You are on page 1of 2

A legislative Column by Assemblyman Will Barclay Week of April 21, 2014

Libraries See ncrease! "se# $%&'Lny (rovi!es Access to Safe nternet )esearc*
Library use *as increase! across t*e state+ Accor!ing to some of $e, -ork State Librarys latest statistics, visits to public libraries increase! by seven million from 11. million to 120 million from 200/ to 2000+ 1*e number of items borro,e!books, ebooks, movies, maga2ines an! more*as increase! by more t*an 113+ $ational Library Week is celebrate! in April+ 1*is years t*eme is Lives C*ange 4 -our Library+ 1*e Assembly commemorate! t*e ,eek 5April 1.6107 ,it* a resolution, ,*ic* ,as *appy to sponsor+ m an a!vocate for libraries an! believe t*eir presence is an important component to any community+ 1*is years enacte! state bu!get provi!e! 89:+: million for libraries across t*e state+ 1*ankfully, ,e ,ere able to prevent cuts to libraries as t*e governor *a! propose! an! instea! t*e Legislature slig*tly increase! fun!ing from last year by 81 million+ Libraries are an important part of bot* urban an! rural communities an! ,as please! fun!ing ,as increase! even if by a relatively small amount+ ;istorically, libraries *ave al,ays been important to literacy but t*ey are also t*e lea!ing !igital literacy e!ucators in $e, -ork an! are t*e number one point of internet access for t*ose ,*o !o not *ave internet access at *ome+ 1o meet t*e !eman! of $e, -orkers seeking nternet access, inclu!ing <ob seekers, libraries *ave respon!e! by increasing t*e number of publicly6 available internet6connecte! computers by over 293, to over 1/,000 computers+ 1*ere are a number of resources available t*roug* libraries+ ,ante! to *ig*lig*t one in particular t*at is provi!e! by $e, -ork State Library calle! $%&'Lny+ ts an electronic resource access pro<ect t*at enables resi!ents across $e, -ork State to *ave online access to t*e full te=t of <ournals, ne,spapers an! ot*er references for free+ t>s fun!e! in part from fe!eral !ollars to libraries t*roug* t*e Library Services an! 1ec*nology Act 5LS1A7 of 201.+ "sers can access !atabases t*at maintain a ,are*ouse of business *ig*lig*ts an! <ournals, encyclope!ias, elementary level perio!icals, general perio!icals, *ealt* references, an! ne,spaper articles+ ?or e=ample, a sub<ect searc* in t*e eLibrary 'lementary, one of t*e many searc*able !atabases accessible t*roug* $%&'Lny, retrieves c*il!6safe articles publis*e! in encyclope!ias or maga2ines t*at are age appropriate+ Articles can be rea! in t*eir entirety by t*e

user+ "sers may also opt to *ave t*e article rea! alou! ,it* a computer6enable! rea!er calle! )ea!Speaker+ "sers can create an! save a list of articles t*ey like or may ,ant to reference for researc* as ,ell+ @enealogy may also be researc*e! t*roug* $%&'Lny+ 1o fin! out more, visit *ttpABBnovelne,york+orgB!atabases+p*p+ Accor!ing to t*e $e, -ork State Library, $%&'Lny provi!es a minimum of 8.C in resources for every 81 of LS1A fun!ing t*roug* state,i!e purc*ase of electronic information, no, freely available+ ts a vast !atabase but even more ,ill be a!!e! beginning in Duly+ We nee! to continue to invest in our libraries, especially consi!ering *o, muc* library use *as increase! in recent years+ sponsor legislation t*at ,oul! amen! t*e e!ucation la, an! enable libraries to utili2e state ai! to install broa!ban! services+ @iven recent statistics of *o, muc* internet use *as increase! at libraries, t*is is important, an! especially important to "pstate an! rural communities+ Currently, un!er t*e (ublic Library Construction @rant (rogram, 814 million is appropriate! annually for construction, acEuisition, renovation or re*abilitation of public libraries+ '=clu!e! from t*is grant is ai! for t*e purpose of installing broa!ban! services+ Fy bill ,oul! allo, for libraries to access t*ese fun!s for broa!ban! installation+ ,ill continue to a!vocate for t*is legislation, A/:90, moving for,ar!+ f you *ave any Euestions or comments or if you ,oul! like to be a!!e! to my mailing list or receive my ne,sletter, please contact my office by mail at 200 $ort* Secon! Street, ?ulton, $e, -ork 1.0:0, by e6mail at barcla,4assembly+state+ny+us or by calling 5.1C7 C096 C19C+ GGG

You might also like