REPORT OF THE
LONG-RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE
June 5, 2002

Introduction

We are grateful to everyone who has helped us with this report. We have greatly enjoyed working on it, and hope it will help the Board of Trustees and the Library community in deciding how to focus our efforts in the years ahead. We also hope it will stimulate more ideas for the future of the Library from those who read it.

We were fortunate to have the work of the previous committee involved in long-range planning to guide us. That committee submitted its report in September 1989. It included a number of members who also served on this committee and gave us a solid foundation for our activities. Many of its recommendations have been followed and have contributed substantially to the excellence of the Library we have today.

The Library is particularly strong in the humanities, with special strengths in English and American literature and criticism, history, including New York City history, biography, the arts and travel. Because its history predates the Revolution, the Library has in its collections an extraordinary number of older items of interest, from books, newspapers and magazines to posters and prints from the late eighteenth, all of the nineteenth and into the early twentieth centuries. We even have a few books dating from the seventeenth century.

The Library has always been dedicated to serving the general reader, but it also has a strong potential for research. We are proud of the number of scholars who have found the Library a comfortable and inviting place to work. The open stacks, the high level of the collections, the helpful staff, the atmosphere of its reading, study and public rooms, its lectures and reading programs have helped create a devoted membership and have also helped the Library to serve a wider public.

Although limited in space, the building at 53 East 79th Street, with its beautiful and comfortable reading rooms, large and small study rooms, stack space, and convenient location in the middle of a large residential neighborhood with immediate access both to crosstown and north and south buses, has been ideal for the Library for many years. It still is, but the demands of a larger and more active membership require more space. We believe that, with careful management, the space we will need for the foreseeable future can be found by renovating our building.

Building Recommendation

The Library is running out of stack space. The Members' Room is often more crowded than we would like. More small study rooms could be effectively used and would be much appreciated. Small and medium sized meeting rooms for study groups, talks and conferences would be helpful to our members. In a world where space in apartments and offices is often limited, and early retirement is an option for many, we need to be able to provide our members and others with generous and comfortable places to read, work and participate in Library activities.

We believe that the space we will need for the foreseeable future can be found within our present building lot without damaging in any way the looks of either the exterior or interior of our building. No changes need be made that will alter the original design of any of the older rooms. Although any large construction project is disruptive, we strongly recommend that the Library remain open for most, if not all, of the construction period.

Other recommendations are included at the end of each section of this report.

Households, of course, vary in size, but many include several people, including children. At the present time, we believe the number of total potential users is approximately 7,500.

Usage by members varies widely. On the basis of the questionnaire sent out to members in the fall of 2000, we estimate that more than one third of the members use the Library several times each year, but a number of members use it far more frequently than that; in some cases, particularly for those doing research, several times each week.

Ninety-four percent of our members are New York City residents, of whom 72% live on the East Side of Manhattan between 49th Street and 115th Street and 17% live within the same area on the West Side. The Library is clearly a convenient place for most of our members to use on a regular basis.

The answers to the questionnaire sent to members have been very helpful. It was gratifying that almost half the then current membership responded, an unusually high percentage for a questionnaire of this type. Enthusiasm for the Library was high. Of the respondents, 82% valued particularly the open stacks, 65% the strength of the collection; 96% found the staff helpful in using the computer catalog, and 92% found the Circulation Desk helpful.

Almost 76% of the questionnaire respondents were 50 years old or more, but 57% of the respondents used the Library before 1990. The Library has clearly been successful in recruiting new members. We also have many long-terms users; 31% of the respondents reported they had used the Library for over 20 years.

Because of increased use of the Children's Room and additional programs there, we believe the number of younger members may now be somewhat higher than it was when the questionnaire was completed. Younger members help make the Library a more interesting place for everyone and are an important part of our future. We would like more of them.

The membership is well acquainted with new technology. Approximately 85% of the respondents own or have access to a computer; 78% have e-mail and 77% use the Internet.

Individual responses to the questionnaire showed that too many of our members are not aware of all the services the Library has to offer and of the facilities of the building. This was a point made in the 1989 Report as well. There is work yet to be done in this area. The Library needs to take steps to let people know about such services as interlibrary loans and Internet connections and encourage their use. In addition, we need to help members become familiar with the building, the location of study areas, reference materials, even elevators and rest rooms, in order to help them feel comfortable in it and make best use of it. We believe a new Member Relations Committee should be created to help deal with these problems.

We believe, and hope, that our members will make more use of the Library in the future. Although it is hard to document, we think that, even since the fall of 2000 when the questionnaire was sent to the membership, more members are using the Library more often than they did in the past, not only to take out books, but also for the reading and study rooms as well as to attend lectures and discussion groups. New programs, such as discussions led by experts, on authors such as Montaigne and Proust, and the popular series on the use of computers and the Internet, are bringing more members into the Library. Internet access on Library computers also appears to be adding to usage. With additional space and continued effort by staff and volunteers, we expect this trend to continue.

