• Spring

Winter 2003

• President's Memo: Is It Time To Hunker Down?
• Editorial: Revisiting the Past -- A Potential Door To The Future
• From Assemblywoman Naomi Matusow
• From Senator Hugh Farley
• Legislative Update
• Overwhelmed? Take it Easy!
• Letter To The Editor -- A Response
• Mary Jo Ketchum Receives Velma Moore Award
• Advocacy Update
• New Century Libraries Update
• The Library Circuit: Albany Public Library
• NYSALB Board & TRUSTEE Ownership

By Dr. Norman J. Jacknis, NYSALB President

As many of you know, the directors of NYSALB have endorsed the State Library's New Century Libraries (http://www.ncl.nysed.gov) proposal.  There are a number of much needed investments that are part of NCL.  

In response, some people have said that we shouldn't expect much progress on NCL or any other library funding.  We've been told to be "realistic."  After all, the daily news is filled with stories of this year's $2 billion State government deficit and predictions of next year's possible $10 billion deficit.  Counties and major cities across the state are also facing dire financial circumstances due to the economy, rising Medicaid costs, and the like.  Property tax increases at the local level are generally ranging into double digits, like New York City's recent 18% increase just to cover expenses in the current fiscal year.

All of this bad fiscal news is beginning to hit library institutions, as well.  The lucky ones are holding steady.  Many are facing cuts, even severe cuts, that will end long established programs.

Library trustees, and library advocates in general, have a broad view of the community, which serves us well in most times.  As a result, we tend not to be strictly "library partisans."  It's difficult now for many of us to argue for library funding in the face of cuts to programs whose aim is to serve the needy and other programs with no alternatives to public funding.

Given the bad fiscal times and our community spirit, is it time to hunker down and just accept whatever funds might come to our libraries?  I, for one, do not agree.  Indeed, if you think about those in need you will be even less inclined to hunker down.

It's worth remembering the old advice that "if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; but if you teach him to fish, you feed him for a lifetime."  We shouldn't forget that our libraries help people as much as other programs, but they help people for the long run as well as the short.

Consider some examples of the people who turn to our libraries:  

• The inner city kid whose family cannot afford books, but who finds whatever is needed in the library - and develops lifelong habits of self-directed reading that develop nowhere else.
• The functionally illiterate adult who goes to library to learn how to read and overcome the deficiencies of an education system that did not serve him well in his youth - that long standing mission of our public libraries to be the university of the people.
• The senior with seeking understanding, guidance, perhaps solace in dealing with a newly diagnosed disease.
• The struggling entrepreneur, who can no longer afford the business journals and reference book necessary to rebound and create jobs, can find them at the library.

So it's not a question of funding libraries or helping the needy.  Instead of hunkering down, let's proudly defend what our libraries offer.  Let's not forget the reasons we became library trustees and continue to volunteer our time.

The political process will do its work of debating and sorting out the competing priorities between society's different interests.  That's the job of legislators and elected executives, not library trustees.  Our job is to make sure that the role of libraries is well represented in this debate - if we don't do this, no one will.

To discuss these and other concerns with your fellow trustees, sign up for NYSALB email discussion group by sending an email to join-nysalb@www.watpa.org or write directly to me at norm@jacknis.com. Thank you.

Back to Top

by Edwin M. Field, TRUSTEE Editor, NYSALB Director

Time flies is an old adage with plenty of truth, history and repetition behind it! I thought about this while reviewing some of the three dozen or so issues of NYSALB's TRUSTEE newsletter. I've edited the newsletter since 1985, taking over the editing duties from former NYSALB trustee Joan Silverstein.

Recently I was going through past editorials for some research material and noted that a good portion of the editorial material is still relevant today. If you have a special use for some of the information in any of the editorial material, let the NYSALB office know and they will provide you with a  copy of the full text.

Here are some of the subjects discussed with a very brief explanatory note on the contents of the editorials.

