The New York State Education Department requires that all public library systems develop a five-year Plan of Service that serves as the basic agreement between the State and the governing board of the system, making possible the payment of state aid to the system. The Plan outlines the system’s mission, goals, activities, and intended results, and describes how the system is meeting the service needs of its community or region and its participation in meeting statewide library service goals.

The New York Public Library's plan is based on a recent strategic planning process, and is divided into two sections:

• General information for the entire New York Public Library system
• The goals and intended results for The Branch Libraries and The Research Libraries