Recently Asked Questions

My school district public library system just reviewed a new (April 25th, 2024) NY Education Department Decision by the Commissioner, addressing the proper procedure for evaluating school library books. What does this decision mean for school libraries and school library systems?

You have asked if a special legislative district library and other types of public libraries must follow New York State Labor Law Section 191 (Labor Law Article 6).

My library knows that service animals provide vital assistance to patrons with disabilities, and that they must be allowed on library premises without pre-approval.

We also know that when a service animal is brought into the library by a visitor, we can only ask if the animal is needed for a disability, and what work or task it has been trained to provide.

We also know that some disabilities are not easily observed, and not every person using a service animal will be perceived as having a “real” disability.

Our library is small and we prohibit all animals—other than service animals—for a combination of reasons (including cleanliness, allergies, and fear).

Our question is this: we have a patron who we think is faking it. The patron sometimes comes in with a dog, and based on a variety of factors, it seems the patron is bringing in the dog not to accommodate a disability but to taunt staff members and dare them to confront this patron. What can we do?

A school district public library would like to open up a line of credit so it can get a credit card. Is there a legal reason why this type of library - or, for that matter, any public library (association, school district, municipal, or Indian/Tribal) can only get a debit card and not a credit card? It is understood that best practice would involve a strong policy regarding its use. Is it because a school district public library can not have an open line of credit?

We have 12 employees of the Library. 3 are salaried the rest are minimum wage. Are Library employees subject to NYS DOL Minimum Wage Law as well as the Wage Orders for salaried employees? We are unsure where we would fall. Our funding comes from taxes/aid/grants. We are looking for an answer as soon as you are able as we are preparing our budget for next year. Thank you so much for your help.