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05/15/2024
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Overhead view of four people working together at a wooden table covered. Text overlay: New York State Library, Digital Equity Initiatives

Digital inequity is a complex and multi-faceted problem, and the NYS Library’s work around digital equity and inclusion is ongoing. This work includes compiling and publishing reports, providing access to useful data tools, and convening digital equity practitioners across the state. We’re excited to share this work with you, and hope you will explore our resources: 

Read the Reports 

In 2021, the New York State Education Department and the Board of Regents convened a series of Digital Equity Summits to establish a shared understanding of digital inequity and create a joint vision toward achieving digital equity in New York State. From these discussions, the Department compiled the information shared. Achieving Digital Equity in New York: An Outline for Collaborative Change expands upon the ideas and strategic directions discussed during the Digital Equity Summits. Other publications go into detail about the current state of digital equity in New York and beyond. The Digital Inclusion Toolkit provides tools and strategies for digital equity practitioners. 

Digital Equity Portal  

Looking for a way to leverage data for digital inclusion efforts? Use this interactive, online data and mapping tool to generate snapshots of connectivity, device access, demographics, programming, and other digital equity resources from selected geographies across the state. 

Get Involved 

To learn more about digital equity work happening in New York State, join our email list or participate in one of our Digital Equity Roundtable Conversations.  

05/15/2024
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Smokey Bear Reading Challenge: Celebrate Smokey Bear's 80th Birthday. USDA, US Forest Service

Celebrate Smokey’s 80th Birthday by joining the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge! This challenge can be used to engage youth in reading about wildfire prevention and forests, as well as natural resource careers, all while they explore their local environment. The challenge is also meant to complement the 2024 Collaborative Summer Reading Program theme of Adventure Begins at Your Library

Join the celebration by visiting the Summer Reading LibGuide. You will find a fantastic toolkit containing everything libraries need to promote the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge and engage their communities. Download reading lists, printable reading logs, and promotional items, and check out a list of Smokey-approved titles about adventure and the great outdoors available from the NYS Talking Book and Braille Library.   

05/15/2024
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Closeup of a model house on a desk alongside blueprints and drawing tools. Text overlay: Public and Association Library Construction: A Step-By-Step Guide to the Application Process

State Aid for Library Construction program staff are hard at work preparing to accept applications for the FY2024-2025 (0386-25) funding cycle. Per the State Budget, $44 billion in capital funds has been provided to support construction and renovation projects in New York’s libraries. 

Interested public libraries and public library systems can also start preparing by viewing the recent NYS Library webinar, Public and Association Library Construction: A Step-By-Step Guide to the Application Process. This webinar has been archived for future viewing on the Division of Library Development website. The webinar covers common questions about the State Aid for Library Construction program and provides a detailed explanation of the application process and its requirements.  

You can find much more information, such as timelines, forms, and additional resources, on the State Aid for Library Construction homepage. 

05/15/2024
No Subjects

Overhead view of someone taking notes at desk in front of a computer. Text overlay: NYS Library Electronic Resources

The NYS Library will be closed on Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day. Don't forget that you can access our excellent electronic resources 24/7, even when the Library is closed. 

From the NYS Library website, you can: 

Looking for more information? Check out the full list of NYS Library Electronic Resources.  

05/15/2024

Several people working on laptops at a large shared table. Text overlay: NOVELny Databases for 2024-2025

The NYS Library is pleased to announce that funding for the NOVELny (New York Online Virtual Electronic Library) statewide eResources was included in the New York State Budget for 2024-2025. NOVELny is an electronic resource access project that enables libraries across New York State to give their communities online access to the full text of thousands of journals, newspapers, and other references.   

Pending required approvals, the current NOVELny databases will continue through June 30, 2025, and new resources will be added on July 1, 2024. The new resources cover test and career preparation, entrepreneurship, health and wellness, high school materials, legal forms, and literature. 

NOVELny is an online virtual library connecting New Yorkers to 21st century information via libraries and library systems statewide. NOVELny is an electronic resource access project that enables libraries across New York State to give their communities online access to the full text of thousands of journals, newspapers and other references.

Available Databases

Business:

  • Gale Business: Insights (Gale, a Cengage company)
  • Gale Business: Entrepreneurship (Gale, a Cengage company) [New!]

Education:

  • Gale OneFile: Educator’s Reference Complete (Gale, a Cengage company)

General Periodicals:

  • Gale Academic OneFile with Gale OneFile Collections (Gale, a Cengage company)
  • Gale OneFile: Academic OneFile Select (Gale, a Cengage company)
  • Gale General OneFile with Gale OneFile Collections (Gale, a Cengage company)
  • Gale OneFile: Informe Académico (Gale, a Cengage Company)

Elementary Level General Periodicals:

  • Gale In Context: Elementary (Gale, a Cengage company)

Secondary Level General Periodicals:

  • Gale In Context: Middle School (Gale, a Cengage company)
  • Gale OneFile: High School Edition (Gale, a Cengage company) [New!]

Encyclopedia:

  • Encyclopedia Britannica (Britannica Digital Learning, a division of Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.): Includes Britannica School, Britannica Academic and Britannica Escolar

Health:

  • Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine (Gale, a Cengage company)
  • Gale Health and Wellness (Gale, a Cengage company) [New!]

Issues: 

  • Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints (Gale, a Cengage company)

Job and Career:

  • Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep [New!]

Legal:

  • Gale Legal Forms (NYS forms) [New!]

Literature:

  • Gale Literature: Books and Authors [New!]

Newspapers:

  • Gale OneFile: News including The New York Times (Gale, a Cengage company)

Technology:

  • Gale OneFile: Computer Science (Gale, a Cengage company)

The databases listed will be freely available to over 5,900 public, school, academic and special libraries currently registered for NOVELny. If your library is not registered please contact the NOVELny Help Desk. Please contact the NOVELny Help Desk if you have any other questions about the databases.

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