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New York State Library News & Events
March 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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Happy Birthday, DeWitt Clinton! | |
On March 2, the NYS Library celebrated the birthday of our very own founding father, Governor DeWitt Clinton. To this day, Clinton is one of New York’s most influential and popular political figures.
It would be easy to suggest that DeWitt Clinton dedicated his life to government service, but it wouldn’t be entirely true. Because DeWitt Clinton also spent a lot of time reading.
Learn more about the reading habits of the governor who signed the NYS Library into law! Join the DeWitt Clinton celebration on the NYS Library blog.
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The Local History and Genealogy section is one of the busiest areas of the NYS Library, as it’s used by people who are tracing their family history, as well as by professional genealogical researchers, biographers, and historians who are seeking information about the collective history of families or the domestic life of a period in American history. This is a rich collection with countless pathways into the history of New York and its residents.
This month, staff at the NYS Library are highlighting the literal treasure chest of resources available for local history and genealogy researchers in our collections. We even made a video about it!
In the most recent installment of the Office of Cultural Education’s Look At This video series, Jane from the NYS Library takes us through some 7th floor Library collections to explore the breadth and depth of the genealogy resources held by the NYS Library.
Watch the video and connect to additional genealogy and local history resources on the NYS Library blog.
Don’t forget: the NYS Library regularly offers onsite walking tours of our genealogy and local history collections. You can find all scheduled walking tours on our events calendar.
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Handbook for New Public Library Directors | | |
The NYS Library is pleased to announce the publication of the 2025 edition of the Handbook for New Public Library Directors in New York State. This detailed handbook aims to orient new directors to the library landscape in New York and to provide actionable basics so that library staff can get to the business of providing quality library service to the community.
The Handbook includes sections on the library director’s relationship with a board, the ins-and-outs of the library network in New York, helpful sample policies, and detailed checklists for tackling facilities and more. Explore a fully linked version of the Handbook for New Public Library Directors in New York State or download a copy from the NYS Library website.
For some extra support and community, don’t miss the Directors Handbook Book Club series from the Public Library System Directors Organization of New York State (PULISDO). Join author of the Handbook for New Library Directors in New York State, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, and friends for this fun and informative series! Prior to each session, directors are encouraged to read the corresponding chapter of the Director Handbook to the topic for that session.
Find more information about the Directors Handbook Book Club on our blog.
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Conservation/Preservation Program Discretionary Grants | | |
The NYS Library recently awarded $148,440 in Conservation/Preservation Program Discretionary Grants. These grants are part of a $2 million comprehensive, statewide program to preserve endangered or deteriorating materials with important research value located in libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, and other not-for-profit cultural organizations throughout New York State. Aligned with the Library’s mission to preserve important state historical collections, this year’s grants include funds to repair and rehouse architectural drawings, digitize audio recordings, preserve microfilm of local newspapers, and rehouse photographic negatives.
Explore this year’s funded projects on our blog! You can also learn more about the Conservation/Preservation Discretionary Grant Program on our website, including past projects, program eligibility, and application requirements.
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Culinary Treasures at the NYS Library | | |
The NYS Library’s very own Elizabeth Jakubowski returned to the Capital Region airwaves last month to share the history of Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery, the first cookbook published by an American, in America, for an American audience.
Join Elizabeth as she points out exciting clues in the text of American Cookery that tie the book to early New York and even Albany itself. For a more modern take on early American cooking, be sure to stick around for Elizabeth’s recap of Tasting History Series 4, when staff at the Cultural Education Center selected recipes from the pages of American Cookery to prepare and serve to each other.
There are several ways you can join in on the foodie fun! Explore American Cookery in the Library’s Digital Collections and see what you get when you apply your own experience to one of Amelia’s recipes. If you have family recipes or secret ingredients of your own, we’d love to know about them! Upload your recipes to the NYS Library’s Personal History Initiative—we'll preserve your submissions for future New Yorkers!
Every family has a dish with a story. Share your story with the Personal History Initiative.
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Onsite Walking Tour of the Local History and Genealogy Resources at the New York State Library
Dates: Select Fridays: March 6, March 20, April 10
Time: Varies
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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.
This public program is made possible by federal Library Service and Technology Act funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which enable the New York State Library to champion lifelong learning.
| | 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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Neuro-Inclusive Libraries: Rethinking Access, Engagement, and Belonging
Date: Friday, March 13, 2026
Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm
| Explore how libraries can better support people with ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence through intentional design, inclusive programming, and equitable policies. Based on research, this program invites library staff to examine traditional expectations around attention, behavior, and communication in library spaces and to reimagine services that create a sense of belonging for all. Participants will learn ways to break down barriers to access, make spaces more inviting, and recognize neurodiversity as a valuable part of building strong, connected communities. | |
Universal Design and Libraries for All
Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm
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What do we have to do to make sure everybody can use the library?
The accessibility of library services goes way beyond the library building. For many users, access to books, learning, and the library space starts a long time before they even leave their house.
In this talk, Marie Bjørnskov Engberg will explore how many of the services we develop and plan can unintentionally build new barriers for users with disabilities, and how using the principles of universal design can help us build meaningful and equally accessible library services for everybody.
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