New York State Library | Annual Report 2008

Preserving the Past With a Vision For the Future

 Images of hands and documents, a historic document, a historic map, Theodore Roosevelt, and two people in the Library's genealogy section.

The Library is charged with the stewardship of some of the nation’s most important collections of records from the Colonial and other early periods of American history. Today’s environment presents many opportunities, challenges, and threats to keeping heritage documents safe while providing broad access to them.

Through the Library’s Digital Initiatives Program, scanners transform fragile and vulnerable historic manuscripts and documents into digital formats that can be accessed online, while at the same time preserving and  protecting originals from harm.  Records and other early documents are not only saved from further degradation, they are now freely available to all.  Less fragile materials are scanned by the Library’s new Kirtas machine at a rate of up to 1200 pages per hour.

The New Netherland Project -
      Paradigm-Changing Research

The New Netherland Project is challenging the very foundations of early American history.  Since 1974, Dr. Charles Gehring and a small group of volunteers and staff have worked to preserve and translate the earliest records of American colonial history – those of New Netherland.  Working with rare early manuscripts and records in the collections of the State Research Library and the State Archives, they have revealed the story of the 17th century Dutch colony and its lasting impact on American history and culture.

The New Netherland Project is supported by the New York State Library, the Holland Society of New York, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Special Collections

Private donors and benefactors have endowed the Library with many outstanding historic collections.  The Library's stewardship responsibilities include major collections in genealogy, New York State and local history, education, health and medicine, science, law, public policy, business, and Native Americans.  These exceptional and often rare collections of manuscripts, memorabilia, and other documents enrich the Library’s collections and are preserved for future generations of New Yorkers.

Some very special collections...

  • In 2008 the State Research Library’s CD The Sir William Johnson Papers received a "Notable Government Document" designation from the American Library Association’s Government Documents Round Table. This collection of correspondence and other documents from the Colonial era of American history provides a fascinating glimpse into the pre-Revolutionary interactions among the British, French, and Iroquois empires.
  • Books, manuscripts, magazine articles, memorabilia, and artifacts related to Theodore Roosevelt gathered over 40 years by Lyall Squair of Syracuse include papers related to the Spanish-American War, and postcards depicting him and subjects related to him including teddy bears and animals he hunted.
  • The Van Rensselaer Manor papers include some of the earliest records of Colonial history, including maps, surveys, and rent account ledgers, providing a wealth of information on rural Colonial Albany and Rensselaer counties.
  • Memorabilia from the family of Nathan Sanford -- Chancellor of New York State from 1823 to 1826, New York Assemblyman and Senator, US Attorney General, and US Senator -- provide a glimpse into the lives of New York’s 19th century cultural elite.
  • One of the oldest and most extensive collections of local and family histories, the State Library’s genealogy collection has earned an international reputation as one of the best.