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THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
| Carl T. Hayden, Chancellor, A.B., J.D. |
Elmira |
| Diane O'Neill McGivern, Vice Chancellor, B.S.N., M.A., Ph.D. |
Staten Island |
| Adelaide L. Sanford, B.A., M.A., P.D. |
Hollis |
| Saul B. Cohen, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. |
New Rochelle |
| James C. Dawson, A.A., B.A., M.S., Ph.D. |
Peru |
| Robert M. Bennett, B.A., M.S. |
Tonawanda |
| Robert M. Johnson, B.S., J.D. |
Lloyd Harbor |
| Anthony S. Bottar, B.A., J.D. |
Syracuse |
| Merryl H. Tisch, B.A., M.A. |
New York |
| Ena L. Farley, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. |
Brockport |
| Geraldine D. Chapey, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. |
Belle Harbor |
| Ricardo E. Oquendo, B.A., J.D. |
Bronx |
| Eleanor P. Bartlett, B.A., M.A. |
Albany |
| Arnold B. Gardner, B.A., LL.B. |
Buffalo |
| Charlotte K. Frank, B.B.A., M.S.Ed., Ph.D. |
New York |
| Harry Phillips, 3rd, B.A., M.S.F.S. |
Hartsdale |
President of The University and Commissioner of Education
Richard P. Mills
Chief Operating Officer
Richard H. Cate
Members of the Commission
Overview of the Commission’s Statewide Policy Recommendations
Recommendation 1. Create NOVEL, the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library, to deliver high-quality, reliable digital information to all New Yorkers.
Recommendation 2. Ensure that all New York's students are information literate by providing strong school library media programs that include appropriately certified professional staff, adequate resources, and technology.
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.
Recommendation 4. Promote equitable library services for all New Yorkers through a need-based formula to reduce disparities in public library funding, and create NY EXCELS to promote service excellence in all types of libraries and library systems through enabling and incentive aid.
Recommendation 5. Provide support for public library construction, expansion, and renovation to ensure that New York's libraries are accessible to all library users and can accommodate advances in technology.
Recommendation 6. Improve the capacity of New York's urban public libraries to meet the unique needs of diverse library users in underserved, densely populated communities.
Recommendation 7. Strengthen the ability of New York's libraries to help library users acquire basic English literacy, information literacy, and computer literacy skills in their communities.
Recommendation 8. Enhance access to the specialized resources held by New York's academic, special, and research libraries to improve educational achievement, economic development, and health care for all New Yorkers.
Recommendation 9. Support and enhance a highly skilled library workforce to meet the information needs of New Yorkers.
Recommendation 10. Provide leadership for change by strengthening the expertise and accountability of the New York State Library and by creating a statewide advocacy coalition.
Appendix A: Regents Commission on Library Services: Background
Appendix B: Survey on Public Library Issues
Appendix C: Demographics of New York State, 1920-1998
Appendix D: School Library Media Survey Report
Appendix E: Deputy Commissioner of Education's Proposal for School Library Media Program Support Aid
Appendix F: EmpireLink: Statewide Access to Electronic Information Offered by the New York State Library
Appendix G: Public Vote on Budgets as an Indicator of Support for Local Libraries
Appendix H: Construction Needs: Data from a 1998 Survey Conducted by the New York Library Association and the New York State Library
Appendix I: New York's Library Systems
Appendix J: Structure and Functions of the New York State Library
Appendix K: Remarks to the New York State Board of Regents, By Abby Milstein, Co-Chair, Regents Commission on Library Services, July 13, 2000
Co-Chairs:
Co-Vice Chairs:
Members:
Ex Officio Members:
The library is one of democracy's fundamental institutions. Created by ordinary citizens to empower all the people of our society, it plays a critical role in the free exchange of information. As the guardian of freedom of thought and freedom of speech, it provides each of us with the opportunity to improve and enrich our lives.
Today we stand at the point in history when libraries must provide the essential pathway for all the people of New York to become full participants in the information age. As institutions that have shown an amazing ability to transform themselves to meet changing needs, libraries have been in the forefront in embracing new information technologies. They have become the vehicle for delivering the benefits of those technologies to all New Yorkers.
While our state is home to some of the greatest and most-used libraries in the world, many of its libraries lack the critical resources to meet the growing needs of their communities. As we enter the 21st century, it is time for profound change in libraries statewide—change that calls for strong leadership and advocacy on behalf of the people of New York.
The Regents Commission on Library Services, through research, public hearings, and lengthy discussion throughout the state, has reached the following conclusions:
To address the needs of the citizens of New York, the Commission strongly recommends the following ten initiatives.[1] We believe that these recommendations, if implemented, will transform library services in our state.
In these recommendations, Commission members have elected to propose state aid and incentives for change rather than propose new mandates under New York State Law.
These recommendations, explained in the following pages, are driven by the Commission’s belief that every New Yorker in every community across the state should have equitable access to quality library service. We envision the library as a center of activity and learning in every community. It will continue its historic role as a place for books and tranquility, but it will embrace the 21st century technologies that help to meet the diverse information needs of all New Yorkers.
New York State can and should be a leader in library services. We believe that the adoption and implementation of these recommendations, with the support of the Board of Regents, the Legislature, the Governor, and the people of the state, will redefine the future of New York’s libraries and enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers.
Create NOVEL, the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library,
to deliver high-quality, reliable digital information to all New Yorkers.
| To function successfully in today's society, New Yorkers must have equitable access to information resources—including high-quality, reliable electronic resources. New York must help close the digital divide for all its residents by making high-quality electronic information accessible to library users, regardless of economic circumstances, geographic location, or disabilities. |
Many New Yorkers still do not have access to the Internet or the skills to find and use electronic information. Even those who can afford access frequently need information that is distributed by commercial interests through subscriptions that are far too costly for individual users. Currently 37 other states have implemented programs to provide access to digital resources for their residents. The Commission believes that New York must open the door to the wealth of electronic resources for all its residents, including remote users, through local libraries statewide.
NOVEL will encompass all types of libraries: public, school, academic, and special (non-corporate) libraries, such as medical and hospital libraries. It will be a gateway to a vast array of resources that will provide a rich electronic collection for schoolchildren, college students, scholars, and all New York’s diverse populations. Shared electronic catalogs and newly digitized materials will offer a statewide electronic library for all New Yorkers.
All New York’s libraries must be technologically equipped to provide access to NOVEL for their users. Libraries must also be equipped to respond with agility to changes in technology, such as the advent of e-books and e-book readers. The Commission recommends that the Board of Regents promote policies to make high-speed access to the Internet available and affordable for all libraries and to enhance professional expertise in information technologies. Every library facility must be able to connect through a network that will enable the delivery of services that consolidate voice, video, and data. Library systems, in collaboration with the New York State Library, should help member libraries connect to NOVEL by defining equipment and telecommunications needs.
