Trustees & Staff

Trustees

Byron Bell
Charles G. Berry
Ralph S. Brown, Jr.
Margaret Mather Byard
Robert A. Caro
Lyn Chase
Margaret Cook
Henry S.F. Cooper, Jr.
William J. Dean
Benita Eisler
Christopher Gray
James Q. Griffin
Shirley Hazzard
Anthony D. Knerr
Jenny Lawrence
Walter Lord
Jean Parker Phifer
Theodore C. Rogers
Constance R. Roosevelt
Jeannette Watson Sanger
Barbara H. Stanton
Fawn White

Staff

FULL-TIME
Steven Baumholtz
Susan Chan
Jane Goldstein
Endang Hertanto
Janet Howard
John McKeown
Susan O'Brien
Mark Piel
Ingrid Richter
Carrie Silberman
Diane Srebnick
Jianmin Wang

PART-TIME
Aloha Antonio
Arevig Caprielian
Stephanie Gayle
Krishna Guha
Sara Holliday
Randi Levy
J. Kimberly McKenzie
Anthony Parshall
Linnea Holman Savapoulas
Howard Stein
Sasha Stumacher
Marian Thatos
Analise Titus
Sandra Valdivieso
Stanley Weinman

Library Committees

(June 2000 - May 2001)

Executive Committee

William J. Dean, Chair
James Q. Griffin, Treasurer
Charles G. Berry, Secretary
Barbara H. Stanton

Book Committee

Benita Eisler, Chair
Marylin Bender Altschul
Richard Aspinwall
Lucienne Bloch
Margaret Mather Byard
Lyn Chase
Jules Cohn
Henry S.F. Cooper Jr.
Margaret Edsall
Helen Evarts
Linda Fritzinger
Malcolm Goldstein
Shirley Hazzard
Richard Herrman
Sarah Plimpton
Theodore C. Rogers
Daniel Rossner
Barbara Wriston

Building Committee

Henry S.F. Cooper, Jr.
Benita Eisler
Christopher Gray, Chair
Jean Parker Phifer
Theodore C. Rogers
Barbara H. Stanton

Education and Community Outreach Committee

Fawn White, Chair
Mary Allen
Barbara Ann Barker
Nancy Drosd
Peggy Ellis
Carolyn Goodrich
Joanna Humphreys
Pat Langer
Louise Monjo
Nancy Winslow Parker
Jean Parker Phifer
Susan Robbins
Jeannette Watson Sanger

Finance Committee

James Q. Griffin, Chair
Charles G. Berry
Anthony D. Knerr
Barbara H. Stanton
Theodore C. Rogers

Library Committee

Ralph S. Brown, Jr., Chair
Margaret Mather Byard
Lyn Chase
Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr.
Christopher Gray
Jenny Lawrence
Walter Lord
Jean Parker Phifer
Theodore C. Rogers
Constance R. Roosevelt
Jeannette Watson Sanger

Long-Range Planning Committee

Ralph S. Brown, Jr., Chair
Byron Bell
Charles G. Berry
Lyn Chase
Henry S.F. Cooper, Jr.
Benita Eisler
Christopher Gray
Jenny Lawrence
Jean Parker Phifer
Theodore C. Rogers
Constance R. Roosevelt
Barbara H. Stanton
Fawn White

Nominating Committee

Barbara H. Stanton, Chair
Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr.
Jenny Lawrence
Walter Lord
Jean Parker Phifer
Jeannette Watson Sanger

Personnel Committee

James Q. Griffin, Chair
Charles G. Berry
Ralph S. Brown, Jr.
Barbara H. Stanton

Visitors' Committee

Lucienne Bloch, Chair
and its members

Charles G. Berry
Library Attorney

Jenny Lawrence
Editor, Library Notes

Report of the Chairman

William J. Dean
(June 2000 - May 2001)

Three years from now, in 2004, the New York Society Library will celebrate its 250th anniversary. In these parlous times, where change is constant and the life of institutions uncertain, such longevity is an extraordinary achievement.

