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

 

TO:	The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents
FROM:	Carole F. Huxley
COMMITTEE:	Cultural Education
TITLE OF ITEM:	Review of Research Library pilot extended borrowing
DATE OF SUBMISSION:	December 20, 2004
PROPOSED HANDLING:	Discussion
RATIONALE FOR ITEM:	To review results and Commissioner’s Regulations concerning the Research Library’s pilot extended borrowing project
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goal 4
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY:

 

In June 2004, the New York State Research Library instituted a pilot project to extend borrowing privileges to all New York State residents 18 years of age and over.  The purpose of the project was to test the effects of expanding the current eligible borrowing “population” authorized in Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.  Currently, authorized borrowers include only New York State officials and employees, New York State resident-licensed physicians, New York State resident members of the New York State Bar, and officially appointed local government historians.

 

As of December 2004, the Library has registered 1,000 New York State resident borrowers.  Fifty percent of those resident borrowers are located within the greater Capital District.  The rest are in locations ranging from Buffalo to Poughkeepsie, and Ogdensburg to New York City.  The library has received positive feedback from individuals who have registered for the Resident Borrower’s card.  A number of resident borrowers have asked if the extended privileges would continue after the six-month pilot project.

 

The State Library has carefully monitored the return rate for borrowed materials, and has not encountered problems with loss of materials.  The Library will recommend that the Regulations of the Commissioner (92 NYCRR, New York State Library) be amended to authorize the permanent addition of New York State resident borrowers as a category of eligible borrowers.