COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

Rochester Regional Library Council
Rochester, NY · EIN 160926628 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE B70C · Education · Small ($100K-$1M) · rrlc.org
revenue
$995K
expenses
$961K
net assets
$1.1M
employees
5
volunteers
125
program ratio
85%
mission · from form 990

Regional reference and research system, coordinate services and strengthen programs for libraries.

profile · synthesized from sources

Rochester Regional Library Council (RRLC) is a regional library system serving libraries and cultural heritage organizations in a five-county area of New York State. It strengthens member libraries by coordinating shared services, including resource sharing, digital initiatives, professional development, and grant funding. RRLC supports access to collections, legal guidance, and capacity building through collaborative programs and partnerships with the Empire State Library Network.

named programs · 11 · from sources

What they call their work

Action & Innovation Grant
Supports member projects that address community issues through innovative actions, with priority for collaborative efforts between RRLC members or community organizations.
Ask The Lawyer
Provides legal guidance to member libraries on HR, intellectual property, contracts, and other operational issues through a retained attorney.
Capacity Building Grant
Supports initiatives that strengthen organizational skills, processes, and resources to help member libraries adapt and thrive.
Collections & Access Grant
Funds projects that improve public access to library collections, especially those highlighting underrepresented voices and contributing to statewide digital initiatives.
Delivery Services
Coordinates regional and statewide delivery of library materials through RRLC Delivery, Empire Library Delivery, and FedEx Small Package Delivery programs.
Empire State Immersive Experiences (ESIE)
Platform for hosting 360° images and virtual tours to support community engagement and education.
Empire State Library Network Academic Institutional Repository (ESLN AIR)
Institutional repository platform hosted by Ubiquity Press for academic members to store and share scholarly works.
Grant Support Service
Pilot program offering RRLC staff review of grant drafts for Full and Affiliate members to improve success rates before submission.
Harold Hacker Fund for the Advancement of Libraries
Provides grants for staff training, professional development, and innovative library projects in the Rochester area; administered by RRLC on behalf of the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library.
Internship Grant
Provides funding for student internships in libraries, archives, and cultural heritage organizations to build professional skills.
Special Project Grant
Offers funding for member-driven projects with potential impact on the broader RRLC community.
activities · 9 groups

What they do

  • Regional Library Resource Sharing 5 activities
    • Access Pass program administration
      Operates the Access Pass program, which enables users from participating libraries—including faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, researchers, and some high school students—to borrow materials directly from other regional libraries where they are not formally affiliated, providing access to specialized resources not available at their home libraries.
    • Interlibrary loan and delivery services
      Coordinates regional and statewide delivery of library materials through multiple systems, including a contract with Associated Couriers, LLC, participation in Empire Library Delivery, and coordination with the New York State FedEx contract for small package delivery. Facilitates shipping and return of loaned materials using public library system and RRLC delivery services.
    • Medical Information Services Program access facilitation
      Facilitates access to the Medical Information Services Program for all libraries in the region, expanding specialized information resources available to member institutions.
    • Regional library system coordination
      Operates as a regional reference and research system to coordinate services and strengthen library programs across a five-county region in New York, serving libraries and library systems through collaborative infrastructure and shared resources.
    • Resource sharing network coordination
      Operates a resource sharing network among 450 libraries across a five-county region (Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, and Wyoming counties), enabling interlibrary lending and borrowing of books, journals, and other media. Facilitates cost-free access to materials through interlibrary loan when local resources are insufficient.
  • Archival Digitization and Preservation 2 activities
    • Archival advice and support services
      Provides direct support and expert advice to member libraries on archives and special collections, including processing, preservation, reference, acquisition, appraisal, and digital projects. Operated a one-year pilot project to deliver these services.
    • Digital initiatives and collection sharing support
      Supports member libraries in sharing unique collections through digital initiatives and enables full and affiliate members to contribute to statewide digital projects, expanding access to regional historical and cultural materials.
  • Library Staff Professional Development 1 activity
    • Continuing education and professional development
      Provides free or low-cost continuing education training classes for library staff to strengthen professional capacity and support ongoing learning within the library community.
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
    • Grant application review service
      Offers a pilot grant review service for member libraries, assessing draft applications for alignment with funder requirements, identifying errors, and providing written feedback to improve clarity, impact, and success potential before submission.
  • Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
    • Grantmaking for member library projects
      Funds projects within its membership through grant programs, including distributing over $59,000 in funding and administering the Harold Hacker Fund for the Advancement of Libraries to support staff training, professional development, and innovative library initiatives.
  • Historical and Genealogical Research 1 activity
    • Historical collections research and database development
      Conducted a survey of historical repositories in Rochester and Monroe County to identify materials documenting African American organizations, people, and experiences, and compiled the findings into a searchable database to support research and access.
  • Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
    • Listserv and communication platform operation
      Operates an unmoderated listserv for sharing RRLC and member news, and maintains closed listservs for specific committees, projects, or services to support communication among member libraries.
  • Annual Impact and Evaluation Reporting 1 activity
    • Member Value Reporting
      Produces annual Member Value Reports for Full and Affiliate member libraries that document cost savings and cost avoidance achieved through RRLC programs and services, supporting institutional evaluation and advocacy.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Legal support and consultation services
      Retains an attorney to provide legal input on human resources, intellectual property, digital rights management, vendor contracts, First Amendment, civil rights, and employment law issues for RRLC and its member libraries, including funding the initial legal response for member libraries with urgent HR-related personnel needs.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$995K
Contributions & grants$743K75%
Program service revenue$130K13%
Investment income$73K7%
Other revenue$49K
expenses
Total expenses$961K
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$513K
Grants paid out$165K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.60M
Cash$358K
Investments$790K
Liabilities$542K
Net assets$1.06M
Liquid reserves14.3 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +8.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Laura Schiefer Executive Director 38 $132K
Collette Coffey Business Manager 30 $73K
board members · 10
  • Chris Ryan — Member
  • Emily Lowman — Vice-President
  • James Eckl — Treasurer
  • Jazzmyn Ivery-Robinson — Member
  • Larry Wahl — President
  • Paul Schacht — Member
  • Peter Knapp — Member
  • Racquel Gonzales — Secretary
  • Therese Mulligan — Member
  • Yolanda Rios Esq — Member
relationships · 29

