NYSHEI News

Jonathan Bing (D-Manhattan) has been named by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Libraries and Education Technology.

Now in his fourth term representing the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Mr. Bing has a strong reputation for his advocacy for libraries, museums and other cultural education institutions.

“All of the NYS Higher Education Initiative welcomes the leadership of Mr. Bing, and we look forward to a committed partnership with him,” said Jason Kramer, Executive Director of NYSHEI.

The Business Council of New York State today released a memorandum of support for the Academic Research Information Access (ARIA) act.

In their memo, the Business Council states:

“This legislation serves several purposes vital to ensuring New York’s economy is positioned to stabilize and grow, including supporting increased access and communication among our colleges and universities in support of their programs, and linking the work of our universities to that of the regional economies in which they operate.  Most importantly it provides a missing link between our research universities and the private sector, from mature firms to start-ups, where the importance of innovation is essential to furthering their growth.  This legislation will bridge the academic-industry divide through making available to the private sector, in particular those entrepreneurial and start-up companies, the same science, technical and medical publications needed by faculty-based researchers.  The money spent by public and private college, university and research libraries in New York to license online resources can have much greater impact if it is spent cooperatively through statewide shared licenses rather than individually. Not only can a wider array of online materials be made available to campuses and research libraries throughout the state, but through shared licensing, more affordable options for libraries at small campuses can support coursework for students in workforce development programs that are at the heart of our competitive state economy.”

Read the full memo here.

The Business Council of New York State, Inc., is the leading business organization in New York State, representing the interests of large and small firms throughout the state. Its membership is made up of thousands of member companies, as well as local chambers of commerce and professional and trade associations.

The Academic Research Information Access (ARIA) act today reported out of the Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry.  By a vote of 25-0, all committee members voted in support of ARIA.

This marks the third time that the Assembly Committee on Economic Development provided unanimous support for ARIA.  Lead by Chairman, and ARIA sponsor, Assemblyman Robin Schimminger (D-Kenmore), the committee has rallied around the ARIA initiative as a vital mechanism toward establishing a thriving economy in New York.

“There is no doubt that Mr. Schimminger, and all the members of this committee, are ardent supporters of ARIA,” said Jason Kramer, Executive Director of NYSHEI.  “On behalf of all public and private, academic and research libraries, I am most grateful to Mr. Schimminger for his stalwart efforts.”

The Economic Development committee vote marks the first action taken on ARIA since the December veto of Governor David Paterson.  During 2009, ARIA gained the unanimous, bipartisan support of both the Assembly and the Senate, only to fall before the veto pen of the Governor who cited the state’s deep fiscal and budgetary crisis as reason for the veto.

NYSHEI Executive Director Jason Kramer will Monday deliver testimony to the New York State Legislature Joint Budget Committee Hearing on Economic Development.

“The public and private academic and research libraries of New York are looking for a genuine partnership with business and industry,” according to Mr. Kramer.  “This partnership can be mutually beneficial and lead to inestimable economic growth opportunities for New York.”

The written testimony is available here.

NYSHEI Executive Director Jason Kramer today submitted testimony to the New York State Legislature Joint Budget Hearing on Higher Education.  The joint budget hearings begin the legislature’s response to the Executive Budget Proposal for fiscal 2010-2011, offered by Governor Paterson.

In acknowledging the lingering problems of New York’s economy and the crushing deficits resultant of the recent national economic climate, Kramer argued that the old ways of doing business were not sufficient.

“If it is to master the problems, not merely of the current environment, but of the 21st century, business as usual is not good enough.  New York must – and can – be smarter, faster and more efficient,” said Kramer.

Toward that goal Kramer offered ARIA as an example of mitigating cuts, creating cost efficiencies, and exploiting economies of scale.

“An investment in ARIA would bring immediate relief and lasting results,” Kramer argued.

The full testimony is available on-line.