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 on our Home Page:
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 or telnet
<nysl.nysed.gov>. 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...
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 or e-
mail mredmond@unix2.nysed.gov.
State Library Hours
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
State Library Worthwhile at Any Distance
Monday through Friday
For more information, call
(518) 474-5355 or e-mail
refserv@unix2.nysed.gov
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
New York State Library
N.Y.S. Education Department
Albany, NY 12230
Go to New York State Library Home Page