New Yorkers will have access to NOVEL through an "electronic library card" issued by local libraries. Some libraries already provide remote access by using e-library cards to authenticate remote users, enabling them to see the library's holdings and have access to licensed databases acquired by the library. NOVEL will enable all of New York’s libraries to make digital information from their collections available to users in their homes or offices.
NOVEL is designed to complement existing services and partnerships among libraries of all types and to build on existing networks, such as the New York State Library's EmpireLink. Statewide purchase of quality electronic information enables EmpireLink to bring high-demand full-text information, such as the Health Reference Center database, to thousands of New York’s libraries. NOVEL will not replace other cooperative arrangements if they are more beneficial to their users. Collaborative efforts of the State Library with all libraries, library systems, and library consortia and organizations provide the platform for NOVEL.
NOVEL is also intended to enable libraries to create and share digital collections. Many of New York’s libraries have begun to digitize important items from their print, photographic, manuscript, and archival collections. Digitization helps share many unique documents while limiting the need for handling fragile materials. By supporting these efforts, NOVEL will begin to build an online collection of materials that will be available to support New York’s research needs.
The Commission recommends that the State Library lead the implementation of NOVEL, supporting library systems as they provide access and training to member library staff. Through collaboration, advocacy, and technical assistance, the State Library will support NOVEL in three areas:
Access:
Content:
Training:
Libraries represent a substantial, cumulative investment of state dollars. Through NOVEL, the state will leverage its investment many times over. Statewide purchasing permits significant savings. For example, under the existing contracts of EmpireLink, the cost per user for commercial databases is about one twenty-fifth the cost under individual libraries’ contracts. Library users statewide will be able to locate materials more easily, and digital resources will be far more accessible. The value of library collections will increase as they are shared online.
Cooperation among different types of libraries and library systems will increase as new links form between different types of libraries. For example, elementary and secondary schools can enhance their curricula and benefit students through electronic access to primary source materials in academic libraries. In public libraries, where a large percentage of users’ questions involve health-related information, librarians will be able to help by using the resources of local hospital and medical libraries.
A virtual library such as NOVEL represents a strategic advantage for New York. Ready access to accurate information will enhance economic development and the state's competitive position, help achieve the educational goals and standards set forth by the Board of Regents, and assist state and local governments in keeping their constituents informed.
A more skilled and able workforce, as a result of better education and self-guided learning, and more productive enterprise development can improve the state's economy and increase tax revenues. An aging population in need of high-quality health-related information will have the resources to maintain or improve their quality of life.
In addition to supporting educational, financial, legal, scientific, and technical efforts, NOVEL will also sustain cultural development and encourage exploration and creativity by enhancing access to artistic and literary resources. With support for digitization of materials now preserved in vaults and rare-book rooms of libraries across the state, unique sources of information will be available to all through NOVEL.
Ensure that all New York’s students are information literate by providing strong school library media programs that include appropriately certified professional staff, adequate resources, and technology.
| To derive the greatest possible benefit from the resources available through New York’s libraries, New Yorkers must be information literate; they must know how to locate, evaluate, and use information successfully. The place to establish the foundations of information literacy for our residents is in the schools. |
Information literacy skills are increasingly essential to derive the greatest possible benefit from the resources available through NOVEL and the other resources of New York’s libraries. All students should have access to school library media programs that will teach them to be information literate. However, many public schools in New York State are unable to provide their students with access to strong school library media programs. Students in these schools are less likely to receive instruction in locating, using, and evaluating information; have the services of a school library media specialist; have access to current, relevant resources, including print, non-print, and digital materials; and have access to appropriate learning technologies.
To ensure effective school library media programs in New York State, the Commission embraces the Regents proposal to provide School Library Media Program Support Aid to public schools. This aid should be targeted to provide certified staff, resources, and technology to schools that evaluate their school library media programs according to program standards developed by the Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education. The Commission recommends that this formula aid be allocated to close the gap where inadequate resources exist, and to ensure the following:
Results from a survey of New York’s public schools conducted for the Regents Commission indicate that students in schools with certified school library media specialists achieved higher performance levels on grade 4 and grade 8 English Language Arts and Mathematics examinations than those in schools without certified school library media specialists. These findings are consistent with the results of similar surveys in other states. To ensure that school library media programs have appropriate staffing, the Commission recommends that the Board of Regents take the following steps:
A strong school library media program will benefit all New Yorkers by enabling students and graduates of New York public schools to achieve the New York State Learning Standards at higher levels, be responsible for their own lifelong learning, become productive workers in an information-based society, and be informed citizens in a democratic society.
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. |
Public libraries in New York State have evolved in a variety of ways—most often through grass-roots movements within individual communities dedicated to the democratic ideals of public education. The process has produced many vibrant, community-based libraries, but it has also resulted in inconsistent levels of service, with an estimated 1.3 million New Yorkers remaining outside the chartered service area of any public library.
The Commission acknowledges the value of local libraries as centers of community life that promote information literacy and afford opportunities for lifelong learning. However, it also recognizes the need for a vision for statewide public library service that will include New Yorkers who currently have no local public library or suffer from significant inequities in library service.
The creation of statewide Public Library Districts will leave no local community unserved, much as public school districts encompass the entire state to ensure that all children have access to education. Public Library Districts as outlined in this recommendation also provide for greater accountability to the communities they serve through public votes on library budgets and the election of library trustees. Experience has shown that in library districts where the public votes on the library budget, per-capita support is higher. When libraries have restructured as described below, support has significantly increased.
In making the transition to Public Library Districts, libraries can choose from a number of models, including the following:
The Commission proposes the following plan to implement the transition to Public Library Districts over a five-year period:
The Commission recommends the establishment of a five-year categorical aid program for the specific purpose of implementing Public Library Districts:
This funding is intended solely to implement the Public Library District program throughout the state. It is in addition to other funding proposals included in the Commission’s recommendations.
These strategies will require years of community effort, guided by a regional and statewide network of experienced professionals dedicated to the program. The concept of library development must be the focus of all involved in this task.
If this recommendation is fully implemented, the 1.3 million New Yorkers who currently have no local public library service will be included in a Public Library District. In addition, all New Yorkers will have a voice in the governance and funding of their library, which in the past has consistently resulted in higher levels of local support. This recommendation does not require the dissolution of any existing libraries, and therefore preserves the local community library, a cherished institution in many communities.
