Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Buried Albany history

In 2005, an unmarked cemetery was accidentally discovered during construction along Route 32 (Broadway) in the town of Colonie. Based on historical research and skeletal analysis, it is believed the burial ground was used by enslaved Africans owned by the colonial Albany Schuyler family.

You are invited to a public meeting to discuss the proper burial and commemoration of human remains of African descent uncovered in Colonie.

Albany Public Library - Main Branch
161 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY
Main Conference Room - June 2nd
10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Monday, May 28, 2012

Rare print find at Brown University's John Hay Library

Day after day, a tall, shy woman weaves her way unnoticed through the earnest and learned campus swirl of Brown University. She enters the hush of a library, then promptly vanishes from sight.

Down goes Marie Malchodi, 48, who attended but never graduated from Brown, down to the library’s subterranean warrens, where she works as a “book conservation technician.”...

A few weeks ago, Ms. Malchodi opened yet another leather-bound book, one of more than 300,000 rare volumes in the hold of the John Hay Library. With surgical precision, she turned the pages of a medical text once owned by Solomon Drowne, Class of ’73 (1773, that is). And there, in the back, she found a piece of paper depicting the baptism of Jesus. It was signed:

More HERE.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

REMINDER: Albany City Schools closed Thursday, Friday

A reminder that the City School District of Albany's two unused snow days are being added to the traditional Memorial Day weekend and all schools will be closed Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25 in addition to Monday, May 28.

School will resume Tuesday, May 29.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

NOVELNY STEERING COMMITTEE CONCLUDES ITS DECADE OF OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP

Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education and Acting State Librarian, Jeffrey W. Cannell, extends his warm appreciation to Chairperson Sarah Conrad Weisman and all current and former members of the NOVELNY Steering Committee as the work of the committee comes to a close effective May 15, 2012.

“The New York State Library is committed to building on the outstanding work of the Steering Committee going forward and will seek to continuously improve and expand the e-resources available to New Yorkers through this high value/high impact statewide program in the coming years,” said Cannell.

Announcement of New York Online Virtual Electronic Library (NOVELNY) electronic resource offerings for 2012-2013 will be made in the near future.

On April 24, the Board of Regents enthusiastically accepted a new statewide policy document for library services: Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State; Recommendations of the New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries to the New York State Board of Regents.

“With the adoption of a new statewide vision and plan for library services, this seems like a good time to bring the work of the NOVELNY Steering Committee to conclusion,” said Weisman. “The Board of Regents has directed the State Librarian to work with the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries and others to develop implementation strategies and an action plan,” said Weisman, “and I anticipate that there will be numerous opportunities for the library community to contribute ideas, time and talent going forward.”

Leaders from all types of libraries have participated in the Steering Committee’s work since then State Librarian Janet Martin Welch appointed the first NOVELNY Steering Committee in 2002. The Steering Committee played a key role in assisting the State Library with implementation of NOVEL New York Online Virtual Electronic Library: Libraries Expanding Information Access for New Yorkers in the New Century. The creation of NOVEL was the first recommendation in the 2000 Regents Commission on Libraries report "Meeting the Needs of All New Yorkers."

The Steering Committee worked tirelessly to evaluate database products, survey users for feedback and represent the interests of New York’s diverse library community. Several notable efforts were conducted with the advice and assistance of the Committee, including, but not limited to:
o development of a statewide communications plan and publicity toolkit materials for the database program;
o driver license access and fashioning of the NOVELNY portal;
o testing of federated search; and
o the creation and revision of the NOVELNY Ready Levels Table.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Regents Advisory Council on Libraries Seeks Nominations for Membership

The New York State Library is seeking, by June 30, recommendations for membership on the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries.

The Regents Advisory Council on Libraries advises the New York State Board of Regents on State policy regarding the New York State Library, library development programs, legislation and library aid programs. The Council works with the officers of the State Education Department in developing a comprehensive statewide library and information policy and makes recommendations to the Regents concerning the implementation of the program.