• 4/95    Are The Facts Factual?  (Questioning the accuracy  of CD-ROM information and sources.)
• 7/95    Your Right To Vote "NO" (Voting against "book burners" and book removers.)
• 10/95   To Get There, Leadership Must Know Where It Is Going    (Needs and circumstances are good leadership guide-lines.)
• 1/96    Searching for a Library Angel  (Communicating to the many publics the importance of libraries.)
• 4/96    Space Sharing? Let's talk  (Expansion planned? Perhaps space sharing is a novel way to go.)
• 7/96    Term limits or Life Time Tenure? (Term lines for serving on a library or public service board board.)
• 10/96   Your Letters Are Welcome  (Feedback is always an important component to the NYSALB board.)
• 1/97    Value? Which Way Does It Flow   (Is "change"of value?  Handling changes in the library field.
• 4/97    Response To A Reading Report Card  (Educators and librarians can be effective and provide solutions.)
• 7/97    Libraries - Repositories of Community History  (Maintaining and exhibiting the past.)
• 10/07  Books and the Internet (Can they live together?)
• 1/98    www.virtual library  (Reading book content in different form
• 4/98    A Future Guarantee (building paths to ensure future patrons.)
• 7/98    Reading Enticement Ideas  (Stimulating youngster to read.)
• 1/99    Customer Relations and Training - Library's Dynamic Duo (Enthusiastic staffers can make it happen.)
• 4/99    On Being News Worthy (Formula for writing articles that generate media space.)
• 7/99    Is Your Library A Culture Source?  (Resolving library identity problems.)
• 9/99    School & Libraries - Can They Learn To Work Together to Serve Children Better? (Sharing responsibility for children's learning.)
• 1/2000  Strategies for Legislative Linkup  (Business plan and libraries -- A business approach.)
• 4/2000  The Survey - A Library Marketing Tool  (Measuring your library's acceptance.)
• 7/2000  It's Time For Us To Talk About The Future  (What issues do you really want to talk about in the future?)
• 10/2000 Business Unusual - Active Library Fund Raising  (Selecting a fund raising firm)
• 1/01    Perspectives On Service  (Mary Jo Ketchum prepares a review of volunteerism.)
• 4/01    The Helping Hand of the Library Trustee (Trustee responsibilities)
• 7/01    Advocacy Now!  How? (Reaching the decision makers.)
• 10/01   Let's Develop Some Workable Solutions  (Motivating trustees to attend "learning programs.)
• 1/02    Resolution For The New Year  (Developing a publicity campaign for your library.)
• 4/02    Awards and Rewards -- A Way To Say Thank You  (Developing a library reward/award program.)
• 7/02    Cooperation - Key To Library Survival  . (Getting trustees and their libraries on board)
• 10/02   The Used Book Sale-Trash To Treasure  (Making the most (dollars and sense) of a library book sale.)

Editorials generally reflect the climate of the particular time in which they were written. For some they serve as mirrors, and for others, editorials might serve as a building block.

In order to be most effective, there is no need to waste time and energy trying to re-invent the wheel. There are always new issues and problem arising which need to be addressed. Perhaps reflecting again on past issues which may still be in the forefront can help us all to make our libraries even more effective and efficient. Sometimes, after a period of time, we might see things that once appeared to be virtually insurmountable in a completely different light. Revisiting issues often provides a different perspective. This, in turn, may help find new and innovative solutions.

Perhaps reviewing a particular issue of TRUSTEE or a  specific editorial will do this for you.

Back to Top

Regrettably, this will be my last column as Chair of the Assembly's Committee on Libraries and Education Technology.  Since become the Chair of the Committee in 1999, I have worked to increase public awareness of the many valuable contributions libraries make to New York's citizens.  I initiated the Education Technology Day held at the Legislative Office Building for each of the past two years.  I also arranged for public display of photographs of libraries from all over the state.

As you well know, libraries in New York, from the smallest reading rooms in our rural villages to the world-renowned New York Public Library, face tremendous challenges as we enter the twenty-first century.  The growth in new technologies has broadened the types of services libraries make available to the public.  Compact and digital video discs are now standard in many libraries, and circulation of traditional materials continues to rise.  Libraries across New York State are serving patrons in both new and old ways, combining state-of-the-art internet terminals with collections of historical books and artifacts.

