New York
State Library News
For the People, the Government and the Libraries of New York State
July 1997
New Director of State Library, Research Library Division Named
Liz Lane is the new Director of the State Library's Research Library Division. The appointment was announced by State Librarian Janet Martin Welch. Lane recently returned to a former position at the State Library after a one-year term as Interim Director of the SUNY/OCLC network. Her extensive qualifications include jobs in libraries at RPI, Union and Alfred University.
"Liz Lane brings over two decades of wide-ranging managerial, policy, fiscal, and program-planning experience in different types of libraries to this position," said Welch. "Her impressive record includes both technical and public services responsibilities in academic, school, and network library operations." Her first assignment at the State Library was as a student assistant in the Legislative Reference Library in 1967.
Lane has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from the College of Saint Rose (Albany), and an M.L.S. in academic librarianship from Syracuse University. She holds both school media specialist and public librarian certificates, and has published in professional journals and books.
Legislators: We Are Your Washington Connection
Looking for the text of a bill in Congress? How about a proposed Federal regulation? You can find them through the New York State Library's "GPO Access on the Web Gateway", an Internet connection to over thirty Government Printing Office online databases. Among the choices are Congressional bills, the Congressional Record, and the Federal Register.
The New York State Library is one of only two GPO Access Gateways in New York State. Check us out at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/gpo.
If you're having a lifelong romance with the Adirondacks or your fancy turns to the Civil War, Check the State Library's Home Page. New postings include finding aids --- those crisp descriptions of what's within the multitude of boxes and folders in the Library's extensive collections. Finding aids for the following collections are now on the Net:
To access these guides: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/mssfa/. Visit the State Library for onsite use of these and other finding aids, and the collections they describe. If you need help, just ask. Reference librarians are great pathfinders.
Regents Appoint New State Librarian
Janet Martin Welch, former Director of the Rochester (NY) Regional Library Council becomes Assistant Commissioner for Libraries and State Librarian this month. Appointed by the State Board of Regents after a nationwide search, she replaces Joseph F. Shubert, who retired in June 1996.
Welch, a magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bucknell University, holds an M.L.S. from Rutgers University. Formerly Director of the Rochester (NY) Regional Library Council, she has professional experience in school, public, academic and corporate libraries, and has collaborated with other organizations to promote the role of libraries now and in the next century.
A powerful new tool at the State Library enables fundraisers to locate sources of grants faster than ever. Through "FC Search: The Foundation Center's Database on CD-ROM," you can target potential funders, identify giving policies, and view grants awarded by field.
This easy-to-use system covers over 40,000 U.S. foundations with descriptions of more than 100,000 associated grants, and allows grantseekers to create customized prospect lists in seconds.
The State Library participates in the national Foundation Center network of cooperating collections and maintains an extensive Grants Resource Collection. Other resources include directories, Federal/State funding information, proposal writing guides, and fundraising aids.
For more information call Linda Braun, (518) 474-5355.
Liz Lane, Director of the New York State Library's Research Library Division; Jeffrey Field, National Endowment for the Humanities; Robert Harriman, The Library of Congress; Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education Carole Huxley posed for a June 4 photograph surrounding a page from the August 15, 1837 "Albany Daily Advertiser", the one millionth page of historic newspapers microfilmed by the New York State Newspaper Project. Over 100 people recently gathered at the Cultural Education Center in Albany to celebrate this event.
You can obtain microfilms of historic newspapers at the State Library or through your local library.
Visit the State Library's Web Site
You can access the Library's Web site from your home or office 24 hours a day: <http://www.nysl.nysed.gov>.
If you don't have Web access from your computer, dial in to the State Library's catalog at (518) 474-9851. For more information. . .
You can also access the State Library's Web site from many public libraries.
Mark September 13, 1997 On Your Calendar
Explore seventeenth century Dutch involvement in the Atlantic world at the all-day Rensselaerswijck Seminar XX, sponsored by the New Netherland Project. For information call (518) 474-6067.
A good friend invited me to lunch and a lecture last week. One of the reasons she is such a good friend, is that she looks me in the eye and tells me exactly what she thinks. "I've been considering your suggestion to join the Committee for the State Library," she said, "but I've been wondering. We have a good public library. Why do we need a State Library?" And so I explained what is obvious to some of us and news to many others:
The State Library, with its wide-ranging, in-depth collections, is a research library. When you can't find the information you want at your local library, you turn to a research library. Most research libraries belong to universities or corporations and are not open to the public. But back in 1818, Governor De Witt Clinton, who believed that democracy works best when everyone has equal access to information, established the State Library for the use of all New Yorkers. You, or anyone else --- doctors, lawyers, business people, homemakers, even school children, can use the State Library --- on site, through your public library, or with your computer.
Join the Friends of the New York State Library. In addition to the deep satisfactions of preserving your heritage and sustaining a world renowned public research library, you can obtain special discounts at local book stores.
A Librarian Speaks...
State Library Worthwhile at Any Distance
by Jane Rosenfeld
To launch our new series, "A Librarian Speaks", Jane Rosenfeld tells how she and the staff of the State Library go the extra mile together to fulfill the requests of their patrons.
It may be 290 miles from Buffalo to Albany, but the New York State Library is an excellent resource for the librarians and patrons of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library (B&ECPL). State Library staff have bailed me out more than once in a search for an obscure State document requested by a client. Furthermore, the annual conference on government documents is always worth the trip. It's a significant opportunity to find out about new documents and to stay abreast of rapidly changing methods of obtaining information.
A quick "survey" of a few librarians within earshot revealed that their experience parallels mine. Marsha Nigro, Reference Librarian in the Business Information Department, reported that she often uses the State Library web site, most recently in response to a query about the School District report cards compiled by the State Education Department. She frequently gives the Internet address to patrons.
Virginia Waxmonsky, law librarian at Lipsitz Green Fahringer Roll Salisbury & Cambria, added that she uses State Library depository services for documents --- such as Federal and State law or historic and recent law publications --- for her firm's cases.
Patricia Blackett, former head of Special Collections at B&ECPL, often referred genealogists to the State Library for city directories and other records unavailable in our collection. Her successor and staff make such frequent referrals, they keep a sheet of State Library phone numbers at the information desk.
With electronic access, now more than ever, distance doesn't matter to New Yorkers who avail themselves of the wealth of resources at the State Library.
Jane Rosenfeld is Service Evaluation and Planning Coordinator at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library.
Send us your questions, suggestions, and reactions. Tell us about your experiences with the State Library or what you want to know about it. Send comments and questions to Mary Redmond, New York State Library, Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY 12230.
Monday through FridayFor more information, call (518) 474-5355 or e-mail refserv@mail.nysed.gov
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
New York State Library News is produced by The Committee for the New York State Library and the New York State Library to inform New Yorkers about collections and services of their State Library.
Editor: Miriam S. Soffer
This newsletter is not published at State expense.
New York State Library News
New York State Library
N.Y.S. Education Department
Albany, NY 12230