Exhibits and Programs
Exhibit: Theodore Roosevelt in NY
January 2019 marks the centennial of the death of Theodore Roosevelt (October 27, 1858 - January 6, 1919). The Library's January exhibit honors this great New Yorker by displaying some items from the collection written by and about Theodore Roosevelt.
Programs and Classes
All programs are FREE and open to the public.
Senior Librarian Michael Meyer will demonstrate two 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. 
Senior Librarian Stephanie Barrett 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 book, maps and other resources included in this database, as well as, the resources on Ancestry NYS page which are freely available to all New Yorkers. Stephanie will also demonstrate search tips and strategies, how to save records, printing and how to create a family tree via Ancestry. 
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 NYS Library and the NYS Archives have partnered to become a FamilySearch Affiliate Library. FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have onsite access to digital microfilm data that is not available to researchers using FamilySearch resources from their home computer. Senior Librarian Stephanie Barrett will demonstrate how to access genealogical records and family trees included in this database. She will also demonstrate how to print and save records.
Over six decades, Duke Ellington (1899-1974) demonstrated his remarkable gifts as a composer, arranger, bandleader and pianist. Ellington lived an extraordinary life inspiring and influencing music far beyond the jazz idiom. Please join us as Ellington expert Bill Saxonis surveys the Ellington legacy with a special emphasis on Ellington’s often underappreciated impact on civil rights. The presentation will feature an eclectic collection of music and excerpts from interviews with important voices from the world of Ellington.
The next film to be shown as part of the New York State Library’s librarian movie series, Standing Out in a Crowd, is 
Newspapers can serve as useful primary sources for historical research. They reflect the time period in which they were created and provide a glimpse into society at the time. Senior Librarian Stephanie Barrett will discuss online databases available at the New York State Library that contain full-text historical newspapers. She will demonstrate the effective use of America's Historical Newspapers and the Historical Newspapers (New York Times) with an emphasis on newspapers published in New York State. She will also demonstrate how to find and access New York State digital newspapers freely available on the Internet.
Online Programs: Selected past programs were recorded and can be viewed online.
Reasonable Accommodation: Please let us know if any reasonable accommodation is required (Americans with Disabilities Act) at least three business days prior to the program date by calling 518-474-2274. The New York State Library and the Cultural Education Center are accessible to visitors with mobility impairments.
Location: Unless otherwise indicated, programs are held in:
Librarians RoomNew York State Library
Cultural Education Center, 7th floor
222 Madison Avenue
Albany, NY 12230
Directions and Parking
More information: For more information about these classes, call at 518-474-2274.
You can also receive future program announcements via or our Facebook page.
Evaluation Form: People who have recently attended a class or other event are invited to complete an evaluation online.