NYS Library Blog

The NYS Library will be closed for the Labor Day holiday. Don’t forget that you can still access tons of great information on the NYS Library website. Read on for tips and suggestions! 

Contribute to the Historical Record with the Personal History Initiative 

The experiences of all New Yorkers make up the foundation of our state's history. The goal of the NYS Personal History Initiative is to help New Yorkers tell their stories, and the NYS Library’s Manuscripts and Special Collections (MSC) unit encourages all New Yorkers to document their community’s history and experiences.  

Share your story!  

Register for an Upcoming Public Program 

Plan your next visit to the NYS Library! Our events calendar is always being updated with both onsite and virtual events from library staff and our trusted partners.  

Explore collections and resources 24/7  

• Search for books and other materials in the NYS Library catalog  
• Explore the Digital Collections  
• Search one of the many NOVELny databases available to all New Yorkers!   

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

Tasting History is back once again! 

For this series, we’ve done something different. Participants were asked to bring in recipes from their family histories! Some brought in recipes that reflect the distant past of their family trees and some brought in recipes they grew up on.

Why family recipes? 

The NYS Library is a treasure chest of resources for those tracing their family histories! We have genealogies, local histories, church records, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) records, United States and New York State Census records, newspapers on microfilm, city directories, and more. 

So, whether you’re on a family research adventure of your own or you just want to see what recipes show up this series, be sure to follow along as we share our Family History Recipes! 

Today we're sharing three images from the Neil B. Reynolds Photograph Collection (NYSL MSC PRI5151). This collection contains almost two hundred amazing photographs Neil Reynolds took, most of them of his family while vacationing in the beautiful Adirondack Mountain region. 

The first photo shows a group of people enjoying a picnic (1920).

The second photo has three people who appear to be preparing an outdoor meal (1920).

And the last photo shows a man in a boat holding a up a fish. The caption on the back of that picture says, "Good bait for a good catch"!

You can explore more information and additional images from the Neil B. Reynolds Photograph Collection on our website.

Bonus: You can also contribute to the historical record by adding your own outdoor dining memories to the NYS Personal History Initiative! Everyone has a story. Upload your memories to share with others! 

The Brooklyn Public Library has strategies for library staff and librarians to talk to families and caregivers about voting and voter registration. Librarians can register for the Brooklyn Public Library’s Voter Registration Storytime webinar and learn how to share non-partisan voter information to educate families about voter registration. The webinar will feature guest speakers who will present information on voter registration resources, engagement talking points, and even fun voting activities for children. 

This webinar will be held on Thursday, August 29th at 2 PM, and registration is required. The webinar will be recorded for those who can’t attend live, but registration is required to get access to the recording. Register now and learn more about how you can educate families about voter registration!

In the run up for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution we've been going through our collections and rediscovering some amazing treasures!  

This commission, dated 19 June 1775, named Philip Schuyler a major general, third in command under George Washington and commander of the Northern Department of the Continental Army.  

The most eye-catching part of this commission, though, is the quite recognizable signature of John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress. His large, distinctive signature is as striking here as it is on the Declaration of Independence!  

From the Van Rensselaer (Rensselaerwyck) Manor Papers (NYSL MSC SC7079). 

The NYS Library partners with OCLC to provide free access to WebJunction’s self-paced courses for all library workers, volunteers, and students in New York State.

The NYS Library has also designated WebJunction as an approved provider of professional development required to maintain active New York State public librarian certification.  Access is free.

Here is a list of what library staff can find on the WebJunction website:

• WebJunction hosts many live webinar sessions throughout the year. Attendees are eligible to receive a certificate of attendance.  
• A catalog of free self-paced courses and curated webinar archives has been developed in collaboration with LibraryU, Infopeople, and other content providers.  
• Certificates of completion will be provided for courses finished or webinar archive viewed through the WebJunction catalog.
• Dozens of new articles on hot library topics written by WebJunction staff and library practitioners are published on a regular basis and highlighted on the WebJunction.org homepage.

To get started, visit the WebJunction Course Catalog and set up your free account. 

“As a profession, librarians have a unique obligation to uphold intellectual freedom and are protected by the academic freedom to curate collections. Supporting students' intellectual diversity is an essential part of education.” 

--New York State Commissioner of Education Betty A. Rosa 

On April 25, 2024, Commissioner Betty A. Rosa released an important decision in an appeal filed by Moms for Liberty of Wayne County and Jacob Marchitell (petitioners) against the Clyde-Savannah School District. In this decision, Commissioner Rosa determined that petitioners’ arguments for the removal of five books from the School Library’s collection were without merit and determined that the school board of education correctly decided to retain the challenged books in its collection. 

As information workers deal increasingly with threats of content removal and other informational injustices, the need to protect and reclaim intellectual diversity is evident. The Office of Cultural Education's DEI Toolkit was prepared with restorative change and repair in mind. This collaborative, up-to-date publication includes resources and actionable items that cultural organizations can use to guide their restorative work. You’ll find resources on managing complex change, addressing discrimination, and having difficult conversations.  

We hope this resource helps organizations to meet this critical moment in library and information science. In particular, we hope library workers and leaders will explore a recent addition to the DEI Toolkit that highlights Dr. Beth Patin’s work on epistemicide, described as the silencing or devaluing of a knowledge system.  

“Addressing epistemicide is critical for information professionals because we task ourselves with handling knowledge from every field,” says Dr. Patin. “Acknowledgement of and taking steps to interrupt epistemic injustices and these specific harms are supportive of the social justice movements already happening.” 

If your organization is ready to take these steps, check out the DEI Toolkit.  

