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President’s Memo By Davis Crippen, NYSALB President 

 

Money! money! money!

 

Why does it sometime seem to be the only thing we talk about when we talk about library trusteeship? Well, of course, the truth of the matter is that raising money for our library is one of the most important things we do as trustees. We certainly try to keep you up-to-date on money and libraries in the issues of this newsletter.

 

Take this issue, for example. On page two you’ll find an editorial which proposes a new way to finance the massive advocacy efforts now getting underway to see that the recommendations of the Regents’ Commission on Libraries are implemented. And, in this newsletter issue you’ll find this column, in which I’m suggesting what I think is a novel way to help pay for your library’s day-to-day operations.

 

They say all trade started out as just that---trading. I had so many pelts and you had some squash, and we both decided each of us would be better off if I gave you my pelts and you gave me your squash. There you are, a trade, my pelts for your squash.

 

One thing has led to another and we’re now doing business on the Internet, but that doesn’t mean we have to abandon the old ways entirely. My suggestion is for you and your trustee colleagues to look around your community and find businesses who will furnish goods or services to your library in return for recognition. Okay, I admit it. My idea owes a lot to the support public radio and television get from businesses, but why not borrow an idea if it works for you too?

 

I see it working this way: You get, for example, the stationery and other paper products you need from an office supply store. In return, the store gets listed in some way with other similar contributors of goods and services to the library, perhaps on a special stand-alone sign by your front door (hopefully also contributed by the office supply store). Or your business contributors might be listed on any newsletters or notices your library puts out, or, perhaps, the contributors might be recognized in other, better ways I haven’t yet considered. Contributor/supporters might also give you computer hardware, software, and services. Or, in short, any of the goods and services a library needs to keep serving its patrons. Naturally, besides helping in a good cause---your library---there would also be tax advantages for any contributor/supporter. To me this idea seems like one of those win-win situations you hear so much about but seldom seem to come across.

 

In any case, there it is. An idea, no question. Whether it’s a good one or not will be up to you to decide. Naturally, I think it’s a good one, but I’m prejudiced.

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Advocacy Now!  How?

By Edwin M. Field, NYSALB Director, TRUSTEE Editor

 

Perhaps it’s time to begin thinking seriously about developing a top-flight advocacy organization, an organization whose basic responsibility would be to represent the interests of all libraries and library organizations in New York State.  The prime goal of this union would be to make sure that through aggressive advocacy there would be a consistent annual level of state funding for library operation, monies to keep pace with technology and basic information purchases and sufficient funding for potential expansion and building purposes.

 

Presently, NYSALB, NYLA, PULISDO and other state associations are actively involved in advocacy programs. Their other responsibilities are so broad, however, that each organization must spread itself extremely thin to accomplish even their current goals. The effort that I speak of might well be titled “total advocacy.”  Total advocacy may require a broader focus that is more constant, possibly a new, different and creative approach.

 

Consider another step in the advocacy process. Perhaps it’s time to start thinking about selecting an individual whose prime responsibilities would be advocating for libraries and training trustees, librarians and others to maximize advocacy support. More time must be spent on the actual task of advocacy. This individual would bear the responsibility for opening and maintaining a constant line of informational communications with library organizations, statewide. To begin with the “advocate” might work only part time. As the task increased, so would the responsibilities and remuneration. The funding of the individual might come a little from each of the current organizations.

 

I recognize that concerned library people have been involved in advocacy for years. The results in the advocacy area, however, have only met with marginal success. Isn’t it time for the library world to join the “big boys?”

 

Don’t get me wrong, up to now, we’ve been working hard trying to do the right things. A lot has been accomplished. LEGISLATIVE day in Albany, for example, is an accepted technique for library people. Designed specifically for trustees to meet with legislators and legislative leadership, the process has been in place for quite a few years now. It’s advocacy at the grass roots level!  Another of our advocacy efforts has been to regularly meet, greet and discuss library matters with legislators on their home turf. We’ve even tried, of course, to get pre-election and post-election commitments from our political representatives to support libraries at legislative budget time.  Member items at the end of each session are fine but this is not the “bread and butter” support level really needed.