The number of memberships the Library can comfortably accommodate will, of course, depend greatly on usage. Increases in number of staff would permit an expanded membership, but we must avoid overcrowding and we must keep the personal quality of service that members now value.

Membership Recommendations.

Second, the Library should attempt to recruit younger members and families.

Third, the Library should make a greater effort to familiarize its members with the services available as well as the building and its facilities. Under the heading "Governance," the Committee is recommending a new committee be formed, called the Member Relations Committee, which would be responsible for improvements in this area.

The Collections

The Library also maintains subscriptions to 93 magazines, ranging from Time and Newsweek, to American Heritage and History Today, to Opera News and National Review. We do not now subscribe to any magazines on philosophy, education or psychology. These and other areas should be investigated for additional subscription opportunities. An effort should also be made to identify the magazines that members never read, with a view to dropping them.

In addition, there are approximately 1,200 books on tape, ranging from novels and mystery stories to biographies and books on history and political science.

The Library's collections are particularly strong in the humanities, including English and American literature and criticism, biography, English, European and American history, the social sciences, the arts, exploration, travel and books relating to New York City. In a number of these areas, the collections have been created over a period of two hundred years and have current or potential historical interest. A student of the nineteenth and twentieth century English novel, with an interest in a number of authors not now widely read, could do considerable research in the Library's collections.

The Library also has a number of rare book collections given to the Library in the nineteenth century. These collections are largely the results of bequests and were not part of an acquisition plan. They are, however, treasured assets of the Library and are available to scholars.

In addition, the Library has an impressive collection of old newspapers and magazines. The magazines include a complete set of The Atlantic Monthly from its first issue in 1857, a complete set of Harper's Weekly, also started in 1857, with its Civil War engravings and political cartoons by Thomas Nast, a nearly complete run of Blackwood's Magazine from its first issue in 1817 to 1960 and a nearly complete run of Punch from its first issue in 1841 to 1987. The old newspapers include most of The New York Evening Post from the end of 1801 through the beginning of 1903. The New York Evening Post was the "newspaper of record" for New York City during most of this period. There are issues of The Commercial Advertiser for most of the period from early 1800 through the middle of 1846.

The Library also has other "non-book" materials, such as Audubon bird prints, old maps of New York City and political posters from the 1820's.

Some of the Library's older materials, particularly the non-book materials, have not been fully catalogued. Rare books are expected to be included in the online catalog by early in 2003. All the Library's older materials should be fully catalogued.

Although most of our members know the older collections exist, a number are not at all familiar with them. We have not done as much as we could to make members aware of these materials and to develop interest in them. The recent exhibit outside the Members' Room of selections from our Rare Books Collection is a good example of the kind of effort that is needed.

Preservation is a serious problem with the Library's older books and other materials. We believe a new committee should be formed to deal with preservation questions. In recent years, the Library has spent approximately $30,000 annually, largely for binding and conservation of books assigned to the Rare Book Collection. We believe the Library is falling behind what is needed, both in restoration of the bindings and in the preservation of the contents of its older books and other materials. We recognize that the expense of a substantial preservation program for older magazines and newspapers would, with present technology, be prohibitive. On the other hand, with proper climate controls, many of these materials can survive for many years. We would hope that, within the foreseeable future, technology would develop to an extent that would permit more aggressive preservation of all types of our older materials at reasonable cost. We also need to take steps to upgrade our climate controls to the best available that the Library can afford.

We recognize the value of the Library's older materials both as important parts of the history and traditions of our community and as sources for scholarly research. We also understand and want to encourage the pleasure that many people have when they are able to touch and hold as well as read a book, newspaper or magazine that was printed over one hundred years ago. Our belief that these older materials should be kept and treasured is discussed in more detail under the heading "De-Accessioning." We also recognize, however, that, if we are not in a position to make effective use of some of these older materials or to preserve them, but another institution is better suited to do that and is willing to accept the responsibility, we must work to do what is best for the materials.

Collection Recommendations.

Second, the Library should continue its commitment to provide members and others with research materials and serious literature to satisfy interests, whether professional or personal.

Third, the Library should reaffirm its commitment to its older materials from the seventeenth century through the early twentieth, including its book collections, newspapers, magazines and other materials. All these materials should be catalogued. Serious efforts, through exhibits, discussion groups and other means, should be made to acquaint and interest members in these materials.

Fourth, although we are not in a position to know exactly what percentage of our budget should be spent on preservation in any particular year, we believe every effort should be made to keep up with and to move forward in this area. We do not want to see the older materials that we can afford to save deteriorate more quickly than we are preserving them. We should be spending money preserving not only the bindings but also, on a selective basis, the contents of our older books and other materials. In addition, appropriate action should be promptly taken to upgrade our climate controls.

Fifth, we recommend that a new committee be formed, the Preservation Committee, to consider and take action with respect to preservation questions.

