The Office of Educational Television and Public Broadcasting is charged with the responsibility of maintaining a financially sound broadcasting system in the State through the administration of local assistance funds for the operational, programmatic and instructional needs of the eleven State public television stations and 16 public radio stations. This responsibility of the Office provides an opportunity to help the Education Department form cost-effective, dynamic partnerships between itself and public broadcasting and between public broadcasting and the educational community. To this end, the Office is committed to a long-term, broad-based effort to meet educational needs that can best be addressed through public broadcasting and telecommunications technologies.

Beyond maintaining a sound public broadcasting system, the Office of Educational Television and Public Broadcasting is responsible for the acquisition and production of quality programming materials for the State's learners. Furthermore, the Office is charged with fostering a climate conducive to the invigorated use of video and telecommunications technologies to benefit virtually all citizens in every area of the State. To fulfill its mission, the Office has affirmed the following goals:

1. Public Broadcasting will be a major factor in providing education to all New Yorkers. The Office ensures the effective development of instructional television and radio services provided to students and other citizens through broadcast, narrowcast, community outreach and interactive telecommunications.

2. The Public Broadcasting System in New York State will be financially sound. The Office provides leadership and direction to the State's public broadcasting stations, administering State aid for operational, programmatic and instructional support.

3. The Office of Educational Television and Public Broadcasting will provide video productions and service to support the Board of Regents and the Education Department's priorities including dissemination of video programming in cooperation with program offices in the Department, the public broadcasting stations, and other education and cultural institutions of the State.

Federal Statute: Federal Regulation:
State Statute: Education Law ' 236 State Regulation: 8 NYYCRR Part 179

State Operations: Included in overall Office of Cultural Education funding

Local Assistance: State 100% Total: $13.8 m

The New York State Research Library provides information services for the government and people of the State. It is the principal library for State government, serves as a resource library and referral point for the New York State Interlibrary Loan (NYSILL) Program. The Library has a collection of over 19 million items with major resources to provide vital information to businesses, State and local governments, lawyers and health professionals and supplement the holdings of all types of libraries throughout the State. Over 200,000 clients use the Library on-site each year. The Library answers 117,500 reference requests from users and fills 240,000 electronic requests for materials annually. Staff members select, catalog, process, maintain and preserve materials and provide service from a collection that fills 77 miles of book stacks in the Cultural Education Center.

The Research Library has particular strengths in law, medicine, social sciences, education, history, certain pure sciences and technology. It has the largest collection of New York State documents in existence and is the only Regional Federal depository in New York State, including a comprehensive collection of United States patents. Since it was established in 1818, the State Library has been dedicated to acquiring and preserving materials that explain the State=s history and culture. Among its holdings are manuscripts, personal papers of New Yorkers, records of New York State organizations, New York State newspapers and rare books in all areas.

The Research Library provides over 146 CD-ROM databases for on-site research and access to thousands of online bibliographic and statistical databases. The Research Library's online catalog is searchable 24 hours a day by anyone with Internet access. Through its Home Page on the Internet (www.nysl.nysed.gov), individuals can find information about the New York State Library, its collections and services. The Home Page also provides links to information about New York State government and gateways to significant information sources, such as Federal databases. As the host for the New York State Geographic Information Systems (NYGIS) Clearinghouse, the Library helps New Yorkers find the most cost-effective way to gain access to existing GIS resources.

Talking Book and Braille Library provides reading materials and reference services to eligible readers, who are visually impaired, physically dfisabled or learning disabled, in 55 upstate counties, using books in braille and recorded media provided by the Library of Congress. The Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) works with local libraries and other agencies to develop services and make the full range of resource materials available to readers. More that 38,000 New Yorkers with physical impairments enjoy at-home access, and over 15,000 schools and 14,282 visually impaired or learning disabled students receive items through TBBL.

Federal Statute: U.S. Public Printing and Documents Act, U.S. Patent Act, Library of Congress Act
Federal Regulation:
State Statute: Education Law, Title I, ' 245-249, State Printing and Public Documents Law, Article 3, ' 10-13
State Regulation: 8 NYCRR Parts 10 and 92

The Division of Library Development is responsible for the planning, regulation, coordination and development of statewide library services in a networked environment. Staff specialists work with librarians, trustees and public officials across the State, providing technical assistance, guidance and training to continuously improve the services to New York's over 7,000 libraries and 74 library systems. The staff of Library Development exercise regulatory oversight over 741 public libraries, 74 library systems and other library-related programs; administer over $95 million in State and Federal aid for the improvement of library services and develop and deliver information products designed for use in improving library services and programs. The Division of Library Development has statewide responsibility for the Electronic Doorway Library Services Program, a major technology initiative which will help local libraries provide information electronically. The Division also charters and registers public libraries and certifies librarians.

Federal Statute: Library Services and Technology Act Federal Regulation:
State Statute: Education Law, Title I, ' 216, 271-273, 254, 282-285
State Regulation: 8 NYCRR 8 Parts 10 and 90

General aid to libraries is appropriated for the 23 public library systems, their central libraries, and all of their 736 member public libraries. Formula factors authorized in Education Law 272 and 273.1 on which library aid is appropriated, take into account the population, geographic area of service, local support, expenditures for library materials, and other characteristics and needs of the regions served. Each of the 23 public library systems receives an amount equal to seven percent of the amount earned in materials reimbursement, or $76,500, whichever is more for the purposes of library automation. Also included in general library aid is the Central Library Aid Program, the Coordinated Outreach Services Program, the Local Library Services Aid Program, the Local Services Support Aid and the Local Consolidated Systems Aid Program. Not included in this section are special grants to The New York Public Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Research Libraries.