 

Perhaps an active PAC (Political Action Committee) might spur things along. After all, this advocacy approach appears to be the technique of choice for vast numbers of vibrant organizations and associations on both state and federal levels. However, for money-strapped libraries and library organizations this is probably a far reach, or is it?  An active library advocacy organization might just be able to raise community awareness to the point where public interest groups could be generated who would actually develop a PAC for libraries. Others organizations have accomplished it. The organization might also develop one or more creative fund raising programs to annually fund an active library PAC.

 

There are questions about the advocacy process that have to be asked and answered.  How do we keep up with the rest of the pack? How do we become more effective, efficient and energized when it comes to seeking legislative support on a continuing basis? How do we make sure that the powers that be recognize our needs along with those of the multitude of statewide and regional organizations of all kinds vying for funding?  Most important, how do we make sure that our legislators, statewide, recognize libraries and the information they offer on their shelves, in their computers and from helpful reference librarians are indispensable to those individuals, industries and businesses that make up our communities.  Legislators must also know that libraries are often a contributing factor for industries and individuals selecting a region in which to settle, build and grow. 

 

Library advocacy has multiple goals. The end objective is to “get a fair share of the budget funding pie” on a continuing basis.  To do this it must  help our  legislators and others clearly recognize the importance of libraries to the culture and economic development of our communities. To date, collectively, our efforts have not met the results test for Advocacy #101. This is why we have to look into other approaches.

NYSALB TRUSTEE INSTITUTE MAY 2001

 

SAVE THE DATE!  Plan to join other library trustees at the Holiday Inn in Kingston, NY, Friday May 4, and Saturday May 5, 2001 for NYSALB’s Trustee Institute.      

 

(Invitations to the Trustee Institute will be mailed in February. Please plan on joining your fellow trustees for this worthwhile learning experience.)    

                                            

Mary Jo Ketchum and Nancy Simaitis – co-chairs

 

Friday-May 4                    Friday evening dinner participants will have the opportunity to network with

                                             trustees from libraries of all sizes. Those who attended in previous years were

                                             so enthusiastic about this part of the program that it has been decided to give

                                             you this opportunity again. It is a time to share your successes and to learn how

                                             others deal with library problems, programs and activities.

 

 

Saturday-May 5               General Session on                           Lillian Edelman, current President of the New

9:00 a.m.                            Trusteeship for all                             Hampshire Library Trustee Association and a

                                             Institute participants                         dynamic advocate for libraries, will address all

                                                                                                         participants on the importance of being a pro-

                                                                                                         active trustee-advocate.

 

10:30 a.m.                          Choice of One                                   Library Construction and Renovation     

1-     David A. Walter, AIA, with a reputation as an effective space designer and planner who gets the job done for a reasonable cost, has collected the praise of library administrators and trustee boards alike.

 

e-Books other Electronic Technology    

2-   Susan Gibbons, of Monroe County Library System, has put together a symposium on e-books and is a source of  information on the subject of the future of electronic reading materials and the public library

12:00-12:45 p.m.                             Lunch

 

After Lunch Speaker       Advocacy

        Suzanne Pfister, an experienced library advocate and  professional lobbyist from Phoenix, Arizona, will be the keynote speaker at the closing luncheon. Her presentation is chock-full of lobbying tips. Bring your tape recorder.  You’ll want to hear the presentation over and over again.

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From The Desk Of

The Committee Chair

 

Assemblywoman

Naomi C. Matusow

 

In the 2000-2001 budget the New York State Assembly and State Senate agreed to appropriate an additional $5 million in much-needed funding for our state libraries.  Negotiations over how to allocate the funds took longer than expected, as both the Assembly and Senate strove to find the best possible use of what is clearly less than what our libraries need. Agreement on the distribution of the funding was reached this fall, and I’m pleased to share the details with you.

 

Of the $5 million to be spent enhancing all aspects of library service in New York State, $3 million will be used to provide an across-the-board increase in Chapter 917 funding—a 3.4% increase over the funds allocated by the Governor in his budget proposal.  Chapter 917 programs cover every facet of library service, chiefly benefiting the Public, Three R and School Library Systems.  Funds are also provided to support targeted populations, such as children and the blind and visually handicapped.  The increase in funding to these groups will help provide for much needed expansion in library programs across the state.

