Regents Commission on Library Services
January 26, 2000
METRO, Metropolitan New York Library Council

Attendance January 26

Co-chairs: Abby S. Milstein, Frank J. Macchiarola

Co-Vice chairs: Martín Gómez, Paul W. Crumlish

Members: Sandra Kennedy Bright, John Hammond, William Jefferson, Sara Kelly Johns, Gerald Nichols, Harry M. Rosenfeld, Sarah E. Thomas

Ex officio member: Janet M. Welch

Staff: Jean Hargrave, Carol Linn

Observers: Carol Desch, James Farrell, Janet Goltz, Wendy Galgan, Dottie Hiebing, Anne Hofmann, Susan Keitel (NYLA liaison), Liz Lane, Barbara Lilley, Fran Roscello, Gary Strong, Pat Webster, Lois Weinstein

Greetings

Ms. Milstein opened the January 26 meeting at 9:30 at the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO). She thanked Dottie Hiebing, METRO Director, for hosting the meeting.

Update if Regents Initiatives and the Executive Budget Proposal

Ms. Welch provided an update on Regents legislative initiatives. The Regents are seeking support for the $22.95 million proposal for the creation of NOVEL, public library construction, expanded library services to New Yorkers with disabilities and inflationary increases for library materials at the State Library.

Ms. Welch also discussed the Executive budget proposal to remove the State Library, Archives and Museum from the control of the State Education Department. This proposal would create an Office of Cultural Resources budgeted under the Council for the Arts and headed by a separate nine-member board appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. No increases or decreases in staffing or funding are part of the proposal. The Executive budget proposal also included an inflationary increase for the State Library's acquisition budget. Mr. Macchiarola commented that the proposal does not address support for libraries. He advised that we shouldn't let this proposal distract us from the real issues surrounding libraries.

January 25 Meeting

Ms. Milstein reported that the Commission members and staff met for 4 hours the day before(January 25). Members and staff in attendance were Abby Milstein, Bill Crumlish, Martín Gómez, Sara Kelly Johns, Harry Rosenfeld, William Jefferson, Sandra Kennedy Bright, James C. Dawson, Janet Welch, Carol Linn and Jean Hargrave. Attending as observers were Pat Webster, Fran Roscello, Barbara Lilley, Jim Farrell, Liz Lane and Carol Desch. The group considered each recommendation in terms of substance, clarity and strength. The group also identified the following recommendations as those that would do the most to redefine the future of libraries in New York.

1. Create NOVEL, the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library, to deliver high-quality, reliable digital information and provide access for all New Yorkers.
2. Promote information literacy for all New York’s public school students by providing strong school library media programs that include certified professional staff, adequate resources, and technology.
3. Ensure the availability of local library service to all New Yorkers and improve local support for public libraries through the formation of Public Library Districts.
4. Promote equitable library services for all New Yorkers by using a need-based formula to reduce disparities in library funding, and promote service excellence through enabling and incentive aid tied to community-based performance measures.
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.
6. Improve the capacity of New York’s urban libraries to meet the unique needs of their diverse communities.

Commission members endorsed the idea of dividing the recommendations into two categories: transforming and enabling. Enabling recommendations are those that will be use to implement our vision for library service in the 21st century. These are the enabling recommendations:

7. Ensure that all New Yorkers can participate successfully in the information age by building literacy and information-literacy skills.
8. Ensure that library materials are maintained and preserved as cultural resources for all New Yorkers through accelerated preservation efforts, including education and training, expert assistance, disaster preparedness, preservation and conservation services, and research into preservation technologies.
9. Enable the New York State Library to provide necessary leadership, expertise, resources, and support to all the libraries of the state through enhanced funding and additional staff.
10. Ensure that New York’s library systems will provide critical support and services to their member libraries and fulfill their role in delivering quality library service to all New Yorkers through criteria for quality and accountability, greater intersystem cooperation, and clarification of appropriate roles, including incentives for system consolidation where appropriate.
11. Ensure that a highly skilled library workforce is available to meet the information needs of New Yorkers through new curricula for professional and continuing education, partnerships between libraries and library schools, establishment of teaching libraries, and training in services to a multicultural, multilingual community of users.
12. Ensure that library professionals and library supporters have the tools they need to pursue greater support for libraries through advocacy training, cultivation of advocacy efforts, and formation of partnerships, networks, and coalitions.

