Program Summary
The Coordinated Outreach Services Program exists to support Public Library Systems in reaching those who are most in need and who often are not regular library users. New York State Education Law, §273 (1) (h) (1) defines coordinated outreach as services addressing inequities based on age, skin color, education level, housing status, geographic location, employment status, or disability.
Public Library System Requirements
To be eligible for State aid for Coordinated Outreach services, Commissioner's Regulation §90.3 stipulates that a system must meet each of the following criteria:
- Each system must employ at least one full-time, certified librarian with expertise in providing public library outreach service.
- Each system maintains a Coordinated Outreach Services Advisory Council that meets at least twice a year and has 5-11 members, including one director of a member library, representatives of agencies who serve the target populations detailed above, and members of these populations themselves. Council members are to serve at the discretion of the system.
- Each system shall submit a plan that includes a description of its community engagement program and the populations it serves.
Funding Details
New York State Education Law §273 (1) (h) (1) establishes that each eligible system will receive an annual fund of $43,000, plus an additional thirteen cents per capita of the total population of the area served. Additional funding is allotted using the following calculation:
- Each system serving a population of two million or more shall receive an additional $46,333
- Each system serving a population between four hundred thousand and two million shall receive an additional $23,000
- Each system serving a population of less than four hundred thousand shall receive an additional $14,000