 

An addition of $1 million will enhance the already allocated $800,000 to be used for the construction and renovation of libraries. While this falls well short of the monies needed to address the capital needs of our libraries adequately, it does provide some relief.  As state funds for library construction always serve as seed money, the additional funding will demonstrate how effective the state’s “seeds” can be in generating local library financial support.

 

Also targeted for an additional $1 million in funding are New York’s school libraries, specifically to be used to support technology initiatives.  Despite the many studies which demonstrate the value of school libraries in educating students, New York lags behind much of the nation in school library funding.  This money will enable all of New York’s elementary, middle and secondary school libraries to have internet access.  We cannot allow our children to fall behind as we move to an information-based economy.

 

I anticipate that in the coming year we will be able to point to the valuable programs and initiatives made possible by the additional $5 million allocated this year, and use the benefits of these efforts to bolster the argument for increased library funding well beyond an additional $5 million.  The Regents' proposal to increase library funding dramatically, while addressing the issue of unserved areas, should continue to generate a lot of interest in Albany this year. 

 

Lobbying efforts on behalf of New York’s libraries helped to make the $5 million increase possible.  I look forward to working with you to capitalize on the success of your efforts.  Continue to mobilize library supporters.  Reach out to all your elected representatives now to let them know how pleased you were with the additional funding.  Educate them on how much more is needed and they will respond.  Thank you for your support.  I look forward to seeing you in Albany in 2001.

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                        From

                       The Desk of

                       Sub-committee

                       Chair

                       Senator

                       Hugh T. Farley

(Chairman, Senate Subcommittee on Libraries)

 

State Library Aid Increase Distributed -- Where Do We Go Next?

 

The obvious legislative news for libraries this month is the "Christmas in early November" announcement of the allocation of this year's $5 million increase in State aid to libraries.

 

In broad strokes, the increase was distributed as a $3 million (3.38%) increase in formula State aid for all libraries, a $1 million (125.00%) increase in State aid for public library construction and renovation, and a $1 million (166.67%) increase in State funding for school library system automation.  This process generated a "double whammy" increase for some programs.  For example, public library construction funds benefited from both the 3.38% formula increase and the $1 million enhancement, rising from $800,000 per year to $1,827.040.

 

What lessons does this offer us, and what glimpses of the future does it provide?

 

First, it confirms the continuing interest of State government -- the Governor, the Legislature, and the Regents -- in support of all of the State's libraries.  While I'll still be among the first to argue that our libraries are woefully underfunded, and that the ad hoc process of State aid increases is inefficient and insufficient, the facts remain that Governor Pataki's initiative for full funding of Chapter 917 combined with recent legislative additions reflect a continuing period of increases in State aid to libraries.

 

And, since State aid is arguably symbolic -- remember that a one-hundred percent increase in State aid is equivalent to a ten percent rise in local funding for most public libraries -- the picture of continuing State interest should help trustees to leverage State aid as an incentive for local voters and local funding sources.

 

Second, the fact that most of the aid increase was distributed through an across-the-board increase in the existing library aid formula emphasizes the legislature's deference to the library community in the allocation of resources.  The formula has been developed over the years through a series of consensus laws culminating in the current Chapter 917 allocation process.

 

Mindful of the careful balancing act among various types of libraries and systems, among different programs and priorities, and between strengthening existing functions and embarking on new initiatives, the legislature has chosen to defer to the library community.

 

The visibility of this decision argues strongly for a restoration of consensus-building within the library community.  As we look for a lesson for the future, this action suggests that State government might be inclined to postpone future funding initiatives in the absence of agreement within the library community.

 

Finally, the specific allocation of funds for public library construction (and renovation) and for school library system automation shows that the Legislature is willing to take the lead when issues move toward widespread recognition.  Construction funding follows the widely-publicized findings of a State Library survey which identified serious physical plant shortcomings in the vast majority of public libraries across the State.  Automation funds respond to public outcries for twenty-first century information resources for the youngsters who will lead in the next century.

