ADMINISTRATOR REPORT - February 2026-May 2026 - Friends of BCPL Update - Administrative and Support Services - Bibliographic Services - Outreach Services

Sep 24, 2026

Administrator Report covers February to May 2026, providing operational updates across Friends of BCPL events, administrative support services, bibliographic services, and outreach. It details Book Bonanza collection schedules and July sale dates, system SALSA transition expectations, 2026 second-quarter distribution check timing, ACH enrollment support, and compliance findings tied to URR and director certification. It also summarizes leadership visits, trustee orientation sessions, progress on acquisitions workflows, cataloging backlog work, and Story Trail and community programming milestones.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time1 min

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Friends of BCPL Update

Administrative and Support Services

Bibliographic Services

Outreach Services

Looking Ahead

Stephanie D. Williams, Administrator ADMINISTRATOR REPORT February 2026-May 2026 Friends of BCPL Update: Collections for the Berks Book Bonanza are underway through Saturday, June 13, 2026: 􀁸 Mondays/Tuesdays—9:00am-12:00pm 􀁸 Wednesdays—5:00pm-7:00pm 􀁸 Closed Memorial Day Monday 􀁸 Saturday, June 13—9:00am-12:00pm The Book Bonanza Sale will be held on: 􀁸 Wednesday, July 8 ($20 Early Admission) from 10am-5pm 􀁸 Thursday, July 9 from 10am-7pm 􀁸 Friday, July 10 from 10am-7pm 􀁸 Saturday, July 11 from 10am-7pm 􀁸 Sunday, July 12 ($5 Bag of Books Sale) from 11:00am-5pm Administrative and Support Services: The System Admin Unit’s 2025 Annual Report was submitted to the Office of Commonwealth Libraries in early March and some clarifications were requested in mid-April. I attended the virtual SALSA Changes for Federated Systems presentation provided by Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) in March. OCL is implementing the change to better align actual practices with language in the statute. At this time, OCL anticipates a two-year transition period. This information is taken directly from OCL’s presentation: 􀁸 Most of the documentation will shift to the System’s SALSA application. 􀁸 In the first year, member libraries that are not meeting standards will fill out a waiver. 􀁸 The System will also fill out a waiver for the entire system. 􀁸 If member libraries do not meet standards, the System is expected to take responsibility for those members. Second quarter 2026 distribution checks were sent to member libraries in early April. Millie PadillaSantos supported libraries with enrolling in ACH payments from the County of Berks. We anticipate most libraries who submitted documentation in April should be setup to receive their third quarter payment in July as a direct deposit to their bank account. Nine member libraries were found to be out of compliance with the 2025 Uniform Requirements & Responsibilities (URR) due to trustees missing one of the four required BCPL Advisory Board meetings. One member library was out of compliance due to approved board meeting minutes not being posted on the library’s website within two months of approval. All library directors received compliance or out of compliance letters in March. Membership agreement compliance reviews were also completed for reporting year 2025. Five libraries were found to be out of compliance with the director certification requirement, which is a state standard. Three of the five libraries are expected to be back in compliance later this year. The remaining two libraries must submit compliance plans to the Advisory Board noting an anticipated timeframe for them to be back in compliance. State Librarian & Deputy Secretary Sue Banks, along with the Director of the Bureau of Library Development, Heather Sharpe, visited several of our member libraries in April. The pair also visited Berks Heim to learn about the Story Trail and visited Berks County Jail to see the book vending machine. Becky Wanamaker and I provided four Trustee Orientation sessions throughout April to approximately 25 trustees representing multiple member libraries. Looking ahead, Padilla-Santos and I will submit our department’s first draft of our 2027 budget request to the County’s Budget Office by the end of this month. I will begin my annual 1:1visits with member library directors in June. Co-County Wellness will launch the Community Connectors partnership in June at Bernville and Hamburg Libraries. This partnership will provide social services in rural libraries; Boyertown and Village Libraries will join later this year. Bibliographic Services: Christine Reichart finalized detailed acquisitions procedures covering monthly reporting, general ordering, and distribution of standing order plan spreadsheets ahead of a planned absence in February and March. During this period, Leslie Gaines and Madison Kochel successfully implemented these procedures, ensuring continu

FAQs

What are the key Friends of BCPL Book Bonanza dates mentioned for collection and sale?

Collections run through Saturday, June 13, 2026, with specific weekday and Saturday hours. The Book Bonanza Sale is scheduled for Wednesday July 8 through Sunday July 12, with listed early admission and bag-of-books pricing on the final day.

What does the SALSA transition involve for member libraries according to the report?

Most documentation will shift to the System’s SALSA application. In the first year, member libraries not meeting standards will complete a waiver, and the System will also complete a waiver for the entire system; if standards are not met, the System is expected to take responsibility for those members.

How did the report describe 2026 second-quarter distribution checks and ACH support?

Second-quarter 2026 distribution checks were sent in early April. Millie Padilla-Santos supported libraries in enrolling in ACH payments, and most libraries that submitted documentation in April are expected to receive their third-quarter payment in July via direct deposit to their bank accounts.

Sep 24, 2026

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