RAMAPO CATSKILL LIBRARY SYSTEM NEWS

DECEMBER 15, 2025

~ PLEASE NOTE ~

RCLS offices CLOSED Wednesday, December 24th

Normal delivery schedule

RCLS offices CLOSED Thursday, December 25th

No deliveries

RCLS offices OPEN on Friday, December 26

No deliveries

Mock Book Awards

Image of round gold relief Caldecott medal

The Mock Caldecott, Mock Newbery and Mock Printz Award discussions will take place at RCLS Friday, January 9, 2026.

(Snow date January 16th)

All three are in-person events and will not be recorded

Participants will receive 2 CE credits

Mock Caldecott 9am-11am

Mock Newbery 11:15am-1:15pm

Mock Printz 2:00pm-4:00pm

Grab a cup of cocoa and settle in to plan your selections from a host of new reading matter for you and your patrons! Click on the image below to access the full list edited by: Eileen Acosta (RCLS) & Terry Eagle (Haverstraw King's Daughters Public Library)...

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Library Advocacy Day in Albany

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Why Participate in Library Advocacy Day?

Adding your voice will benefit...

- every New York library and citizen

- each library and system that receives direct state aid

- the libraries and systems which receive indirect state aid in the form of cooperative services and shared programs from their library system

- legislators who need to understand how libraries can help them

General Information & Bus transportation sign-up available on the RCLS Calendar

COMMUNITY NEWS

Cartoon depiction of gingerbread house with white icing representing snow on roof and colored gumdrops decorating the building

Confection Connection!

Pomares Community Room, Goshen Public Library

Tuesday, December 16, 2025 ~ 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Enjoy a festive evening filled with entertaining holiday games, colorful crafts, and delicious treats! A culminating event to celebrate the creative efforts of community members who participated in the library's Gingerbread House Competition.

Winners of the competition will be announced at the event! There will also be a gift wrapping station so feel free to bring gifts to self-wrap!

Coffee and Tea donations are requested for The Goshen Food Pantry.

All donating participants will be entered into a raffle.

Join in on this whimsical winter fun for all ages!

Image of flyer promoting "Sounds of the Season" performance December 18, 2025

Shane will be playing his guitar and singing holiday songs.

Stop by to enjoy this lovely way to 'get into the holiday spirit'!

(No registration required)

RCLS CONTINUING EDUCATION

To register, please click on the course name text in BLUE

Credit Hours earned per session are noted below. Please verify with the individual posting on the RCLS Calendar.

Communicating with Elected Officials

(In-Person Workshop)

Monday, January 5, 2026 ~10:00am - 12:00pm

RCLS Headquarters, Middletown NY

Presenter: Jen Park

RCLS Government Relations Specialist

Open to RCLS member libraries staff, administrators, and trustees

2 Hours Continuing Education Credit for library staff

2 Hours Trustee Education credit for trustees

Lightning Talk:

Community Connections and Partnerships

(Hybrid format: In-Person / Online)

Thursday, January 29, 2026 ~ 2:00pm - 3:30pm

In person attendance will be at

RCLS Headquarters, Middletown, NY

Facilitator: Michelle Muller

RCLS Member & Youth Services Consultant

1.5 Hours Continuing Education credit for library staff

CIVICS EDUCATION COHORT

RCLS is pleased to announce a partnership with the League of Women Voters to provide in-depth informational sessions, workshops, and conversations surrounding Civics Education in a cohort setting. All sessions will take place virtually.

(Registration open only to RCLS and WLS member libraries.

More than one person per library may participate)

January 15 at 2p: Election security and integrity

Speaker: Kristen Stavisky, Co-Executive Director, NYS Board of Election

February 12 at 2p: Understanding absentee ballots

Speaker: Monica Ferguson, League of Women Voters

March 19 at 2p: Moderating/Hosting a non-partisan forum for candidates (best practices and logistics)

Speaker: Dare Thompson, League of Women Voters

April 9 at 2p: Combatting Mis-Dis-and Mal-information: Staying Aware and Activating Truth

Speaker: Chelsey Cartwright, Program Manager, Democracy Truth Project

May 7 at 2p: Civics programming for libraries

Facilitators: RCLS & League of Women Voters

Participants are expected to attend all sessions. If a session must be missed, participants are expected to watch the recording of the session. Further, it is expected that participants complete the program with the intention of hosting and/or supporting one or more voter registration events/programs.

To sign up to participate in this program, use the "Fill out form" link below

Library System Civic Engagement & Education Cohort – Fill out form

Questions should be addressed to Jen Park, RCLS Government Relations Specialist jen@rcls.org

PLEASE NOTE: If you sign up for one or more of the many

RCLS programs and/or continuing education opportunities,

save your registration confirmation email which will

contain the link for any ONLINE session.

You will also receive a reminder email 24-48 hours prior to the event.

RCLS SUSTAINABILITY CORNER

SAVE THE FOOD

As we enjoy the holiday season, somehow, we usually wind up with an abundance of "leftovers"...and try as we might to consume it all before it's no longer edible, some of it will end up in the trash. That includes items that you've purchased which might not all get used to begin with - leaving you with an oversupply of items you meant to incorporate in a dish but somehow didn't.

Here's a handy solution for using those items! Click on the logo pictured below for recipes that will keep you from bemoaning money spent (& then wasted) and also help you practice sustainability!

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Ready to jump into a new career in 2026?

Brainfuse JobNow is your ultimate resource! From personalized job matching to uncovering exciting new opportunities, this platform connects you with roles that perfectly align with your skills and goals.

Live JobNow Coaches are available to assist you with everything from crafting the perfect resume to nailing your next interview. And the best part? This service is completely FREE with your RCLS member library card! Don’t wait—click the image below and let’s make 2026 the year of your success.

Text reading let's find your ideal job above cartoon of three people surrounding a computer search bar window image. People include woman with a telescope, seated man with binoculars, standing man with magnifying glass.

Follow us on Social Media graphic with QR codes for RCLS Instagram, Facebook and X accounts

RCLS Marketing Services LibGuide

Click the link above to view the Guide and schedule a meeting to talk about your marketing plans with Dave Cosco, RCLS Marketing Manager. Phone: 845-243-3747 ext. 245 or via email at marketing@rcls.org

A Closing Thought...

Source: "Strange Planet", Courtesy of Rachel Leeds, Part-Time Library Clerk, Port Jervis Free Library

Tickle the funny-bone of your colleagues with a cartoon or share a

library-related quote that would resonate with the RCLS community...

Send your submissions to abaumann@rcls.org!

Ramapo Catskill Library System

619 Route 17M

Middletown, NY 10940

845-243-3747

www.rcls.org

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NOTE: Some images in this publication are AI assisted