Register for a Zoom Information Session to lear more about the MS in Library Media at St. John Fisher.  Please share widely.

• The NYS Archives Partnership Trust publishes New York Archives Jr!, a companion publication to New York Archives magazine for grades 4-8. Each issue features a short history article written at an upper elementary level, a list of community connections, a set of related facts, and teacher-created standards-aligned learning activities focused on primary source analysis.
• There are currently seventeen different issues available on topics from the Dutch colonial period through the 20^th century.
• Free classroom sets are available to all teachers throughout NYS by completing the New York Archives Jr! order form.
• To view all available issues of New York Archives Jr! and additional online activities, please visit Consider the Source New York Archives Jr!
• Please get in touch with the NYS Archives Partnership Trust at 518-473-7091 or via email at archedu@nysed.gov if you have any questions.

On behalf of NYLA/SSL we wanted to send follow up information for the April 30-May 2, 2026, NYLA/SSL Conference being held in Ithaca.

1. Conference Call For Proposals is now live
   • CFP 2026- Ithaca
   • Submission deadline is January 16
2. NYLA/SSL Administrator Awards
   • Beatrice E. Griggs Elementary Administrator's Award
   • SSL Secondary Administrator's Award
   • The awards are given during the NYLA/SSL Friday Night Knickerbocker Banquet
   • It is a great way to advocate for your program and highlight supportive administration within your district
3. NYLA/SSL Scholarships to attend the Conference
   • Knickerbocker Raffle and the Laura Wedge Endowment are scholarships for $500 towards attending the conference
   • 2025 Beatrice E. Griggs Conference Award and Scholarship for members currently enrolled in a MLS programs.  Scholarship towards the degree plus the registration cost for the conference
4. Conference Registration
   • Registration will go live on January 5
   • Registration information is found here: https://sites.google.com/view/sslconference2026/registration-attendees
   • Making the case to attend information: https://sites.google.com/view/sslconference2026/registration-attendees/make-the-case
   • I would suggest putting in your approval forms NOW so when registration opens you will be all set to register
   • Last year we were sold out with 387 attendees.  This year our cap is 450 and we are anticipating selling out again this year.
   • Reminder- in order to register for the NYLA Member rate your membership must be up-to-date.  If you have not renewed it, now is the perfect time to do so.
   • Hotel information: https://sites.google.com/view/sslconference2026/lodging-venue

Please share widely. 

DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton and the New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA) have announced the theme for the annual water conservation poster contest for middle school students: "Water Connects Us All.” The 2026 poster theme challenges middle school students to learn about their role in the watershed where they live and the positive actions they can take to conserve, protect, and celebrate our water resources.

Fourteen winners will have the honor of having their artwork in a 2027 calendar distributed across New York State. The deadline for submitting posters is January 2, 2026. Find more information on DEC's Water Connects Us All Poster Contest webpage.

Hi everyone! Karin created a 3-tab spreadsheet of our Sora add-on collections. This makes it easier for educators to see what's in NY Reads and PLConnect, as well as to see format and quantity levels. Feel free to share this link widely. You can also download your own copy to sort it any way you like, and share it with teachers and administrators in your school. 

Each title has an icon next to it to indicate if it's an ebook or an audiobook, so it's easy to tell at a glance. I also highlighted rows as green if they are available for large groups, or purple if they tend to be one copy/one user. 

• Tab 1: Main NY Reads collection, sorted alphabetically. These titles are all “simultaneous access”, which means they're perfect for large groups. These are available all the time, with no worries about holds or waiting times.
• Tab 2: NY Reads LOTE collection. This is a great place to look for titles in other languages. Some titles, like 1984, are available in multiple languages. These titles are not simultaneous access, so it's possible in some instances that a student would have to place a hold on a title not currently available.
• Tab 3: PLConnect. This is a collection of professional materials. Karin sorted these so that the titles with the most copies are listed first.

Questions about NY Reads or PLConnect? Email libraryservices@wswheboces.org.