Promote equitable library services for all New Yorkers through a need-based formula to reduce disparities in public library funding, and create NY EXCELS to promote service excellence in all types of libraries and library systems through enabling and incentive aid.
| Our libraries in rich and poor communities alike must be equipped to provide access to appropriate resources for their users. All New York’s libraries—public, school, academic, and special—must strive for excellence in serving the information needs of the people of New York. |
Need-Based Aid to Public Libraries: Per-capita support for public library service within New York State extends over a vast range—from a low of $.28 to a high of $233.55. The average per-capita local support in the state was $31.84 in 1998 dollars. A study conducted for the Commission[5] concludes that a minimum funding level of $20 per capita (in year 2000 dollars) is necessary to meet the basic needs of public library users. However, significant numbers of New Yorkers live in communities with libraries that have funding below that level. Some of these communities lack sufficient local resources to support even the most basic library services.
Statistics show that the communities that would benefit most from improved levels of library service are often the least able to fund them through local tax revenues. These include many inner-city and isolated rural communities in the state—those that are experiencing the highest levels of unemployment and other social and economic challenges.
Because of inequities in the quality of public library service across the state, the Commission recommends the adoption of a need-based formula for allocating future state aid to public libraries. Such a formula should do the following:
This recommendation does not propose redistributing existing state aid. It proposes distribution of new state aid to remedy economic inequities, placing a greater emphasis on ability to pay and local effort. This new aid is not intended to replace local support; it is intended to stimulate and leverage ongoing support at the local level.
Enabling and Incentive Aid Through the NY EXCELS Program: Additional funding in the form of enabling and incentive aid will spur excellence in library service for all New Yorkers through the NY EXCELS Program. After a basic level of funding is achieved, NY EXCELS will focus on fulfilling community needs and help libraries meet the challenge of rising costs, changing technologies, and diverse user needs.
A wide range of activities may move a library or a library system toward excellence. However, the NY EXCELS Program will focus on fulfilling community needs with emphasis on the criteria listed below. These criteria provide objective ways to measure results among libraries and systems, and build on State Education Department standards initiatives that became effective in 1995 and 1997:
The Regents Commission is challenging individual libraries of all types to improve the quality of services they provide to their users, and to share responsibility in ensuring that all New Yorkers have equitable access to quality library service. To meet this challenge, libraries will require significant assistance from the state's interlocking network of library systems. Libraries will need coordination and technical help from the systems in implementing a number of the Commission’s recommendations—e.g., the establishment of Public Library Districts, timely and effective implementation of NOVEL and its components, and substantially improving local school library media programs. Therefore, both individual libraries and all types of library systems will have the opportunity to participate in NY EXCELS. "Individual libraries" encompass public libraries (and branch libraries), public school libraries, academic libraries, and various special libraries, including law libraries and hospital libraries.
A tiered system will be developed to aggregate certain types of accomplishments. Peer and library system review will determine movement from one service tier to the next.
A tiered system will be developed to aggregate certain types of accomplishments, and peer review will determine movement from one service tier to the next.
The Commission affirms the need for library systems, and recognizes the essential role they must play in ensuring access to library services for all the people of New York. New York’s library systems receive their principal funding from the state to provide support services to member libraries. State funding includes operating aid (to pay for staff, materials, supplies, and equipment) and program aid (to pay for successful programs such as the Hospital Library Service Program, automation and literacy initiatives, and Coordinated Collection Development). The Commission recommends regular cost-of-living increases to library systems to ensure continuation of essential basic system services.
Cooperation and communication among system staff and administrators, the New York State Library, and library system members will be essential as they all work to implement the Commission’s recommendations. The Commission therefore recommends an appropriate level of increased state aid to systems to support the following initiatives:
Provide support for public library construction, expansion, and renovation to ensure that New York’s libraries are accessible to all library users and can accommodate advances in technology.
| Even the most motivated librarians and staff cannot offer quality service to their communities if library buildings are inaccessible or crumbling and cannot accommodate advances in technology. |
Far from making libraries obsolete, information technology has sent more New Yorkers flocking to their public libraries. For many, the library is the only access point to electronic information and the only source of programs that enable lifelong learning and literacy. Particularly in disadvantaged areas, libraries are community centers. While libraries remain the traditional physical home of books, they also provide the means of self-improvement and education for our citizens.
Data confirm that New Yorkers are using their libraries more than ever. The Commission’s recent survey on public library use showed that 73 percent of New Yorkers used their public library in the past year, as compared to 65 percent nationally. Attendance data submitted by public libraries show that New Yorkers made 103 million visits to the state's 1,080 local libraries and neighborhood branches during 1998, an 18-percent increase in two years. Increased use means increased wear and tear on local facilities. Space to accommodate new programs and technology is at a premium.
Too many communities lack the resources to offer library facilities that can accommodate their diverse communities of users. Many library buildings need to be replaced, and many others need major renovation. A survey conducted in 1998 by the New York Library Association and the New York State Library showed that public libraries have an acute and documented need for construction and renovation to accommodate Internet technology, provide access for those with physical disabilities, and provide state-of-the-art library services. (See Appendix H for detailed survey results.)
New York’s public libraries need $800 million to renovate and modernize library facilities. Surveys indicate that two-thirds of library buildings need major improvements. Seven in 10 public library buildings outside New York City need facility improvements estimated at $300 million. The need inside New York City, which is home to more than 200 branches and central library units, is estimated at $500 million. The existing annual state investment of $800,000 in matching grants for public library construction is woefully inadequate in meeting the need, and no federal funds are currently available for public library construction.
The Commission recommends that Regents programs for construction funding consider the condition of existing libraries and the needs of isolated or economically disadvantaged communities. The Commission also urges the Regents to propose a special accelerated construction program for libraries in the state's poorest communities.
To receive aid for construction, renovation, or expansion, all libraries, branches, and library systems that provide local library services must demonstrate a commitment to ongoing local support. Experience with existing state aid for public library construction has shown that state grants serve as a very effective incentive to local funding. On average, each dollar of state aid for construction has yielded five dollars of local support.
To ensure accountability and equity, each public library system will include in its system plan of service submitted to the State Library a strategy for use of construction aid. The State Library will assist the systems by providing expertise in assessing construction needs and opportunities.
Additional support for library construction, expansion, and renovation will ensure that existing facilities now excused from compliance with current standards will be brought into compliance. It will give local libraries the support they need to leverage local funds, and it will further the process of ensuring that New York’s libraries are accessible and can accommodate advances in technology.
Improve the capacity of New York’s urban public libraries to meet the unique needs of diverse library users in underserved, densely populated communities.
| New York State must ensure that its libraries are accessible to their communities and that library services are responsive to community needs. New York’s urban libraries must have special support that will enable them to meet the unique demands of inner-city populations. |
This initiative has three components:
For more than a century, New York’s libraries have helped prepare generations—especially those from abroad—to enter American society. With schools, libraries have been a staging ground for upward mobility. For newcomers to America, libraries provide a window on their new world as well as the tools to function in it.