 

In sum, last month's Legislative action reinforced the State's commitment to local library decision-making.  Trustees can take a leading role in building the consensus which permits libraries to speak with one voice.

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Library Legislative Day A Date To Remember

Make sure to Calendar Tuesday, March 20, 2001 for your trip to Albany, NY.  Library Legislative Day, and all that it entails, requires your active support more than ever.

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No Ordinary Year For New York’s Libraries:

Regents Propose $95 Million For Libraries In 2001 And Beyond

 

The coming year begins a new era in funding New York's libraries.  The New York State Association of Library Boards has endorsed New Century Libraries, a precedent-setting $95 million budget proposal for libraries from the Board of Regents that will be introduced in the coming 2001 legislative session.

 

In a recent letter to trustees, Commissioner of Education Richard Mills outlined the gains New Century Libraries provides to public libraries. They include the first-ever needs-based aid to establish a minimum funding level of $20 per capita,  support for public library construction and renovation, and incentives for the voluntary formation of public library districts.  The proposal also includes help for New York's struggling urban libraries and creation of NOVEL, the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library. 

 

"It's time for New York's libraries to be recognized for their vital role in education, the economy, and the community," said State Librarian Janet M. Welch.  "New Century Libraries is only the beginning of an action plan for continued improvement in library services for all New Yorkers." Libraries 2002 emerged from a pioneering plan from the Regents Commission on Library Services that outlines 10 recommendations to improve library services in New York State.  The Commission's plan was endorsed by the Regents, and they developed New Century Libraries, a proposal for a $95million investment in New York's libraries.

 

Making Excellent Libraries

 

Per capita support for public libraries in New York's communities ranges from a low of $2 to more than $200.  Meanwhile, some 1.3 million New Yorkers have no local public library.

 

New Century Libraries addresses these problems by proposing to implement the first ever needs-based aid to guarantee all public libraries in New York a floor of $20 per capita.

 

For the first time, state aid will provide significant funds to public and school libraries in poor areas and those that serve high needs library users. Additional incentive-based aid will be available to all types of libraries under the EXCELS Performance Program.

 

There will also be aid to help with the administrative costs of forming Public Library Districts, cost of living increases for library systems, and funding for academic and research initiatives.

 

Public Library Construction

 

New York's libraries will need an estimated $800 million for wiring and space upgrades for computers and Internet connections, and improvements for library users with disabilities. Yet only $800,000 is currently available.  New Century Libraries  proposes $20 million for public library construction and renovation.  Grants will be competitive within library systems and will give library boards a foundation on which to create partnerships and build a strategy for fund raising for capital projects. 

 

An Urban Library Initiative

 

The 24-7 life of a big city and large minority communities  mean high demand on New York's urban libraries for extended hours and multi-language services.

 

To help meet these extraordinary needs, New Century Libraries  proposes $9.7 million, or $1 per capita, for New York's urban libraries.  This will fund multi-language collections and programs, English and computer literacy programs, and expand outreach programs and weekend and evening branch hours.

 

Closing the Digital Divide

 

New Yorkers look increasingly to their public libraries for Internet and computer access.  New Century Libraries proposes to create NOVEL - the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library with $14 million.

 

NOVEL will become an electronic gateway to library resources, permitting libraries to share catalogs, digitize collections, and purchase electronic resources collectively at enormous savings.  Through NOVEL, libraries in even the most geographically isolated communities will be able to leverage local resources by supplementing their own collections with commercial databases and other materials selected, accessed and updated by librarians.

 

If passed by the Governor and Legislature, New Century Libraries will begin implementation of the recommendations of the Regents Commission on Library Services and will help move New York's libraries into the 21st century.  This is one of the most important investments New York can make.

 

For more information on New Century Libraries, see the New York State Library web site at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/, or contact Janet M. Welch, State Librarian, at 518/474-5930, email mailto:jwelch2@mail.nysed.gov.              

A Successful Literary

Fund Raiser

 

Interesting and effective fund raising programs can often serve as idea generators or at the very least starting points for library trustees considering a program for their institution. The following program has weathered six successful seasons and made a great hit in the community served by the Central Library.

