Where We Work - Nylink

Mission: Nylink is a not-for-profit membership organization for all types of libraries and information organizations throughout New York State and surrounding areas.

Its mission is to enhance collaboration and cooperation and to facilitate access to and implementation and support of quality, cost-effective information technologies, products, and services for its members.

Description: Nylink is a not-for-profit membership organization providing services to libraries throughout New York State and beyond. Its membership is composed of 350 institutions, representing more than 700 academic, special, government, law, medical, public, school and non-profit libraries, and library systems. Nylink is one of 16 regional OCLC (Online Computer Library Center)-affiliated networks. Nylink provides user support and training for OCLC products and services to its member libraries. Additionally, Nylink provides training, support and consulting services for libraries on a broad range of technology-related issues, and facilitates group purchasing opportunities to help libraries obtain cost-effective alternatives to electronic information.

Member libraries run the gamut from State University of New York libraries to the City University of New York libraries; from New York Public Library to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library; from Buffalo & Erie County Public Library to New York Botanical Garden.

Interesting facts:

- Nylink use to be combined with the Office of Library and Information Services, which is now a separate entity under Advanced Learning and Information Services in System Administration.

- 66 percent of Nylink's staff are professional librarians with Masters in Library Science

- Nylink staff taught over 100 classes last year in such locations as: New York City, Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse and Uniondale on Long Island.

History: Nylink, which changed its name in 1999 from The SUNY/OCLC Network, has been in existence for over 25 years and was the brainchild of Glyn T. Evans. Mr. Evans was the founding director from 1972 until 1995. Membership grew from 24 to over 300 libraries in his tenure.

Mary-Alice Lynch took over the reigns as Executive Director of Nylink in 1996 and Nylink has expanded its membership and participation options for libraries in the intervening years.  Nylink has expanded beyond its initial offerings of technical service options through OCLC, Inc. to include database, electronic reference and other library products and services.