In an ever-changing social environment, New York’s urban libraries face special challenges and require additional funding to reach out to and fulfill the needs of their users. Many cities in New York are home to an amazing diversity of cultures that include recent arrivals who speak languages other than English. Segments of our urban populations are economically disadvantaged and lack the means to continue their formal education, including young people—often African-American or Hispanic—who have not completed high school.
The special efforts required to meet user's needs in New York’s urban libraries include the following:
Language Programs and Services: To serve New York’s burgeoning population of new Americans, public libraries must provide print and electronic collections in an appropriate variety of languages. These language resources help newcomers communicate and acclimate themselves to life in New York while inspiring them to adapt to a new society. Although Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in New York after English, newcomers in large numbers are arriving from Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. These people bring with them new energies and abilities, but they also bring a multiplicity of languages and a need for resources that address their diversity.
Although most new Americans are concentrated in cities, some have settled in New York’s suburban and rural areas. The collections and electronic resources in other languages that are developed in the urban libraries can be accessible to non-English speakers around the entire state through NOVEL. Urban libraries will share their expertise in conducting ESOL programs with libraries in rural and suburban areas that have similar needs and concerns.
In addition to collections and materials, urban libraries must also expand services that help newcomers adapt to their environment: ESOL classes, language instruction resources, job resources, and citizenship information. Large numbers of recent arrivals enroll in library-based ESOL and citizenship classes, job-preparation workshops, and family literacy programs where they are available. With support for and expansion of such services, newcomers can be more independent and self-sufficient in their daily lives and can become informed participants in society. For example, they can talk to and work closely with their children's teachers, communicate with doctors and other service providers, understand the news, and become informed citizens and voters.
Expansion of Library Hours: Urban public libraries are experiencing record-high levels of demand for services. In 1999, New York City's public libraries circulated almost 40 million items. Its inner-city neighborhood branch libraries often serve populations as large as those of many small cities in New York. Urban areas have produced communities of insatiable library users who have limited means for buying books, cannot afford a home computer connected to the Internet, and have limited or no access to quality public school libraries at the elementary level. The public library facilities they depend on are often small, outdated buildings with inadequate seating and capacity for collections.
Although urban public libraries are filled to capacity with users, many people find it difficult to visit libraries because their work schedules conflict with library hours. Others, who rely on their local library as the sole provider of educational and recreational reading materials, computers and Internet access, and critical programs and resources, need more library hours than current funding makes possible. Additional hours of service on weekends and in the evenings are essential to accommodate the huge demand for services.
Outreach Services: Libraries must reach out to their communities to ensure that they are offering programs that meet users’ needs and that their services are reaching the groups who can benefit from them. Efforts to reach out to those who traditionally have not used public libraries in great numbers are especially important.
This outreach component of the urban library initiative should build on the existing Coordinated Outreach Services to Special Populations program currently in Education Law. This program is designed to "…identify, contact and provide library services to persons who are: educationally disadvantaged; members of ethnic or minority groups in need of special library services; unemployed and in need of job placement assistance; living in areas underserved by a librarian; blind; physically handicapped; aged; or confined in institutions."
The urban library initiative will allow New York State to ensure that all its residents can participate in library services, and that public libraries are truly meeting the increasingly diverse and challenging needs of urban populations.
Strengthen the ability of New York’s libraries to help library users acquire basic English literacy, information literacy, and computer literacy skills in their communities.
| New York’s libraries should provide people of all ages with learning opportunities outside a formal school setting. These opportunities must include the development of skills in reading, locating, and using information effectively. |
Libraries play a vital role in supporting both the formal educational goals of local schools, colleges, and universities and the lifelong learning pursuits of individual New Yorkers. Libraries provide the venues for adult literacy programs, early pre-school literacy programs, and family literacy programs. Increasingly, libraries are the places where the public can learn how to use a computer, surf the Internet, and access print and electronic resources from around the world. For many New Yorkers, the library is the only institution that provides free access to this technology and assistance from knowledgeable staff on how to use it.
The Commission believes that the formal education community has not taken full advantage of the potential of library programs and services in the education of New Yorkers. Library programs and services are particularly important to library users in disadvantaged communities and those who are outside traditional educational programs. Therefore, the Commission recommends support for libraries that will enable them to meet New Yorkers' literacy needs through the following programs:
English and Family Literacy: Before New Yorkers can benefit from the resources in our state's libraries, they must possess basic literacy skills. Unfortunately, at least three million adults in New York State read at the lowest literacy level and lack the foundation of basic skills needed to function successfully in society.[6] These individuals are not the only ones who suffer as a result of low literacy levels. Their employers lose productivity and profitability, and their children often experience lower academic achievement. For those New Yorkers without basic literacy skills, libraries must provide expanded opportunities to develop and foster those skills.
Family literacy programs should include a combination of adult education to help adults build their reading and writing skills; early-childhood education that focuses on pre-literacy skills, such as vocabulary building and verbal expression; and parenting education that teaches families to participate in their children's education. In planning and conducting these programs, libraries must be sensitive to the diversity of New Yorkers. Lifelong learning materials, available in a variety of formats, should be suited to the needs and interests of local communities.
Family literacy and information literacy are closely linked. The vast majority of resources available through the Internet is written for an audience that reads at an average or advanced literacy level. Family literacy programs can help to address the barriers that prevent full participation in the digital environment.
Information Literacy: Information literacy is the ability to locate, evaluate, organize, and use information effectively. It applies to both traditional resources, such as books and documents, and the vast amount of electronic information that is now available through computers.
The recent proliferation of electronic information has created a growing need to help residents develop information literacy skills—skills that enable them to compete in the marketplace, participate fully in their communities, and function successfully in society. New York’s librarians have been serving as leaders in accessing, organizing, and integrating electronic information sources with traditional library services, and are already serving as the instructors of library users seeking information in all formats. Libraries are trusted resources and serve a well-known and well-accepted reference function. They are the logical and appropriate partners in an effort to promote information literacy in New York State through formal educational programs.
Computer Literacy. New information technologies are transforming the services demanded of libraries and librarians. For many New Yorkers, libraries provide their first experience with information in electronic form and their only means of access to it. Even if individuals have access to computers and the Internet at home or at work, information technology changes at such a rapid pace that many simply cannot keep current without assistance. New Yorkers are turning to librarians as teachers in a far more formal way than in the past. The teaching role of librarians has expanded to include instruction in using computers, including basic computer skills, Internet use, and search techniques.
Simply providing access to electronic information is not enough. As libraries provide more public-access computers and high-speed Internet connections, they must help students of all ages learn the skills to use these tools and resources effectively. In particular, the launch of NOVEL points out the need to ensure that library users have the computer skills to take advantage of new means of access and information resources. It also affords an opportunity to expand and strengthen user training.
