New York State Public Library Construction Needs Total $2.2 Billion

From NYLINE:

The 2009-2013 "Estimated New York State Public Library Construction Needs" survey is now complete and is available on the New York State Library’s website here.

This important document provides an overview of the anticipated construction and renovation needs for public library and neighborhood branch facilities for the next five years. Libraries and systems report planned or needed construction projects totaling more than $2.2 billion.

Facility limitations can diminish the quality of service that libraries provide to their communities and inefficient buildings can rob libraries of vital fiscal resources that could be used for program and collection enhancement. A 2006 State Library survey of public libraries and systems found that more than 30% of the libraries participating in the survey were not fully accessible to patrons with disabilities, 38% did not have sufficient space to house their collections, and 42% lacked sufficient space for public access computers.