Assemblywoman Woerner: Bills To Support School And Public Libraries Signed Into Law

SARATOGA COUNTY —Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, announced three bills to support libraries statewide have been signed into law. 

The pieces of legislation expand access to digital resources at school libraries, protect conservation grants for invaluable library materials and cut red tape surrounding local library funding.

“Libraries are cornerstones of our local communities,” Woerner said, in a statement.  “The services libraries provide to our communities are innumerable, from study spaces to computer technology and internet access, as well as job training and senior activities. As chair of the Committee on Libraries and Education Technology, I have remained steadfast in my commitment to support New York’s library system. I thank the governor for signing these bills into law and look forward to seeing the positive impacts of these investments in our communities.”

Woerner sponsored legislation to update the definition of school library materials to include digital resources, helping modernize our schools by making digital materials eligible for state aid (Ch. 571 of 2023). The other measure she sponsored will ensure research libraries have the resources to preserve and conserve their materials (Ch. 578 of 2023). Additionally, Woerner co-sponsored and passed a law to reduce the time local governments need to spend on collecting signatures to call for votes on library funding increases (Ch. 587 of 2023).