named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Ask the Lawyer!
Legal consultation service for member libraries on intellectual property, contracts, employment law, and First Amendment issues, provided in partnership with WNYLRC and staffed by attorney Stephanie Adams
Member Grants for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Quarterly grant program funding member-led initiatives that advance equity and inclusion in library collections, programming, staffing, and leadership
NYS Historic Newspapers Program
Training and support for accessing and using digitized historic newspapers from New York State
Northern New York Award for Excellence in Library Service
Annual award recognizing outstanding contributions by library staff in the Network’s service area, established in 1991
Special Collections Community Hours
Regular virtual gatherings for professionals to discuss special collections management, preservation, and access
activities · 10 groups
What they do
-
Library Staff Professional Development 2 activities
- Organizes professional development events and webinarsCo-hosts and delivers webinars on library sector challenges, grant research tools, and findings from the US Library Survey, and provides recordings and certificates of attendance to participants.
- Provides technology training and resourcesOffers technology-focused educational content through weekly articles, videos, live and recorded webinars, a mobile app, a dedicated member portal, and a newsletter to support library staff in using technology for work and communication.
-
-
Medical Research & Education Dissemination 1 activity
- Delivers medical information services to healthcare providersProvides medical information via journal subscriptions, ebooks, literature searches, document delivery, and consultations to healthcare providers at eleven hospitals through regional libraries at Samaritan Medical Center and Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital.
-
-
Regional Library Resource Sharing 1 activity
- Facilitates cooperative library services and resource sharingCoordinates resource distribution, interlibrary loans, shared digital collections, and regional catalog access among member libraries across a seven-county region in northern New York.
-
-
Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
- Funds library initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusionFunds member library projects that advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within North Country cultural institutions.
-
-
Educator Conferences & Professional Development Events 1 activity
- Hosts in-person and recurring professional workshops and meetingsConducts in-person workshops on cultural heritage preservation and hosts an annual fall meeting for member libraries and stakeholders at the Eben Holden Conference Center in Canton, NY.
-
-
Membership Program Administration 1 activity
- Offers membership to libraries and institutionsProvides full voting membership to eligible libraries in Northern New York and associate (non-voting) memberships to individuals and institutions that do not qualify for full membership.
-
-
Member-Exclusive Resource Access 1 activity
- Provides access to electronic resources and reference servicesOffers member libraries free access to electronic databases and subsidizes a 24/7 chat-based reference service via Springshare’s LibAnswers platform to support remote reference assistance.
-
-
Legal Representation for Members 1 activity
- Provides legal consultation and legal resource archiveOffers legal advice to member libraries on intellectual property, digital rights, vendor contracts, First Amendment, civil rights, and employment law issues, and maintains a public archive of legal questions and responses (RAQs).
-
-
Recognition and Awards Programs 1 activity
- Recognizes excellence in library serviceAwards the Excellence in Library Service Award annually to library staff members within the service area during the Network's Annual Meeting.
-
-
Literary Events & Workshops 1 activity
- Supports manga interest and collection developmentHosts a monthly online manga interest group and the Northern New York Manga Interest Group as recurring events to support professional discussion on manga collections, programming, and reading among library workers.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$876K
Contributions & grants$745K85%
Program service revenue$94K11%
Investment income$4K0%
Other revenue$33K
expenses
Total expenses$1.09M
Program expenses80%
Admin / overhead20%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$591K
Grants paid out$64K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.19M
Cash$808K
Investments$0
Liabilities$241K
Net assets$953K
Liquid reserves8.9 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -16.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARGARET E BACKUS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $165K |
board members · 14
- ALLISON COMES — TRUSTEE
- AMY BEDARD — TRUSTEE
- CORI WILHELM — TRUSTEE
- EDWARD KOMARA — TRUSTEE
- ELLEN ADAMS — PRESIDENT
- EMILY OWEN HASTINGS — TREASURER
- JACQUELINE MADISON — VICE-PRESIDENT
- JESSICA CLEMONS — TRUSTEE
- JILL DABY — TRUSTEE
- JOHN PAYNE — TRUSTEE
- JUSTIN CREE — SECRETARY
- MICHAEL SPOFFORD — TRUSTEE
- PAULETTE ROES — TRUSTEE
- SARAH WEISMAN — TRUSTEE
relationships · 50
Who they work with
- Academic libraries in northern New York Partner — Member organization within the regional library network
- American Association of Law Librarians Partner — Offers a referenced guide on the use of copyrighted works by law libraries, including the interplay between Section 108 and Fair Use.