Despite the variety of services being demanded by the public and the overall increase in library use, library funding has lagged.  The formula devised for library funding at the state level was enacted in Chapter 917 of the Laws of 1990, well before new technologies began to impact library budgets.  Full funding of Chapter 917 was not reached for many years, and has never been adjusted for inflation, much less to reflect the increased needs of libraries in today's world.  I was pleased to see an increase in funding of school libraries in 1999-2000 and was relieved to increase funding in the 2000-2001 budget by an additional $5 million.

The Committee on Libraries and Education Technology, and the entire Assembly Majority, have worked hard in past years to rectify the shortfalls in library funding.  Additional programs have been proposed to address the needs of library users, such as Baby Steps, an Assembly proposal designed to assist very young children and their parents or their caregivers, that did not receive Senate support.  The Assembly Majority has also consistently included additional funding for existing programs in its budget proposals.

Although I will not be returning to the Assembly in 2003, my interest in and passion for libraries will continue.  I plan to continue to advocate for increased library funding at local, state and federal levels.  I urge you to continue your efforts to educate the public and elected officials about the importance of libraries and the need to support them.  I am saddened to be leaving the work of the committee behind, but look forward to working for libraries as a private citizen.  Let's keep up the good work!

Back to Top

In 2003, the legislature will be asked to consider whether the state constitution should be amended to guarantee New Yorkers the right to library services. New York's state constitution resists categorization. Scholars deride the document as ludicrously lengthy and detailed for a constitution.

Yet, the constitution stands tall as the guarantor of specific citizens' rights, including public education and social welfare.

The state constitution is not an elegant document.  Without the timeless grace of the United States Constitution, New York's state version is four times the length of its federal counterpart.  The annotated printing runs to four bound volumes.

Although incorporating a Bill of Rights and traditional provisions such as separation of powers, the state constitution is also a hodgepodge of oddities and micro-management of state government.  Article I, section 1 nobly protects citizens from being deprived of their rights unless by law or the judgment of their peers, and then goes on to regulate primary elections.  Curiously, the constitution specifies the retirement age of judges, the width of ski trails, and the value of bingo prizes.

On the other side of the coin, the state constitution grants to New Yorkers rights which are stronger and more encompassing than at the federal level. The "forever wild" guarantee for the Adirondack Park protects one of the largest nature preserves in the country.  And citizens of New York have rights to public education and to social welfare surpassing rights granted by the federal government.

Commenting on the state's constitutional duties such as care for the needy, the courts have been unequivocal.  A 1985 case held that: "Aid to the needy is not dependent upon governmental compassion but is a fundamental right guaranteed by the state constitution.  The state has an affirmative duty to aid the needy and this constitutional mandate cannot be ignored in either its letter or its spirit."

Why not the same for library services?  The New York Library Association (NYLA) has requested introduction of a constitutional amendment to grant New Yorkers the same fundamental right to library services which we currently have to public education, social welfare, and environmental quality.

What would this mean for libraries?  There are many positives. Elevating library service to a fundamental right shines a brilliant light on the importance of libraries, and unleashes the  power of the judicial system. The state courts have said: "Where constitutional rights are infringed upon by actions of the state, justified only by a desire to reduce public expenditures, the courts must act to secure those rights..."In a time of fiscal stringency, constitutionally protected library funding would rise to the top of the fiscal pyramid, joining funding for education and social welfare.

A constitutional amendment is not a cure-all, however.  It will take time. The requirement for votes by two successive legislatures followed by a statewide ballot means that the earliest an amendment could be enacted would be November 2005, with enabling legislation taking another year.  and it is no immediate guarantee of funding.  Litigation about the adequacy of public school funding has been working its way through New York courts for years.

Nonetheless, a state constitutional guarantee of library services for all New Yorkers could be a worthwhile legacy for us to offer at the start of the twenty-first century.  Our strong systems of public education, social welfare, and environmental conservation have been built upon the stable foundation of constitutional guarantees.  Libraries for the twenty-first century and beyond could benefit from a similar strong foundation.