The Board of Regents will appoint three Regents Advisory Council members to serve five-year terms from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2017. The Council meets a minimum of four times a year: January (conference call), April (Board of Regents meeting in Albany), September (conference call) and December (New York City). Members of the Regents Advisory Council are leaders in a wide variety of endeavors across the State, including business, human services, education, and libraries. For more information.

The State Library particularly encourages recommendations of representatives of New York State's broadly diverse population, including but not limited to African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic origin/ancestry and people with disabilities.

Please send nominations and a brief biography or resume for the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries by June 30 to: Paula Paolucci, Office of the State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries, New York State Library, 10C34 Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY 12230; e-mail: ppaolucc@mail.nysed.gov .

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Albany School, Library Budget Votes, plus Library Trustee Election May 15

Albany city residents go to the polls Tuesday, May 15, to vote on the City School District of Albany budget, the Albany Public Library 2013 levy, and to choose three new members for the library Board of Trustees. Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Your voting location may have changed this year due to New York’s congressional redistricting plan. While the school district will have the same 18 voting locations as in the past, your location may have been moved to another ward or district. Follow this link (PDF) to find your voting location.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Pine Hills Community Day Saturday

All are invited to enjoy the Pine Hills Elementary School Community Day Open House on Saturday, May 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event will feature student performances and student work on display, hot dogs for lunch, a gently used book sale, a plant sale, information about community resources and more.

We hope you'll be able to stop by to check out the great things that are happening at Pine Hills Elementary School, 41 North Allen Street in Albany!

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

2012 New York State Teen Video Challenge Winner

The New York State Library is pleased to announce the winner of the 2012 Teen Video Challenge for New York State. Katherine Brownfiel, Nicholas Davis, Michelle Joseph, Philip Rossillo and Jenna Zier, from the Longwood Public Library, Middle Island, NY made up the winning team of teen video creators with their engaging video, “Night Creatures.” Chosen from entries from across the state, the teens will receive a cash prize of $275 from the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), sponsor of the competition. The Longwood Public Library, Middle Island will also receive $100 from CSLP plus a $50 gift certificate from Highsmith.



This video competition is in its second year of encouraging teens to get involved with promoting summer reading and public libraries with a focus on the CSLP 2012 slogan, “Own the Night.” Each participating state selected one winning video to be named the official CSLP Teen Video Challenge state winner for 2012. Twenty-three states and over one hundred teens participated in the creation of these winning videos.



“Night Creatures” is featured on the “Teen NY” Facebook page, “Summer Reading at New York Libraries” website www.summerreadingnys.org, along with the top three finalists from New York State and selections from across the county. To see all the state winning videos visit the CSLP “Winner’s Page,” www.cslpreads.org. All winning videos can be used by teens and public libraries to promote summer reading nationwide.



The judging for the New York State 2012 Teen Video Challenge “Own the Night," was a two part process. Two panels of judges were assembled to review the entries, decide on the finalists, and choose a winner. The first panel of thirteen New York State public librarians narrowed the field of twenty-four down to four finalists who submitted their entries through the Pittsford Community Library, the Queens Public Library for Teens, the Briarcliff Manor Public Library, and the Longwood Public Library, Middle Island. The second panel of seven ‘celebrity’ judges consisted of Jeffrey W. Cannell – NYS Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education and Acting State Librarian; Secret Agent 23 Skidoo - Kid’s hip-hop artist and 2010 & 2011“Summer Reading at New York Libraries” official spokesperson; Jackson Murphy - film critic for YNN television; Frank and Caroline Mouris - Academy Award Winning animators; Jackie Negri, Executive Director of the Association of New York State Youth Bureaus and NYS liaison to the Boys and Girls Clubs, and Dan Judson - Filmmaker/Producer for Digital Foundry. After a close vote, the second round judges chose “Night Creature” to be the winning video for its overall production value, and message that libraries are great places to find a wealth of interesting materials and have fun too.



The New York State Library is very pleased with the second year of the “Teen Video Challenge” and plans to participate in the CSLP sponsored competition in future years. Please check the Summer Reading at New York Libraries website (www.summerreadingnys.org) later this summer or in early fall for information on the 2013 Teen Video Challenge.