ABOUT

NOPL formed due to a grass-roots effort by community members. They recognized that their growing communities needed better library service. Their dream was to secure libraries with adequate staffing and well-equipped facilities. These library leaders overcame the historical barriers of local rivalries and competition. They worked together and came up with a plan: to change the structure of their libraries.

The Plan

Brewerton, Cicero, and North Syracuse each had a free association library. But, as a Special Legislative District Public Library, they could share funding and resources. Moreover, this change in structure would allow NOPL to go to the taxpayers of the district with an annual budget.

Michael Bragman introduced legislation in the NYS Assembly on January 30, 1995. This legislation created the NOPL Special Library District. Furthermore, it established procedures to elect trustees and raise funds through a library tax. The library began operations on January 1, 1996.

New NOPL Buildings

In their campaign to create the new library district, NOPL leaders listened to the community. Residents wanted better libraries, but they also loved having their own local library. NOPL began with the former three village libraries. The buildings were small—the largest was 2,500 square feet, the smallest under 1,500 square feet. By the fall of 1997, less than two years after its’ beginning, the new library board went out to the voters with a 4.25 million dollar building program.

The plan was to build three new buildings with 25,000 square feet of new construction. The voters approved. Workers broke ground in August 1998. Construction of the three new buildings continued into the spring of 1999. Finally, on July 10, 1999 the community celebrated the grand opening of the three new libraries in Brewerton, Cicero, and North Syracuse.

NOPL’s Service Area

Before they consolidated, the three libraries were among the smallest in Onondaga county. After consolidating, NOPL became one of the larger libraries in the state. NOPL is unique among the libraries in Onondaga County.

Benefits

NOPL’s structure serves as a model for efficiency through consolidation and cooperation. Examples of this include a centralized administration, collaborative purchasing, and shared special programming. This results in reduced costs and streamlined services.

Results

Circulation at the three NOPL libraries grew by 147% from 1998 to 2010, and the number of children and adults attending library programs rose by 201%. NOPL continues to grow and change and is indebted to the trustees of those three village libraries who wanted their libraries to thrive.