February 2010

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with the Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education of the New York State Education Department, Jeffrey Cannell. Facing an uncertain budget, Cannell is keeping an eye on the future while caring for the past.

 

NYSAAE: Tell us about the Office of Cultural Education, what does it do in New York State?
Jeffrey Cannell (JC): The Office of Cultural Education (OCE) operates three major cultural institutions with stewardship responsibilities for collections -- the New York State Museum, State Library, and State Archives - and the Office of Educational Television and Public Broadcasting. All three collection-holding institutions ensure that valuable information, knowledge and collections under their care are preserved and made available for current and future generations.

In addition to collection stewardship and public programs, OCE also administers chartering, technical assistance, program coordination and grant and aid programs serving 7,000 public and academic libraries and 73 library systems; museums, historical societies, zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens, science centers, and other similar organizations; 26 public radio and television stations; 3,000 historical records repositories and 4,500 local governments.

NYSAAE: How are all of these activities funded?
JC: The CE Fund receives its revenue from a $15.00 fee collected by the county clerk for recording, entering, indexing, or endorsing a certificate on any instrument in a county or for assigning an index number to actions pending in County or Supreme Court. The counties currently retain $.75 of each dollar of the CE Account surcharge to defray their collection expenses. This fee has not increased since 2002.

NYSAAE: How are you dealing with the challenging state budget situation?
JC: With cautious optimism… The Cultural Education fund is directly tied to New York’s housing market, which made a slight upturn in December. How the market develops over the coming months will have a definite impact on our budget outlook, and in turn our ability to fulfill our mission.

NYSAAE: What aspects of the work of the OCE do you think would be of most interest to our readers, arts teachers, and others engaged in the education of New York’s students?
JC: The Cultural Education center is a treasure trove of original documents and art work. From mineral samples to historical artifacts there are countless resources to spark students’ imagination and connect them with primary source materials. For example, the State Archives has a draft of the emancipation proclamation in Lincoln’s own handwriting. This spring we will be hosting an exhibit of natural history illustration. The opportunities for educators to enrich the lessons both in person and via our web resources are practically endless.

NYSAAE: It is no secret that you are an ‘arts guy’ – what ignited your passion for the arts?
JC: I was a typical alienated teen who was uninterested in classroom work. I would have dropped out had it not been for the support and nurturing of my creative side that I received from the music and art programs at Briarcliff High School. As an adult, my love of the arts has served me well.

Official Bio:
Prior to his appointment as Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education, Cannell was Director of the Albany Public Library and had an extensive career in library administration. He served before that as Director of the Wayne County Public Library in Goldsboro, North Carolina; Manager of the Cliffdale Branch of Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center, Fayetteville, North Carolina; Branch Manager of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Bookseller for a number of enterprises; and Reference Librarian at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Comparative Literature and a Master of Library Science, both from the State University of New York at Albany.

To learn more about the NYS Office Of Cultural Education click here to visit them online.