Relates to state aid to libraries and library systems

Summary of provisions

Section 273(1)(b) of the Education Law is amended to clarify and ensure that central library development aid may be used to purchase "electronic resources" in addition to books and nonprint materials.

Section 273(1)(c) of the Education Law is amended to increase the per capita aid level for public library systems from 94 cents to $1.62. This change is cost-neutral as it is offset by the elimination of the cumbersome reimbursement program of 68 cents per capita for expenditures on books, periodicals, binding and nonprint materials. In addition, the automation program aid formula -- which is currently tied to the book reimbursement program -- is adjusted in 273(1)(d) to ensure that the overall funding amount for automation program aid remains the same.

Section 273(1)(f)(1) of the Education Law is amended to update the existing "hold harmless" provision regarding state aid and population changes. This amendment provides that no library shall receive less in per capita Local Library Services Aid than it received in 2011. This section is also amended to remove the limitation that the Commissioner of Education may only grant waivers or variances from minimum standards in the same year that there has been a reduction of local library services aid.

Section 273(1)(h) of the Education Law is amended to expand the Coordinated Outreach Services program to be the Coordinated Outreach and Youth Services program. It increases the base grant each public library system receives for this program from $43,000 to $65,000. This change is cost-neutral as the funds for this increase come from the elimination of two programs: the $200,000 competitive adult literacy grant program and the $300,000 competitive family literacy grant program.

Section 273(7) of the Education Law is amended in order to streamline the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials program. It increases the annual formula grant for the "Big Eleven" Research Libraries from $126,000 to $158,000. This change is cost-neutral.as it is offset by the elimination of the competitive $350,000 coordinated conservation/preservation grant program for the Big Eleven Research Libraries.

Section 273(11) of the Education Law is amended to update the existing "hold harmless" provision regarding state aid and population changes. The amendment provides that, beginning in calendar year 2012, no library or library system will receive less aid than it would have

been eligible to receive in 2011 solely by reason of a decrease in the population of the area served in accordance with the latest federal census.

Justification

This bill will consolidate, streamline and modernize a number of existing library aid provisions in state law in order to help New York's network of state-supported library systems and libraries better meet the needs of New Yorkers. The changes will also provide library systems with more flexibility so they can work in partnership with each other, with local libraries and with the State Library to adapt existing programs and services to meet the changing needs of library customers and achieve greater economies of scale. The changes accomplished by this legislation will enable library systems and libraries to more quickly institute new programs and services that take full advantage of new technologies and digital content, in cost efficient and operationally effective manners.

The proposed amendments to Section 273 of the Education Law will streamline and update several outdated aid formulas. The proposed legislation will eliminate three different statewide competitive grant programs and shift these State funds into formula aid programs with similar purposes. Each of these three competitive grant programs are under-funded compared to the need, and annually benefit only relatively small numbers of libraries. In addition, the State's administrative requirements for competitive grant programs have become increasingly stringent, with multiple and costly layers of review and approvals. These costly layers of review drain limited staffing resources and result in long delays in grant approvals by control agencies. As a result, local libraries may have only a two or three month window to complete what was intended by statute to be a twelve month grant project. The administrative burden consequently outweighs the benefits of these relatively small, targeted competitive grant programs.

Going forward, the State funds will be redirected into similar statutory formula programs in order to continue to address what are still areas of critical need. Programs for New Yorkers needing adult literacy library services and family literacy library services will be provided through the expanded public library systems' coordinated outreach library services and youth services program. The conservation and preservation of unique and fragile library research materials will be enhanced by the addition of the $350,000 from the coordinated conservation/preservation competitive grant program to the annual statutory funding for the Big Eleven research libraries. As a result of these changes, these limited State funds will benefit larger numbers of libraries and library users in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. The elimination of the three under-funded and labor intensive competitive grant programs will also result in operational efficiencies for the State Library, the State Education Department, control agencies, and local libraries.

The effective date of the elimination of the adult and family literacy grant programs, and the Coordinated Conservation/Preservation Grant Program, are delayed, since these programs are currently operating on a multi-year cycle.

The bill would also update the "hold harmless" provisions which had been previously enacted to protect libraries and library systems from the loss of State funding due to Census changes. Some state aid programs fund libraries on a per capita basis, and a relatively small percentage of libraries would be unduly affected by a loss of state aid resulting from population losses.

Fiscal implications

The bill is estimated to result in administrative savings to the State Library of some $50,000 by eliminating a few competitive grant programs which are costly to administer, especially in relation to the small amount of moneys provided under these programs. The changes to the library aid programs themselves are fiscally neutral, as increases in certain programs are offset by the elimination of other programs.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect as of April 1, 2012, except that the changes to the adult and family literacy grant programs shall take effect April 1, 2013, and the changes to the competitive Coordinated Conservation/Preservation Grant Program shall take effect April 1, 2014.