Voice Your Opposition To Proposed Library CutsGovernor George Pataki’s 2004 proposed budget is calling for a 5 percent ($4.4 million) cut to libraries in New York State. This news is very disheartening to the library community, and all are encouraged to voice their opinions to their state legislators. Library Legislative Day is being held this year on March 16 in Albany. This day provides library supporters the chance to speak with their political representatives and remind them of the importance of libraries and all of the services they provide. If you are unable to attend Legislative Day or would like to begin contacting your legislators now, please go to the NNY Library Friends web site at www.nnylibraryfriends.org/. This site offers all the information you may need to contact your legislators. Addresses, a sample form letter and direct e-mail links are all provided. Library personnel are encouraged to inform their patrons of this site so they too may tell their local senators and assemblypeople how important libraries are to them. | |
Group Access UpdateEnrollment in the Group Access (GAC) system is open to all libraries in the region that are not already OCLC members. The Group Access system lets libraries that are not OCLC members use the OCLC Interlibrary Loan subsystem on a selective basis. Users have access to the holdings of their "group" of libraries, and may request items via interlibrary loan from within that group of libraries. Use of the system is web-based. The Northern New York Library Network subsidizes the cost of GAC for users of OCLC’s Group Access Interlibrary Loan System. This year’s subsidy is being increased from $800 to $1,200 and is paid directly to NYLINK. Costs over the subsidy will be billed by the Network to the library using the GAC system. For more information on the GAC system, or to inquire about enrollment, call the Northern New York Library Network at 315-265-1119. | |