Education Law, section 273., provides competitive grant funds to public libraries and library systems for establishing or increasing services to illiterate adults. To be eligible, libraries must cooperate directly with schools, colleges, or other community agencies or organizations operating similar adult literacy programs.

This program provides grants to 23 public library systems to improve library services to inmates of correctional institutions maintained by counties throughout the State and the City of New York. Materials and staff services are provided. Funds are paid to the 23 public library systems on the basis of proposals for services. Allocation of funds is based on an average daily census of inmates. Budgetary action apart from permanent statutory authorization funds this program.

Education Law, section 271, provides aid to libraries on the St. Regis Mohawk, Tonawanda Senecas and the Seneca Nation of Indian reservations based on reservation population. The official populations are certified annually by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

Education Law, section 285, provides an allocation of $9.25 per inmate to the 18 participating public library systems to develop and extend library services to State correctional facilities within their service areas based on applications showing proposed services. Approximately 68,000 inmates are served by this program.

Federal Statute: Federal Regulation:
State Statute: Education Law, Title I §271-273, 273-a, 282-285
State Regulation: 8 NYCRR Part 90

State Operations: Included in overall Office of Cultural Education funding

Local Assistance: State: 100% Total-$91.5m

Formula aid under Education Law, section 273, provides funds to The New York Public Library Research Libraries ($5.9 million) for books and other resources, and to support two special programs: The New York Public Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped ($910,000) to provide service to blind and physically disabled persons in 7 downstate counties in New York City and on Long Island and for operating the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture ($679,000), the nation’s largest, most comprehensive and heavily used repository of records documenting the history and culture of people of African descent.

Funds are appropriated to The New York Public Library through the State Education Department for this nonstatutory program to enable The New York Public Library to provide services to the City University of New York.

Education Law, section 273, authorizes competitive grant funds to enrich coordinated outreach programs conducted for preschool and school-age children and their parents by a public library.

Education Law, section 273-a, provides State aid for the construction, rehabilitation or renovation of public libraries. Sixty percent is distributed on a per capita basis and the remaining 40 is distributed as equal flat grants among the 23 public library systems. State aid may be used for up to 50 percent of approved projects. Individual projects are approved by the governing boards of the public library systems with final approval by the Commissioner of Education.

Formula aid under Education Law, section 273, provides $19 per reader to the New York State Library Talking Book and Braille Library for its program which serves over 38,000 eligible visually and physically disabled and learning disabled readers in 55 upstate counties.

Education Law, section 273, provides funding for libraries and other organizations engaged in efforts to preserve deteriorating library research material. There are three parts: annual statutory grant program ($126,000) for each of the 11 comprehensive research libraries; annual discretionary coordinated preservation project program ($350,000) for those 11 libraries; and, annual discretionary grant program ($500,000) for other institutions, such as public libraries, museums and historical societies having research materials. Base grants for the four SUNY Centers and the State Library’s conservation program are appropriated in the State operations funds for the SUNY Centers ($328,900) and for the New York State Library ($90,000).

Formula aid is provided under Education Law, section 273 to promote and facilitate resource sharing activities among academic and special libraries and other types of systems. These nine systems coordinate the hospital library program, the coordinated collected development program for academic libraries, and the regional databases program for libraries in their service area. State aid supports interlibrary loan, delivery, continuing education, automation and other resource sharing activities.

Education Law, section 273, provides grants to libraries of public and nonprofit independent colleges and universities for coordinated collection development. If they meet certain criteria, including membership in a reference and research library resources system and full participation in interlibrary loan and other resource sharing programs. The nine Reference and Research Library Resources Systems, working with the academic libraries in their regions, have formulated collection development plans for their regions.

Education Law, section 273, provides aid to New York Historical Society, a major resource library with collections relevant to the study of United States, New York State and New York City. The funds are used for general operations, including strengthening the collection.

Education Law, section 273, provides grants-in-aid for the efficient and coordinated development of computer technology to support bibliographic control and interlibrary sharing of information within and among the service areas of each of the nine Reference and Research Library Resources Systems and its member academic, public, school and special libraries.

Formula aid is provided under Education Law, sections 282-284, to 42 school library systems to facilitate sharing of library resources for both public and nonpublic school libraries. State aid supports interlibrary loan, delivery, continuing education, coordination of collection development, automation and database building activities, and service to clients with special needs.

Education Law, section 273, provides aid to the Center for Jewish History, Inc. to increase public access to the collections of the member institutions.

The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) program enacted on September 30, 1996, focuses on two key priorities for libraries: 1) information access through technology, and 2) information empowerment through special services. For the five-year period October 1, 1997 through September 30, 2002, the LSTA program in New York State will support grants to library systems and libraries and statewide services through the New York State Library in these two areas. The intent is to use LSTA funds in a way that emphasizes access to electronic content, the development of new content, and the ability to evaluate and use that content.

Federal Statute: Library Services and Technology Act Federal Regulation:
State Statute: State Regulation:

State Operations: Included in overall Office of Cultural Education funding
Local Assistance: Federal-100% Total-$3.2m