It’s almost time for the 2024 Olympic games! Here at the NYS Library, we’re getting ready for the games the only way we know how, by bringing out some winning items from our collections.

These three postcards from the NYS Library’s Manuscripts and Special Collections unit show scenes from Lake Placid, NY, home of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games and probably best known for the ice hockey tournament, the Miracle on Ice!  

Whether you’re looking forward to Paris 2024 or just thinking ahead to winter weather, we’re sure these snowy postcards will add some Olympic-sized cool to your day.

The postcards are from the NYS Library’s Abele Transportation History Collection, SC22662 (Box 31, Folder 5). 

P.S. Don’t miss Roni, the 1980 Winter Olympics mascot, a raccoon who features on the back of each postcard. 

Temperatures are climbing this week, and many communities have set up cooling centers to help everyone beat the heat. 

Cooling centers are designated facilities where people can go to cool off during extreme heat. The New York State Department of Health collects information about seasonal cooling centers from local health departments and emergency management offices. 

You can use the Department of Health lookup tool to find cooling centers near you. Each listing includes an address, hours of operation, and a phone number you can use to get in touch. 

Many of New York’s public libraries serve as cooling centers. You can also check with your local health department or local news sources to find additional cooling centers during heat events. 

Remember to call before you go! Cooling centers may be closed at certain times or only available during extreme heat events.  

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a community-based program mailing free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to registered children from birth until their 5th birthday, no matter their income. Local Program Partners enroll children within their selected community and pay, on average, $2.20 per child/per month towards wholesale book and mailing costs.

To encourage participation in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program, The New York State Legislature has appropriated $500,000 to be awarded through a competitive grant program.

Funds will be available to libraries, library systems, non-profits, school districts, and BOCES in New York State. Individual grants will be limited to a maximum of $49,000 to pay up to 50% of a Local Program Partner’s costs from the Imagination Library.  

Please visit the Imagination Library website for more information on the book gifting program and the process to become a Local Program Partner. We encourage any organization interested in becoming a Partner to begin the process prior to the grant application announcement.  

Stay tuned for an official announcement of the grant application and guidelines in the coming weeks.

Questions may be sent to NYSLImaginationLibrary@nysed.gov. 

The NYS Library has expanded its partnership with Gale, part of Cengage Group, to provide nearly 6,000 public, school (K-12), academic, and special libraries throughout the state with free access to additional Gale digital resources through NOVELny, the state’s online electronic virtual library. 

The NYS Library was able to purchase the resources thanks to full funding that NOVELny received in the 2024-2025 New York State budget. These new resources provide New York residents and students with reliable, high-quality content that supports their educational, professional, and informational needs. 

The new resources from Gale include:

• Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep: Online tool for standardized test prep, college planning, career exploration and resume building.
• Gale LegalForms — State of New York: Access a wide selection of state-specific legal forms and resources across the most popular legal areas. Includes thousands of Spanish-language forms.
• Gale Business: Entrepreneurship: Covers all aspects of starting, financing and operating a business. Resources include 1,000 sample business plans, how to guides, articles, websites and more. 
• Gale Health & Wellness: Authoritative source on the full range of health-related issues, from current disease and disorder information to in-depth coverage of alternative medical practices, updated daily. 
• Gale Literature: Books and Authors: A readers’ advisory database for discovery of books by author, genre and topic based on expert reviews and recommendations.
• Gale OneFile: High School Edition: Multi-source database for middle and high-school students with access to a variety of full-text magazines, newspapers, journals, podcasts and reference books.
• Gale OneFile: Leadership and Management: Authoritative periodical content covering topics like organizational dynamics, adult learning and more. Updated daily.

New Yorkers located within the state can seamlessly access the resources through their public library website or the NOVELny portal using geolocation (geoIP) authentication, eliminating the need to enter a library card number or username/password. New Yorkers who are accessing the resources outside the state will be prompted to enter their library card number. These resources are also available through school, academic and special libraries using a login specific to the institution.

Summer has flown by, and we find ourselves getting ready for another school year. The New York State Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) lends audio and braille books, magazines, and playback equipment to borrowers who are unable to use standard printed materials because of blindness, low or declining vision, reading disability, or a physical disability that makes it difficult to hold a book or turn a page.  

TBBL borrowers get access to over 100,000 titles in our collection.  Materials are shipped free of charge, via USPS, or can be downloaded to a mobile device via Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD). Institutions like schools, libraries, and community service providers may also register for service.

TBBL materials can improve the learning experience for eligible students. For teachers and educators, our resources can enhance the classroom, adding an element of inclusivity and awareness.  Our collection includes classic titles, both fiction and nonfiction, along with popular titles. Our print-braille collection has vivid illustrations and printed text, along with clear plastic braille overlays to allow classmates to read together. Popular magazines are also available, including Consumer Reports, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and more. Some titles are available in over 45 languages, so teachers can meet the needs of a diverse group of students.

We encourage teachers, parents, and other school staff to reach out to TBBL and see if your school is signed up with us as an institutional member. If not, it is easy to apply, and TBBL can loan your school a free digital talking book player and cartridge of audio books or magazines, along with braille books or magazines, print-braille books, braille and large-print music scores, and music appreciation and instruction materials. Schools can use our materials and the digital player to build awareness of what TBBL does, who we serve, and how eligible individuals can sign up for service.  

We can also provide brochures, coloring pages, braille alphabet cards, and posters to build awareness at school. TBBL Librarians are also available, in person or remotely, to make a presentation, table at an event, or answer questions.  For more information or to apply for service today, contact us for assistance.