The Northern New York Library Network is a regional multitype library agency dedicated to cooperatively providing support and serves necessary for all of its members to meet their individual goals. The Network services libraries in the seven counties of Northern New York for the ultimate benefit of the library user.

Services to member libraries include web-based interlibrary loan, subsidized access to electronic research files, union listing of periodicals, web-based publications, group access to automated data bases, automated bibliographic data base searching, data base building and distribution, electronic mail/communications systems, digitization of historical newspapers, coordinated collection development, professional development programs, and technical support for historical records repositories.

Northern New York Library Network is one of nine councils chartered by the University of the State of New York. The Northern New York region covers the largest geographic area of the nine reference and research resources councils, serving libraries in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, and St. Lawrence counties.

The Network has published this directory through the support of the Documentary Heritage Program of the New York State Archives, which designated the Network as regional program agent in 1992. The Documentary Heritage Program is intended to provide support and assistance to archives and local historical records repositories throughout New York State through documentation and inventorying projects and competitive grants. Funds for the Documentary Heritage Program are provided through the New York State Local Government Records Improvement Fund.