To ensure the effectiveness of libraries in their role as instructors, the Commission recommends that the Regents help libraries to develop, expand, and nurture library-based education models, and to facilitate their replication statewide. All New Yorkers will benefit from libraries serving as an additional, highly effective statewide partner in the education of New York’s residents.
Enhance access to the specialized resources held by New York’s academic, special, and research libraries to improve educational achievement, economic development, and health care for all New Yorkers.
| At the foundation of American democracy is the belief that a free society must ensure the provision and preservation of accessible knowledge for all its citizens. New York must increase citizens’ access to the resources of its academic, special, and research libraries while ensuring that fragile materials are preserved for future generations. |
The collections held by New York’s academic, special, and research libraries are among the most extensive, up-to-date, and comprehensive in the world. This wealth of information is available to New Yorkers through resource-sharing agreements established by the state's Reference and Research Library Resources Systems.
New York’s academic, special, and research libraries—including privately funded institutions—have always been active participants in the resource-sharing network, lending far more than they borrow. However, their ability to share freely is being severely strained. Increased costs for print materials, a proliferation of distance-learning initiatives, and an ever-increasing demand for both print and electronic resources created by the catalogs, indexes, and abstracts available through the Internet have put great stress on the systems that deliver these resources. The Commission believes that sustaining and improving access to these resources is critical.
Just as access to New York State's extraordinary collections is a priority, all New Yorkers also have a vital stake in preserving library materials as cultural resources. The bulk of library research materials held by the state's academic, special, and research libraries is printed on acid paper, and one-fourth of those materials is already too brittle to use. Stemming the high rate of damage and deterioration of library collections throughout the state requires greater effort and coordination.
New York’s libraries have a pressing need for assistance in identifying materials most at risk and in setting preservation priorities. Strengthening the State Library's coordinated preservation program will help to guarantee the preservation of irreplaceable items, regardless of where those items are located. Such programs should include several key components:
New York’s nine Reference and Research Library Resources Systems (3Rs) are ideally situated to provide leadership, technical expertise, and project coordination for the academic and research initiative. All academic libraries and the vast majority of special libraries in New York are 3Rs system members. The 3Rs systems will develop action plans in partnership with the State Library, member libraries, and the eleven major research libraries to implement a coordinated program of improved access, preservation, and technology projects.
Critically important partners in this initiative are the eleven New York Comprehensive Research Libraries (NYCRL): Binghamton University (SUNY), Columbia University, Cornell University, The New York Public Library, the New York State Library, New York University, SUNY Stony Brook, Syracuse University, University at Albany (SUNY), University at Buffalo (SUNY), and the University of Rochester. These libraries are national leaders in information technology, collection development, research support, and conservation and preservation of research materials.
The New York State Library is a unique partner in this initiative. Its mission includes providing access for all New Yorkers—on-site and through interlibrary loan—to one of the largest public research collections in the nation. The 200-year-old collection of 18 million items in the New York State Library's Research Library contains many unique and fragile materials. Among its services to the people of the state is the collection and digitization of all state documents. Strengthening the Research Library's collections, information services, and preservation efforts—in collaboration with the state's other research libraries—and extending its hours of service to the public are essential in providing convenient, no-charge access to research materials for all residents.
Library services to disabled residents of the state also require improvement. Two regional libraries—the New York State Library Talking Book and Braille Library and The New York Public Library Andrew Heiskell Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped—and two sub-regional libraries—the Nassau Library System and the Suffolk Cooperative Library System—provide library materials and services to New York residents who are visually, physically, or learning disabled. These libraries now serve a total of 63,000 New Yorkers. However, some 295,000 residents with disabilities who are eligible for special library services and materials are not yet receiving them due to lack of support for these libraries.
The successful implementation of the academic and research library initiative will bring about the following benefits:
Support and enhance a highly skilled library workforce to meet the information needs of New Yorkers.
| Electronic technologies and an increasingly diverse society have transformed library services and the skills necessary to deliver them. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds need the help and guidance of a skilled library workforce to make full use of library resources. |
Establish a certification process to promote excellence in New York’s library workforce at all stages and levels: All professional librarians and library staff need continual training to stay current with developments in information technology. Currently, graduates from accredited programs of library and information science education receive certification for practice as a professional librarian for life. No certification programs exist for paraprofessionals and library managers.
To ensure participation in training and continuing education, the Commission recommends a program of certification modeled after the certification and re-certification of school library media specialists, with financial incentives for libraries and library workers. Plans submitted by libraries to qualify for aid through the NY EXCELS Program should include certification and re-certification of staff.
The certification and re-certification process should include the following:
The Commission encourages the expansion of programs to instruct library managers, trustees, school superintendents and principals, and all policy-makers about 21st century library services and their effect on library policy and governance.
Develop, coordinate, and deliver library education programs to improve access to library education: Programs of education must be more accessible to those who are geographically isolated, live in densely populated urban areas, or have limited time and finances. A cost-effective, coordinated statewide program of quality library education will benefit libraries by attracting potential library professionals. More significantly, it will benefit users of all types of libraries in New York State.
This initiative should include incentives to stimulate collaboration among New York’s seven accredited programs of graduate library education, the New York State Library, library systems, libraries, and other educational organizations in planning and providing convenient delivery of quality library education.
The Commission proposes the following programs:
Create a more diverse library workforce to serve New York’s diverse population: The library workforce must acquire and cultivate the skills necessary to respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse, multilingual population of New Yorkers. A study conducted by the American Library Association (ALA) shows that only 5 percent of those who receive library degrees are minorities.
The Commission proposes the following programs to recruit minorities for careers in libraries. These programs should include incentives for the libraries, high schools, and institutions of higher learning that participate:
Develop a strategy to attract and retain a well-trained, diverse workforce for urban public libraries: Urban public libraries are experiencing a tremendous shortage of staff. At the same time that demand for services is rising, the ability of urban libraries to attract and retain a well-trained and effective workforce has eroded dreadfully.
New York City's public libraries, in particular, are experiencing a crisis. Salary levels for its library workforce compare unfavorably not only with those of its suburban neighbors, but also with salaries paid in other major metropolitan areas. Staff are moving to academic and suburban libraries, to the Board of Education within the city, and to private industry, where opportunities abound and salaries are reaching record levels. During the first year of service in New York City's libraries, one out of four new librarians will leave; after three years, nearly half are gone.
Urban public libraries have tried a number of methods to retain staff. They have increased their recruitment efforts, provided scholarships for continuing education at professional conferences, and greatly expanded training in technology and electronic resources within the libraries. However, the libraries cannot overcome erosion of staff without assistance. To retain a well-educated workforce that will continue to serve the communities that value and need their services, libraries need additional resources and initiatives. The Commission recommends the following strategies:
Provide leadership for change by strengthening the expertise and accountability of the New York State Library and by creating a statewide advocacy coalition.
| Effective, lasting improvement in library service to the people of New York must be based on vision, commitment, innovation, and collaboration. |
To achieve needed change, the State Library must work closely with its leadership partners—the Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education (EMSC) and the library systems.
