CE Committee Minutes – September 16, 2008

10:00 a.m. – 10:35 a.m.

Location: Regents Room, EB

REGENTS COMMITTEE ON CULTURAL EDUCATION

Regent James C. Dawson, Chair of the Cultural Education Committee, submitted the following written report.

Your Committee on Cultural Education had its scheduled meeting on September 16, 2008.

In attendance were Regents Dawson, Bowman, Brooks Hopkins, Gardner, and Tilles.  Regent Phillips was absent.

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

Chairs’ Remarks: Regent Dawson greeted everyone and provided a brief update regarding Fort Ticonderoga.

Deputy’s Report: Deputy Commissioner Jeffrey Cannell greeted everyone and introduced presenters Maria Holden, Chief of Archival Services and Marie Culver, Preservation Manager at the New York State (NYS) Archives.

CE(D) 1 World Trade Center (WTC) Documentation and Records Preservation Project

Ms. Holden began the presentation and provided a brief introduction as to the important role of the NYS State Archives and its efforts in documenting pivotal events; with focus on how to document the loss and remembrance and the documents and objects connected to the event.  Ms. Holden referenced the efforts of their sister institution, the NYS Museum, which has built a major collection of objects and created a moving WTC exhibition; and talked about the updates of NYS State Archives efforts to help September 11 survivors, family members, first responders, archivists and curators to preserve materials related to the 9/11 attack for future generations.

The State Archives is a charter member of the WTC documentation task force and has supported efforts to organize the documentation effort in various ways.  NYS Archives was successful in obtaining funding for:

• Archivists Round Table of New York (NYART) to document the existence of records pertaining to the attacks
• City Lore to describe a series of 1000 images of the spontaneous memorials shot noted photographer Martha Cooper
• College of Staten Island to photograph somewhat transitory public memorials
• Hofstra University for its September 11th Collection documenting the response on Long Island
• And, has worked with State and local agencies to preserve the record of the government response - to name a few. 

Last year a different kind of need surfaced. The families who were tragically affected are asking for guidance on the care of their documents and objects in their possession.  Documents and objects that help tell the story of their daughter/son, sister/brother, and spouse, e.g., the text messages, hat, artwork, yearbook, report card, letters; etc.  In addition, thousands of aid organizations that sprang up in the aftermath need help to preserve the story of their part in the response.   Organizations like the World Trade Center Family Center, established to help Long Island families through workshops, counseling, monthly dinners, art therapy for the children who lost parents.  The WTCFC closed a couple of months ago because of lack of funds.  Their records, their results must be preserved.

Ms. Culver presented the second part of the presentation.  Since 2006, the State Archives preservation staff has given workshops for family groups.  These workshops are conducted as informal conversations. Audiences learn the basic steps in preservation and care of documents/objects; that their documents and objects are significant in the telling of the story; and, we recognize there is the personal value connected to each document/object.

NYS Archives provides guidance to safeguard these objects until a time the family may be ready to donate such objects to a local repository or a larger one like the State Museum or the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.  Perhaps our most important role is to seed the idea of some day moving collections to a permanent home for preservation and public access. 

Discussion related to the WTC and ideas were exchanged. 

CE(D) 2 – Revisions to NYCRR Code for Resident Borrowers Card Policies

Loretta Ebert, Director of the NYS Research Library, presented, for discussion, rationale for amending Section 92.1 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, relating to NYS Library borrowing policies to extend borrowing privileges to the State Library to include New York residents, 18 years of age or older.

Ms. Ebert provided background information beginning with the establishment of the NYS Library by the NYS Legislature in 1818; and the language of the enabling act that,“…no book map or other publication shall be at any time taken out of the library for any purpose whatever.”  Over the next 190 years the state slowly began to liberalize circulating loan policies beginning with the Legislators (and only while in session).  Eventually, all state employees, and any licensed or registered professional were eligible to register for borrowing privileges.  Currently, the NYCRR, title 8 (Education), section 92.1(b) states that the following may borrow any circulating library material upon application to the State Library: Members of the legislature, Regents, judges, heads of state departments, commissions and institutions and local government historians.  Outside of Albany borrowing was restricted to interlibrary loan services to institutions, rather than directly to individuals.

In the late 1990’s, (Regents Commission on Library Services, “Every New Yorker…should have equitable access to quality library services,”) a Direct Borrowers task force was established that studied the issue of resident borrowing.  The task force recommended that a pilot project for resident borrowers be launched.  Therefore, in April, 2004 a proposal for resident borrowing was discussed by the Regents and, in July, 2004, a pilot project was launched to extend borrowing privileges to all New York residents under the status of “R” for “Resident” borrower.  This status differed from the “P” or “Privileged” borrower and Ms. Ebert provided an explanation of those differences.  But, with respect to items that could circulate, general policies were followed for both groups including exclusions.

Since 2004, the Resident Borrowing pilot program has grown in popularity.  Today, there are over 3,000 registered resident borrowers and feedback has been positive.   With the success of the Resident Borrowers pilot project, the NYS Library is seeking to amend NYCRR, title 8 (Education), section 92.1(b) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to NYS Library Borrowing Policies, to include NYS resident borrowers as a permanent category.  With the approval of the Regents Cultural Education Committee, the proper procedures to change the Code will be initiated.  It is anticipated that such changes will be discussed at the November Regents CE Committee meeting and will come before the Committee for approval in January, 2009.

Approval to move ahead with the plan as presented was unanimous by attending Regents.

Jeffrey Cannell spoke briefly regarding budget priorities and related issues.  Discussion followed with a reminder that additional budget items and issues would be on the October schedule.

Meeting Adjourned at. 10:42 a.m.