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Please note: This summary is not intended to be all inclusive. Its purpose is to highlight issues of statewide importance discussed by the Regents Advisory Council that will significantly impact the New York library community.
New York Library Initiative: 2008 Regents Legislative Proposal: The Regents have sent their budget proposals to the Governor for consideration. They include several increases over current funding and a restructuring of recent system aid increases and construction grants to make them permanent. Details are available online at: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/fundingproposals/. This site, as well as other advocacy tools were reviewed and critiqued by the Council.
2009 Legislative Priorities: The Council continued its discussion of a New York Digital Library/Museum/Archive that would be both a statewide platform and a funding source for local libraries and other cultural institutions. This would expand the role of libraries from providing access into providing content as well. The development of standards, regional training and strategies for linking local resources are areas to be explored. This concept offers great potential for LSTA funding should the State begin to support the NOVEL program. This, and other possible legislative proposals for 2009, must be presented to the Regents at their May 2008 meeting.
RAC Communications: It was agreed that Council members should feel free to share the issues raised in our meetings with their colleagues in the field and seek their input in whatever way possible in order to promote broader discussion and understanding. An excellent example is the blog by Jill Hurst-Wahl at: http://tinyurl.com/2to7rk
State Library Update: This year the Division of Library Development and the Research Library have been allowed to begin filling several positions that have been vacant for many years. This has helped and should continue to help significantly. The State Library was awarded a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Opportunity Online Hardware Grant, which will bring more than 2,100 computers valued at $5.6 million to more than 400 public libraries and branches over the next two years. The State Library is also preparing a grant proposal to IMLS as a follow-up to the successful “Making It REAL” librarian recruitment program.
Shubert Award: Nominations are being sought for the Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award. For further information: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac/award/index.html
The current NYLA Bulletin includes an end-of-year report from the State Library and a report on the RAC Shubert Award (with a photo of Mary Lou Caskey giving Galway representatives the award). There are also two ads included in this issue of the Bulletin on State Library Initiatives, an ad for Librarycareersny.org and an ad for Training on the Go.
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