Strong leadership within the State Library will be required to monitor and measure the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations. To ensure that the State Library is fulfilling its leadership role, it will periodically report to the Board of Regents on implementation status.
The Commission also recognizes that the State Library must become even more effective in communications and advocacy. It must clearly articulate the information needs of New Yorkers to benefit library users, libraries, and library systems, particularly within New York State government and the federal government.
To develop understanding and support for the Commission’s goals, the Commission recommends that the Regents and the State Library, in partnership with EMSC, the library systems, the New York Library Association, the New York State Association of Library Boards, the Empire Friends, and the American Library Association, initiate a Statewide Advocacy Coalition. The Coalition should be charged with the following responsibilities:
Notes
[1] The Commission is very gratified that the Regents have adopted Recommendations 1 and 2 and are already moving on the first steps toward their implementation.
[2] The Board of Regents has requested $12 million in startup funds to launch NOVEL. NOVEL is an important component of the Regents Libraries 2001 Budget and Legislative Priority.
[3] The consolidated library systems in New York State are The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Borough Public Library.
[4] School district public libraries are separate institutions from local school districts, with elected boards of trustees and annual budget votes. They are not the same as "school libraries," which are contained within school buildings and are under the jurisdiction of school authorities.
[5] Demographics of New York State, 1920-1998: A Summary of Dr. James Chapin's Research for the Regents Commission on Library Services. Regents Commission on Library Services, September 1999. The summary is included as Appendix C.
[6] Reder, Stephen, The State of Literacy in America, 1996.
Commission Charge
In June 1998, the Board of Regents charged the Commission on Library Services to take a visionary look at library services in New York State in the twenty-first century and to develop a comprehensive set of policy recommendations to improve library services to the people of the State. The Board asked the Commission to address:
Commission Meetings
Between September 1998 and June 2000, the Commission met as a whole twelve times, with Abby Milstein presiding. At the first full meeting of the Regents Commission on Library Services on September 14, 1998, the Commission created two Task Forces: the Task Force on a Vision for Twenty-First Century Library Service and the Task Force on the Greatest Access to Library Service.
Task Forces
The Task Force on a Vision for Twenty-First Century Library Service, led by Martin Gomez, focused on the use of new and emerging technologies to provide quality library service, preservation of library materials for future generations and developing library services to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse and multilingual population. Commission members who served on this task force are: Sandra Kennedy Bright, Monroe Fordham, William L. Jefferson, Sara Kelly Johns, John O'Rourke, Janet Steiner, Sarah E. Thomas and Betty J. Turock.
The Task Force on the Greatest Access to Library Service, led by Paul W. Crumlish, focused on the problems of over one million New Yorkers unserved by local libraries, the uneven quality of library service throughout the State, the lack of technology in many of New York’s libraries and the physical accessibility and construction needs of libraries. Commission members who served on this task force are: John Hammond, Gail Johnstone, Edward McCormick, Gerald Nichols and Harry Rosenfeld.
Each task force met seven times between September 1998 and September 1999. All Commission members were encouraged to attend the meetings of both task forces and reports of task force activities were provided at full Commission meetings.
Commission Surveys and Studies
A telephone survey of New York State residents about public library issues was conducted by the Center for Applied Research in Library and Information Science at the University at Buffalo (SUNY). Another survey, also conducted for the Commission by the Center for Applied Research in Library and Information Science, gathered data about school library media programs in the State and analyzed the impact of school library service on student achievement. A report on the demographics of New York State provided a unique correlation of demographic and library services data to inform the work of the Commission. More detail on these reports can be found in Appendices B, C and D.
Public Hearings
The Commission held two rounds of regional public hearings to gather information from New Yorkers. The first round of hearings in May and June 1999 offered the public an opportunity to discuss the future of New York’s libraries and suggest ways to improve library services. The second set of hearings, in April and May 2000, provided the public an opportunity to react to, and comment on, the Commission’s preliminary statewide policy recommendations issued in March 2000.
Over 500 New Yorkers provided testimony. Five hearings were held May and June 1999 in Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, Huntington Station and Brooklyn. Another five hearings were held April and May 2000 in Rochester, Brentwood, New York City, Albany and Vestal. Those unable to attend the hearings were invited to submit written testimony to the Commission.
Testimony was provided by members of the general public, students, teachers, school administrators, school board members, public policy makers, business people, community leaders, college and university faculty and administrators, librarians and library trustees. In addition, representatives of the following state and national organizations provided testimony:
Other Forums for Discussion
Panel presentations and open discussions about the Commission’s work were provided at the New York Library Association (NYLA) annual conference in October 1998 (Rochester) and October 1999 (Buffalo). Over 150 conference participants attended each of these sessions.
Commission leaders and members addressed many groups to discuss the work of the Commission and to solicit advice, including the New York State Association of Library Boards, the New York State Association of Towns, the New York State School Boards Association, the New York Comprehensive Research Libraries and the Association of College and Research Libraries.
Focus Group Meetings
Focus group meetings were held to discuss issues involving the three types of library systems in New York State: public library systems, school library systems and reference and research library resources systems. The first meeting to focus on the role of systems was held in Albany in November 1999. Five other meetings, which also included a discussion of the role of central libraries, were held in April and May 2000 in Albany, Brentwood, New York City, Rochester and Vestal. Meetings to focus on advocacy for New York’s libraries and on education of New York’s library workforce were both held in New York City in May 2000.
Reports to the Regents
At the July 1999 meeting of the Board of Regents, Abby Milstein provided a report of progress, highlighting three key ideas: a proposal for a virtual library for all New Yorkers, the need for strengthened school library programs and the need to provide library service to residents currently without local library service. At the November meeting of the Board of Regents, Commission leadership provided an update of the Commission’s progress. At the July 2000 meeting of the Board of Regents, the final report of the Commission was presented and adopted. (SEE: Appendix K.)
Public Officials Honorary Advisory Group
The Regents Commission on Library Services appointed a group of public officials to advise the Commission. Members of the group are:
Acknowledgments
Staff of the following organizations provided space and local assistance for Commission meetings and hearings.
National Advocacy Honor Roll
The Commission was named to the National Advocacy Honor Roll of the American Library Association (ALA) and the Association of Library Trustees and Advocates in an awards ceremony at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago on July 7, 2000. This award was presented in recognition of the Commission's leadership in advocating for improved library service to the people of New York State and its outstanding contributions to America's libraries in the 20th century.
