her final project at her alma mater, Hampshire College in Massachusetts. While completing her B.A., Adams also had an internship at the Northampton-based Comic Book Legal Defense Fund in 1996, an experience she would reprise while working on her J.D. the summer of ’98.  She was a page during high school at the New Hartford Town Library, worked in the Hampshire College library transcribing archives, and worked in the library at her law school.

Prior to working at the firm she founded in 2017, Adams spent over 10 years serving as an in-house counsel at Niagara University, where her work demanded consideration of not-for-profit, risk management, student, and labor law issues, along with deep respect for academic freedom. Prior to that, (as “Stephanie Cole”) she was a partner in the firm of Bloom, Cole, & Shonn, LLP. 

For more information on Adams’ experience and current practice, visit the website for The Law Office of Stephanie Adams (LOSA), PLLC.

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6/24/22 - Ask Us 24/7

Webinar Description:

Ask Us 24/7 is a regional virtual reference service made up of libraries across New York State. Librarians who participate are busy answering thousands of questions from patrons every year. The service is housed on Springshare’s LibChat platform and is part of a 24/7 global virtual reference cooperative that includes libraries across the nation and in the United Kingdom. Virtual reference has become an important component of library service today and one that can bolster a library’s effectiveness and visibility as an information provider. Learn about Ask Us 24/7, its nearly 20-year history, and its place in the ever-changing world of reference.

About the Presenter:

Caitlin Kenney is the Engagement and Education Services Coordinator at the Western New York Library Resources Council. She is also the Project Manager of Ask Us 24/7. She received her Master of Library Science degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and she has a decade of experience in various types of libraries. Caitlin loves spending time with her senior dog, hiking, and embarking on creative endeavors, including pottery and film photography.

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7/29/22 - Academic OverDrive

Webinar Description:

The ESLN Academic Discount Program, which is open to any academic member currently a member of an ESLN library council, provides a consortial, shared collection of e-books geared toward informal reading and browsing on the OverDrive platform.

This ESLN services session will provide an overview of the ESLN Academic Discount Program, how to get started, and address specific questions about the program.

Interested libraries can view more information about the program as well as FAQs on the ESLN website. Please feel free to submit questions in advance which will be addressed during the live session.

Helpful links:

-Read more about the ESLN Academic Discount Program & check to see if you are a member of the nine library resources councils in the state: https://www.esln.org/resources/overdrive/

-View the current OverDrive collection: https://nnyoverdrive.overdrive.com

About the Presenter:

Christi Sommerfeldt (she/her) is the Regional Services Librarian at the Northern New York Library Council and provides a variety of services to member institutions including continuing education, member communications, and acts as the New York Heritage Digital Collections liaison for the region. Christi also manages the ESLN Adacemic OverDrive program, corresponding with participating libraries, coordinating orders throughout the year, and facilitating collection maintenance. With over 14 years of library experience, she has worked in public, school, and academic libraries in Wisconsin, Ohio, Kentucky, and New York.

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8/26/22 - Empire Library Delivery

Webinar Description:

Empire Library Delivery (ELD) is a statewide delivery service maintained by the Empire State Library Network (ESLN) that makes resource sharing connections among all types of libraries affordable and streamlined. ELD provides a convenient, affordable, and tailored delivery service to institutions, thereby supporting increased statewide resource sharing among ELD participants.

About the Presenter:

Maria DeGaetano is the Business Services Coordinator for the Capital District Library Council and has been managing the statewide delivery program, Empire Library Delivery, for 4 years.

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10/28/22 - Ask the Archivist

Webinar Description:

Ask the Archivist is a service for members of ESLN councils that provides answers to basic questions regarding archives and special collections. This is a pilot program that will be evaluated after July 2023. 

Archivists at several of the Councils of the Empire State Library Network (ESLN) staff this service.  The staff will provide advice to colleagues on all aspects of archival work, such as processing, preservation, reference, acquisition, appraisal, and digital projects. We invite all your questions on archives and special collections, big or small. 

About the Presenters:

Heidi Ziemer is the Outreach & Digital Inclusion Coordinator for the Western New York Library Resources Council (WNYLRC), a multi-type of member library organization encompassing public, school, academic, hospital, and special libraries in the Buffalo-Niagara region. She joined WNYLRC in 1990 as Regional Archivist for their Documentary Heritage Program, after receiving training as an archivist at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.  From those early years, Heidi’s interest has always been in how primary sources can be effectively used to engage students (including lifelong learners!) in gaining new knowledge and skills. Heidi has participated in Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Eastern Region programs and events since 2007, including as a TPS grant recipient (Tourgee Papers on New York Heritage). Heidi also holds a New York State Initial Certification in Social Studies grades 5-12. Digital inclusion, advocacy and outreach are her other duties at WNYLRC, in addition to archival services.

An alum of Niagara University, she holds a BA in Psychology and an MBA with a concentration in human resource management. Holly’s certifications include the SPHR, FourSight Creative Thinking Profile, DiSC, and Certified facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method and materials*. A member of national (SHRM) and local HR associations (BNHRA, WNYHRA), she was named a finalist for “HR Professional of the Year” in the BNHRA’s 2010 HR Excellence Awards. Holly serves on the Boards of Kenmore Rotary and the Graycliff Conservancy, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed property overlooking Lake Erie just south of Buffalo, NY.

Susan D’Entremont is the Digital Project and Continuing Education Manager at the Capital District Library Council (CDLC). CDLC serves a 10-county area around Albany, New York. She is the CDLC liaison for New York Heritage and the Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative, both services of ESLN. She has previously worked as a Regional Archivist for the Documentary Heritage Program and as an archivist at both the Wisconsin Historical Society and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. 

Nicole Menchise is currently the Digitization and Archives Coordinator for the Long Island Library Resources Council where she conducts site visits to cultural institutions in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and teaches continuing education programs related to the preservation of archival materials.  She earned a BA in Geography from the University of Memphis and her MLIS and Advanced Certificate in Archives and Records Management at Long Island University.  She has worked as an Archivist for the Oyster Bay Historical Society, Raynham Hall Museum, the Townsend Society of America, and the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, and as an Adjunct Professor at Long Island University.  She also served on the Board of Trustees for the North Shore Historical Museum.

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