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New York State Library News & Events
April 2025
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Message from the State Librarian
This month, we’re making space to celebrate libraries in the face of some uncertainty for our communities. At the NYS Library, we are closely monitoring the potential impact of federal spending cuts on library services statewide and are in communication with key decision-makers. Libraries are a critical part of the State’s education system, ensuring that every New Yorker has equitable access to lifelong learning opportunities, and we are deeply committed to ensuring libraries continue to thrive across the state.
In the meantime, the NYS Library is staying the course for robust library services by continuing to pursue and fulfill the goals outlined in our five-year plan, as directed by the Institute of Museum of Library Services (IMLS). Many individuals and organizations across the state are actively working to address the threat to libraries and to ensure New York’s communities are strengthened with reliable access to information.
What’s the draw? New Yorkers know libraries strengthen communities! Libraries provide access to books, information, and other crucial community connections such as educational programs, free Wi-Fi, and a welcoming environment for children and families.
| | Celebrate National Library Week with the NYS Library! | | |
Join the NYS Library in observing National Library Week, April 6-12! This year, we’re celebrating with an exciting lineup of programs that highlight the many opportunities and connections that draw people to the library.
Whatever draws you in, the library has something for everyone. Read on for details about National Library Week at the NYS Library.
Get the full National Library Week scoop on the NYS Library blog!
| | Upcoming Public Programs: What's your draw? | |
Trademark Basics
Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
| Join outreach trainers from the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) for a discussion about what all entrepreneurs, small businesses, and start-ups should know about trademarks. We’ll discuss what trademarks are, the benefits of federal trademark registration, and the basics of the registration process. We’ll also talk about why it’s so important for any new business to select a trademark that is both federally registrable and legally protectable. We’ll close out the discussion with a question-and-answer session and direct you to free resources from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). | |
Onsite Walking Tour of the Local History and Genealogy Resources at the New York State Library
Date: Friday, April 11, 2025
Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
| The New York State Library is a treasure chest of resources for those tracing their family histories. Join us 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 the tour. | |
The Handbook of Black Librarianship – School Librarians
Date: Friday, April 11, 2025
Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
| Please join us for another session in our series celebrating the Handbook of Black Librarianship. In recognition of School Library Month, our April webinar will feature interviews with several veteran school librarians. These leaders will share their experiences and philosophies regarding change-making as librarians of color in schools, including the importance of representation, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and culturally responsive pedagogy. | |
Introduction to Foundation Directory and GuideStar: Using Candid’s Resources for Your Nonprofit
Date: Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
| Looking for grants for your nonprofit? Join us to learn how to maximize your use of Foundation Directory, the most comprehensive prospect research tool for fundraisers, with 265,000+ grant-maker profiles. You will learn how to search for grant-makers who have funded organizations working on causes and with communities similar to those you serve. This session will be useful for both new and seasoned users of the Foundation Directory. In this session, you will also learn how updating your nonprofit’s Candid profile on GuideStar will grow your organization’s online identity and choose what tens of millions of potential donors see about your organization. | |
Genealogy Research with Ancestry Library Edition (Onsite)
Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
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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 books, maps, and other resources included in this database, as well as the resources on the Ancestry NYS page, which are freely available to all New Yorkers. This class will also include search tips and strategies, how to save records, how to print, and how to create a family tree via Ancestry.
This program will be held onsite at the New York State Library in the Cultural Education Center, Albany.
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Deaf History and Digital History: Understanding Ordinary Lives
Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
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In celebration of National Deaf History Month, the New York State Library's Reference Services Unit is excited to host Dr. Eric C. Nystrom and Dr. Rebecca A.R. Edwards!
In this online talk, historians Eric C. Nystrom and Rebecca A.R. Edwards will discuss their efforts to recover the lived experiences of everyday deaf people in the late nineteenth-century United States. Together, they combined digital history techniques with archival historical methods to bring new stories of deaf lives to light.
R.A.R. Edwards is a professor of history at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY.
Eric C. Nystrom is an associate professor of history at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he also serves as director of the graduate program.
Special note: This program is supported by the American School for the Deaf (ASD), and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters will be provided by ASD and the NYS Library. We are excited to have this partnership and support.
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Sensory Story Time and Sensory Play Programming Foundations
Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
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In this webinar, we will explore the benefits for all children when they engage in sensory play experiences. Sensory play and sensory process art experiences boost nerve connections in the brain pathway during optimal early childhood brain development years. Sensory play stations provide rich opportunities for children to engage in observation and discovery. Additionally, sensory programming in libraries provides a welcoming environment where children can experience and respond to different sensory stimuli while nurturing their ability to develop better sensory processing skills. Current research supports that at least 75% of the autism population struggle with sensory processing differences.
We will explore the best practices for beginning sensory programming or adding sensory exploration stations to your existing programs. Ideas shared will be flexible and scalable to honor all sizes and spaces, staffing capacity, and budgets. If you are already offering sensory programming, come ready to share your favorite sensory tub recipe of ingredients. Bring your positive energy and questions and discover what will work for your library.
| | Preservation Practices for Every Library | |
DHPSNY Workshops and Webinars
Date: April 17, 25, & 26 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:
- Archives Are Not Neutral
- Basic Salvage Techniques for Paper Collections
DHPSNY is a service provided by the NYS Library and NYS Archives to support preservation practices at New York's cultural institutions.
| | New York History Conference | |
The New York State Museum, State Library, State Archives, and the New York State Archives Partnership Trust, in collaboration with the Hudson River Valley Institute at Marist University and the Cooperstown Graduate Program at SUNY Oneonta, are excited to announce the second annual New York History Conference.
The goal of the conference is to provide an inclusive and engaging forum in which historians, educators, museum professionals, archivists, and librarians can share research and resources on the practice, research, preservation, and teaching of New York State history.
| |  | Libraries Transforming Communities in NYS!
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Since 2022, Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities has been offering grants to small and rural libraries to increase the accessibility of facilities, services, and programs to better serve people with disabilities.
41 libraries across the state are recipients of this LTC grant. Congratulations to those New York Libraries!
Check out the list of funded libraries on the ALA website!
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