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New York State Library News & Events
October 2025
| | 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!
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The New York Culture and History Lecture Series is provided by the Research Library. Share exciting book talks and scholarship with your community!
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Expand your library offerings and expertise with Continuing Education for Library Workers!
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DHPSNY provides Preservation Practices for Every Library, a service available to cultural institutions around the state to support the preservation of community collections and history.
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Featured Event: MLB & NYC: A Love Story | |
Baseball and New York City (NYC) have shared a love affair like no other—full of big players, big deals, big heartbreaks, and big comebacks. John Thorn, the official historian of Major League Baseball (MLB), will bring this epic romance to life at 6 PM on Monday, October 6. From the city's early courtship with the game to their dramatic breakups and joyful reunions, Thorn will reveal how NYC and MLB shaped each other's history—and captured the hearts of millions.
Join us for a reception at 5 PM when attendees can explore baseball treasures from the collections of the New York State Library, New York State Museum, and New York State Archives. State Librarian Lauren Moore will deliver opening remarks at 6 PM, followed by Thorn’s talk covering the history of baseball in NYC from its earliest days to 1962, when, via the Mets, NYC again became a two-horse town. Afterward, New York State Museum history curator Steve Loughman will take the mic to lead a lively conversation and audience Q&A with Thorn.
Register for MLB & NYC: A Love Story, then plan your visit to the NYS Library!
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Currently on Display in the Cultural Education Center | |
The Erie Canal was a bold experiment in engineering, labor, and vision. A new Library exhibit, Locks, Labor, and Legacy: the Erie Canal, brings together materials from the NYS Library to mark the 200th anniversary of this transformative waterway. The exhibit explores how the canal was built, who built it, and how it reshaped New York State, leaving a legacy that continues to flow today.
On display through mid-December on the 7th floor of the Cultural Education Center.
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The NYS Library Has Zines! | |
In an August article in Albany's Times Union newspaper, Senior Librarian Elizabeth Jakubowski of Manuscripts and Special Collections shared her considerable expertise on an important (and expansive) collection of zines at the NYS Library. The Factsheet Five Collection spans ten years of publications and comprises about 300 cubic feet of material. Factsheet Five was a periodical published by Mike Gunderloy from 1982 to 1992, and it contained mostly short reviews of other zines along with contact details of the editors and publishers. Its comprehensive reviews made it the most important publication in its field.
Want to learn more about zines? Join us online on Wednesday, October 29, at 12 PM for The Radical History of Zines, a free webinar that will explore the cultures that created zines and the technological shifts that enabled their growth. It will also showcase examples of zines held by the NYS Library.
Can't wait until then? We don't blame you! The NYS Library will be tabling at the 518 Zine Fest on October 5 at Nine Pin in Albany from 1 PM to 4 PM. Be sure to stop by and check out a very special NYS Library zine!
Read more about zines at the NYS Library on our blog.
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State Librarian Tour 2025 | |
State Librarian Lauren Moore hit the road in early September, visiting seven public libraries in the Southern Adirondacks, from Bolton Landing to Stillwater.
During her adventure, she saw the impact of State Aid for Library Construction at the Greenwich Free Library, learned how the Schuylerville Public Library created its Counting Down to Kindergarten Pre-K program when nothing was available in town, and enjoyed spectacular views of the Hudson River from the Stillwater Library’s new home in an old mill.
At each stop, she was delighted to see the impact public libraries make on their communities.
Check out all the stops along the tour on the NYS Library blog!
| | New York Culture and History Lecture Series | |
The Erie Canal - Resources Available at the New York State Library
Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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The Erie Canal is one of the most important works of civil engineering and construction in North America. The New York State Library has a wide variety of primary source documents and published materials on the Erie Canal ranging from the construction and maintenance of the Canal to life on the Canal.
Senior Librarians Jane Bentley Turo and Elizabeth Jakubowski will present an overview and highlights of the Library's collection including maps, music, images, broadsides, diaries, laws & regulations, journals, books, and NYS agency reports.
| | Continuing Education for Library Workers | |
Empowering Elementary Learning Throughout the School Year with Gale’s NOVELny
Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
| Join us for an engaging training session designed to help elementary educators and librarians make the most of Gale’s NOVELny resources. This webinar will explore how to effectively integrate these digital tools into secondary classrooms and libraries to support student research, literacy, and curriculum goals. Participants will learn how to navigate key databases (Gale In Context: Elementary, Gale In Context: Middle School, Gale Books and Authors), discover age-appropriate content, and utilize built-in features like translation, text-to-speech, and citation tools. This session will equip you with practical strategies to enhance learning and collaboration. | |
Supporting Higher Ed Students with Gale OneFile Periodical Resources from NOVELny
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
| Covering nearly every research area and discipline, Gale OneFile periodical resources students at all academic levels. This webinar provides an overview of all included resources, and ideas for connecting Gale OneFile resources to a variety of higher education departments. | |
Libraries Transforming Communities: Enhancing Accessibility for People with Disabilities in Small and Rural Libraries
Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
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Join us to hear success stories from small and rural libraries transforming their offerings to better serve individuals with disabilities. This program will showcase the impact of ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Accessible Small and Rural Communities initiative, which empowers libraries to enhance accessibility in their facilities, services, and programs.
Through this initiative, small and rural libraries received support to create accessible environments tailored to the needs of their communities. Attendees will learn how these libraries identified specific barriers to access and implemented effective strategies to overcome them.
The session will feature presentations from two grantee libraries, each sharing their unique journey. From incorporating adaptive technology to redesigning physical spaces and enhancing community connection through accessible programming, these libraries have made significant strides in serving individuals with disabilities.
This session is part of our yearlong Room for Everyone series of programs supporting library accessibility. To view all the programs in this series, please view the Accessibility programs on our event calendar.
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Discover the Latest New York Times Collection from NOVELny
Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
| Your NOVELny collection now offers an expanded New York Times resource, The New York Times Digital Collection, that includes the digital edition, Book Review, For Kids, and more. Join us to learn more about this collection and how to update your access links to provide access for your users! | | |
That All May Read: An Overview of the NYS Talking Book and Braille Library
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
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Ever wondered how libraries serve readers who have a reading or print disability, like dyslexia, or are visually or physically unable to use standard print materials? Get an inside look at the incredible services offered by the NYS Talking Book and Braille Library - a vital resource serving readers of all ages across New York State who rely on accessible reading materials to stay informed, educated, and entertained.
Our diverse collection includes the latest bestsellers and award winners, along with books and magazines for all ages in over 50 languages. With BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, patrons may instantly download books in audio or digital braille to any compatible phone or device. Learn more about all our services at this informative class.
Presenter Laurenne Teachout has been a Senior Librarian with the NYS Talking Book & Braille Library in Albany, NY since September 2023, after previously serving as a public library director at several libraries in Rensselaer County and as a Captioning Assistant for the hearing impaired in Pittsfield, MA.
| | Preservation Practices for Every Library | |
DHPSNY Workshops and Webinars
Date: October 9 & 23, 2025
Time: Varies
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DHPSNY offers a variety of educational programs and services to qualifying New York institutions. Presented free of charge throughout the state, DHPSNY’s programs address the needs of professionals and volunteers responsible for the care and handling of historical records. DHPSNY’s workshops and webinars discuss emerging issues and best practices, with content scaled to apply to small- and medium-sized organizations with limited resources.
The following program(s) will be offered this month:
- Stories from the Field: Love Canal Interview Redaction
- Arrangement & Description for Future Communities
DHPSNY is a service provided by the NYS Library and NYS Archives to support preservation practices at New York's cultural institutions.
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