State Library Role

The group agreed that strengthening the State library is key to implementing our vision. Without a major change in staffing and funding to increase the capacity of the State Library, the proposed policy recommendations can't be implemented.

Long-range Plan for Policy Change

Regent Dawson said that components of the report will be used to craft legislative and budget initiatives far beyond the current legislative session. There will probably not be another opportunity like this for another 10 or 20 years. We should think of the Commission report in terms of a long-range plan to improve library service in New York.

Increases in State Aid

The group discussed a need for a summary of increases in aid that are included in various recommendations. The summary should indicate whether the aid is an incentive, performance-based and/or need-based. We need to be explicit that there are different levels linked to different recommendations.

Achieving and Rewarding Excellence

The group discussed the idea of establishing a board to articulate and administer a program intended to achieve quality service and to recognize excellence.

Hearings

Ms. Milstein and Mr. Macchiarola led a discussion relating to the upcoming regional hearings. Ms. Milstein suggested that a description of the two sets of hearings be included in the appendix to the report. Mr. Macchiarola said he favors a format similar to the one used last year. The purpose of the hearings will be to hear reactions to the commission's preliminary policy recommendations, generate interest in the work of the commission and stimulate discussion that will assist us in developing the recommendations.

Ms. Bright said that it is useful to distribute print copies of testimony to Commissioners at the hearings. Speakers will be asked to provide print copies of their testimony as well as an electronic copy that can be posted on the Commission web site. In addition to other sources, public television stations might be used to publicize the hearings. Ms.Milstein and Mr.Macchiarola suggested that individual Commission members reach out to constituent groups prior to the hearings and ask them to participate in this process.

The schedule for the five regional hearings and a videoconference to discuss the draft report is as follows:

April 7: Hearing, Rochester Public Library, Rochester, Kate Gleason Auditorium, 10:00 - 4:00
April 13: Hearing, Brentwood Public library, 2nd Ave. & 4th Street, Brentwood, Long Island (April 13 Commission meeting canceled.)
April 25: Hearing, NYC, Fashion Institute of Technology, 227 West 27th Street, 10:00 - 4:00
April 26: Hearing, Albany Public Library, Main Branch, 161 Washington Ave., Albany, NY, 1:00 - 7:00
May 5: Hearing, Vestal Public Library, Binghamton, NY, 10:00 - 4:00
May 8: PictureTel videoconference, originating at the Cultural Education Center, Albany

Cultivating Constituent Groups

Mr. Gómez suggested that Commission members target stakeholders to inform them of the recommendations and ask for their support. Personal contact is needed to focus attention on our recommendations and gain support for them. The group reviewed a listing of stakeholders included in their packets and recommended additions to the list. The stakeholders will be encouraged to participate in up-coming hearings.

Next Steps

• A revised draft report will be distributed to the public in mid-February or early March.
• The next Commission meeting will not take place on April 13. It was decided to have the hearings in April and May (see schedule above).
• A Commission meeting is scheduled for May 10, 1:00 -5:00, in NYC.
• A Commission meeting is scheduled for May 11, 9:30 to 3:30, in NYC.
• A Commission meeting is scheduled for May 31, 1:00 - 5:00 at the Andrew Heiskell Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 40 West 20th Street, NYC.
• A Commission meeting is scheduled for June 1 at the Andrew Heiskell Library.
• The Co-chairs will present the report to the Board of Regents at their July 13 meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 P.M.

6/9/00