Back to Top

By Robert N. Wells, NYSALB Trustee, Legislative Chair

The National Scene

Congress adjourned prior to passing the Museum and Library Services Act of 2002.  The bill has received broad bipartisan support in both houses and it is hoped that it will receive early passage when the 108th Congress convenes in January.  The Library Services and Technology Act is part of this larger piece of legislation and is a key federal government support program for the nation's libraries.  Local libraries and board members should communicate with their legislators urging support of this key library legislation.

The Courts

On November 13, 2002, the Supreme Court Justices agreed to review Congress's latest effort to shield children from pornography on the Internet.  The legislation requires libraries to install filters on all computers providing Internet access to all patrons, including children.  A three-judge federal appeals court in Philadelphia ruled the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) unconstitutional because it induced libraries to violate their patrons' First Amendment rights as a condition of receiving federal financing for Internet access.  The law has been challenged by a coalition of libraries, library users and web sites.

In their brief, the American Library Association and other challengers to the law told the court that the record compiled in the lower court showed that given the "rapid growth and dynamic nature of the Internet," filtering software now available was "inherently incapable of making reliable distinctions among web sites."  A library trying to follow the law "would end up blocking access to vast amounts of protected speech," they argued.

The case will be argued in March 2003.  (See New York Times, November 13, 2002).

New York's New Century Libraries

A program designed to invest $105 million in New York libraries to:

• Create an online network, NOVEL, of Information Age materials that connects libraries across the state.
• Fund extended hours for urban and rural libraries.
• Renovate and modernize library buildings.
• Provide up-to-date collections.
• Support family literacy and reading programs.

Again this year the New Century Libraries legislation is a top priority for the state's 734 public libraries and their advocates.  9/11 postponed action on the library package and the prospect of a $5-10 billion budget gap does not bode well for new library initiatives.  However, the implementation of NOVEL is a top priority among the New Century Library legislative proposals and local libraries, their trustees and patrons are urged to communicate with their state legislators to move ahead with the online Internet (NOVEL) proposal as the first step in implementing New Century Libraries.

Information on New Century Libraries is available online at: www.nel.nysed.gov, www.nyla.org, www.nysalb.org.

Back to Top

Shar McBee, author of "To Lead is to Serve - How to Attract Volunteers & Keep Them"

The next time you feel overwhelmed by a big project, make it easy on yourself by approaching it this way:  little by little by little.

Years ago I volunteered to be in charge of the refreshments at church. My job was to recruit 48 people every month to bake a cake or bring some cookies.  I struggled to recruit that many volunteers and it quickly became overwhelming.  To make it worse, as my overwhelm grew, fewer and fewerpeople volunteered to help.

People began to run away when they saw me coming.  So, I gave up recruiting and tried to bake most of the goodies myself.  This was a huge task and I quickly burned out and resigned.

My successor was Sue King, a social worker.  I watched in amazement as within two weeks she had enlisted 48 volunteers.

This is how she did it: She broke it down into little steps.  Instead of recruiting all 48 people herself, she recruited eight team captains who were willing to be in charge once a month. They each recruited six people who would donate one refreshment a month.

When I was in charge, I was begrudgingly doing everything. Under this plan, more than 48 people were happily participating.

One of the secrets of Sue's success was that, unknowingly, she applied the principle of To Lead is to Serve. Sue continually served the team captains. If a captain could not find six people, she helped recruit them. Since she was not baking everything herself, she had time to meet people and ask if they would like to participate. She constantly made the team captains feel that she was supporting them.

Another secret of Sue King's success was dividing the work into small increments. I was trying to recruit 48 people. Sue was only looking for eight.

Nehemiah rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem in the same way. The wall around the city was its major protection. Today, a wall is not a primary defense system but in Nehemiah's day, a wall was central to the city's safety.

Rebuilding it was such a huge task that most people thought it couldn't be done. However, Nehemiah saw it another way. He divided the task into tiny sections, asking each person to be responsible for a small portion. Everyone did a little. In this way, a huge task was accomplished quickly.

While reading about Nehemiah rebuilding the wall, I could envision each group doing its part with great enthusiasm. It reminded me of my refreshments project and others I have worked on. They are more successful when a lot of people do a little, as opposed to one or two people doing everything.

