Regents Commission On Library Services Held First Meeting

The first full meeting of the Regents Commission on Library Services was held September 14, 1998 at the New York State Library in Albany, NY. In spring 1998, the Board of Regents appointed the seventeen-member Commission, composed of prominent citizens and library leaders, to articulate a vision for libraries in New York State as they move into the 21st Century and suggest recommendations to improve library services to all New Yorkers.

Specific points in the overarching look at library service in the future are:

• Greatest access to library service for New Yorkers;
• Organization and relationship of libraries and systems;
• Financial support for libraries and library systems;
• Projections of service needs in the 21st century;
• Role of the State Library;
• Visibility and public awareness of libraries as a focal point for communities.

Abby S. Milstein and Frank J. Macchiarola, Co-chairs of the Commission, presided at the meeting. The Commission began its work by forming two task forces.

The Task Force on Greatest Access to Library Services is led by Co-Vice Chair Paul W. Crumlish. This group will recommend a plan that will provide the greatest access to library service for all residents of New York State. They will examine issues of access dealing with basic and acceptable library service, physical conditions of libraries, physical accessibility to libraries and access to technology and recommend how to reduce or eliminate barriers to library service.

The Task Force on a Vision for Libray Services is led by Co-Vice Chair Martín Gomez. This group will identify a vision of library service for the twenty-first century and will recommend a plan that will meet the needs of our many communities over the next 15 years. They will study how projections for demographic, economic, political and technological changes will affect the future of libraries.

The groups will join forces to examine issues of funding, governance and visibility for libraries. Experts, other than those on the Commission, are encouraged to volunteer to participate in the work of the Task Forces.

In addition, two groups of honorary members will be appointed to advise the Commission and advocate for libraries. One will consist of public officials and the other will consist of celebrities and influential persons who are interested in supporting libraries.

The Commission will meet five additional times. The next meeting will be in New York City on January 13, 1999, and an additional meeting is planned for March or April 1999. Regional hearings are planned for spring 1999. In September 1999, there will be another meeting and the Commission will then draft a report that will be widely circulated for comment. In January 2000, there will be another full meeting and then another series of regional hearings. The sixth and final meeting will be held in April 2000 and the final report of the Regents Commission on Library Services will be presented to the Regents in June 2000.

Membership in the Regents Commission on Library Services is listed below. Co-Chairs for the Commission on Library Services are:

• Frank J. Macchiarola, President, St. Francis College, Brooklyn, NY, and former Chancellor of New York City Schools
• Abby S. Milstein, Attorney, Constantine and Partners, New York City, and New York Public Library Trustee

Co-Vice Chairs for the Commission are:

• Paul Crumlish, Director, Hobart & William Smith Colleges Library, Geneva, NY, and President, New York Library Association
• Martín Gómez, Director, Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY, and Member of the Advisory Committee of the Library of Congress

Commission members are:

• Sandra Kennedy Bright, Assistant Director, Office of School Library Program, New York City School System, Brooklyn, NY
• Monroe Fordham, Professor of History, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY
• John Hammond, Executive Director, North Country Reference and Research Resources Council, Canton, NY, and Chair, New York Library Association (NYLA) Legislative Committee
• William L. Jefferson, Queens Borough Public Library Trustee, and Member of York College Community Advisory Council
• Sara Kelly Johns, School Library Media Specialist, Beekmantown Central School District, Plattsburgh, NY, and Saranac Lake Free Library Trustee
• Gail Johnstone, Executive Director, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
• Edward McCormick, Vice President, New York State School Boards Association, and Client Support Manager, IBM, Poughkeepsie, NY
• Gerald Nichols, Director, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
• John O'Rourke, Superintendent, Pittsford Central School District, Pittsford, NY
• Harry M. Rosenfeld, Editor-at-Large, Albany Times Union, Albany, NY
• Janet Steiner, Director, Tompkins County Public Library, Ithaca, NY
• Sarah E. Thomas, University Librarian, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Betty J. Turock, Professor, Rutgers University School of Communications, Information and Library Studies, New Brunswick, NJ, and Past President of the American Library Association

Serving in an ex officio capacity are:

• Carl T. Hayden, Chancellor, New York State Board of Regents
• James S. Dawson, Chair, Regents Cultural Education Committee
• Carole F. Huxley, Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education
• Robert M. Johnson, Vice Chair, Regents Cultural Education Committee
• James A. Kadamus, Deputy Commissioner for Elementary, Middle, Secondary & Continuing Education
• Janet M. Welch, State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries

Please direct your comments and suggestions for the members of the Regents Commission on Library Services to:

Last modified: August 30, 2002/dvm