Gates Library Grant Initiative
Rural Library Sustainability Project
Partnering with the Gates Foundation and WebJunction
Information about the Rural Library Sustainability Project is also available
in .PDF format
The New York State Library participated in a joint WebJunction and Gates Library
Foundation program entitled the "Rural Library Sustainability Project."
The State Library worked in partnership with PULISDO and the Mid-Hudson Library
System to implement this statewide project.
Purpose of the Project:
In answer to the special challenges faced by libraries in sustaining their
public access computing, the Rural Library Sustainability Project supported
small and rural libraries in implementing community-specific action plans to
sustain their computer services. More information about the national project
can be found at the WebJunction's
Rural Library Sustainability Project web site 
.
The New York State project involved a series of ten regional day-long workshops
starting in April 2006 and ending in October 2006. Ms. Mary Ann Stiefvater coordinated
workshop scheduling and conducted the training.
Library directors and staff from public libraries that serve populations under
25,000 were eligible to attend.
Workshop Participants Activities:
- Developed an action plan to actively sustain public access computing in
their libraries
- Selected a minimum of two activities in their action plan to implement in
the near future
- Shared their workshop experiences with their co-workers
- Participated in WebJunction's online community
- Participated in an evaluation process through completion of online surveys
Project Goals:
- Increase the number of small and rural librarians (libraries serving under 25,000) developing and implementing
action plans for sustaining and expanding public access computing in their communities
- Facilitate a forum of selected workshop participants (at least three from each state) to meet at the 2007 ALA
annual conference and discuss the results of their workshops, share best practices, and continue to develop action
plans for sustainability
- Create an online community through WebJunction that allows continued sharing and collaboration between workshop
participants
- Increase the number of librarians participating in WebJunction activities so they become connected into a larger
community and are able to take advantage of an information network
Please contact Mary Linda Todd, Library Development Specialist, New York State
Library at 518-486-4858 or e-mail mtodd@mail.nysed.gov
for more information on this project.
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