The next time you face a project that seems big and overwhelming, divide your work into small steps. Make it easy by doing it this way: little by little by little.

For more tips on how to attract volunteers and donors visit Shar McBee's web site  <www.toleadistoserve.com>  or call 845-436-6654.

Back to Top

by Dr. William Taber, NYSALB Trustee

In the fall 2002 issue of TRUSTEE, Dr. William Taber penned an article entitled "Librarians Willing To Protect Terrorists."  A Police Chief, who also happens to be a Library Trustee, responded in the following Letter To The Editor. Dr. Taber has reviewed the letter and responded.

Chief Barnhart's Letter To The Editor:

"As a Police Chief and Library Trustee for the Wallkill Public Library, I am amazed  by Dr. William Taber's lack of insight into the problem of terrorism. Maybe he should have researched terrorism in greater detail. September 11, 2001 was made possible because a group of people used the very freedom we cherish and take for granted ....against us.   We need to accept that the world has changed and the free and open access to all types of information can be a dangerous thing. It's time to face the fact that we need to make some changes in America, and if we fail to recognize the warnings we can expect more events like September 11, 2001.  To throw caution to the wind is irresponsible logic."
Police Chief and Walkill Library Trustee Richard Barnhart

Dr. Taber's Reply:

A defense of librarians accused of supporting terrorists is equated with an amazing lack of insight into the problem of terrorism?

On a personal note, after a career associated with criminal justice education, I am less naive about terrorism and societal responses to terrorism than Chief Barnhart may suspect. But this is a forum about libraries, not terrorism per se, and I warned us a year ago in the TRUSTEE ("War Profiteers") about some of the challenges to libraries that were then possible, and are now real.

Since neither I nor the authors whom I quoted were writing specifically about terrorism, the Chief's amazement is misdirected. My own themes were

1. that library supporters should be encouraged to engage in public discussion of library issues when the occasion arises (as it did when the letter accusing librarians of supporting terrorists was published),
2. such discussion can reveal unrecognized sources of support for libraries (as was the newspaper editorial that appeared a few days after my answer to the accusing letter was published), and
3. most importantly, the function of libraries in maintaining free access to truth and knowledge is not just a conceit of trivial importance, but rather it is one of the fundamental prerequisites for a healthy and free democracy.

My concern for this last point has been well documented over the years.

During times of stress, the values that libraries represent are among the things that we must protect for the long run, not something to be thrown away during the excitement of the moment.

The main issue between our positions is whether the possibility of further terrorist attack requires or justifies the warrantless imposition of governmental controls backed by criminal sanctions upon knowledge, information, and communication in public libraries and elsewhere. This is usually referred to as censorship and surveillance. Since public libraries are by definition both public and repositories of accessible knowledge, this immediately affects a quarter of a billion people directly or indirectly. And since freedoms, once surrendered, are seldom recovered without great upheavals, the numbers of Americans eventually affected will be much greater over time. This is a large effect for a small benefit; for libraries are not proved yet to be hotbeds of terroristic facilitation.

Surrendering any liberty is far more costly to a free society than to any other form of government, and this insight is certainly not unique to me or to librarians. In fact, it is older than the United States itself: Benjamin Franklin put it this way on Nov. 11, 1755 in the Pennsylvania Assembly, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

I agree with much of what the Chief writes, though not with his conclusions nor with what I take to be his implications in regard to libraries. For example, he is absolutely correct that our freedoms were used against us in the 9/11 attack. That is always true in an open and free society. It is also true that closed and unfree societies are more difficult to penetrate (although not impossible).

He is right that the world has changed. For many Americans, 9/11 was an awakening to the fact that our continent can be attacked at any time. So, what's new about this? I can remember Pearl Harbor and what they said was the smoke of a torpedoed ship off New York and the decades of serious atomic missile threat during the Cold War and the more recent years of aborted and completed terrorist attacks on our soil.  We've been reachable for a very long time and by far more dangerous weapons. September 11 did not change that reality; all it changed was a distracted younger generation's perception of the reality that had existed all along.

