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New York State Library News & Events

August 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.

Social Work Perspectives: Do you need grounding?

Dedicating time for self-care and scheduling it like any other ordinary task can help you navigate stressful, anxiety-riddled, and overwhelming situations in the day-to-day. In the most recent installment of the Social Work Perspectives blog series, Social Work Perspectives: Do you need grounding, Antonia Bruno shares practical, actionable tips for connecting to the Breath-Body-Mind™ (BBM) practice through the NYS Office of Mental Health.

The BBM practice was developed by psychologists Richard Brown and Patricia Gerbarg with the goal of integrating unconventional and natural modalities of healing for communities experiencing trauma. NYS Office of Mental Health's Trauma Informed Network & Resource Center (TINRC) has expanded its free BBM services to all New Yorkers who are interested. Be sure to read Antonia's blog post for helpful information on joining a BBM session, as well as ideas for hosting a BBM program at your local library. 

Read the Social Work Perspectives Blog Series! 

Information Literacy Workshop

Join us for a free, half-day information literacy workshop at the Cultural Education Center in Albany, NY! This event is based on New Jersey's four adopted pillars of information literacy and is intended for any interested information professional. 

Participants can expect scenario-based and skills-based instruction with small and large group discussions. This workshop is most appropriate for youth services, outreach staff, and public librarians interested in better understanding current thinking and best practices around information literacy. 

Space is limited! Please register for Information Literacy in Action by August 7th.

NYS Library Signers Set

While the U.S. typically celebrates the Declaration of Independence every July 4, the document's timeline stretches before and after the July 4 date, with signing of the official copy taking place on August 2, 1776.  

After the Revolution, collectors assembled documents related to significant historical events, including the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Today, only a few dozen "Signers Sets," or collected manuscripts bearing the signatures of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, remain in existence. One of them is held by the NYS Library!  

The NYS Library has cared for this collection since the 1870s. In that time, additional items were purchased and added to the collection, which also includes portraits of many signers. These items survived the 1911 Capitol Fire thanks to their location in a safe, and unlike several other early American collections in the Library, they did not sustain any fire damage. 

Get to know the signers and their documents as part of our American Revolution Collection Guide. 

All Aboard the NYS Freedom Train

In the late 1940s, a traveling exhibit of America's founding documents made its way by train to millions across the country. When the train only stopped for a single day in Albany, many curious New Yorkers were excluded from the experience. In response, the NYS Library's head of Manuscripts and History—one enterprising Edna L. Jacobsen—assembled a similar exhibit highlighting early America and New York's role in it. The exhibit mounted in the Education Building's rotunda was so popular that several NYS entities came together to send the materials on their own tour as the New York State Freedom Train. 

This year, a virtual version of the New York Freedom Train has been recreated through the Archives Partnership Trust’s Consider the Source NY website, so that New Yorkers can explore these incredible documents. Visitors to the Cultural Education Center in Albany, NY can also explore the story of the New York State Freedom Train by visiting a new exhibit on the 11th floor from now through August. 

Here's a fun bonus fact (and research tip) about the Office of Cultural Education: the NYS Archives as we know them today did not form until the 1970s. Before then, several items from the Archives were collected and maintained by staff at the NYS Library. Today, 46 of the Freedom Train documents reside in the State Archives due to their status as official government records. The NYS Library still maintains 33 of these documents.

NY at 250 kicks off with programs for librarians and educators. View the full slate of NY at 250 programs.

Tasting History at Your Library

Date: Wednesday, August 19

Time: 10:00am - 11:00am

Continue the NY250 Celebration with Elizabeth Jakubowski, who will share the story behind the NYS Library’s Tasting History project, including how it was created, the historical eras it has explored, and selected recipes from each period. Using Tasting History as a blueprint, she will also present programming ideas for all age groups that libraries can use as-is or adapt as inspiration for their own creative programs. Your culinary adventure awaits!

View a complete list of upcoming programs