The Long-Range Planning Committee, under the chairmanship of trustee Ralph S. Brown Jr., is developing plans for the Library. Members have played an important role in this deliberative process with useful comments and suggestions in response to the committee's questionnaire.

Proposed additions to our beautiful building will emphasize more reading rooms, more stack areas to accommodate our expanding collection, and needed offices for staff. With a loyal membership and dedicated staff, the Library can look to the future with confidence.

How fortunate we are to be able to enjoy the wonderful world of books.

Pushkin called his books, "my friends."

After reading Leaves of Grass, Emerson wrote to Whitman, "It has the best merits, namely, of fortifying & encouraging." Great works of literature do both.

"Blessed are those who are found studious of Literature & Humane & polite accomplishments," William Blake wrote in 1801. "Such have their lamps burning & such shall shine as the stars."

Members of the Library, may your lamp continue to burn, and may you shine as the stars.

Respectfully submitted,
William J. Dean, Chairman

Report of the Librarian

Mark Piel
(June 2000 - May 2001)

At the end of 2000 the Library's Board and staff began to consider changes to our structure, both internal: improvements in bringing paper and electronic resources to patrons-and external: future remodeling to create more room for books and readers. As the Librarian, it is useful to see the Library's functions, and not just the building, being constructed each day out of the raw materials of financial support, circulated books and resources, special events, links with the community, the staff contributions and, certainly not least our readers' participation and response.

In October 2000 the Long-Range Planning Committee sent members a three-page questionnaire. About 1500 questionnaires filled with comments and suggestions were returned. Asked what they particularly value about the Library, many cited the Library's atmosphere, strong collections, and staff, and commented on the Members' Room, calling it "serious" and "restful." Eighty-two percent named the open stacks among the most important Library features. Members visit the stacks, the circulation desk and the new-book shelves most frequently, but 55% mentioned heavy use of the reading rooms. This valuable feedback from the membership has set the trustees and staff new goals to explore.

 
Financial Support

We build our daily routine on the generous funding of the Library. The Librarian and the Finance Committee set each year's budget, which is then approved by the full board. 2000-2001 saw a 13% expenditure increase over the previous year for Library materials such as books, serials, audio cassettes and binding, and a 12% increase for Library services like cataloging, printing and photocopying. Staff salaries have also increased to support an appropriate number of staff members with fair compensation. A record response of $240,573 to the Annual Appeal made these increases possible.

 
Circulation

The Circulation Department under the supervision of Jane Goldstein occupies the busy ground floor of our metaphorical building just as it does the first floor of the Library itself. This year members were offered four options for reserving books: in person at the desk, by phone, by e-mail, or on the Library's website. The circulation desk holds around 300 of these reserved books at any time. 78,316 volumes circulated between June 2000 and May 2001, a jump over the previous year. This includes the growing number of juvenile books solemnly handed up to the desk by our youngest members. An overwhelming 92% of questionnaire respondents voted the Circulation staff "highly satisfactory."

 
Finding Books and Information

The methods for tracking down books and information at the Library now might be likened to a window-filled room offering views in all directions. Questionnaire respondents said they used the Library for diverse purposes, doing research (64%) almost as much as recreational reading (76%). Members continue to find the right title using both the catalog and the card catalog. Questionnaire responses indicate that a growing majority of patrons (56%) appreciate the advantages of the catalog, which is now available on multiple floors. The board decided to stop purchasing cards for the card catalog, though it remains in the building.

More patrons also appreciate the Library's website, www.nysoclib.org. In January 2001 the site recorded 4,201 visitors, in March, 5,050, and in May, 9,736. The website includes links to the Library's history and Visitors' Committee reports as well as listings of events and children's programs. Members who have registered for the service can also access our catalog from the site. Internet terminals are located in stack one, the Children's Library, and the fifth floor. The network server purchased last year provides a locus for sharing documents, programs, and databases within the Library, while managing visitors to the website and allowing access to part of our CD-ROM collection.