I also agree that further attacks will probably occur, and more lives will be lost. However horrible this may sound to some people, a cold appraisal is that if 12 more attacks were to occur each as costly as 9/11, the casualty list of Americans would be about 1/2 the casualties we took in Korea in a war fought hard to a stalemate for the freedoms of another people or less than 1/2 the deaths we took in Vietnam --- another hard fought war, this one to a defeat, but still for the freedoms of another people.

Does all this mean that we must now trade in our free society for a closed one, or give up our national values in the panicked reaction of a generation's belated enlightenment, or even to surrender our own freedoms, in our own country, in anticipated fear of more casualties from a terrorist group? Perhaps this generation will do so, but I hope not.

Free access to knowledge is essential to liberty, and it is always dangerous to an established order -- unless you are the only one who has such access: then it is power. The Inquisition and countless tyrannies show us that well slicked path, and libraries are right to stand among those who protest stepping upon that path.

Terrorism cannot destroy us as a country nor as a people, but it could lead us to self-destruct much of what has made America special in the world. I fully agree with the Chief's final sentence, "To throw caution to the wind is irresponsible logic", but the caution that I urge as a library trustee is to safeguard those aspects of the functions of the library (which boil down ultimately to free access to the products of the human mind, including information and beauty and truth) that are essential to a healthy society of freedom and democracy. We hold in trust not only our local library but also the core national values to which libraries contribute so much.

As I write this, I happened upon an op-ed column about elections in the Nov.3, 2002 Utica Observer Dispatch by John Zogby, president of Zogby International, a well-known polling firm:

" ... It is about our rights, that which uniquely defines us as a people. I have had the opportunity to poll all over the world. And while many citizens of many different countries disagree with our policies, majorities revere us for our rights. Americans are not known for our geography, our cuisine, or the arts. Rather it is our values that define us. Our rights. When so many people all over the world see us as the people of rights, it is nothing short of an awesome responsibility that we have in maintaining so valuable < a thing >  that people everywhere want what we have."

I am not persuaded that our rights are a weakness that must be curtailed for our survival in the present circumstances. Just the opposite.

Back to Top

by Tina Thompson, NYSALB Trustee, lst Vice-President

Mary Jo Ketchum, long time library advocate, was the recipient of two very special  presentations at the annual NYLA/NYSALB conference. From the New York State Association of Library Boards (NYSALB) Mary Jo received the coveted  Velma Moore Award, and from the New York State Association of Library Boards (NYLA), she was presented with the Outstanding Service to Libraries Award. The presentations took place during NYLA's Banquet and Awards Ceremony at the organization's Annual Conference in Buffalo held October 25, 2002.

The awards were given in recognition of Mary Jo's twenty-two years of service as a trustee and advocate for library service at the local, state and national level.  Mary Jo served  as a director of NYSALB for 9 years including 3 years as president of the organization. During her tenure on the NYSALB board, she chaired and served on many of the organizations operational committees.

Her service to NYLA includes service as a Councilor-at-Large, a  member of the Vitality Fund Committee for their Capital Campaign and Chair of their Committee on Financial Security. She was an elected delegate to the White House Conference on Library and Information Services, and a member of the Viburnum Taskforce for Advocacy. Mary Jo has presented numerous trustee workshops and mentored libraries through Libraries for the Future.

During her long tenure as a trustee of the Elma Public Library, Mary Jo also served as president of this community library board. .She retired in September from the Board of Trustees at the Elma Public Library.

As the recipient of NYSALB's Velma Moore Award, Mary Jo also receives $750 to donate to the library or library service of choice.  Mary Jo has asked that the monetary award be given in equal amounts to libraries at the Sacred Heart Academy in Buffalo, Annunciation School of Elma and the Elma Public Library. Sacred Heart Academy is Mary Jo's high school alma mater and her children attended Annunciation School.

Back to Top

By Susan Keitel, NYLA Executive Director

Mark the Date: March 18, 2003 NYLA will hold its annual Legislative Day on March 18, 2003 in Albany. Please plan to travel to Albany for this very important opportunity to show the Legislature that libraries are important and that you want increased state funding for the library community.

