| New York State Library |
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.
Proposed 2008 Executive State Budget: The 2008 State Budget proposed by the Executive would result in a decrease of $5 million in library funding from 2007-2008. The library package is the same as the Executive proposal sent to the Legislature last year. The New York Library Association is asking the library community to urge State legislators to consider reinstating the $5 million and increasing the library aid package. For information on the Board of Regents 2008 budget proposal for libraries and library systems, visit http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/fundingproposals/. Members of the Regents Advisory Council will be meeting with State legislators on Tuesday, February 26th in Albany to discuss the need for increased library funding.
RAC Goals: The Goals of the Regents Advisory Council were amended to better reflect a commitment to communication with the field and an ongoing effort to build consensus on policies and programs affecting all types of libraries in the state.
2008 Report to the Regents: Members of the Advisory Council are scheduled to meet with the Board of Regents on May 19th or 20th to offer their recommendations for the 2009-10 Budget and Legislative agenda. At this point, the primary initiative will be the creation of a “New York Digital Library” as discussed at previous meetings. An outline of this proposal is available at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac. A meeting will be held this winter to bring together various stakeholders in the state’s current digitization efforts to discuss the proposal and fill in the details.
The 2008 Joseph F. Shubert Award application for libraries and library systems will soon be posted on the RAC web page at: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac/index.html. The $1,000 award is made possible by EBSCO Information Services.
New York State Universal Broadband Access Grant Program: The State Library, in partnership with the 23 public library systems and the New York Library Association, has applied to the Governor’s Office for Technology for a $1.25 million State universal broadband access grant to improve broadband access and digital literacy programs for the public through public libraries and neighborhood branches, particularly those libraries located in high-need areas of the State. For more information on this OFT grant program, visit http://www.oft.state.ny.us/oft/UniversalBroadband/overview.htm.
IMLS Connecting to Collections Grant: The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded the State Library and State Archives a 2008 federal “Connecting to Collections” statewide planning grant for $37,277. The project, titled "Partnership for New York's Cultural Heritage" also includes as partners the New York State Council on the Arts, New York Library Association, New York Archives Alliance, Museum Association of New York, Lower Hudson Conference of Historical Agencies & Museums, and Upstate History Alliance. The project will survey the state’s cultural repositories to learn the risks to their collections, challenges in preserving their collections, and their need for education.
New Associates in School Library Services: Ms. Welch announced the appointment of two new Associates in School Library Services to the State Education Department’s P-16 Office. John Brock joined the Department on December 12, 2007; Dr. Joanne Parnes Shawhan joined the Department on December 31. Both John and Joanne have been assigned as staff liaisons from P-16 to the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries.
Return to the RAC
page