Introduction. 1 This amount was based on the New York City Department of Education's K-12 School Based Expenditure Reports

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1 Appendix F: CUNY Libraries & New York City s Affiliated Schools Statement on Delivery of Library Services to New York City s Department of Education Affiliated Students (Approved at February 2009 CUNY Council of Chief Librarians meeting) CUNY Libraries and New York City s Affiliated Schools Statement on Delivery of Library Services to New York City s Department of Education Affiliated Students Introduction The New York City Department of Education (DOE) and City University of New York (CUNY) have a signed Agreement in place from September 2005 relating to provision of library services to 11 high schools. (See Appendix A for list of those 11 schools.) The Agreement provides for the option of increasing that list of schools on an annual basis. Based on the original 2005 Agreement, CUNY receives funds for the provision of services to the 11 affiliated schools: $60 per student enrolled at an affiliated DOE school is provided for delivery of library services. 1 The colleges Chief Librarians and the CUNY University Librarian have undertaken a review of the status of library services for these affiliated schools to make recommendations to ensure the partnership is meeting expectations effectively to the mutual benefit of the DOE and CUNY, and to the students depending on the services. Service Principles The expectations for services for students in K-12 public schools are defined by laws and regulations under Title 8 of New York Education Commissioner s Rules and Regulations, articles 91.1 and 91.2 (Appendix B). These rules and regulations specify expectations for the number of volumes required for students enrolled in various size public schools, required staffing levels and 1 This amount was based on the New York City Department of Education's K-12 School Based Expenditure Reports for (an amount which may vary), not the actual cost of providing library services to CUNY students. Website consulted February 10, 2008, Furthermore, the 2005 Agreement states "with respect to any CUNY college at which BOE [sic] high school students do not have full borrowing privileges, the fee shall be lowered to 83.3 per cent of the fee otherwise payable."

2 qualifications of school media specialists (librarians for K-12 populations). Qualifications for providing library services in higher education settings are different from those required for school media centers, collections are targeted to different levels of preparedness, and different service principles apply to younger audiences. The New York City Public School System also utilizes filtering software on its Internet computers to block access to content deemed inappropriate, while CUNY does not use filtering software (and opposes filtering based on content). The CUNY Council of Chief Librarians and the CUNY University Librarian affirm the importance of library services for preparing students to succeed. As noted in the New York City Department of Education report Information Fluency Continuum: [a] substantial body of research has emerged in the last 15 years that demonstrates an important and positive relationship between the presence of a good school library and increased student achievement. 2 The vision of delivering library services to affiliated schools through contracting with CUNY colleges fits well with the CUNY Master Plan , in terms of partnership with the DOE to enhance student participation in, and preparation for, higher education. The primary mission of the libraries of The City University of New York is to support the higher education objectives of The University. The libraries of the City University of New York are campus departments of the colleges that constitute CUNY, and their primary constituency consists of students, faculty and staff of the colleges. In fulfilling the mission of CUNY, college libraries do not collect materials supporting primary or secondary school curricula. CUNY librarians and staff rarely have the training and certification for meeting needs of primary and secondary school students. CUNY students also must pay a Technology Fee in addition to their tuition, and many campuses pay for computers [and electronic resources] through this Tech Fee, creating an expectation by students that they should not have to compete with non-cuny students for access to computers. While the concept of partnership between CUNY and the Department of Education makes sense in abstract, in reality there are challenges in part because the funds supporting the delivery of services are not consistently being made available to the libraries. The 2005 Agreement states that, CUNY shall receive all such payments centrally and shall in its discretion determine centrally the amount to be given to each College. If/when funds are given to the Colleges, the $60 per DOE student has not always been given to the libraries some libraries have received nothing, while other libraries have received over $24, New York City School Library System: Information Fluency Continuum. Website consulted October 6, 2006,