As usual, NYLA will host all attendees for a Continental brunch and briefing sessions, and we will provide you with  information to make your visits and your conversations with Legislators easier.

This year we are planning a special rally early in the afternoon to demonstrate the importance and popularity of all libraries.  Please plan to join us!  More detailed information will be available through your library system, in the next edition of the NYLA Bulletin, and from the NYLA office.

This year, there will be no planned NYLA dinner on the evening before Lobby Day, but any NYLA member who has come to Albany early in preparation for our Legislative Day is welcome to stop in the NYLA office for a glass of good cheer and some friendly conversation. Watch for more information.

Legislative Priorities For 2003

NYLA supports and hopes to advance New Century Libraries, the visionary proposal seeking more than $100 million in state aid to increase funding for the library community in a variety of ways.  As the 2003 legislative session gets underway, and as we see the Executive budget in mid-January, it may also become necessary to focus our efforts on other priorities.

For example, retaining the current state funding of nearly $90 million is essential to the operation of library systems and to their member libraries. Perhaps equally important are other goals: using the most recent census figures to truly calculate library aid; holding harmless those libraries which may have lost population but have not lost their need for library and information services; and developing a constituency to support a constitutional mandate for library services in New York State.

The political climate and the budget projections in this state will influence NYLA's lobbying strategies.  Stay tuned as the policy and politics of 2003 unfold.

Back to Top

By Valerie Chevrette, New York State Library

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. In a year that promises to be a challenging one on the budget front, the Board of Regents are moving boldly forward with their legislative proposal New Century Libraries and their commitment to giving New Yorkers the libraries they need in the 21st century.

The Regents have expanded their proposal to $107 million.   In addition to support for NOVEL, public library construction, need based aid for public libraries in high need communities, support for creation of public library districts, and better support for New York's urban public libraries,

New Century Libraries now includes $2 million to recruit \and retain a skilled library workforce for the 21st century.  This includes support for training programs for library policymakers, including trustees.

With a 20% surge in library use statewide since September 2001, the timeliness of New Century Libraries  is beyond dispute.  New Yorkers look more and more to their libraries for the information critical to work, business, school, and community in our information economy.

In the past year, use of NOVEL - the statewide virtual library freely available to all libraries in New York State and their users - has increased a dramatic 370%. New York's economic recovery demands strong libraries that can meet the information needs of all New Yorkers.  Yet more than one million New Yorkers have no local library, more than 900 school libraries and 400 public libraries lack essential services, and 63 urban communities cannot respond to the demand for library services.  With half of New York's public libraries over 60 years old and sub-standard, the estimated need for library construction and renovation tops $1 billion. NOVEL remains only partially funded and depends upon support from temporary federal funds.

If New York is to remain a leader among the states, New Yorkers must have strong libraries. The time has come for this important investment, and it is one that New Century Libraries will make. For more information on New Century Libraries go to www.ncl.nysed.gov, or contact Janet M. Welch, State Librarian, at 518/474-5930 or email jwelch2@mail.nysed.gov.

New Century Libraries - $107 Million:

• $14 million NOVEL
• $20 million public library construction
• $10 million to create and strengthen public library districts
• $16 million for need-based aid to high-need areas
• $10.2 million for urban public libraries
• $700,000 for library services to individuals with disabilities
• $1 million for  public library based English literacy and reading programs
• $15.1 million in Academic & Research.
• $15 million in School Library Support Aid
• $3 million for School Library Systems
• $2 million to recruit a skilled workforce for the 21st century

Back to Top

By Jeff Cannell, Director, Albany Public Library

The Albany Public Library serves the 95, 000 residents of the City of Albany, and, as the Central Library of the Upper Hudson Library System, serves as the library of first resort for the residents of Albany and Rensselaer counties. This urban library comprises a main library and four branches, with a fifth, sharing space with a YMCA, a daycare enter and a computer learning center, due to open in early 2004.