 

Theme:     “Travel through the minds of literary genius.”

 

Sponsor:  Friends of The Central Library, Syracuse, NY

 

Promotion:  A six-part lecture series this year featuring Walter Mosley (Devil in a Blue Dress); Frances Mayes (Under the Tuscan Sun); Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes);  Bailey White (Mama Make Up Her Mind); Barry Holstun Lopez (Artic Dreams); and Robert Pinsky (The Situation of Poetry).

 

Timing: Six individual lectures starting in October 2000 and going through May 2001.

 

Price:  $20. per lecture; $95. for the series. Patron Level- $200 for the series.; Literary Circle Level- $500. for the series.

 

Process: A simulated passport greets you when you open your mail.  The package contains the full story, the purpose of the fundraiser and offer to attend. “Come and enjoy a journey into the minds of six of the most talented and well respected writers of our time,” invite the Passport authors. “Over the course of 6 evenings, writers whose works  encompass an amazing breadth of styles and traditions will speak at the Crouse Hinds Theater, John H. Mulroy Civic Center.”

 

Purpose: “The Rosemond Gifford Lecture Series is brought to you,” notes information in the Passport, ”by the Friends of the Central Library. “In this time of dwindling government support for public resources such as libraries, the funds raised by this series will make it possible for The Central Library to acquire new books and continue to expand its offerings to the community. Subscribing to the series is a great way for you to show support for reading and the job of books.”

 

Any ideas for your next fundraiser?   For information: Thomas P. Dydyk, Executive Director, Friends of the Central Library -- (315) 435-1927

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The Library Circuit  

By Marcella O'Hanlon, NYSALB Trustee

When visiting Rochester, be sure to visit The Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County located at 115 South Avenue. 

 

It serves as the main reference library for a 20-member library system and more than 700,000 residents. Its 10 subject divisions feature a professional staff with in-depth knowledge of extensive print and electronic resources, accessible in-house, by telephone or through their website (www.rochester.lib.ny.us). More than 1.3 million items make up the collection, and annual circulation is nearly 60,000.

 

The Central Library also serves as a base for services provided to Monroe County Library System members.  These shared services include the computer network that offers patron access to the entire public library collection in Monroe County from any library terminal, as well as the shipping services which transport items upon request from one library to another for pickup.

 

Between February 1995 and May 1997, the library underwent its first major expansion since opening in 1936. The $25.5 million project included construction of the Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building, which is connected to the Rundel Memorial Building via an underground walkway.  The addition doubled the size for a total of over 180,000 square feet.  Funding came from Monroe County, the City of Rochester, New York State and the private sector.

 

The new complex provides additional shelf space that allows direct access to approximately 65% of the collection, with the remainder located nearby in compact storage. Computer workstations increased from 33 to more than 100, and provide access to the library system's online network, including a countywide catalog, a variety of specialized databases and Internet access.

 

During the NYSALB Trustee Institute in May, I met some of the staff members of this library.  Paula Smith, Head of Central Library Services was kind enough to guide me on a tour of the library.  Both buildings are impressive.

 

The Bausch & Lomb building features a library store, which sells used books and an array of "library related" gift items; a student resource center operated through a partnership with local SUNY colleges; a 4,200 sq.ft. outdoor walled reading garden available to patrons during warm weather months; a state-of-the-art 180-seat auditorium available for community meetings and other events, and an intriguing children's room that invites children (and adults) to explore the shelves while searching for the hidden "Secret Room."

 

(Marcella O’Hanlon)

An Interview with

Mary Jo Ketchum

 

by Rebekkah Smith, Coordinator of Member Information, Mid-Hudson Library System

 

Serving as president of the NYSALB for three years, Ms. Mary Jo Ketchum is in her ninth and final year of service on that board of directors. She has taken time out of a very busy schedule to contribute to the fundraising forum Project's Forum on Trustees & Fundraising.

 

To read more of her interview (click here) or go to:

http://midhudson.org/virtual/efundraising/ketchum/index.html

 

RS: Why did you become (and stay on as) a library trustee?