Acquisitions

The current approach to book acquisitions has resulted in some subject matters being better represented in the collections than others, depending on what is being published at a specific time. In response to this problem, the Book Committee is now conducting a study of our collections on a subject matter basis to be sure that we have a "basic library" of books in all our fields of interest. This is a very important project.

What constitutes a "basic library" is not always easy to determine and will vary from subject to subject. The Library has always stressed the humanities, literature, history and the social sciences. Although we believe we should give more attention to some scientific areas, including computer technology, our collection of books on such areas as physics and chemistry should remain more limited than our collections in the humanities. In the areas of our primary interest, we believe our collection should include the books that would be needed for advanced level undergraduate courses and midlevel graduate work. Although a person working on a specialized subject, such as some aspect of the Russian Revolution, would need to go to a more complete research library and interlibrary loan, we would hope that such a person could make a good beginning at the Library.

Although for the most part, the Library will follow members' interests in making acquisitions, we think that we should also have collections in areas that are not now of great interest to most of our members, but may be as the world changes. Islamic studies would be a current example. We should have a basic collection of books on countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. We should have books on Australia. These collections should not only include travel books, but also serious studies of history and culture. The Book Committee is now working to accomplish this goal.

Although we have members who have considerable expertise in various fields and we will want to use their skills, we agree with the Book Committee that subject matter reviews should ordinarily be conducted by professionals with specialized bibliographical and subject matter knowledge who are paid for their services. We believe the consultants should provide written reports and lists of proposed acquisitions. They often will also provide their thoughts on books that should be de-accessioned. It seems to us fair and appropriate that payment be made for the kind of expertise, time and effort this work requires.

The Library over the past three years acquired 13,885 books, of which 3,210 were gifts, and spent $325,666 on book acquisitions. Of the books acquired, about 85% are titles published within the last three years (novels, mystery stories, biography, history, etc.), at least some of which will not be of lasting interest.

We do not believe that the Library should specify a fixed number or percentage of its budget to be spent on acquisitions. We do believe, however, that, if we are to achieve the depth of the subject matter in our collections that the Book Committee and we are proposing, we will need to spend more money for books.

The Library has traditionally acquired materials other than books, such as magazines and, more recently, books on tape. The magazines we subscribe to have recently been reviewed by the Book Committee. The Library should continue to review its magazine subscriptions regularly, to be sure we are keeping up to date with members' interests. Magazines should be displayed in the Members Room in a way they can be easily found. This is sometimes now a problem.

Books on tape are popular and should continue to be purchased.

The Library has not acquired videotapes or DVDs for circulation. The Book Committee has recently voted to continue this policy. We do not believe we should compete with rental outlets such as Blockbuster that supply a wide variety of current, popular titles. On the other hand, we believe a number of members would like to have a small, highly selective collection of videotapes and DVDs available for borrowing, and that the Library should look again at the possibility of establishing such a collection.

The Library should also consider purchasing musical and literary CDs for circulation.

Acquisitions Recommendations.

Second, we need to continue to build our "core" collections of subjects at least to an advanced undergraduate level at one of the best colleges and, in selected subject areas, such as European history, to early graduate school levels.

Third, we need to continue to look into subject areas that have not traditionally been part of the Library's primary interests, such as African and Asian history, as well as the sciences in order to improve and bring up to date our collections.

Fourth, in order to upgrade our collections, we should continue to use paid consultants as experts in the various fields. Suggestions from members should also be sought.

Fifth, under the supervision of the Book Committee, the Library should continue to review, on a regular basis, its magazine subscriptions in order to consider adding new subscriptions of interest and to eliminate those not read.

Sixth, the Library should again consider establishing a small, highly selective collection of videotapes and DVDs for circulation. No effort should be made to include in this collection recent popular movies that are easily available at video stores, but such items as the Civil War series, some Masterpiece Theatre productions, opera, dance and concert performances, and, when available, classic movies, such as The Maltese Falcon, should be considered.

Seventh, the Library should also consider purchasing musical and literary CDs for circulation

De-Accessioning

We believe the de-accessioning review is an important project. Although the cost of de-accessioning, in terms of staff time, time of volunteers and the use of paid consultants, may exceed the cost of storing books that are not likely to be of any future interest, we believe we owe it to future users of the Library to make this effort.

The Book Committee and this Committee agree that de-accessions need professional, paid experts. In many cases, the consultant who is advising on acquisitions in a particular subject area may also advise on de-accessions. The consultants will find a number of non-fiction books that are outdated, but may be of interest to present or future scholars and others interested in the history of the field. The consultants should be chosen, not only for their expertise in the subject as it exists today, but also for their expertise in the history of the subject and their awareness of what future historical researchers might want to read in order to understand the ideas of past generations. They should also be aware and take into account the interests of our members and the traditions of the Library.

The Book Committee has established procedures designed to ensure that careful consideration be given to books proposed for de-accession. The review procedures include selection of an accredited expert in the field who is given a shelf list of the books, instructions by the Librarian as to priorities (including the need to take into account the possible interest of historians in the field), recommendations by the consultant, review by the Librarian and staff, including the Rare Book Librarian, and placement of suggested candidates for de-accession on shelves where they can be reviewed. The consultants may also recommend titles for off-site storage.

