New York State Library

Go on a summer adventure with the NYS Talking Book and Braille Library!

Check out Talking Book and Braille Library News for the latest summer reading programs and activities from NLS. You’ll also find a book list from TBBL staff with all the best titles about the Olympics games to get you ready for Paris 2024!

Find these updates and more at: https://buff.ly/4bNCcqQ

There are two great opportunities to visit the 7th floor of the NYS Library this week and learn about our services and collections!

First up: The NYS Library is a treasure chest of resources for those tracing their family histories! If you’re in the mood to explore the NYS Library, join the Onsite Walking Tour of the Local History and Genealogy Resources scheduled for Wednesday, July 24, at 12 PM. This popular onsite tour highlights published 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.

To register for the Walking Tour, please visit: https://buff.ly/4d5IVxo

Next, join us on Friday, July 26, at 1 PM for Genealogy Research with Ancestry Library Edition. Senior Librarians Stephanie Barrett and Jane Bentley Turo will demonstrate the Ancestry Library online database which is accessible at the NYS Library. Learn how to access Census records, genealogy and history book, maps and other resources included in this database, as well as the resources on Ancestry NYS page, which are freely available to all New Yorkers.

For more information and to register for Genealogy Research with Ancestry Library Edition, please visit: https://buff.ly/3W7mWiP

We hope to see you soon!

Looking for something? Have you checked NOVELny?

Magazines, newspapers, research and reference sources, and more are available to New York State residents at no cost, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To get started, visit: novelnewyork.org

Join us on Tuesday, July 23, at 10 AM for another session of Grant Resources from Candid, a free onsite program at the NYS Library. Senior Librarians Michael Meyer and Ann Wemple will demonstrate the Candid database suite that is available at the NYS Library.

Candid was formed in 2019 when GuideStar and Foundation Center merged. The suite provides integrated access to several products. Candid’s Foundation Directory gives you access to the information you need to be smart and strategic with your funding requests. Target organizations that matter to you based on geography, organizational structure or staff size, and their financial metrics. In addition to scheduled group classes, individual tutorials are available by appointment only.

This program will be held onsite at the NYS Library in the Cultural Education Center, Albany. For more information and to register, please visit: https://buff.ly/3S0CUds

If you are an entrepreneur, you cannot afford to ignore copyrights, but you can attend Copyright for Entrepreneurs, a free webinar for U.S. entrepreneurs and small businesses from the NYS Library.

On Wednesday, July 17, at 12 PM, you can join experts from the United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) Office of Policy and International Affairs to learn the basics of copyright and receive insights into copyright registration and enforcement.

Presenter Maryna K. Gipsov is an intellectual property attorney by occupation, artist by heart, and children’s book author by dream come true. Maryna has worked as a Trademark Examining Attorney at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for over 4 years.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://buff.ly/460VPKV

Don't forget: many communities have set up cooling centers to help everyone beat the heat. The New York State Department of Health collects information about seasonal cooling centers from local health departments and emergency management offices.

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.

For more information and to find a cooling center near you, visit: https://buff.ly/45wOSRq

The NYS Library staffs the NOVELny Help Desk Monday through Friday. Get answers to questions about access, searching techniques, and troubleshooting!

For more information on the NOVELny Help Desk, please visit https://buff.ly/45NBicN

We’re always adding exciting and informative NYS Library webinars and in-person programs to our events calendar, but did you know that you can also find Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) events there?

Pencil us in this summer! You can check out the NYS Library events calendar by visiting: https://buff.ly/3AD8pjC

Each month, the NYS Personal History Initiative posts a different challenge inviting New Yorkers to share their stories around a central theme. The July theme is Summer Adventure!

Your bags are packed, tickets in hand, and eyes set on the horizon…or maybe just down the street of your neighborhood. However you choose to spend the summer season, there’s always an adventure to be had even in your own backyard.

Where is this summer taking you?

Share your story! Upload items at: https://buff.ly/4eQLXY2

Newspapers can serve as useful primary sources for historical research. They reflect the period in which they were created and provide a glimpse into society at the time. We hope you’ll join us on Monday, July 15, at 2 PM for Historical Newspaper Databases Available at the NYS Library, a free onsite program.

Senior Librarians Stephanie Barrett and Jane Bentley Turo will discuss online databases available at the NYS Library that contain full-text historical newspapers. They will demonstrate the effective use of America's Historical Newspapers and the New York Times online databases with an emphasis on newspapers published in New York State. They will also demonstrate how to find and access New York State digital newspapers freely available on the Internet.

This program will be held onsite at the NYS Library in the Cultural Education Center, Albany. For more information and to register, please visit: https://buff.ly/3WiRjV7

Join us on Thursday, July 11, at 10 AM for Grant Resources from Candid, a free onsite program at the NYS Library.

