New York State Governor's Commission on Libraries Public Hearings Files

Chronological.

The Governor's Commission on Libraries was appointed by Governor Hugh Carey in April 1976 to plan for the New York State Governor's Conference on Libraries, held in June 1978. Prior to the Conference, the Commission held public hearings in Buffalo (April 20-21), New York City (April 27-28), Albany (May 11), and Syracuse (April 18). At these hearings, 255 students, teachers, librarians, administrators, and others from public, private, school, and academic libraries expressed their concerns.

These are records of the hearings held by the Commission. The series contains transcripts of each day's hearings.

Accompanying the transcripts for hearings in each city are summaries of the testimony providing: number and general affiliation of speakers; funding concerns and observations; answers to six specific questions posed by the Commission: 1) What is a library? 2) What access should library users have to books and other kinds of library materials? 3) Who should be responsible for the availability of informational and research materials? 4) Who should participate, and in what manner, in the planning and control of library policies? 5) How can the resources and services of all libraries and other information sources best be interrelated for the benefit of all users and potential users? 6) What applications of technology should be explored for maximum user benefits, and what are the likely limitations on such technological applications?; state mandates concerning libraries; new concepts and programs; and excerpts of important testimony.

The series also contains written statements submitted to the Commission addressing: technology; access; interrelationships and resource sharing; library functions and services; and finance and governance.

A few related items are also included in the series: promotional/informational brochure and report regarding the Governor's Conference on Libraries; and tape cassettes of the New York Library Association's 84th Annual Conference, 1977.

13367Series 13367, Conference arrangement and organization files, contains related records.

Folder list is available at the repository.

Each hearing transcript includes a name and subject index.

These records were transferred by the New York State Library in 1979 to the Archives as old collection #441, accession number -320.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.