About the Capital District Library Council
The basic mission of the Capital District Library Council (CDLC), a Reference and Research Library Resources System as defined in NYS Education Law, Section 272, is to promote and facilitate improved reference and research library resources services to the region through cooperation among member libraries and administration of funds allocated by the state and other organizations as outlined in its Plan of Service. In fulfilling this mission, CDLC provides leadership in resource sharing and management; provides access tools such as union lists and catalogs; facilitates communication among its member institutions and their staffs; and sponsors educational programs and workshops. CDLC takes a lead role in exploring, promoting, and implementing applications of new technologies that are cost-effective and provide added value.
The Capital District Library Council is one of nine Reference and Research Library Resources (NY3Rs) Systems covering New York state. CDLC received its provisional charter from the Board of Regents on June 26, 1966, and its absolute charter on September 24, 1971. Permanent statutory support was achieved on December 8, 1978.
The Council is chartered to utilize existing and create new programs and services for the library community in the ten counties (Albany, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington) which it serves. Currently the Council has 68 member libraries: 22 academic libraries, 3 public library systems, 4 school library systems, 28 special libraries (e.g. corporate, agency, museum), and 11 hospital libraries. Including constituent public and school libraries, over five hundred libraries benefit from the Council's activities.
The Council serves an area of 7,145 square miles with a population (by 2000 census) of 1,060,380, including 45,000 graduate and undergraduate students (fte) and 63,000 professionals. Our member libraries' holdings number more than 8 million titles and about 35,000 serials titles.
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