Public Library District Toolkit: Strategies to Assure your Library’s Legal and Financial Stability

If you have taken the time to review the information in this guide you have come to the conclusion that it is time to seek a path to assure the long term future of your Library as a viable community resource. Many trustees and administrators in our state and others have come to the same conclusion. Some have acted upon it. We have included their responses and suggestions in this guide. In every case it required several years of persistence and hard work. Without exception they believe it was worth the effort. Indeed, they all report that it has allowed them to fully realize the potential of the institution to which they have been entrusted.

In 2000 the New York State Board of Regents endorsed and promoted the “Public Library District Model” in order to give libraries in our state a path toward financial and political independence. Many libraries and unserved areas followed this path and have thrived since. In 2009, as we faced a significant recession, many more libraries followed suit.

Every one of them chose hard work over diminished resources and irrelevance. And in today’s unique challenges they are grateful that they did.

Though this revision of the “Strategies” is being written during a time of crisis, the point of restructuring your library is to protect it from the next crisis; be it local, regional or global.

And that is your responsibility.