De-accessions and off-site storage possibilities recommended by the consultants should continue to be reviewed by the staff of the Library and the Book Committee and opportunity given to object. If an objection is made to a de-accession, serious additional thought should be given before it is done. The Book Committee and the Librarian, in consultation with appropriate Library staff, should make the final decisions. No title should be de-accessioned without the approval of both the Book Committee and the Librarian. Records should be kept of all de-accessions.

Different parts of the collection require different de-accessioning policies. In general, however, both this Committee and the Book Committee believe the Library should be very cautious about de-accessioning. We believe that, for the foreseeable future at least, the guiding principle should be, when in doubt, keep it. Only books clearly of no present or future use or interest should be de-accessioned, if they are in readable condition. Although the Library is running out of stack space, we have a few years before that will happen, even if off-site storage were not available. Off-site storage is more common now than it was ten years ago, and, as described below, we think it is a viable alternative. We also hope that new construction will make more stack space available.

The Library's older materials, which, for these purposes, we will somewhat arbitrarily say are those created before 1921, need to be treated with particular care. Many of the older items we own are not what we would buy if we were starting the Library today, but they are part of our tradition and our inheritance. Although many of them are in other library collections, their age and rarity often make them irreplaceable as a practical matter. If we dispose of older materials that turn out to be of interest, we may not have the opportunity to acquire them again. We do not want future generations to look back and wonder why we were so inept as to throw away books and other materials that would be of real interest to them.

If we dispose of a book published in 1970 and it later appears that was a mistake, the book will likely be available for purchase or relatively easily on interlibrary loan. That may not be the case for the older parts of our collection

We believe that most of these older materials, although not now often used, are for a number of people of considerable interest, and they also have historical significance. Many of these books may be outdated, but the outdated theories and facts included in them may well be of value to present and future readers and scholars in the history of the field. Many of the materials might well be of general interest to our members if they knew they were there and were encouraged to look at them.

We recognize a strong responsibility to do what we can to take care of the Library's older materials and see they are preserved. With rare exceptions when older items are thought of no possible interest to any future student of the subject, including a historian of the field, or the items are so deteriorated as to be unreadable and worthless, older items should be kept. We agree with the conclusion reached by others that microfilming or other reproduction methods are not the sole answer.

We also realize, however, we must always try to do what is best for older materials in our collections. In some cases, we may need to consider transfer of materials to other institutions that are more directly involved with a particular subject matter and can preserve them in a way we cannot afford. If such a situation should arise, the Library should be satisfied that the materials will be preserved, kept and made available to interested readers. The mere fact that older materials will eventually deteriorate, and that we do not now see how we can at reasonable expense preserve them, should not be a reason to dispose of them now, except to an institution dedicated to the subject matter and willing to incur the cost of preservation.

The Library's collections of nineteenth and early twentieth century newspapers and magazines need to be considered separately. The newspapers create a difficult problem. There are 392 bound volumes of The New York Evening Post and 50 volumes of The Commercial Advertiser. A number of other newspapers take less space, but the total area used for old newspapers is high, particularly considering their limited use. If all our old newspapers were kept elsewhere, there would be room for approximately 4,200 more books in the present stacks.

The Library does not have a complete run of any of these old newspapers, but we believe our collection of the New York Evening Post is more complete than any other now available. The Library is now discussing with another institution the possibility of combining the two Evening Post collections. We think it is appropriate to explore this approach with the Evening Post and possibly other newspapers, but it should not be followed unless it is clear that the materials will be better cared for and more often used than if they were to stay at the Library. We would also need formal assurances that another institution would keep them and care for them properly. Again, the goal must be to do what is best for the materials. In any event, we would want to keep at least some extra copies for use by interested members and for exhibitions.

There are also some art magazines that we are told will never be of any general interest. They might be more useful to an institution specializing in art.

We believe that all magazines with literary or historical interest should be kept.

The Committee also believes that fiction should be treated differently from non-fiction. The Library has always purchased fiction for its members, some of permanent interest and some of interest only at the time. Tastes change, however. Anyone over fifty can remember novelists who were not well regarded when we were in school, but who are now the subject of solemn and detailed studies-and vice versa. Judgments about fiction are particularly subjective. For some, the novelist James Gould Cozzens may seem of no future possible interest. For others, he wrote enjoyable novels one might want to re-read. For future literary historians or those studying the society of the period, they may also be important.

The mere fact that the Library thought a work of fiction worth acquiring gives it credibility. The people who bought the work thought it of interest to an important New York community. The Library now keeps at least one copy of each fiction work it buys. We recommend that the Library continue that policy. We also believe the Library should keep at least one copy of each work of fiction, including mystery stories, which are now in the Library. This policy will permit the Library to continue to be a place where people interested in literary history and the history of New York City come as a resource for their studies. We wish to continue that tradition.

