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New York State Library Offers Walk-Up Borrowing to ResidentsThe New York State Library has launched a six-month pilot program allowing state residents 18 years and older to directly borrow from its 20-million-item collection. Previously, borrowing privileges were limited to state employees, bar and medical association members, legislators, and officially appointed local historians; others had to conduct their research on-site.“This gives us an opportunity to give more direct service to people,” Mary Redmond, interim director of the research division, said in the August 2 White Plains Journal News. “A lot of people did want to borrow items but couldn’t, and we recognized that was something people wanted to do, so we pursued it.” Librarians expect that the new program will have little impact on their own services. “I think it’s lovely for people who live in the neighborhood. It’s an excellent research library,” Nanuet Public Library Director Gretchen Bell told the newspaper. “But we provide that kind of service through interlibrary loans.” Nanuet Head of Circulation Ben Meyers said the biggest advantage was for patrons who want to save the two or three weeks that ILL can take. In the July 10 Albany Times Union, Redmond said the direct-borrowing program is part of an effort by State Librarian Janet Welch, who assumed the post in 1998, to increase access. Discussions also underway on reinstating Saturday hours, which were cut three decades ago due to budgetary constraints. Posted August 6, 2004. |
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