Recently Asked Questions (RAQs)

There seems to be a trend for libraries that have Friends groups to hold fundraisers, donations, and membership drives at the library. In some instances, the library collects money for the Friends and pays it to them at a later date. Considering the cash handling procedures libraries have to worry about, is it allowable for libraries to collect Friends membership dues and donations then pay it back to the Friends?

We have become aware that a recent law in New York shortened the statute of limitations to collect consumer debts.  Does this affect our library’s ability to enforce and collect library fines?

Are incorporated "Friends", who do not receive over $50 thousand, do not have paid staff, and are only able to provide the funds to the library, required to register [with the New York Attorney General] and submit the CHAR500 form?

For public libraries seeking school ballot funding, there's some gray area around whether a petition with signatures of eligible school district voters needs to be submitted to the school. Is the petition actually needed and if so, what laws and policies define this process?

A recent article appeared in a local newspaper that was describing the local efforts of a group called Moms for Liberty to have certain books removed from school libraries because the group consider the titles to be inappropriate for school age children. However, the language used and quoted in the article, including “#Porninschools Exposed" and that they found over 80 titles that should be given an "R" rating seems as if it could be construed as an accusation against school libraries that they are distributing materials to minors that are prohibited by law. The article also quoted the group as intending to get people "outraged" by posting excerpts from books they consider objectionable. I would like to know if the school librarians facing these kinds of accusations have any recourse to bring action against the organization or individuals within the organization making these kinds of possibly slanderous and libelous accusations.