We recognize that some books may be in poor condition and not of sufficient present or possible future interest to make them worth restoring. Assuming other copies are available in other libraries, we would recommend disposing of them.

For the next few years, we believe the Library will be in a position to err on the side of keeping too much rather than de-accessioning too much. This matter should, however, be the subject of regular review. If, for example, recommendations by those in charge of acquisitions to strengthen the Library's collections are so substantial that it will quickly run out of stack space and the cost of off-site storage becomes high, it will, of course, be necessary to take a harder look at de-accessions.

If, because of space limitations, the Library does not buy a book it can afford and believes it should have for its collection, something has gone seriously wrong.

De-Accessioning Recommendations.

Second, permanent records should be kept of all de-accessions of books and other materials.

Third, although some of the items in our older collections, for these purposes those printed before 1921, are not materials the Library would acquire today, we recommend that, with few exceptions, when it is determined an item is of no possible interest even to an historian or is so damaged it cannot be read, our older collections should be kept. If the Library is not in a position to preserve materials adequately, or if a specialized library would clearly make better use of them, we recommend that transfer to another institution be considered on terms that would ensure they are kept, preserved and made available to scholars and interested readers.

Fourth, the Library should keep at least one copy of each work of fiction, including mystery stories, whether or not now considered of serious literary value, that it has previously acquired and will acquire in the future.

Fifth, de-accession recommendations should be made by professional experts in the field. Ordinarily these experts should be paid for their services.

Sixth, final decisions to de-accession titles should be made only with the approval of both the Book Committee and the Librarian after consultation with Library staff.

Stack Space

The Library is currently adding, on a net basis after deducting de-accessioned books, approximately 4,000 volumes each year. If the recommendations of upgrading the Collections made in this report are followed, we can assume that the net increase in number of volumes will be higher than it has been in recent years.

If additional stack space is not found, it would appear that, within two or three years, the Library will face a serious shortage of space in the building for its books and other materials.

The heart of any Library is its books. Our collections must be kept up to date. It is vital that we take steps to resolve the problem of finding additional space for books.

No solution to this problem will be permanent. We do not know what the Library's space needs will be in ten years. Flexibility in dealing with space questions is very important. This subject will need review by the Trustees on a regular basis. For example, no one knows what the future of books online and electronic books will be. It is interesting that approximately 68% of the respondents to our questionnaire stated they had no interest in electronic books. We expect it will be many years before large numbers of books are being read on hand-held electronic devices, but we also know that nobody knows the answer to that question. With more confidence, we expect people will more often go to the Internet for reference materials rather than using books, but the Library will continue to want a good collection of reference books for those who want to use them. It seems likely, however, that over time some space now used for reference books may become space for computer terminals used by members to find materials on the Internet.

We believe there are a number of steps that can be taken to resolve the problems for the next few years and to give us flexibility over a longer time. First and most important, we need to build new space for stacks and for programs. This project is described later in this report. As recommended by the Committee, new construction would permit the Library to add about 50,000 volumes to its collections, without the use of off-site storage. The design would also permit several thousand more volumes to be added at a later time with additional construction at the top of the building and some changes in program space.

Off-site storage can also provide additional book space. There are now businesses which specialize in providing this service. Books can be retrieved within a few days. We should also explore the possibility of joining with other Libraries in the creation of such storage areas. There are some of our collections, old foreign language books, for example, which are seldom used and would be ideal candidates for off-site storage. If a more suitable home is not found for our newspapers, they could be stored off-site.

The Librarian should ordinarily be the person responsible for selecting the books and other materials to be stored off-site.

There are, of course, both annual and one-time expenses connected with such storage, but such costs would be far less than renting, buying or constructing large spaces near our 79th Street location. The enormous cost of making very substantial additions to our book storage space in mid-Manhattan by, for example, purchasing another building, would, at least for the present, be prohibitive and cannot be justified.

Rolling stacks can also be appropriately used, particularly for less frequently used materials. There have been substantial improvements in the design and construction of rolling stacks in recent years. The new models of rolling stacks could be conveniently used by members. They are now often used in the open stack areas of university libraries. Although the number of rolling stacks will be limited, they can substantially add to our available shelf space. Rolling stacks may be more convenient for members than adding higher shelves that require ladders to reach the books.

We believe that, if the new construction we are recommending is completed and the other suggestions we are making are followed, it will not be necessary to rely on off-site storage to a substantial degree for at least ten years. By then, new methods of preservation of materials, electronic publications and wider use of Internet resources may have made great changes in the landscape of Library book storage and other activities.

Stack Space Recommendations.

Second, recognizing that advanced forms of rolling stacks may be expensive, we believe that such rolling stacks should be considered and in all probability used for parts of the collections, particularly for those not used on a regular basis. We understand, however, that a number of the Library's stack floors would not accept the weight of rolling stacks and that it would not be possible to reinforce the floors in a way that rolling stacks could be used throughout.

