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New York State Library News & Events
May 2026
| | The New York State Library’s services, programs, and collections are made possible by federal Library Service and Technology Act funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. | |
Connect with Knowledge You Trust!
The NYS Library continues its work to support New York Libraries, removing barriers to build community. Read to the bottom of this email to learn more about our continuing Room for Everyone webinar series.
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| Spotlight: NY 250 Resource Guide Webinar | |
Date: Tuesday, May 5
Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm
Is your library ready for NY 250? Do you wonder what NY 250 is?
Please join us for a webinar about the New York State Library’s New York at 250: A Resource Guide for Public Libraries and Partners! We’ll walk through the guide, explain how it’s organized, and showcase some program ideas with tips and tricks! The guide is a resource to support libraries as they plan programs and services related to the 250th commemoration.
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Unearth Reading Adventures at the Super Story Party | |
Calling all young readers and dinosaur-lovers: Get ready to roar at the NYS Library’s first-ever Super Story Party!
Celebrate your love of reading and explore this year’s Summer Reading theme of Unearth a Story with an epic library party. Join in on a rollicking good time as we uncover hidden histories and explore the paleontological past!
Special guests and community partners include children’s singer/songwriter Johnny Only, magician Ron Cain, The RED Bookshelf, New York State Archives, New York State Museum, and the Talking Book and Braille Library.
New York Libraries: Join us as a volunteer. Families attending the Super Story Party will leave with information and materials connecting them with this year’s Summer Reading Program and literacy learning at home. Contact us for details.
Read more about the Super Story Party 2026!
| | Continuing Education for Library Workers | |
Minimum Standards for Libraries
Dates: May 22 & 28
Time: Varies
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All public and association libraries in New York State must meet minimum standards of service, which are intended to promote quality local public library service in all communities of New York State, empower libraries to strengthen community relations and promote public support for quality library services, and support a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. The NYS Board of Regents recently approved an amendment to the Minimum Standards, expanding the standard relating to written policies.
This webinar series will provide an overview of the Minimum Standards and each of the new elements, with real-world library experience and examples of how these can be employed.
The following informational sessions on Minimum Standards will be offered this month:
Additional information about Minimum Standards for libraries can be found in the related LibGuide, Helpful Information for Meeting Minimum Public Library Standards, Prepared by the New York State Library Division of Library Development & PULISDO's Public Library Minimum Standards Guide Work Group.
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Support Summer Reading with NOVELny
Date: Wednesday, May 6
Time: 11:00am - 11:30am
| Summer reading programs encourage children, youth, and families to read and help children maintain reading skills, and your NOVELny resource, Gale Books and Authors, can help! This resource offers countless ways to explore authors, titles, genres, and literary topics so that your patrons can discover books they can’t put down. In this webinar, we'll delve into Gale Books and Authors along with other valuable NOVELny resources, demonstrating how they can support and sustain your readers' enthusiasm for reading throughout the summer. | |
Onsite Walking Tour of the Local History and Genealogy Resources at the New York State Library
Date: Thursday, May 7
Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm
| The New York State Library is a treasure chest of resources for those tracing their family histories. Join us for an on-site 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. NYS Library staff will lead the tour. | | Library Accessibility Webinar Series | | |
The Room for Everyone series continues in 2026 with a full slate of virtual accessibility trainings for libraries.
For even more resources on library accessibility, don’t miss our newly launched Library Accessibility Guide, complete with helpful overviews, tips, and resources to help make sure that New York’s libraries are accessible to all.
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Library Accessibility 101: Because People with Disabilities Need Libraries
Date: Friday, May 8
Time: 10:00am - 11:00pm
| This presentation will provide some basic knowledge on disability etiquette and discuss the pivotal role libraries play for people with disabilities. We will also discuss some challenges libraries face, such as service animals vs. emotional support animals, disability that manifests in behavioral issues that may challenge the library environment, and why libraries are important for the wellbeing of people with disabilities. | |
John Brown in New York with Author Sandra Weber
Date: Friday, May 8
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
| Historian and author Sandra Weber presents a webinar about her newest book, John Brown in New York: The Man, His Family, and the Adirondack Landscape. Weber offers a fresh and intimate look at the famed abolitionist, focusing on the years of the Brown family’s connection with North Elba, Essex County (1848–1863). The intertwining story of sublime Adirondack scenery, farm life, and racial justice explores John Brown not only as a national figure but as a husband, father, neighbor, and man of moral fiber. Weber’s insightful narrative bridges the myth and the man, revealing the tender and tragic heart of the Brown family story. | |
Peculiar Satisfaction: What Jefferson's Cataloging Methods Can Tell Us About Libraries, Information, and Democracy
Date: Wednesday, May 20
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
| As we recognize the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we are called to reflect on the founders' vision for American democracy. This talk presented by author Melissa Adler will provide an overview of Thomas Jefferson's influence on the formation of libraries, archives, and museums in the United States, with a focus on how his personal library catalog set the foundations for organizing information. It will address the paradoxes associated with access to information by exploring the necessity of institutions for democratic participation, as well as the lasting consequences of Jefferson's inscriptions of gender, race, and geography into library catalogs. | | | | |
