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Institutional Membership

Membership in the Capital District Library Council is open to institutions of higher education, public library systems, school library systems, special libraries and repositories. In addition, full or associate membership is open to individual public and school libraries that are members in good standing of their respective public or school library system. Application for membership is evaluated on criteria reflecting the parent institution’s commitment to the library, and the resources the library brings to the region. Member libraries receive benefits particular to the membership level. Each level of membership has specific library responsibilities and corresponding requirements.

Contact Jean Sheviak, Executive Director of CDLC, for an Institutional Membership Application or for more information about CDLC membership.


Full Membership

Examples of Institutions Eligible for Full Membership

  • Academic institutions
  • Public library systems
  • School library systems
  • Organizations with special libraries such as state agencies, corporations, associations, or hospitals
  • Individual public libraries
  • Individual school libraries

Minimum Requirements for Full Membership

Collections
  • A collection of sufficient depth and breadth to support the institution's primary clients
  • Full bibliographic records in MARC format made available to Council members
Access
  • Physical or electronic access to the collection as determined by the policies of the institution
  • This may include access by appointment or electronic access to documents
  • Those institutions not permitting physical access to the collection must participate in resource sharing
Resource Sharing
  • Participation in interlibrary loan
Institutional Support
  • Personnel: Appropriately-degreed professional (e.g. librarian with MLS; archivist) employed by the institution to manage the collection
  • Budget: Annual budget managed by the library which is appropriate to collection maintenance and development

Additional Requirements

  • Degree-granting institutions must be chartered by the New York State Board of Regents
  • Individual public libraries and school libraries must be members in good standing of their respective systems
  • Public Library System membership is regulated by New York State Education Law and Commissioner's Regulations
  • School Library System membership is regulated by New York State Education Law and Commissioner's Regulations

Membership Services for Full Members

(Additional charges always apply for services noted with *. Charges may apply to other services as approved by the Board of Trustees.)

  • Opportunity to participate in CDLC oversight
  • Access to bibliographic resources of member libraries
  • Access to union catalogs of member library monograph and serial records
  • Interlibrary loan including photocopies, with other members at no charge
  • Courier service*
  • Cataloging service*
  • Access to New York State Library funded databases
  • Access to New York State Library sponsored and administered grant programs as defined by the New York State Education Department
  • CDLC sponsored training programs
  • Direct Access Program

Benefits for Member Library Staff

  • Eligibility for service on Board of Trustees, Board-appointed committees and other committees
  • Opportunity for professional development through training and committee participation

Membership Responsibilities of Full Members

  • Participate in CDLC governance as specified in the Council bylaws
  • Participate in interlibrary loan in compliance with the CDLC interlibrary loan protocol
  • Provide bibliographic records for CDLC Union Catalog
  • Provide serials holdings data for the Union List of Serials
  • Provide statistics and other data as required by CDLC and the New York State Education Department
  • Designate liaison(s) for specific programs

Associate Membership

Examples of Institutions Eligible for Associate Membership

  • Institutions not qualifying for or seeking full membership
  • Academic institutions
  • Organizations with special libraries such as state agencies, corporations, associations, or hospitals
  • Individual public libraries
  • Individual school libraries

Minimum Requirements for Associate Membership

Collections
  • A collection of resources used to support the institution's primary clients.
  • Records describing the collection and made available to Council members. These records may for example, be in a list, an internal database, or a card catalog.
Access
  • Physical or electronic access to the collection as determined by the policies of the institution
  • This may include access by appointment or electronic access to documents.
Resource Sharing
  • Institutions may choose to loan materials or supply hard copy by printing or photocopying. Interlibrary loans with CDLC members are available on a fee basis
Institutional Support
  • Personnel: Appropriately degreed professional who is employed by the institution to manage the collection
  • Budget: Annual budget appropriate to collection maintenance and development

Membership Services for Associate Members

(Additional charges always apply for services noted with *. Charges may apply to other services as approved by the Board of Trustees.)

  • Access to union catalogs of member library monograph and serial records
  • Access interlibrary loan on a fee basis*
  • Cataloging service*
  • Access to New York State Library funded databases
  • Access to New York State Library sponsored and administered grant programs as defined by the New York State Education Department
  • CDLC sponsored training programs on a space available basis (preference given to CDLC full members)

Benefits for Member Library Staff

  • Eligibility for service on CDLC committees
  • Opportunity for professional development through training and committee participation

Membership Responsibilities of Associate Members

  • Provide bibliographic records for CDLC Union Catalog
  • Provide serials holdings data for the Union List of Serials
  • Provide statistics and other data as required by CDLC and the New York State Education Department
  • Designate liaison(s) for specific programs
  • Interlibrary loan participation must comply with the CDLC interlibrary loan protocol

Affiliate Membership

Examples of Institutions Eligible for Affiliate Membership

  • Institutions not qualifying for or seeking full or associate membership
  • Historical repositories with volunteer staff
  • Newly created libraries still developing collection and service structure

Minimum Requirements for Affiliate Membership

Collections
  • A unique collection of resources
  • An organized collection
Access
  • Physical or electronic access to the collection as determined by the policies of the institution
  • This may include access by appointment or electronic access to documents
Resource Sharing
  • Institutions may choose to loan materials or supply hard copy by printing or photocopying
Institutional Support
  • Personnel: A person designated by the institution to manage the collection
  • Budget: Annual budget appropriate to collection maintenance and development

Membership Services for Affiliate Members

(Additional charges always apply for services noted with *. Charges may apply to other services as approved by the Board of Trustees.)

  • Access to union catalogs of member library monograph and serial records
  • Cataloging service*
  • CDLC sponsored training programs on a space available basis (preference given to CDLC full members)
  • Opportunity to contribute to CDLC Union List of Serials

Benefits for Member Library Staff

  • Eligibility for service on CDLC committees
  • Opportunity for professional development through training and committee participation

Membership Responsibilities of Affiliate Members

  • Designate liaison(s) for specific programs
  • Provide bibliographic records for CDLC Union Catalog if participating
  • Provide serials holding data for Union List of Serials if participating
  • Provide statistics and other data as required by CDLC and the New York State Education