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First Year Of Co-Central Library Plan Underway

The James Prendergast Library, located at 509 Cherry St., is the largest member library in the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System. The James Prendergast Library Board of Trustees approved the co-central library plan last November. The plan is used to supplement member library reference and nonfiction collections, support system-wide databases and provide reference services and training to member libraries. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

The James Prendergast Library is in the first year of the latest co-central library plan.

The James Prendergast and Olean Public libraries are the co-central libraries in the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System. Tina Scott, James Prendergast Library executive director, said every five years they are required to have a co-central plan, which gets reviewed each year.

“It spells out when we get funds for being a co-central library and how we will use those funds,” she said. “We get funds each year to purchase nonfiction and reference materials, and we provide reference services for libraries in the system. Also, we provide professional workshops for member libraries.”

Scott said there are 38 libraries in 36 locations in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties. She said one of the goals of the co-central library plan is collection development and resource sharing.

“So when we get money for Central Library Development Aid, we have a number of areas we can use if for. We always use it for nonfiction and reference materials,” she said. “We share costs for the overdraft platform for ebooks, which allows for people to download ebooks. We share the costs with Olean.”

Scott said the Central Library Development Aid also provides member libraries staff and patrons with remote reference services through phone and email. She said the co-central libraries will explore options to expand virtual reference services such as chat and text.

The co-central plan also has a professional development goal so member libraries will have professional development opportunities to improve reference assistance, readers advisory and database navigation. Each co-central library will use Central Library Development Aid to provide at least four professional development training opportunities to member libraries in areas such as reference, readers advisory, circulation and databases. Co-central libraries will support system-led training opportunities by providing space and technical assistance and co-central library’s staff will regularly share knowledge and expertise through system newsletters, email lists and other channels.

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