These new corridors of access also lead to the Library's increased electronic holdings, specifically the online versions of the Oxford English Dictionary and the American National Biography. Unlike the paper format, these resources are constantly being updated and offer wider searching options.

In April 2001 the Library installed a new telephone system, creating a voicemail box for each staff member.

 
Programs

The architectural style and decorative elements on our symbolic building are composed of the programs and classes which drew large and enthusiastic audiences in 2000-2001. Trustee and architectural historian Christopher Gray began the highly popular tours "The NYSL Top to Bottom." Even long-time members learned much about the construction of the 1917 building and enjoyed exploring some non-public areas.

Library Reading Groups this year included Ellen Feldman, Hope Cooke and Meg Wolitzer leading fiction discussions. Anthony Gronowicz introduced the history of constitutional interpretation in the first session with a topic other than fiction or biography.

Just as the Library is increasingly open to more advanced computer equipment and technology, the technology workshops offered by the Cataloging/Systems Department have grown in scope and popularity. Fall workshops taught members about personal computers, Microsoft Windows, and the Internet as well as the catalog; the spring curriculum added courses on finding a topic across print and electronic reference sources.

We should never forget that technology is a tool, not a goal, and must always work with a commitment to keeping alive the artifacts of the past. A special class given in April by Rare Books Librarian Arevig Caprielian revealed some of the hidden treasures in the Library's collections. She explained that "the very age of our Library indicates that our holdings will naturally include some rare books. Few American libraries can boast such rarities as ten incunabula dating between 1475 and 1498."

 
Special Events

The 2000-2001 Library Lecture Series introduced members to Hawthorne biographer Brenda Wineapple, novelist and essayist Cynthia Ozick, and former Random House editorial director Jason Epstein. The Author Series, presented in cooperation with Channel 13/WNET, heard from Anne Morrow Lindbergh's biographer Susan Hertog; Karl Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac, authors of the history Tournament of Shadows; and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. speaking on his memoir. Classical scholar Michael Putnam began the year of Conversations on Great Books with discussion of the Aeneid. In the spring, Robert D. Richardson Jr., biographer of Ralph Waldo Emerson, brought us a deeper understanding of that great American's wisdom. Adults and young adults enjoyed a reading by the recent Newbery Award winner Richard Peck. The Library's Lecture and Exhibition Committee is chaired by trustee Jeannette Watson Sanger.

 
Children's Library

Mr. Peck's reading drew a crowd of all ages, but his invitation to speak came from the Children's Library, one of the many lively events organized there since the arrival of Children's Librarian Carrie Silberman in 2000. The Children's Library now offers a monthly calendar of age-appropriate storytelling, craft programs, and literary and community activities for children from 11/2 to 15 years. Authors Robert Quackenbush, Trina Lion and Dave Johnson also have shared their talents on the third floor this year.

More than 170 children regularly register for programs, and the GoCityKids website, read by families all over New York, called our Children's Library "one of the best children's rooms in the city."

 
Links to the Community

The Library's external activities, organized by the Education and Community Outreach Committee under the guidance of trustee Fawn White, might be likened to a garden planted around the building, cultivated for others' enjoyment. Once again the Library sponsored the Past Lives/Present Tense program at PS 107, which helps elementary school children take on a persona from history, and we also supported the PEN American Center's Readers and Writers Program, distributing books to eighth-graders at IS 52 in preparation for a visit from the authors. This year also saw the formation of a Junior Advisory Council to add to the children's web page and participate in community activities.

In February, the Council joined Library members, staff, and representatives from forty independent, parochial, public schools, Teach for America New York, PENCIL, Children For Children Foundation, Books for Kids, WNYC New York Kids, Teachers for Tomorrow, and Vornado Realty Trust to organize Project Cicero. This was a massive book drive aimed at redistributing children's books from private schools and individual donors to needy public schools, hospitals, homeless shelters, community centers, and juvenile detention centers. The New York Fire Department collected more than 70,000 books from forty private schools and public drop-off points. Teachers from Teach for America, Teachers For Tomorrow and other organizations then selected the books to bolster classroom or communal libraries. All the participants were awed at the city's generous response to this project.