 

MJK:  How strikingly simple and basic to all fund raising efforts is the answer to that question: Someone asked me!

 

Of course, the real key to becoming a member of the Elma Library Board of Trustees was having an observant librarian. She noted the regular trooping of my family -- four little boys -- in our tow each Friday night, stocking up for the weekend, and concluded that we had an abiding interest in the importance of reading, and that it would probably last for a while! When her board asked for recommendations, she offered my name.

 

The president of the Board called, with no previous acquaintance to pave the way. I was truly honored to receive the invitation. I have continued for 22 years because I have felt needed, that my efforts have made a difference. At the same time, I cannot fail to acknowledge the incredible number of opportunities for learning and sharing that have come my way as a result of being a trustee. There is some valid argument for term limitations, but I am grateful that there are none in Elma.

              

RS: Do public library trustees have a responsibility to fundraise for their library?

 

MJK: Let me begin by affirming the four primary roles of trustees:

               -fiduciary responsibility for their library;

               -formation of policies;

               -advocacy for libraries;

               -hiring of the director.

 

(These roles are further defined in the TRUSTEE

HANDBOOK, http://www.nysalb.org/.)

 

A couple of distinctions are necessary before proceeding: (A) operating funds, vs. supplementary income/assets; and, (B) the means to obtain them, i.e., developing operating funding

sources, and supplementary fund-raising. While it is often necessary for trustees to develop funding sources, it is always important for trustees to be pro-active in talking about their libraries to the people in their community. This is marketing, or advocacy, and the return will be the eventual support for funding, be it in a vote, or by a grant from the local service organization, or a private donor. Raise awareness before attempting to raise funds! 

 

As for the responsibility to work directly to raise funds, it depends on the type of library they serve. In our system the operating funds come from the county property tax. Supplemental dollars for extras come from gifts and the sale of discarded or donated reading materials and software. Many libraries are completely independent of outside funding, and must continually scrape for operating funds. In these cases, the burden is definitely on the shoulders of the trustees.

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Can The Small Be Heard? By Dr. William R. Taber, NYSALB Trustee

    

The large and the small scenarios within a nation tend to reflect each other. This is not surprising since we all live in a close interdependence with each other, and individual lives overlap in millions of experiences and activities within our shared economy or community. We borrow mental pictures from what we see and learn there, and we tend to apply them to future situations as expectations, solutions, or values. In a mercantile dominated society, for example, the users of local libraries may be called customers rather than patrons or guests. In an economy where "rip off" on the local level (say, something as simple as the purchase price of a car, of fuel oil, of a box of cereal, etc.) is a familiar experience, we are not really shocked by the arrogance that we see in the scrambles for political power on the national level. The stories are similar.

 

Small libraries and the larger society are as interdependent as the individual is with the nation  ---for the same reasons. But anything small against anything large is always an uncertain relationship unless some legitimate process can mediate the disparate amounts of power between the two; otherwise, history shows that force and repression fill the gap and that the small is extinguished or nudged toward poverty, serfdom, or (if you are a businessman in a local economy) franchises. The issues of what is legitimate mediation are becoming more intense on both national and local levels, especially when the small chooses to follow goals and values that are not really respected and understood by the large. To exist (as do public libraries) in order to contribute to the benefit of society without overriding self-interest as our motivation is to be in conflict with very powerful viewpoints in the larger society.

 

As I write this, the fairness, completeness, and accuracy of a Presidential election is being seriously questioned in the courts. Whatever may be the eventual outcome of this specific contest, the long-term fundamentals of democracy rest upon a faith by the small (the voter) that the vote itself will be counted, and counted fairly, and will meaningfully determine some aspect of the large (the government in this case). Historically, we have ignored many occasions of vote mishandling because we had been a nation of such wealth and individual freedoms in our personal lives that we could afford to be careless. Today, despite the veil of the recent spurt of prosperity, we can see that the power of the small against the large has eroded enormously. The disparities of wealth, political power, and corporate hugeness that now exist are almost beyond description. In the case of the citizen (unless you are among the top in wealth, corporate power, and political leverage), the only tool that still has some claim to sanctity (not yet merely a vestige of an earlier time) is the vote. When that bit of individual power is ignored, we will follow a well-trod road toward some self-proclaimed autocracy.

