From the Director

2009 was quite a year for the New York State Research Library – one that included a 'digital revolution,' a new State Librarian, attention from the national media, the beginning of a new center of international scholarship, and a royal visit.

An unprecedented deficit in the State budget and a declining economy made for a rough and uncertain time. The State Research Library has been challenged to meet the ever more complex and evolving needs of our users and to address new models of information access and sharing.

As you read this update, State Research Library services and programs continue to evolve to meet these new models. From bringing services to New Yorkers with disabilities into the digital age, to growing the databases provided by NOVELNY, and working with our friends groups and other partners like the New York Higher Education Initiative (NYSHEI), we strived to meet the challenges of these ever changing times.

2009 had many high points. A new State Librarian took the reins of the Library as we faced these telling times. Bernard Margolis came to us from the Boston Public Library in January and brought a wealth of experience and know-how.

The spotlight of the national media and a royal visit brought excitement and celebration. 2009 marked the Quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s voyage to the now famous river, and celebrations in this country and abroad saw the Library’s New Netherland Project in the national and international limelight. A showcase on CBS News Sunday Morning made it clear that the work of Director Charles Gehring and his staff and volunteers is important work on behalf of all Americans.

But perhaps the most special event of the year was a visit from the Crown Prince and Princess of the Netherlands. The visit included a tour of the 1609 exhibit and viewing of rare documents and manuscripts from the Library's Dutch colonial collections. Following the visit, the Research Library received from the Dutch National Archives a facsimile of a 17th century letter that provides the first documentation of the purchase of Manhattan from the Indians. Then the Dutch government pledged its support for a New Netherland Research Center, and a new international center of learning and scholarship at the Research Library was born.

2010 will doubtless bring more challenges and opportunities to the New York State Research Library. Information technology continues to change at a breath-taking pace, and continuing economic uncertainty makes it more imperative than ever to find new solutions and programs to meet the information needs of New Yorkers. I am confident that the energy, skills, and hard work of our staff will help us meet them.

2009 marked the Quadricentennial of Henry Hudson's historic voyage.  The State Research Library joined with the State Archives, State  Museum, and Office of Educational Television and Public Broadcasting to mark the occasion with the exhibit 1609.  The exhibit featured documents, manuscripts, and other artifacts from the Dutch colonial era in North America.  Items from the Research Library's  collections included the original 1630 contract between patroon Kiliaen van Rensselaer and the Mohican Indians for purchase of the land that would become Van Rensselaer Manor, and a 1675 baker's account that makes the first recorded mention of the feast of Saint Nicolas. Russell Shorto, author of the award winning Island at the Center of the World and international authority on colonial Dutch history, consulted on the project. The exhibit also featured paintings by Capital District historical artist Len F. Tantillo.