New York State Library

Public Library Districts: An Introduction


Recommendation 3: Promote the availability of local public library service to all New Yorkers and improve local support for public libraries through the formation of Public Library Districts.

All New Yorkers should live in a community that has access to, and supports, a quality public library, and all libraries must have adequate local support.

from Meeting the Needs of All New Yorkers: Library Service in the New Century, the final report of the Regents Commission on Library Services (July 2000)



Public Library District Toolkit: Strategies to Assure your Library’s Legal and Financial Stability

Revised edition of Public Library Districts; an Introduction and “How-To Guide”

Updated and expanded for the New York State Library Division of Library Development
by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich and Jerry Nichols


Additional Public Library District Resources


Further Background Information



Library Development Staff Liaisons for Public Library Systems and Member Libraries
Last Updated: February 27, 2024