Third, off-site storage should be explored and used to the extent necessary to permit the Library to keep and acquire the books and other materials it wants. We recognize that over many years the cost of off-site storage could become a major concern, but believe that for the immediately foreseeable future, at least over the next decade or two, it will not. By then, new solutions for books and reading may make the problems very different from what they might appear today.

Reading and Study Space

Use of the building by members has been increasing in recent years. The small study rooms have always been popular and seem more so recently. The fifth floor study room is often crowded. It is sometimes difficult to find a seat in the Members' Room. There are frequently not enough spaces in reading and discussion programs for all the people who want to attend.

The Committee has given much thought to the ways in which the Library should change and the ways in which it should not. We believe we need more small study rooms and the construction plan provides for a number of them. Somewhat to the surprise of some of us, a number of people enjoy working in a relatively large space and would like more of it. The construction plan provides for that. The Whitridge Room, which will remain unchanged except for refurbishing, could become almost exclusively used as a sitting room like the Members' Room. The present Librarian's office could also provide room to read and work, perhaps as space free from the noise of computers.

A number of people have requested small conference rooms where two or more people could work together on a project. The new plan provides for such rooms. People have also requested space where, unlike the Members Room and the Whitridge Room, people would be free to talk informally with each other. Space will be provided for that.

The Committee also believes that some small study spaces with desks located in the stacks would be appropriate. Although such study carrels would reduce stack space to a limited extent, we believe it would very helpful for members to have quiet spaces to work near the books they are using.

After discussion, the Committee has decided the Library should not try to provide space in the building where members could have coffee or sandwiches as well as a place to talk. Such a room would require space needed for other purposes. There does not seem to be sufficient demand to justify it. There are many local coffee shops where that kind of service is available. The proposed construction would, however, provide the flexibility to permit such a room if it should later seem to be desirable.

Reading and Study Space Recommendations.

The Children's Library

The Children's Library collection consists of about 9,000 books, most of which are for younger age groups. We would expect the size of the collection to increase, but not substantially. We recognize that the Library will not be in a position to provide the number of children's books that are available in the larger public libraries. Like the adult collection of the Library, the Children's Library will depend more on the quality of its collection and the service it gives than on its size.

Most of the children now using the Children's Library are aged from two through four. Most of the books taken out are picture books designed for this age group. The present Children's Librarian is also encouraging use by older children.

The Children's Librarian has instituted a number of programs, each of which is designed for a small number of children. They have been very popular with the children attending. We hope to create more of these small groups.

We believe the key to a successful Children's Library consists in combining the availability of books with programs of interest to the children. The Committee recommends that the recent commitment to the Children's Library should be continued. We are convinced that the demand for a Children's Library is there and can be developed even more than has been done to date.

The Children's Library needs larger and improved space. Areas for books and tables are now cramped. The Children's Library also acts in effect as a hallway from the elevator to the Whitridge Room and the Librarian's office. This means that programs are sometimes inconvenienced and children reading and looking for books are interrupted. It is also awkward for older people who are going from the elevator to areas intended for adult use.

Children's Library Recommendations.

Second, the Children's Library should be provided with larger and more flexible space.

Programs for Members

These programs are very popular with members. The large events attract hundreds. The smaller events are often oversubscribed, the Members' Room comfortably accommodating only 70 people or so.

The Library also organizes reading groups, usually a fiction group and a biography or history group.

Our members have also found particularly helpful the Library's programs on the use of computers and the Internet. As the Library's capacity for computer and Internet use expands, we should add programs to permit our members to make full use of the new technology, both at the Library and at home.

Member Program Recommendations.

Programs for the Community

A number of these lecture programs might be of interest to the general public. We believe we should open at least some of them to the general public, with a suggested contribution for attendance. In this way, we could not only perform a service to a wider community, but also help develop interest in the Library and recruit new members.

We do not believe, however, that the building renovation program should include a large lecture hall. Such a space would not be in keeping with the more comfortable and homelike atmosphere that the Library wants and would not be an efficient use of the limited space available to us.

In recognition that the Library forms a part of a larger community, in recent years we have conducted a number of projects to serve our city.

In 2002, in Project Cicero, our Education and Community Outreach Committee, in partnership with Teach for America New York, PENCIL, Children for Children Foundation, Books for Kids, FARBOUND-The Teaching Apprenticeship, New York City Teaching Fellows, and Vornado Realty Trust and Building Maintenance, worked with scores of student volunteers and private and public schools to collect and distribute over 100,000 new and gently used books for schools in great need of them.

With WNYC we have organized children's poetry contests. Working with PEN, the Library has supported author appearances in schools in the poorest areas of the city.

We believe other outreach programs should be considered. Such programs could be developed not only for the benefit of school children but also for adults, perhaps in prisons and hospitals. Although such programs depend on the availability of volunteers with the skills to manage them, they involve the Library in the civic life of the City and we believe they can be very helpful to the larger New York community.

