WESTERN NEW YORK LIBRARY RESOURCES COUNCIL Information

The Western New York Library Resources Council (WNYLRC) is a not-for-profit consortium of all types of libraries and library systems serving six counties: Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, and Orleans. The Council was chartered by the New York State Board of Regents in 1966. WNYLRC is one of the nine regional 3Rs (Reference, Research, Resources) councils that comprise the Empire State Library Network (ESLN). The 3Rs councils, including WNYLRC, were formed to promote resource sharing among diverse types of libraries and library systems (academic, public, school, special, hospital, and other repositories. The current service model, developed in 2011, allows WNYLRC to be open to change, letting WNYLRC stay ahead of technological advancements. WNYLRC encourages experimentation within WNYLRC’s office and in partnership with our members. Therefore, the continuing incubator service model of questioning existing practices and testing new ideas allows WNYLRC to: - Operate on the premise of specific principles that consider the end users and the library community as beneficiaries of its actions rather than relying on a mission statement that specifies current services and has the potential to become outdated. - Provide seed money when available for new initiatives and avoid supporting in perpetuity programs and services that are core to library services and should be supported by member libraries. - Remain nimble, adaptable, and proactive, and therefore better able to support its members. - Assess and evaluate the rapid change in the library industry and position WNYLRC to lead and assist its members in meeting the challenges and opportunities that are the consequence of change.