Senior Librarians Michael Meyer and Ann Wemple will demonstrate the Candid database suite that is available at the New York State Library. Candid was formed in 2019 when GuideStar and Foundation Center merged.

The suite provides integrated access to several products. Candid’s Foundation Directory gives you access to the information you need to be smart and strategic with your funding requests. The tools available on Foundation Directory allow you to tap funding opportunities beyond open Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that make up less than 1% of total foundation funding.

This program will be held onsite at the NYS Library in the Cultural Education Center, Albany. For more information and to register, please visit: https://buff.ly/4cDgkj6

Join us on Tuesday, July 9, at 12 PM for Constructing Disability after the Great War: Blind Veterans in the Progressive Era, a free webinar from the NYS Library.

Presenter Evan P. Sullivan's forthcoming book Constructing Disability after the Great War (University of Illinois Press) is an exploration of how Americans -- both civilians and veterans -- worked to determine the meanings of identity for blind veterans of World War I. Sighted Americans' wartime rehabilitation culture centered blind soldiers and veterans in a mix of inspirational stories. Veterans worked to become productive members of society even as ableism confined their unique life experiences to a collection of cultural tropes that suggested they were either downcast wrecks of their former selves or were morally superior and relatively flawless as they overcame their disabilities and triumphantly journeyed toward successful citizenship.

This talk draws on research from Sullivan’s book to highlight the experiences of a select group of blind veterans and what those veterans can tell us about the broader culture of American rehabilitation after World War I.

Dr. Evan P. Sullivan is an assistant professor of history at SUNY Adirondack. He specializes in histories of disability, gender, and war in the modern era, especially disabled veterans after World War I.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://buff.ly/4cBYFIj

Looking for something? Have you checked NOVELny?

Magazines, newspapers, research and reference sources, and more are available to New York State residents at no cost, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To get started, visit: novelnewyork.org.

Don’t forget: each month, the NYS Personal History Initiative posts a different challenge inviting New Yorkers to share their stories around a central theme. The June theme is Pride!

Pride Month is when we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community! Are you participating in a parade, attending a community event, or spending time with friends? Is there something special you like to do to celebrate? Tell us how you celebrate Pride Month!

Share your story! Upload items at: https://buff.ly/4ecVicK

Did you know that the NYS Library is an actual treasure chest of resources for those tracing their family histories?

Join us on Friday, June 28, at 12 PM for an onsite tour highlighting published 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.

Associate Librarian Cara Janowsky will lead this popular tour.

For more information and to reserve your spot, please visit: https://buff.ly/3Rtve3i

FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have onsite access to digital microfilm data that is not available to researchers using FamilySearch resources from their home computer. The NYS Library partnered with the New York State Archives to become a FamilySearch Affiliate Library.

Join us on Thursday, June 27, at 1 PM for Genealogy Research with FamilySearch, a free NYS Library program. This program will be held onsite at the NYS Library in the Cultural Education Center, Albany.

Senior Librarians Stephanie Barrett and Jane Bentley Turo will demonstrate how to access genealogical records and online books included in this database. They will also demonstrate how to print and save records.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://buff.ly/3RwQ1ms

Join us on Wednesday, June 26, at 11 AM for Victoria Woodhull, a free webinar from the NYS Library.

During Victoria Woodhull’s brief public career, in the 1870s, she became a leader in the suffrage movement, the first woman to run for President, head of the American Spiritualism Association, an activist in labor circles, publisher of a successful newspaper, and a wildly popular lecturer. Toward the end of the decade, Woodhull outraged public opinion by publishing a tell-all article about the sexual misbehavior of the famous Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. In 1877, with legal and financial troubles mounting, Woodhull moved to England, where she married a wealthy Britisher and lived in relative retirement until her death in 1927.

Presenter Sandra Opdycke, Ph.D. is an historian. She has written books about the flu epidemic of 1918, the woman suffrage movement, the WPA of the 1930s, and Bellevue Hospital, as well as a biography of Jane Addams, an historical atlas of American women’s history, and several co-authored books and articles on social policy.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://buff.ly/3VwHZeA

Keep up on all your interests with Gale General OneFile, your source for periodical articles on a wide range of subjects. With topics in hobbies, literature and art, politics, science, sports, and more, Gale General OneFile puts reliable information at your fingertips.

Dig into your interests at: https://buff.ly/4bBrcgK

The NYS Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) is a free library service for eligible residents of upstate New York who are unable to use standard print materials due to a visual, physical, or reading disability. The TBBL collection includes print Braille books, and fiction and nonfiction audio and braille books. Over 70 magazine subscriptions are available, as well.

Get help choosing and obtaining books, locating and obtaining books through interlibrary loan, personalized reference services, excellent technical support for downloading books, and much more!

