Saturday, January 27, 2007

Assemblyman Molinaro appointed to Library and Education Committee


Assemblyman Molinaro last week was appointed to the Library and Education Technology Committee. The following is a release from the Assemblyman's office. We know Molinaro will do great things with this committee.





As I begin my tenure in the state Legislature, representing the people in the 103rdAssembly District, I am honored to have been appointed Ranking Member on the Libraries andEducation Technology Committee. I thank Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco for this appointment and look forward to the deliberations of the committee.

The Libraries and Education Technology Committee overseas the General Aid to
Libraries program, which provides support to the 23 public library systems in New York State,
their central libraries and all of the 734 member public libraries. Members of this committee
discuss and approve formula factors for distribution of library funding. These factors include
library population, geographic area of service, local support, expenditures for library materials
and other needs of a particular region.

Although some critics of libraries believe that with the invention of the Internet these
institutions may become obsolete. I don’t agree. Libraries continue to be pillars of education and
literacy in every community. As they evolve to meet the needs of the 21st century, library patrons will see most things available electronically but these institutions will remain a depository of information that is always open to the public.

Offering a plethora of services, libraries are essential to the communities they serve.
Some of these services include literacy programs for our youth, genealogical information for
those who wish to trace their family history, helpful librarians who can assist people with
locating needed information, and educational resources for people trying to better themselves.
The state’s 2006-2007 budget approved an additional $5.8 million in aid to the public
libraries for a total of $94.6 million. I look forward to examining the needs of library districts and fighting for library aid that will assist these institutions make the transformation into this new era without placing additional burdens on the already overwhelmed taxpayers of this state.

As a parent, I want libraries to be available to my daughter as she grows older. I know
that this is a sentiment shared by parents and residents in every community, in every corner of
the state and in every area of this district. In the coming weeks I will be meeting with library
administrators, local library staff and patrons to discuss their needs and how lawmakers can help insure our libraries remain open and accessible to all those who need them.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Best of hope to Assemblyman Molinaro during his tenure on this committee. Our public library is an extremely valuable resource and the city of Kingston library in particular is staffed by truly dedicated individuals who connect with this community with tremendous impact. It is unfortunate that many of the city residents who might benefit from this resource do not take advantage simply out of fear of becoming a victim of crime while in the neighborhood. The library should be a safe haven filled with inspiration and not the seed of concern when our children choose this magnificent place as a destination.

Anonymous said...

Mr.Blaber,

For he partisan you are portrayed as by The Cahill's you sure promote a lot of Republican's.

Anonymous said...

Molinaro is a liberal. He stole the republican primary from a good man, Patrick Manning in a sleezy campaign, full of lies. Look for Molinaro to switch parties eventually, for the good of his constituents, of course. Jeremy promotes liberals, be they republican, democratic, or communist.

Ed from Beacon