Welcome
Under New York State Education Law, §273 (1) (h) (1), and Commissioner's Regulations §90.3, Public Library Systems provide Coordinated Outreach Library Services directly and through their member libraries to New Yorkers who are most in need and who often are not regular library users. Further information pertaining to this group from the state level may be found here.
*The following information may be found here*
Each System maintains a Coordinated Outreach Services Advisory Group which meets at least twice a year, includes 5-11 members, includes members of the target population groups and agencies who work with these groups within the system's service area, and one director of a member library. Council members are to serve three-year terms.
For other parts of the law and full text of both law and Commissioner's Regulations, see Excerpts from New York State Law and Regulations of the Commissioner of Education pertaining to Libraries, Library Systems, Trustees and Librarians
Each public library system receives Coordinated Outreach State Aid:
Coordinated Outreach Library Services provides each system with $43,000 plus $.13 per capita population annually. Education Law §273 (1) (h) (1)
The funds are used statewide for special services such as:
- Literacy and GED-preparation assistance
- Book delivery services for people who are geographically isolated or disabled
- Service to homeless families, migrant farm families
- Assistive reading devices for disabled persons
- Job counseling and resume preparation
- Programs for elderly persons, residents of nursing homes
- Special collections, and much more.
In addition, each system serving a population of two million inhabitants or more shall receive an additional amount of forty-six thousand three hundred thirty-three dollars and each system serving a population of four hundred thousand inhabitants and less than two million inhabitants shall receive an additional amount of twenty-three thousand dollars and each system serving a population of less than four hundred thousand inhabitants shall receive an additional amount of fourteen thousand dollars.