The Commission web site has additional information on Commission members, meetings, hearings and recommendations.
The Regents Commission on Library Services sponsored a survey of New York State residents to find out how New Yorkers use public libraries. The survey sought to identify their information needs and the reasons for use and non-use. The 1999 survey also identified the new library services that would be most popular and asked New Yorkers about the value of public libraries to their communities. Other questions dealt with use of the Internet.
The survey was designed and managed by Dr. George D’Elia, Professor and Director of the Center for Applied Research in Library and Information Science, State University of New York at Buffalo, and Dr. Nancy Zimmerman, Associate Professor at the University at Buffalo. The Random Digit Dialing telephone survey of 1,004 adult residents of New York State was conducted from April 5 through April 23, 1999. With a sample size of 1,004 respondents, the survey data has a general margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The data was analyzed by geographic area and a number of demographic characteristics, including age, race and level of education.
Summary of Survey Findings
New Yorkers consider their local public libraries to be very important to the quality of life in their communities, and they use their libraries in numbers well above the national average.
Although most respondents were pleased with their local public library, they seek an expansion of current services, as well as new means of getting information from their libraries. Highest on the list of New Yorkers’ priorities are: a statewide library card that would give cardholders access to library resources throughout the state; increased use of technology, including Internet access to their library from home and delivery of information by fax or e-mail; library programs in local community centers; database searching services; homework tutors for students; and non-English library programs.
And New Yorkers are willing to pay for these new services. The respondents said that financial support for libraries should be doubled, increasing spending from the New York State average of $32.17 per capita to an average of $64.07, according to 67 percent of those surveyed through the telephone poll.
The survey results revealed that 73% of households in New York State used their public library. The national average of library use among households is 65%.
The survey revealed that libraries are greatly used by students, families with children under 18, homemakers, retired New Yorkers, the underemployed, and the unemployed, with the urban minority population showing a greater interest and commitment than those in the rural or suburban majority populations. New Yorkers most commonly seek information from their public libraries on current news, personal health, computer/technology, cultural and community news, and self-help. Reasons cited by New Yorkers for not using their local library include accessibility problems such as location, hours or parking availability.
Survey Reports
The following reports were generated by this survey and are available upon request from the Commission office (518/474-1195). Copies are also available on interlibrary loan from the New York State Library and from other libraries serving as depositories for New York State documents.
A Summary of Dr. James B. Chapin’s Research for the Commission prepared by the Regents Commission on Library Services Office
| Dr. James B. Chapin is a member and Past-president of the Board of Trustees of the Queens Borough Public Library. He is the Senior Policy Advisor to the New York City Public Advocate. He has taught history at Yale University and Rutgers University and political science at Queens College of the City University of New York. Dr. Chapin is the author of over 100 articles. |
Data
Basic population data for 1920 through 1998 shows population changes for the State as a whole, by decade, compared to the United States as a whole. The report also provides an analysis for New York State counties from 1920 to 1998. Dr. Chapin notes that, because the research was conducted on the county level, it does not show differences in library services that are intra-county rather than inter-county.
Data and analysis for each county provide information on the following:
Population Trends: 1920-1998
Until 1930, New York State grew faster than the United States as a whole. After 1945, the State's growth fell behind that of the country. Slow growth was replaced by actual population loss in the 1970’s. Despite heavy immigration into the region, New York’s population has stagnated for the last two decades (1978-1998). Overall, the State's share of national population has dropped from 10.2% in 1940 to just 6.7% today.
Until 1960, the growth in the state was heavily concentrated in the New York City region and in the major urban areas upstate. Beginning in 1960, the pattern of growth changed. After 1960, it is in exurban regions far from New York City, and in very few other places. Dr. Chapin found that, in many counties upstate, it is possible to point to the location of a particular Federal or State institution as the reason for a spurt of growth. Not only is post-1960 growth smaller and rarer than earlier growth, it generally reflects governmental decisions far more than private decisions.
Regions of the State
At the most basic level, it is easy to distinguish the regions of the state from each other. New York City is home to both the wealthiest and the poorest people in the State. New York City also contains the great bulk of the non-white population of the State. Dr. Chapin observed that Manhattan is unique among America's more than 3000 counties, both in its continued concentration of wealthy people and in its central status in the world economy. He speculates that the existence of Manhattan has masked the extent of New York State's decline since 1970. Most of the other counties (outside of New York City) in the state have limited population and economic growth, with the exception of the ever-broadening belt north of New York City.
Findings show that suburbs with some minority population have the highest incomes in the State. The older suburbs have stagnant populations, and only the outer suburban ring is still growing. In the case of New York City, much of this suburban ring is in two neighboring states: Connecticut and New Jersey.
The counties containing major upstate cities have dramatically different populations from the suburban counties or New York City. For example, the cities of Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse have only 25% of their respective counties’ white population living within their boundaries, but a full 89% of the black population in the county live within city boundaries.
Income and Education
Dr. Chapin finds that the income of a county correlates very closely with the percentage of college graduates in the county. Since college graduates, like minorities, are concentrated in urban and suburban areas, the result is a correlation of higher incomes with higher minority populations. Dr. Chapin points out that minorities are less wealthy than majority populations and that means that the actual income gap between the white populations in urban/suburban areas and that in rural areas is even greater than it appears in the data. The minority population of the state is heavily concentrated, while the two-thirds of the state population that is non-Hispanic white is widely dispersed.
Age
The figures presented indicate that the most prosperous counties have fewer old and young people. Dr. Chapin concludes that this is the result of the life-cycle effect and of population change effects.
Financial Support for Libraries and Schools
There is a similarity in variation between spending on libraries and spending on schools--with the greatest expenditures in both coming in "old-growth" suburbs, followed by urban counties, with rural counties spending the least on school and libraries. Dr. Chapin speculates that, although cost-of-living differences are not factored into these equations, the worst library service would be found in rural counties with per capita library expenditures under $10. He notes that non-local library expenditures, defined as a combination of state, Federal, private, fines and fees, do not seem to be allocated on any consistent basis.
Key Finding
Dr. Chapin concludes that the key finding of his report is that per capita library expenditures correlate so closely with per capita library use. He reports that, in the smaller counties, it can be translated into simpler terms. For every dollar spent on per capita library services, per capita circulation increases by .22.
Clearly stating his belief that every citizen of New York State should have access to library services, Dr. Chapin contends that it should be the responsibility of the state to encourage counties to establish such services and to help the poorer areas to provide them.
| Dr. Chapin credits the following staff at the Queens Borough Public Library who helped with this project: Gary E. Strong, Director; Tom Galante, Deputy Director for Finance and Information Systems; Carol Sheffer, Director, Programs and Services Department; Mary Little, Departmental Assistance, Programs and Services Department; Fred Gitner, Assistant Head, New Americans Program, Programs and Services Department; Lacey Chan, New Americans Program Librarian, Programs and Services Department; Samantha Thomas, Assistant, Information Technology and Systems and Andrew Schlein, Director of Information Technology and Systems. Dr. Chapin also recognizes the assistance of Maria Hazapis, Education Program Aide, New York State Library, for providing the raw data for the report. |
Demographics of New York State, 1920-1998
Questions and Answers based on the Research of Dr. James B. Chapin
Question: What does the data indicate regarding population density?
