As part of a system-wide initiative to enhance our neighborhood libraries as vibrant, active community centers, The New York Public Library is planning to launch several pilot programs in the coming months to expand educational programming for both children and adults. Called Achieve @ NYPL, these pilots — developed as a result of extensive research and analysis of local community needs and Library resources — mark the launch of a dedicated effort to expand NYPL’s audience and positively influence the lives of all New Yorkers.
Photo: Beowulf Sheehan.The planned pilots are:
Expanding a current pilot partnership between NYPL and the New York City Department of Education (DOE) to create a fully integrated online catalog. Under this pilot program, NYPL provides schools with special access to its
new online catalog, run by BiblioCommons. It also gives teachers a new “educator borrowing card” with expanded privileges (including the ability to request class sets of books, curated book lists, and delivery of materials to schools). In addition, NYPL provides trainings for school librarians and teachers in how to use the new catalog, and its social and collaborative tools. Currently, about 50 schools are involved in the catalog project, and that number that will grow in coming months. The Library is also pursuing other possible partnerships with DOE to make resources more accessible to students.
Creating “Extended Learning Time @ NYPL,” or after-school homework-help zones at branches. The Library will offer expanded access to resources such as textbooks, research materials, and technology (such as laptops, “smart boards,” and printers) in specially designated library spaces. In addition, children’s and young-adult librarians, as well as specialized, trained hourly staff (teachers and tutors), will offer one-on-one help. These kinds of free services are particularly important now in New York City, where a major jump in the number of students qualifying for free tutoring has forced New York City to narrow its eligibility requirements for the program, leaving approximately 3,500 students without access to tutors, according to The New York Times. In the same article, Richard Buery, president of the Children’s Aid Society, said, “After-school program slots have already dropped from 85,000 to 27,000 in the past three years alone. These programs keep our neediest kids on track for college graduation — the one sure pathway out of poverty.”
Photo: Beowulf Sheehan.
Expanding public technology access and training. Over the past several years, the demand for computer and Internet use at all NYPL locations has increased dramatically. In order to serve users’ needs, the Library will expand its supply of equipment and training. Four new computer labs will boost access to hardware, software, and the Internet and provide additional technology training, including training in languages other than English and on an expanded schedule. The Library’s free technology services are critically important, particularly for low-income people, in today’s technology-based world. A recent study sponsored by the Gates Foundation showed that approximately one-third of Americans and 44 percent of people living in low-income households rely on libraries for Internet access.
Expanding NYPL’s Literacy Services. The Library will create two new “seamless transition” literacy centers in neighborhoods with large immigrant populations, which will allow graduates of our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs to make the transition into our Centers for Reading and Writing (CRW) programs. In addition, the Library will expand current ESOL programs. These programs fill a critical need in New York. According to a January 2012 report by The Center for an Urban Future, an independent research institute, between 2005 and 2009, the number of adults in the New York metropolitan area who spoke English “less than very well” grew 3 percent, to approximately 1.3 million, while the number of adults enrolled in state-funded language classes decreased by 6 percent. Currently, only 60,000 ESOL class spots are available in the entire city, although about 500,000 people or 20 percent of the population in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island (the boroughs NYPL serves) lack English proficiency.
We want to hear from YOU! Join the conversation [link] about NYPL’s plan to build the Library for the Future and let us know what is important to you. Don’t forget to check back often for more information and details about our plan. You can also sign up for NYPL News, our e-newsletter, to get monthly updates on this project and other Library happenings.
We want to hear from YOU! Join the conversation about NYPL’s plan to build the Library for the Future and let us know what is important to you. Don’t forget to check back often for more information and for more ways to contribute input. You can also sign up for NYPL News, the Library's monthly e-newsletter, to get updates on this project and other Library happenings.