 
New York City Book Awards

The Library's New York City Book Awards celebrated its fifth year of honoring the best new books about the city with some firsts of its own. The Book Awards Committee, chaired by trustee Constance Rogers Roosevelt, gave Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay a new award for fiction; our award preceded that of the Pulitzer Prize committee. Queens historian Vincent Seyfried was honored with an award for lifetime achievement. The other winners were Joshua B. Freeman for Working-Class New York: Life and Labor Since World War II, John R. Waldman for Heartbeats in the Muck: the History, Sea Life, and Environment of New York Harbor, Lloyd Ultan and Barbara Unger for Bronx Accent: a Literary and Pictorial History of the Borough, and Norval White for The AIA Guide to New York City, Fourth Edition. The ceremony was held in May with presenters Wendy Wasserstein, Eric Foner, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, Christopher Gray, and Tony Hiss. Members called the ceremony "illustrious"

 
The Library Inside

But aside from foundation, floors, windows, architectural detailing and gardens, the soul of our Library building, real or virtual, comes from the books and the members who use and appreciate them.

Library holdings grew this year, with the most new titles coming from fiction, biography, and the social sciences. Our audiocassette collection now offers more than 3,000 mostly unabridged books. We also acquired The New Grove Dictionary of Art, an outstanding reference source.

The Cataloging Department, under the leadership of Steven Baumholtz, has maintained a stable workflow while reducing the backlog of regularly acquired books. The department has also begun the last portion of the Rare Book retrospective conversion with the help of an experienced outside vendor.

Library memberships totaled 3,249 as of May 31, 2001, close to the all-time high of 3,266 in 1998. The questionnaire revealed that a full 31% of respondents have been members for more than twenty years.

To provide another link between real building and virtual Library, a new logo based on the plaque outside the front door has been created by Pentagram. It now appears on stationery, brochures, membership applications, the Library Notes and this Annual Report.

2001 also meant the departure of one of Library's most valued helps. Acquisitions Librarian Susan O'Brien fulfilled approximately 195 interlibrary loan requests in 2000 alone and processed almost 40,000 books in her twelve years here. Now she has returned to her native Dublin. Remaining in the book world, she will be not buying but rather selling books from her own shop.

It is deeply gratifying to serve as Librarian where members and staff alike hold a warm, deep feeling toward the Library's tradition and its continued operation. I am most appreciative of all the staff, who enable a range of functions in a spirit of enterprise and cooperation, and equally appreciative of the Trustees' leadership and support.

The year 2000-2001 has reaffirmed the Library's foundation in knowledge and art. The work of keeping up with new technology continues, and expansion and remodeling are under consideration. However, like any home standing on a solid foundation, the Library maintained its daily services and support of literacy through 2000-2001 and will continue to do so into the future.

Respectfully submitted,
Mark Piel, Librarian

Report of the Treasurer

James Q. Griffin
(January - December 2000)

The basic financial policies governing the Library are: a balanced budget, a 4½% spending rule from endowment funds (based on the average of the prior three years), a fairly compensated staff and our building property maintained. If all of these occur, the institution is thought to be in financial equilibrium.

Over the past decade we clearly have been in equilibrium as we have been last year. Our objective is to stay that way.

Respectfully submitted,
James Q. Griffin, Treasurer

STATEMENT OF REVENUE & EXPENSES UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS
31 December 2000 with comparative totals for 1999

Note: This statement includes unrestricted revenue and expenses only. All other funds are accounted for separately. Fully audited financial statements are available at the library. The approximate market value of investments on December 31, 2000 was $27,958,000. While the allocation from endowment was 5% in 1999, the board passed a resolution to change the allocation to 4.5 effective for the year 2000.