Dr. Chapin: You can see that we ran correlations on the % rural from the census and population per square mile. The population per square mile ranges from more than 55,000 in Manhattan to 3 in Hamilton County. It correlates negatively with white population at .83 across the whole state. Because of the relatively low funding given to the New York City system relative to its suburbs, it does not correlate very strongly with library income (.22) although excluding New York City makes that correlation very high (.82). The percent rural population correlates at a negative .66 with library income (with or without New York City). Essentially, the rural counties have the lowest library expenditures, followed by the urban counties, with the suburban counties being the best funded by far.
Question: What does the data indicate about proximity of a library?
Dr. Chapin: I cannot judge the proximity of a library on the basis of the data I have.
Question: What is the correlation, both positive and negative, between your data and the results of
the telephone poll?
Dr. Chapin: Two things are of note in the poll—it understates the minority population of the state by
about half, and many of the sub-samples (sizes such as 18) are too small to be useful. Also, lacking full cross-tables
of demographic characteristics from the poll, it is impossible to make any substantial correlation between its
results and the results of the county-level analysis. I do note that the under-sampling of minorities and the extremely
disparate nature of the white population probably led to some of the "non-results" of the poll. For example,
older people are concentrated in poorer and less-served counties, which may explain why the expected increase in
use by older people did not occur. (Also, older people are less educated than younger people.) If these factors
are held constant, it is quite possible that older people use the libraries more than younger ones.
Question: Can you comment on the strong correlation in your report between library income and circulation?
Dr. Chapin: In the preliminary report, we ran a straight-line regression analysis on the 53 counties
outside the city to arrive at a figure of an increase of .22 in per capita circulation for each dollar spent. In
fact, the scatter-plot results are better explained by a logarithmic curve, and we present such results for 62,
57, and 53 counties respectively (see below). You will note that the third column shows the expected 4.28 circulation
at $10 per capita increases by 2.55 for the next $10 spent (to $20), by 1.55 for the third $10, and by 1.06 for
the fourth ten dollars. Bluntly put, in library service at least, we get what we pay for. But the increase trails
off, so that the first $20 is by far the most valuable.
|
Library Income |
All counties |
Without NYC |
Without Metro Areas |
|
5 |
2.26 |
1.98 |
1.73 |
|
10 |
4.34 |
4.30 |
4.28 |
|
15 |
5.55 |
5.67 |
5.77 |
|
20 |
6.42 |
6.63 |
6.83 |
|
25 |
7.09 |
7.38 |
7.66 |
|
30 |
7.63 |
7.99 |
8.33 |
|
35 |
8.10 |
8.51 |
8.90 |
|
40 |
8.50 |
8.96 |
9.39 |
|
45 |
8.85 |
9.35 |
9.82 |
|
50 |
9.17 |
9.71 |
10.21 |
Question: Can you comment on your finding that an increase in $20 per capita will result in a substantial
increase in circulation for every dollar invested.
Dr. Chapin: Your question slightly misstates my argument. I am not arguing for an increase "in"
$20 per capita but for an increase "to" a floor of $20. This "should" produce circulation larger
than 6.4 per capita for all the counties outside New York City.
Question: Can you comment on your contention that libraries are one of the few public services that
can achieve economies of scale and be improved by merger?
Dr. Chapin: It was not my contention that libraries are among the few services that benefit from
consolidation. This idea appeared in a pamphlet by the conservative Manhattan Institute in a paper advocating the
break-up of municipal governments! According to an analysis of the Dade County area in Florida by Professor Milan
Dluhy, economies of scale were obtained only for library and fire services.
Question: How can we increase statewide library use?
Dr. Chapin: The most necessary step to improving statewide library use is to have local library service
be a right in the State. More than a million New Yorkers have NO public library to serve them. Having accomplished
this step, the next step must be to provide some minimal standards of expenditure and of location for libraries
in relation to the population they serve. Step three must be continuous monitoring of what the public wants, expects,
and knows of library service. Public entities can and should monitor service delivery and performance the same
way that private entities do. This is the reason that the Queens Borough Public Library keeps such close track
of circulation, polls the borough every few years (with a sample of 2,500!), arranges its floor-space in ways designed
to attract use, gets best-sellers to the shelves as soon as they hit the stores, and seeks publicity. If you act
like a customer-oriented entity, you will get the results that good businesses do, including high product awareness,
a good reputation, and repeat customers. And, by the way, these activities result in more support for library services.
Finally, in a society in which life-long education is becoming a necessity, not a luxury, libraries should not be considered a luxury, but as a necessity!
9/16/99
Prepared for the
Regents Commission on Library Services
by
George D’Elia
Professor and Director
Center for Applied Research in Library and Information Science
University at Buffalo, State University of New York
Nancy Zimmerman
Associate Professor, University of South Carolina
APRIL 2000
Introduction
In 1988, Information Power: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs, published by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), defined the multiple roles of the school library media specialist (SLMS) and emphasized the impact an effective school library media (SLM) program could have on student achievement. 1998 saw the release of Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning which contained the Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning and further defined the changing roles of the SLMS and stressed the importance of information literacy in student achievement.[1] In 1993, the Colorado State Department of Education under the direction of Keith Lance conducted a study to examine the impact of school library media centers (SLMCS) on student academic achievement using the tenets of Information Power with positive results.
Since 1993, the Colorado Study has been adapted and replicated in several states with like findings, most notably in Alaska, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has also released data that support these findings, as has the analysis of over 600 research studies in the field of school library media by Dr. Ken Haycock. An extensive review of the literature done in 1999 for the Pennsylvania study on the impact of school library media resources and services on student achievement also affirms these findings. These studies provide clear and compelling testimony on several points:
The Commission contracted with Drs. George D’Elia and Nancy Zimmerman of the Center for Applied Research in Library and Information Studies (CARLIS) at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York to survey School Library Media Specialists and provide data to inform the Commission. The data from this survey was analyzed with test data and with data determining school similarity from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to examine the impact of library media centers on student achievement. This submission is a report on the findings of this study.
The New York State Education Department, in order to compare schools facing like challenges, arranges schools into "similar school" groupings based on three factors:
Based on these factors each school is placed into one of six Need/Resource Capacity or N/CR Groups. These six N/CR Groups are:
The amalgam of