3 There are other aspects of the program that are problematic, such as limited seating and limited space for collections. When CUNY libraries are renovated or built, as with the Bronx Community College s North Instructional Building, calculations of populations served, and therefore the space needed for collections, seating, equipment, instruction, and staffing, do not count these younger students. Electronic full text licenses, whose subscription fees are based on FTEs, also do not include DOE students. Many of the libraries deny access to circulating collections for accountability reasons, as there are no methods for ensuring return or replacement of materials, since no hold can be placed on registration or transcripts of the high school student. This point seems to be heard clearly when an analogy is made in terms of delivering information technology services to these populations: there are complex issues in extending costly services to a wider, and younger population. Analysis and Recommendation A survey was conducted in 2006 of the status of affiliated schools at that time, as well as a survey of other college and school library affiliations nationally. The extent of services to the affiliated schools varies widely. Not all CUNY college libraries are in a position to meet required levels of service: facilities at some colleges are inadequate to serve primary college constituencies, shelving capacity at some colleges is insufficient, and staffing, equipment and collection concerns present obstacles. The University Librarian and CUNY colleges Chief Librarians are united in recommending that CUNY mandate that college libraries delivering services to affiliated schools receive the funds designated to support said services. We are also unanimous in stating that the 2005 Agreement, which is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2011, should not automatically become the pattern for any future Agreement(s) between CUNY and the Department of Education; rather, any and all future Agreement(s) affecting CUNY libraries should be brought to the University Librarian and the Council of Chief Librarians for input beforehand. Respectfully submitted, CUNY University Librarian and the Council of Chief Librarians Appendices A. List of Affiliated High Schools covered by the 2005 Agreement between CUNY and the NYC Department of Education B. Title 8 of New York Commissioner s Rules and Regulations, articles 91.1 and 91.2

4 Appendix A: List of Affiliated High Schools Covered by the 2005 Agreement 1. Lincoln Academy at Hostos Community College 2. Leon Goldstein High School at Kingsborough Community College 3. High School for American Studies at Lehman College 4. Queens High School for the Sciences at York College 5. High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College 6. Baruch College High School 7. University Heights High School at Bronx Community College 8. Brooklyn College Academy 9. International High School at LaGuardia Community College 10. Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community College 11. Middle College High School at Medgar Evers College

5 Appendix B: Title 8 of New York Commissioner s Rules and Regulations, articles 91.1 and 91.2 NYCRR TITLE 8 - EDUCATION 91.1 School libraries A school library shall be established and maintained in each school. The library in each elementary and secondary school shall meet the needs of the pupils, and shall provide an adequate complement to the instructional program in the various areas of the curriculum. (a) For secondary schools in which the average daily attendance is fewer than 200 pupils: (1) the library of a junior high school shall contain at least 1,000 titles; (2) the library of a high school shall contain at least 1,000 titles; and (3) the library of a junior-senior high school shall contain at least 2,000 titles. (b) The library of a secondary school in which the average daily attendance is more than 200 but fewer than 500 pupils shall contain at least 3,000 titles. (c) The library of a secondary school in which the average daily attendance is more than 500 but fewer than 1,000 shall contain at least 5,000 titles. (d) The library of a secondary school in which the average daily attendance is more than 1,000 pupils shall contain at least 8,000 titles. Statutory authority: Education Law, Employment of school library media specialist Each school district shall employ a certified school library media specialist, unless equivalent service is provided by an alternative arrangement approved by the commissioner, in accordance with the following standards:

6 (a) In a secondary school with an enrollment of not more than 100 pupils, a certified school library media specialist should devote at least one school period each day to school library work. (b) In a secondary school with an enrollment of more than 100 but not more than 300 pupils, a certified school library media specialist shall devote at least two school periods each day to school library work. (c) In a secondary school with an enrollment of more than 300 but not more than 500 pupils, a certified school library media specialist shall devote at least one half of each school day to school library work. (d) In a secondary school with an enrollment of more than 500 but not more than 700 pupils, a certified school library media specialist shall devote at least five school periods each day to school library work. (e) In a secondary school with an enrollment of more than 700 but less than 1,000 pupils, a certified school library media specialist shall devote the entire school day to school library work. (f) One additional full-time assistant certified school library media specialist shall be employed in each secondary school for each additional 1,000 pupils enrolled in such school. Statutory authority: Education Law, 207