The Library's New York City Book Awards, administered by the Book Awards Committee, honor authors and publishers of the year's outstanding books about New York City, an especially appropriate undertaking for the Library.

A new possible program would be to provide as fellowships a few library memberships to researchers who are not able to afford the Library's membership fee and are not receiving grants of study space from the New York Public Library. Preference for such fellowships could be give to researchers who wish to use the Library's collections.

We also believe it would be appropriate to hold occasional open houses at the Library. Such open houses could be combined with special exhibits from the Library's collections. These programs would introduce a wider community to the Library and might also help recruit new members.

Community Program Recommendations.

Second, the Library should continue and attempt to expand its outreach programs for the benefit of school children and others.

Third, the New York City Book Awards should also be continued.

Fourth, the Library should consider a fellowship program that would provide study space and Library memberships for a few researchers who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

Fifth, the Library should consider holding open houses to which the public would be invited.

Exhibitions

We believe at least some of these exhibitions should be open to the public. The exhibitions should not be designed to attract large numbers of people, and publicity should be limited and selective, but they might attract people with interests similar to our members, who might then become members.

The Committee has not found an ideal place for public exhibitions. Space in the Reference Room and front hall is limited. Too much activity there might could cause confusion and make it difficult to work in the Reference Room. To re-configure the downstairs space to permit even small exhibits without damaging the older features of the building does not seem practical. One approach that we think should be considered would be to announce that an exhibit held upstairs outside the Members Room would be open to the public for a few hours each day and to have someone available to monitor the space during that time.

Exhibitions Recommendations.

Technology

To a substantial degree, these goals have been met, but there is still much to be done to make our systems as effective as they need to be for the coming years. Retrospective conversion of the card catalog has been performed on approximately 90% of the Library's collections. The remaining catalog records to be converted are for our rare materials. These will be included in a new, updated cataloging system. Circulation and acquisition functions have been computerized, but significant improvements to these systems are now available and should be implemented. Library access to a small number of electronic resources is now available, both within the building and through remote access, but we need to expand both the number of such resources and the availability of the resources to our members.

Because only a few people were using the current card catalog and because the information in it was duplicated in the online catalog, the Library stopped making additions to it in the summer of 2000 with the approval of this Committee and the Board of Trustees. That catalog, with entries from 1989 to mid-2000, has been moved out of the Reference Room. These changes have not resulted in complaints.

Since 1989, the Internet has been dramatically changing the ways people communicate with each other and locate information. Our technological resources must be developed in ways that will make the resources and communications possibilities of the Internet available both to our staff and to our members. Although that process has been started, much work is still needed. Fortunately, the work needed to bring the Library effectively into the Internet age and the work needed to upgrade our computer programs can be combined to create a unified, reasonably cost-effective system which can bring to our members the advantages modern computer and Internet technology provide. We must recognize, however, although there is a substantial current expense needed to accomplish these results, the process will also be ongoing. Although we would expect updated programs could be used for many years, the Library should be prepared to upgrade its systems and programs as needed to keep it up to date with the latest technology. To fall behind in these areas would be a substantial disservice to our members.

The Library presently has a system, GEAC, which handles its cataloging, circulation and acquisition functions. Although this system was believed to be adequate at the time it was purchased in 1996, it is no longer serving our needs as well as it should. A new generation of computer programs is now available, which could solve the problems we have. Unfortunately, the GEAC system has been difficult to update. At this point, it is clear that new computer programs are needed. Foreseeing this possibility, the Library, when it recently needed to purchase new hardware, acquired equipment than can be used with new computer programs furnished by a number of different vendors.

The Library staff is now engaged in a study to determine exactly what is needed in a new system. This requires a detailed analysis of every function we perform. The study must, of course, be done with great care if the new system is to accomplish what we need and want. The Library will then need to submit a form of Request for Proposal to eligible vendors who have the capability to do the work at reasonable expense. Important requirements will be that the program can be updated on a regular basis to take advantage of new technology and new needs and that the vendor has the capability of creating those updates.

The new programs, including particularly the online catalog, must be designed to take full advantage of the power of the Internet. We want our members to have easy access to our catalog not only from workstations in the Library but also from their own computers located at home or elsewhere. Such access is now possible, but, because of limitations of our present system, we can only offer such access after hours. A new system will also provide members with improved access to electronic materials, including remote access from their home computers.

It is vital that the new computer system be installed and fully operational well before any new construction work on our building is started. This will make it easier for people to have access to the Library's resources during the inevitable times when construction work makes part or even all of the Library building inaccessible.

The Library will need workstations in the stacks and in study rooms as well as in the Reference Room. Such workstations would all have access to the Internet, but would require members to use a password. Members of the public who are not members of the Library would only have access to the Library's online catalog.

Technology Recommendations.

Second, as part of its technology program, the Library should expand substantially its Internet services to members, permitting them to access a wide variety of electronic resources on the Internet as well as the Library's own catalog. These services should be available not only in the Library but also through members' home computers.