 

Likewise, the library, which is small by definition, depends upon the fairness, completeness, and accuracy of the mediation between it and the larger society. This is clear to us when the library is portrayed as pandering to pornographers, when politicians ignore its financial needs, when book companies charge libraries more than list prices, when citizens steal books and other materials, when myths about its operations are encouraged. Recently a county legislator was quoted in a newspaper, "It's a matter of philosophy. Libraries are a local issue, not a county responsibility." Read: "You are not important to us. Go away." 

 

The public library must "vote"; it must try to make its needs and wishes known. Its "vote" is services offered, lobbying, public events, ceremonies, programs, writing, newsletters, community activities, measuring the needs of the community, projects, advertisements, any encouragement of rationality or informed compassion. It struggles to make its small voice heard by the large interests who control so much of the national resources.

 

But will it be heard? Will it be heard fairly, completely, and accurately? If not, library service will end up serving only the interests of the large.

 

The only mediation available to us is an enlightened public. Therefore, it is also to the vital interest of the library, as it is to the voter, to publicly support the values of fairness, completeness and accuracy as much as we can through our contacts with the public. The mental habits that we encourage on the local level must compete with the models of self-interest that are so dominant elsewhere in our world. It is a matter of "philosophy", as the legislator said.  We have to proclaim our answer to that philosophy of unenlightened self interest that so dominates the larger scenes in our nation and hope that someday, somehow, our answer will trickle upward.

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Koehl Named Velma Moore

Award Winner

 

Maureen Koehl has been named the winner of NYSALB’s Velma Moore – 2000 Award. The presentation was made at the Inaugural Banquet and Awards Ceremony of the annual NYSALB/NYLA conference held November 1-4, 2000 in Saratoga Springs, NY.

 

In addition to being selected for the prestigious award, Maureen received a specially designed plaque and $750.00 to donate to the library or library service of her choice. Recipients for the award are selected on the basis of contributions to the development of library services in New York State.

 

President of the board of trustees of the South Salem Library since 1997, Maureen Koehl has been extremely active in the many aspects of her library’s governance and growth. In 1981 Maureen was first elected to her library board.

 

Over the years she has fulfilled a range of committee assignments and has been actively involved in the many aspects of her library’s operation including the planning stages of a $2.5 million library building program, fund raising for the proposed expansion and community focused programming sponsored by the library. She also annually chairs the organization’s largest fundraiser.

 

In her spare time, Maureen Koehl is a wife, mother, schoolteacher, town historian and author.

 

The Velma Moore Award was established in 1962 to honor the memory of Velma Moore who worked actively for the improvement of New York State library services from 1947 to her death in 1961. As one of the chartered members of the Library Trustees Foundation of New York State (predecessor of NYSALB), she served two terms as Foundation president and was a member from its inception. Velma Moore also served as a trustee of the Kenmore Public Library located near Buffalo, NY for 33 years and was the wife of Lieutenant Governor Frank C. Moore.

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Did You Know?

By Marcella O’Hanlon, NYSALB Trustee

 

Did you know that by becoming a member of the NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF LIBRARY BOARDS

(NYSALB), you are looking out for the potential of your library?  Your library board has the final responsibility to see that it provides the best possible service to its community.  What better way to meet the challenges and needs of your library than to become a member of NYSALB so that you may enjoy the many benefits offered including:

·        Dissemination of information to improve library services

·        Promoting the development of library services throughout New York State

·        Aiding in the development of regional and county libraries

·        Educating trustees about their role as trustee

·        Recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of library trustees

·        Advocating support of library programs

·        Communicating with library trustees to inform them of issues affecting libraries and library services

·        Annual Trustee Institute sponsor

·        Velma Moore Award program sponsor

·        Providing a Membership Directory

·        Subscription to NYSALB’s newsletter TRUSTEE

·        Providing trustee leadership in current and future library legislative actions

·        NYSALB’s archival web site <www.nysalb.org>  

Please contact NYSALB today to join! Early bird special going on right now!

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