For more information about TBBL services, please visit: https://buff.ly/3FogECy

Temperatures are climbing this week, and many communities have set up cooling centers to help everyone beat the heat. The New York State Department of Health collects information about seasonal cooling centers from local health departments and emergency management offices.

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.

For more information and to find a cooling center near you, visit: https://buff.ly/45wOSRq

The best way to keep up with all the exciting events (onsite and virtual) hosted by the NYS Library is to check our events calendar.

New programs are being added all the time, including trainings, book talks, walking tours, and more. We hope you can join us for one or more of these exciting programs!

Check our calendar often for programs from across the NYS Library. All programs are free and open to the public. Visit the events calendar at: https://buff.ly/3AD8pjC

You might be ready for summer, but are your collections ready?

Summer’s increased heat and humidity mean increased threats to susceptible collections. Collecting institutions should be especially vigilant during the summer months of mold growth, pest infestation, and other concerns.

Check out five tips from Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) to help you protect collections in the summer months: https://dhpsny.org/blog/dhps-tips-5-tips-protecting-collections-summer%C2%A0

The Librarian Toolkit makes it easy to add NOVELny resources and information to your library website. Library staff can download database icons, social media templates, and vendor-created marketing materials and teaching tools.

Access these tools and help spread the word about NOVELny: https://buff.ly/3Vd8KEt

There are two great opportunities to visit the 7th floor of the NYS Library this week and learn about our services and collections!

First up: join us on Thursday, June 13, at 1 PM for Genealogy Research with Ancestry Library Edition. Senior Librarians Stephanie Barrett and Jane Bentley-Turo will demonstrate the Ancestry Library online database which is accessible at the New York State Library. Learn how to access Census records, genealogy and history book, maps and other resources included in this database, as well as the resources on Ancestry NYS page, which are freely available to all New Yorkers.

For more information and to register for Genealogy Research with Ancestry Library Edition, please visit: https://buff.ly/3VsOsIt

Next, if you’re in the mood to explore the space, join the Onsite Walking Tour of the Local History and Genealogy Resources scheduled for Friday, June 14, at 11 AM. This popular onsite tour highlights published 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.

To register for the Walking Tour, please visit: https://buff.ly/3VucanT

We hope to see you soon!

Each month, the NYS Personal History Initiative posts a different challenge inviting New Yorkers to share their stories around a central theme. The June theme is Pride!

Pride Month is when we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community! Are you participating in a parade, attending a community event, or spending time with friends? Is there something special you like to do to celebrate? Tell us how you celebrate Pride Month!

Share your story at: https://buff.ly/4ecVicK

Join us on Tuesday, June 11, at 1 PM for Trans Children in Today’s Schools, a free webinar from the NYS Library.

Schools across the nation are seeing an increasing presence of transgender students and many school leaders, teachers, and community stakeholders feel they have nowhere to turn for resources or guidance for what can be a volatile, confusing, and controversial subject. The parents of transgender children, who are themselves urgently looking for advice and support, often feel thrust into an adversarial position as they become advocates for the safety, wellbeing, acceptance, and happiness of their child.

Join presenter Aidan Key as he explores the barriers encountered by schools as they attempt to create gender-inclusive environments, including the resistance of a misinformed society whose only framework of gender is one rigidly set in an only-male/only-female context. The end result is ensuring that all children can count on a safe and welcoming learning environment.

Aidan Key’s work centers on gender diverse children. Key, founder of Gender Diversity, works nationally with hundreds of K-12 schools and youth-based agencies providing professional development, strategic planning, policy development, athletics guidance, and education for parents and students.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://buff.ly/3XhKSSK

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.

For more information on the DEI Toolkit, please visit: https://buff.ly/4e4eSI3

Please join us on Friday, June 7, at 12 PM for The Q***r History of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, a free webinar from the NYS Library.

The traditional narrative of suffrage history sanitized the lives of suffragists contributing to the historical erasure of the q***r history of the movement. Yet, it was often their very q***rness that helped propel the movement forward. In Public Faces, Secret Lives: A Q***r History of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, Wendy Rouse highlights the alliances that q***r suffragists built and the innovative strategies they developed to protect and preserve their most intimate relationships as they defied the gender and sexual norms of their day.

Presenter Wendy L. Rouse is Professor of History at San Jose State University. Her scholarly research focuses on the history of women, gender and sexuality during the Progressive Era.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://buff.ly/3yyiAJu

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLSBPD) Summer Reading Program Kicks off on June 24!

Join the Summer Reading Program adventure from June 24 to August 9, 2024! Throughout the summer, the NLSBPD will host story times, activities, music, author events, and more!

The program kicks off on June 24 with a virtual event for all ages. Events will be held online, and while age suggestions are listed for each event, every program is open to all!

For full details, please visit: https://buff.ly/3RtryP5