Mandate Relief for Libraries

With New York's public libraries facing a potential 10 percent budget cut, they're endanger of violating maintenance of effort (MOE) statutes, which could cost them federal and state aid. In response to this looming dilemma, Senator Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna, has introduced a bill (SB 4102) on Friday that would allow waivers for some of these MOE statutes so libraries won't lose state aid.
He proposes letting the state Education Commissioner grant waivers so that local libraries don't jeopardize 25 percent of their state funding by failing to meet certain standards.
Farley's bill memorandum argues that this loss of funding would have a "crippling effect" and would impact persons who are disabled, speak English as a second language, are incarcerated, are institutionalized or unemployed. The memo suggests that the waiver process has a successful past.
It's not clear what standards libraries would be exempted from, but that they would be determined on a case by case basis.

Farley Lends Support to Libraries

With New York's libraries facing a 10 percent reduction in funding based on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget proposal, Senator Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna, has introduced a measure on Friday that would make them eligible for other streams of funding.
His proposed legislation (SB 4100) would allow libraries to compete for Employment preparation Education funds for their pre-GED and other adult literacy services. This would provide libraries access to a $96 million fund that is currently only available to schools and BOCES, even though the state's public libraries provide many of the same educational services like computer and internet skills, job readiness workshops and financial literacy classes.
This bill is likely welcomed by the New York Library Association, as executive director Michael J. Borges implored the legislature to include this measure when he testified before the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on February 15. He characterized this change in law as one of fairness and equity, especially why the state's libraries see their funding drop below 1994 levels.
Initially, the governor proposed a budget of $76 million for the state's public libraries, which would be a reduction of about $8 million. Of that cut, $4.2 million was added back as additional aid by the Senate, but not the Assembly. The proposed budgets do include $14 million for public library capital projects.
New York has 23 public library systems, which support over 1000 public libraries, and there are also nine Reference and Research Library Resources Systems, which support 41 school library systems. are state-funded regional systems that provide support to not only the 23 public library systems. Additionally, there are over 900 academic, hospital, law, business, large public, and special libraries.