Walking Tour of the Local History and Genealogy Resources at the New York State Library

The New York State Library is a treasure chest of resources for those tracing their family histories. Join us for a 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. The tour is limited to 15 individuals and registration is required.

Location: New York State Library 7th floor – meet in front of Genealogy/Local History/Equipment desk

Patents 101

What is a patent? How do they differ from trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets? As a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC), the New York State Library has many resources to help inventors and patent researchers with the US Patent process. Senior Librarian Stephanie Barrett will give examples of patents and trademarks and illustrate the steps needed to get an invention patented. Registration is required.

Location: 7th floor Librarians Room, New York State Library

Foundation Center Online Grant Resources

Senior Librarian Allan Raney will demonstrate three online products from the Foundation Center that are available at the New York State Library. The Foundation Directory Online provides accurate details on over 100,000 US foundations and corporate donors and over 2.2 million recent grants. Foundation Grants to Individuals Online is an online database of over 8,500 foundation and public charity programs that fund students, artists, researchers, and other individual grant seekers. Foundation Maps can help funders, philanthropy networks, consultants to foundations, and other nonprofits to see broad trends at a glance and monitor changes across the sector; explore who is funding via filters, including subject areas, locations, population groups, and types of support; and go beyond who you already know in the field and discover new partners for collaboration and community. Space is limited and registration is required.

Location: 7th floor Computer Classroom

Mary Norris, Comma Queen and NYSL Friends Annual Meeting

Mary Norris, celebrated proofreader, copy editor, and author at The New Yorker, is an authoritative figure in an endangered profession. On staff at The New Yorker since 1978, she is the author of the new book, Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen (2015), which features hilarious meditations on grammar, as well as memorable tussles about usage with such writers as Ian Frazier, Pauline Kael, Philip Roth, and George Saunders. Garrison Keillor said in advance praise, “This is as entertaining as grammar can be. Very very. Read it and savor it.” Ballots for the New York State Library Friends Governing Board elections will also be available for members to cast their votes.

This program is Co-Sponsored by the Friends of the New York State Library and the New York State Writers Institute. Registration is recommended.

Location: Huxley Theater, Cultural Education Center

Victory Turned into Mourning: Farewell to Lincoln and Grant at the New York State Capitol

One hundred and fifty years ago as the nation mourned its martyred President, a special funeral train journeyed from Washington, D.C. to Springfield, Illinois. Albany, New York was one of the major stops on its route. On April 26, Lincoln’s body lay in State in the old State Capitol building while 50,000 people filed by to pay their respects. At the exact same time, over 400 miles to the south, assassin John Wilkes Booth was cornered in a tobacco barn, shot by a New York Cavalryman, and died of his wounds.

Twenty years later the New York State Capitol was once again the scene of a somber farewell as President Ulysses S. Grant lay in State in the new Capitol Building.

Presented by Stuart Lehman, Assistant Curator for the New York State Capitol, this program will explore these solemn events and their connection to the New York State Capitol.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the New York State Library. Registration is recommended.