Free Direct Access

Outline

System Free Direct Access Plan to fulfill Commissioner’s Regulation §90.3(a) through (d)(4)

  1. Describe how all individuals residing within the boundaries of the system but outside a member public library’s chartered service area will receive library services.
  2. Describe how the system will assure that those persons living within the system boundaries in an area where a member library chooses to withdraw from the system, or where a chartered and registered library was never a member of the system, will be served by the system.
  3. Describe what the system considers "serious inequities and hardships" and the criteria used by the system to make the determination.
  4. Describe what constitutes excessive out of chartered service area borrowing in the system.
    1. Describe the unserved and the underserved populations within the system.
    2. Describe the criteria used by the system to identify libraries as having an inadequate level of local income to support the delivery of acceptable library services (underserved). List those libraries so identified.
    3. Describe the actions the system will take to expand the availability of library services to unserved and underserved individuals residing within the boundaries of the system.
    4. Provide a timetable for such actions.
    5. Identify who will be responsible for carrying out these actions.
  6. Describe the conditions under which modifications to the free direct access plan can be made:
    1. Without the prior approval of the Commissioner of Education.
    2. With the prior approval of the Commissioner of Education.
  7. Describe how the system will assure that member libraries are complying with the system free direct access plan approved by a majority of member libraries. Describe how the system obtained member library input to the plan for free direct access.

March 4, 1999

Last Updated: February 21, 2018