The Albany Public Library has its beginnings in the Young Men's Association For Mutual Improvement in the City of Albany, an intellectual and cultural organization, chartered by the state legislature in 1833 to establish a library and a reading room. It took six years for the Association to raise the funds to build Harmanus Bleeker Hall, which housed Albany's first public library and provided an auditorium for public presentation of cultural and educational programs.

In 1891, Albany educator John A. Howe established the Albany Free Library and received $200 from the City of Albany, the first appropriations of public funds for library service. By 1924, the Albany Free Library had grown to three branches while the Young Men's Association operated two libraries with a third, the Harmanus Bleeker Library, under construction.

In 1922, the Trustees of the two organizations began to discus a merger to improve library service in the city. In 1923, the State Legislature authorized the Board of Trustees of the Young Men's Association to establish a free association library to be called the Albany Public Library, and in the following year, the Board of Trustees entered into a service agreement with the City of Albany, which began to make annual appropriations for library service.

In 2001, after years of flat funding from the City, the Board of Trustees decided to take the courageous step of attempting to recharter as a school district public library. This meant getting petitions signed to put a referendum on the City School District's budget, and getting petitions signed to run for nine elected trustee slots.

The library ran an intense public relations campaign, meeting with media representatives, and local business, civic and education leaders to get out the message that the library, a cornerstone of democracy, should be governed democratically, with elected trustees and a voter approved budget.

One story  that we told really resonated with community audiences: In 1902, Andrew Carnegie offered the City $175,000 to build a library. In those days, this was enough to build an impressive edifice. The gift came with the usual strings; the City had to donate the land on which the library would be built, and agree to support it at the rate of $17,500 per year. The City fathers held a referendum on the proposed gift, and it was voted down.

Having once lost the opportunity to have a world-class library, we told voters, let us not repeat the mistake. The referendum, held in the spring of 2002, passed by a Three to two margin, nearly doubling the library's operating budget with a $four million tax levy.

Shortly after rechartering, the library won a Library Services and Technology Act federal grant to hire a library planner/architect to facilitate a public strategic planning process. With public input, we will be able to chart our course to the future confident that we will  provide our customers with the services and products they require in up-to-date facilities.

Back to Top

Vol. XIV, No. 1, Winter 2002-3

TRUSTEE is published quarterly by the New York State Association of Library Boards, 388 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12207.  The New York State Association of Library Boards, owner; Edwin M. Field, editor.  Periodical postage paid at Albany, NY.  Printed in the USA.  As a non-profit organization authorized to mail at special rates (Section 132.122, Postal Manual) the purpose, functions and non-profit status organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes have not changed in the preceding 12 months.  Extent and Nature of Circulation (average) figures denote the number of copies printed each issue during the preceding 12 months.  Actual figures denote number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, the October issue.  Total number of copies printed: avg. 3600; actual 3200.  Paid circulation:  Not applicable (i.e. no sales through dealers, carriers, street vendors and counter sales.)  Mail subscription:  avg. 3142; actual 3155.  Free distribution: avg. 0; actual 0. Total distribution 3142.  Not distributed avg. 458.  Total sum of previous two entries 3600.  Subscription $10.00 annually per subscriber is a benefit of paid membership.

NYSALB
338 Broadway, 4th Floor
Albany, NY 12207
Phone: 518-434-5973 
Fax: 518-434-0072

EDITOR: Edwin M. Field, efield@catskill.net
PRESIDENT: Norman J. Jacknis, norm@jacknis.com
1st VICE PRESIDENT: Martina Thompson
2nd VICE PRESIDENT: Joan Hurley
TREASURER: Richard Strauss
SECRETARY: Samuel Patton
ASSOCIATION MANAGER: Karen K. Dyer

DIRECTORS:
Edwin M. Field, Monticello
Joan Hurley, Horseheads
Dr. Norman J. Jacknis, Cortlandt Manor
David Bruce Krogmann, Glens Falls
George Manitzas, Freeport
Samuel Patton, Hopewell Junction
Francis Picart, Brentwood
Nancy Simaitis, Waverly
Richard Strauss, Memphis
Jane Sweet, Clarence
Dr. William Taber, Richfield Springs
Martina Thompson, Pittsford
Dr. Robert Wells, Canton

Back to Top