- American Library Association Partner — Provides referenced guidance on the interaction between Section 108 of U.S. Copyright Code and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
- Archives in northern New York Partner — Member organization within the regional library network
- Candid Partner — Offers access to the Candid Foundation Directory for nonprofit grant research.
- Canton Free Library Partner — Recognized staff member Carole Berard with the 2020 Excellence in Library Service Award.
- Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Partner — Hosts a regional hospital library that delivers medical information services as part of the Hospital Library Services Program.
- Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Partner — Recognized staff member Jill Daby with the 2024 Excellence in Library Service Award.
- Clinton Essex Franklin Library System Partner — Recognized staff member Julie Wever with the 2017 Excellence in Library Service Award.
- Colton-Pierrepont Central School Partner — Recognized staff member Melinda Miller with the 2022 Excellence in Library Service Award.
- Columbia University Partner — Offers a referenced analysis checklist to help libraries assess eligibility for Section 108 copyright exemptions.
- Cornell Law School Partner — Hosts a publicly accessible copy of 17 U.S. Code Section 108, which is referenced to support member understanding of library copyright exceptions.
- DHPSNY Partner — Partners to deliver in-person workshops on identifying preservation needs for historical collections.
- Daniel Stec Government — State Senator representing part of Northern New York; listed as a contact for constituent advocacy.
- ESLN Partner — Collaborates on co-hosting webinars related to library services and funding resources.
- Empire State Library Network Partner — Sponsors a webinar on findings from the 2025 US Library Survey.
- Empire State Library Network Partner — Sponsors the webinar session on Candid Foundation Directory.
- Historic Saranac Lake Partner — Co-presents a demonstration of the CatalogIt collection management system.
- Ithaka S+R Partner — Collaborates on a webinar presenting findings from the US Library Survey 2025.
- Keene Valley Library Archives Partner — Recognized staff member Elizabeth Rogers with the 2018 Excellence in Library Service Award.
- Ken Blankenbush Government — State Assemblymember representing part of Northern New York; listed as a contact for constituent advocacy.
- Lake Placid Public Library Partner — Recognized staff member Linda Blair with the 2026 Excellence in Library Service Award for contributions over 50 years of service.
- Mark Walczyk Government — State Senator representing part of Northern New York; listed as a contact for constituent advocacy.
- Massena Public Library Partner — Recognized staff member Krista Briggs with the 2025 Excellence in Library Service Award.
- Matthew Simpson Government — State Assemblymember representing part of Northern New York; listed as a contact for constituent advocacy.
- Michael Cashman Government — State Assemblymember representing part of Northern New York; listed as a contact for constituent advocacy.
- New York State Education Department Government — Chartered by the Regents, which oversee the New York State Education Department.
- New York State Education Department Government — Recognizes qualifications and approvals issued by the New York State Education Department for member eligibility.
- New York State Regents Government — Chartered the Northern New York Library Network under State authority.
- NewsBank Partner — Provides access to the Watertown Daily Times archive and full-text articles through NewsBank.
+ 20 more
strategies · 4
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.
- Advocacy-Facilitation Modelmethodology: legislative_accessBy connecting library stakeholders directly with state legislators through accessible contact information and coordinated outreach, the organization strengthens library advocacy efforts, because direct access to policymakers increases the likelihood of responsive decision-making and sustained public support.
- Collaborative Capacity Buildingmethodology: capacity-building-through-partnershipBy partnering with regional and state-level organizations to deliver training and professional development, the network strengthens member library capacity and improves outcomes for users, because shared learning and skill development increase staff effectiveness and service responsiveness.
- Equity-Centered Project Fundingmethodology: advancing-dei-bBy funding member-led projects aligned with a defined diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging framework, the organization advances systemic change in library services, because empowering local actors to lead equity initiatives produces more relevant, sustainable, and community-grounded outcomes.
- Regional Resource-Sharing Networkmethodology: resource-sharing_networkBy creating a multi-type library network that spans academic, public, school, and special libraries, the organization improves access to information and enhances service capacity across a geographically dispersed region, because shared infrastructure and collective purchasing reduce costs and duplication while expanding availability.