Third, the Library should include all its collections, including rare books and non-book materials, in its online catalog. The online catalog should be available to the public through the Library's web site.

Finances

The endowment, even under the 4.5% spending formula, accounts for over 70% of the Library's total revenue. Membership subscriptions and the Annual Appeal are responsible for most of the balance. The Annual Appeal, which has made a significant contribution to operating expenses in recent years, brought in $224,000 in 2001 and $240,000 in 2000. Dues, which were last raised in 2001, are now $150 per year for each household membership, up from $100 in 1989 and $50 in 1979.

We are grateful that, the Library has been able, by reason of its endowment, to keep its membership subscription fees substantially lower than they would otherwise be. We believe, however, that over time we should make an effort to increase the percentage of the operating budget contributed by membership dues and the annual campaign. Such increases would permit the Library, to a greater extent than would otherwise be possible, to provide more and better services to its members and to the community, and to expand and preserve its collections. The percentage that membership subscriptions and the annual campaign should contribute to the Library's operations can best be determined after the renovation is complete.

The Committee believes that it would be appropriate for the Library to spend part of its endowment for the building renovation recommended by this report. The renovation is the kind of capital expenditure for which the Library has been saving by the increases to its capital funds over the years. The amount to be used, however, should not in any way risk a high level of support by the endowment to the Library's operations. The renovation will also require a capital campaign to raise a substantial part of the cost.

Finances Recommendations.

Second, we believe efforts should be made to increase the percentage of the Library's operations that are paid for by membership subscriptions and the Annual Appeal. This program should not start until after the capital campaign for the building renovation has been largely completed.

Third, the Committee recommends that part of funding for the building renovation be provided by the endowment. The balance would be provided by a capital campaign in observance of the Library's 250th anniversary.

Governance

There are now fifteen Board committees, which, in total, cover virtually every aspect of the Library's activities. Almost all trustees are members of at least one committee. Many are members of two or more. The Board is an active one.

In addition to the other new committees recommended in this report, we believe that the Children's Library should have a separate committee, apart from the Education and Community Outreach Committee. Although a number of the outreach programs involving young people will have strong involvement from members of the Children's Library Committee, there are also a number of areas that need separate attention. The Education and Community Outreach Committee would continue to be responsible for children's outreach programs as well as adult outreach programs and adult programs generally. The Education and Outreach Committee should also be responsible for the Library's public relations.

The Library now has shareholders. All trustees own a share. Other shares are owned by trustees who have resigned and descendants of earlier owners of shares. No shares have been issued, other than to trustees, for many years. Shareholders are not required to pay any subscription fees or dues for using the Library. They elect the trustees at the annual meeting.

Governance Recommendations.

Second, although the Library wants to have a number of trustees who have been appointed relatively recently, the Committee does not believe in limiting the number of terms a trustee may serve. Having a number of trustees with long periods of service has to date served the Library well and has not limited its ability to explore new approaches to its work.

Third, we recommend the creation of three new committees: a Member Relations Committee, as described under the heading "Membership of the Library," a Preservation Committee, as described under the heading "The Collections," and a Children's Library Committee.

Fourth, after the capital campaign for the building renovation project is completed, the Library should consider whether the present shareholder structure should be changed.

Proposed Renovation Project

Although there is much yet to be done to complete the plans for the work, preliminary drawings have been done, which would add stack space, study space and program space to the Library. Additional space for members to sit and read would be provided. There would be more private studies and improved space for people to work at tables in a large room. Handicapped access would be provided. Elevator service would be improved. The features of the old house would not be changed.

Although subject to change as plans are developed, the renovation as now proposed would increase the building's current net usable space from 28,585 square feet to 31,466 square feet, or about 10%. This increase would be accomplished by filling in the lightwell that begins at the third floor level, expanding the rear of the building to create new space for Stack Level 3 and the Circulation Department on the first floor, filling in roof areas on the sixth floor and creating a small area on the new roof for mechanicals. Filling in the lightwell will help greatly to make more comfortable and efficient use of the building space. Filling in the roof space on the sixth floor will permit additional stacks or an additional reading room at the rear of the building and a very attractive reading room with a skylight on the front of the building.

The proposed renovation would increase stack space by approximately 15% and study space by approximately 45%. The additional stack space would accommodate about 50,000 new volumes if rolling stacks were used on the floors that permit it.

Additional space would also be available for meetings. The flexibility of the design would permit space allocations among stack, program and study areas to be changed as the needs of the Library change.

A new east elevator would stop at all floors, including the stacks and the sixth floor. It would be double-sided to make this possible.

Other improvements would include better and larger space for the Children's Library, the Circulation Department, the Cataloging Department and the Acquisitions Department. In the Circulation Department, two rows of columns would be removed and better light would be provided at the rear of the floor.

Documentation, including descriptions of the possible work and possible plans, relating to the building renovation efforts made to date is available for those interested. This documentation will, of course, be updated as the building renovation project continues.

Renovation Project Recommendation.

Respectfully submitted,

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