Meeting of the Board of Regents | May 2007

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:	New York State’s Library Services and Technology Act Five-Year Plan for October 1, 2007—September 30, 2012
DATE:	May 1, 2007
STRATEGIC GOAL:	4
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision

 

              The Regents will vote on approval of New York State’s Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Five-Year Plan for October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2012.

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Reason(s) for Consideration

 

              Review of policy.

 

Proposed Handling

 

              The Regents will vote on approval of the proposed LSTA Plan for 2007–2012 following their discussion of the draft plan at their March 2007 meeting. The plan describes in detail specific activities that support the four goals of the plan (listed below under “Background Information”). The entire plan is posted on the State Library website at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/lsta/plan0712.htm.

 

Procedural History

 

              This is the third LSTA Five-Year Plan crafted by the New York State Library, the libraries and library systems, and other key stakeholders since the LSTA Program began in 1997 (replacing the Library Services and Construction Act Program). The Institute of Museum and Library Services, which administers the program, requires a detailed plan from each state that describes the State Library’s mission, the library service needs identified for the state, and the ways in which the state plans to use federal LSTA funds to meet those needs. The Regents, who determine library policy for New York State, review and approve the LSTA Five-Year Plans.

 

Background Information

 

The LSTA Five-Year Plan describes a focused program for the improvement of library services to the people of New York State by using a combination of local, state, and federal resources.

 

The Five-Year Plan for 2007 to 2012 is based on four major goals:

 

1. All New Yorkers will have reliable, electronic access to high-quality information resources through the expansion of NOVELNY and through enhancement of libraries’ technology capabilities to meet users’ information needs.

 

1. All New Yorkers will have improved access to library resources and services that advance and enhance their personal, educational, and working lives.

 

1. The New York State Library, library systems, and libraries will deliver new and improved programs that anticipate and meet New Yorkers’ constantly changing needs for library services.

 

1. The New York State Library, library systems, libraries, and library organizations will strengthen public policy support for upgrading library services for every New Yorker through improved communication, collaboration, and partnership efforts within and beyond the library community.

 

Each of these four goals is closely linked to the recommendations issued in 2000 by the Regents Commission on Library Services and to one or more of the six purposes of LSTA. In its detailed description of each of the four goals and the supporting activities, the plan describes specific evaluation measures that will enable accurate evaluation of the plan’s implementation and ensure effective use of LSTA and other resources.

 

The 2007–2012 LSTA Five-Year Plan has been developed in consultation with the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries, the NOVELNY Steering Committee, libraries, and library systems. It was available for public comment at a number of points during its development, and incorporates input from many key stakeholder groups. The identification of the goals and significant components of the plan are also closely tied to the results of a major evaluation of the preceding LSTA program and to the work of the Steering Committee for NOVELNY. The State Library will continue to involve stakeholders in various aspects of the plan’s implementation, and the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries will ensure that the execution of the plan is coordinated with the overall plan and priorities of the New York State Library through a unified approach to statewide library policy.

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Recommendation

 

              Staff recommend that the Regents approve the LSTA Five-Year Plan and then support its implementation in the coming years.

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

              The plan is intended for implementation between October 1, 2007, and September 30, 2012.