Report of Regents Cultural Education Committee to The Board of Regents

Regent Roger Tilles, Chair of the Cultural Education Committee, submitted the following written report. Your Committee on Cultural Education Committee had its scheduled meeting on December 2013. In attendance were committee members: Regents Tilles, Dawson, Bendit, Rosa Cea, Jackson Cottrell, and Brown. Absent: None.

In addition to CE Committee Members, in attendance were: Chancellor Tisch; Vice Chancellor Bottar; Regents Chapey, Tallon, and Norwood and Executive Deputy Commissioner Berlin.

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

Chair’s Remarks: Regent Tilles welcomed everyone and opened the meeting.

Appointments to Regents Advisory Council on Libraries
Assistant Commissioner and State Librarian Bernard Margolis stated that two members of the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries have completed their terms. He recommended that the Board of Regents approve Claudia Depkin and Colleen Sadowski as new members of the Committee.
Regent Dawson made a motion to approve the nomination of Claudia Depkin and Colleen Sadowski to the Advisory Council on Libraries.

Regent Cea seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Update on the Public Library Construction Program
Since 2006, the enacted budget has included an appropriation of $14 million in capital funds for public library construction. Bernard Margolis, Assistant Commissioner and State Librarian, presented to the committee a comprehensive update on the Public Library Construction Program that included current status, needs and accomplishments of this program. Mr. Margolis reported that in 2012 there were 115 million visits to public libraries in New York State. Eight million people participated in 400,000 programs offered at public libraries.

The committee recommended that the board seek a ten percent increase in the $14 million appropriation for public library construction.

Report on Statewide Partnership Activities for OCE Programs
One of OCE’s strategic priorities is to strengthen partnerships with USNY organizations statewide. Deputy Commissioner Jeffrey Cannell provided a report on examples of current collaborations with organization and institutions statewide.
The committee discussed the need to develop and move forward a legislative initiative that supports the programs of cultural institutions statewide. The committee discussed briefly the Cultural and Museum Education Act as a possible initiative that will be advanced in the coming year.