Who they work with

  • Access Pass Participating Libraries Network — Libraries that participate in the Access Pass program by issuing passes and granting borrowing privileges to eligible users from other institutions
  • Archive of Black History and Culture Partner — Partner organization on behalf of which the survey of local Black history collections was conducted.
  • Associated Couriers, LLC Partner — Contracted courier service for local library material delivery.
  • Empire Archival Discover Cooperative Partner — Collaborative platform for discovering archival collections across New York State cultural heritage organizations.
  • Empire State Immersive Experiences Partner — Platform for hosting 360° images and virtual tours to highlight community landmarks and objects.
  • Empire State Library Network Network — Collaborates with other councils within the Empire State Library Network to staff the Ask the Archivist service.
  • Empire State Library Network Network — Member of a statewide network of regional library councils in New York.
  • Empire State Library Network Network — RRLC is a member of the Empire State Library Network, which coordinates the "Ask the Lawyer" trademark and service across regional library councils.
  • Empire State Library Network Network — RRLC is a member, enabling access to Empire Library Delivery for interregional material sharing.
  • Empire State Library Network Partner — Collaborates with RRLC to support member participation in statewide digital projects.
  • EmpireADC Partner — Collaborates with EmpireADC to support digital collections and metadata sharing
  • Facebook Network — Member presence on Facebook platform
  • FedEx Partner — Partner in NYS contract for small package delivery services with member libraries.
  • Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library Funder — Administered a Vitality Grant for Preserving Historical Assets that funded the Black History Collections project.
  • Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library Funder — Funder of the Harold Hacker Fund for the Advancement of Libraries, which RRLC administers
  • IMLS Government — Referenced as a major granting agency whose applications require extensive review due to competitive nature and complex requirements.
  • Law Office of Stephanie Adams, PLLC Partner — Provides legal input to RRLC and its members through the "Ask the Lawyer" service.
  • Medical Information Services Program Partner — Collaborates to facilitate access to medical information resources for libraries in the region.
  • Nazareth University Partner — Participating academic library in the RRLC ILL Direct Program, where libraries contact the Head of ILL Services to obtain an ILLiad account.
  • New York Heritage Partner — Participates in New York Heritage to support digital access to historical materials
  • New York Heritage Partner — Partner project providing a free research portal for historical materials from New York State cultural institutions.
  • New York State Historic Newspapers Partner — Participates in New York State Historic Newspapers to provide access to digitized historic newspapers
  • New York State Historic Newspapers Partner — Partner project that digitizes and provides free online access to historic newspapers from every county in New York State.
  • Rochester Area Community Foundation Funder — Provided a Vitality Grant for Preserving Historical Assets through the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library to support the Black History Collections project.
  • SUNY Brockport Partner — Participating academic library in the RRLC ILL Direct Program, providing access to non-OCLC libraries via an online ILLiad form.
  • SUNY Geneseo Partner — Participating academic library in the RRLC ILL Direct Program, allowing public libraries to borrow directly through ILLiad.
  • St. John Fisher University Partner — Participating academic library in the RRLC ILL Direct Program, allowing public libraries to request direct ILL accounts.
  • Ubiquity Press Partner — Provides institutional repository hosting for academic library members through the ESLN AIR platform.
  • Western New York Library Resources Council Partner — Hosts the Recently Asked Questions (RAQs) section and collaborates on the "Ask the Lawyer" service.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Collaborative Grantmaking for Equity and Innovation
    methodology: innovation_and_collaboration_grantmaking
    By funding projects that prioritize collaboration, innovation, and access to underrepresented collections, RRLC advances equity and community impact because targeted investment in shared goals strengthens both individual institutions and the regional network as a whole.
  • Peer-Powered Knowledge Building
    methodology: peer_advisory
    By facilitating peer-to-peer expert advice, shared legal guidance, and pre-submission grant review, RRLC builds collective capacity across member libraries because professional learning and feedback from experienced peers improves outcomes more effectively than top-down training.
  • Regional Collaborative Network Model
    methodology: regional-collaborative-network
    By coordinating services and strengthening library programs through a regional reference and research system, RRLC enhances resource access and institutional capacity across member libraries because shared infrastructure and collaboration reduce duplication and increase efficiency.