New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Libraries

State Education Dept Announces $34M For Public Library Construction Projects

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New York State Library with Ukranian FlagThe New York State Education Department has awarded $34 million to 223 public libraries and systems statewide to support construction and renovation projects.

These funds are expected to help libraries construct new buildings, create additions, update electrical wiring and computer technology, improve broadband infrastructure, meet energy-efficiency standards, and renovate facilities to provide full accessibility to library users with disabilities and create meeting spaces to accommodate community needs. [Read more…] about State Education Dept Announces $34M For Public Library Construction Projects

Hudson Area Library Acquires Urban Renewal Papers

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Koweek family in the History RoomThe Hudson Area Library has announced that the Koweek family has donated the Arthur Koweek Urban Renewal Papers to the library’s History Room. Arthur Koweek chaired the Hudson City Planning Commission during the urban renewal project of 1971-1973.

With Hudson again in a debate about housing and business development, much can be learned from the Koweek Papers about the history of urban renewal in the city. The collection is an invaluable resource for Hudson and its residents as they seek to create a city that meets the needs of all the diverse people who live and work in its environs. [Read more…] about Hudson Area Library Acquires Urban Renewal Papers

America’s 250th & The Institute of Museum and Library Services

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IMLS Director Crosby Kemper and Dr. Edna Medford discuss President Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, and a way forward for our communities during courtesy IMLSThe Institute of Museum and Library Services has announced “IMLS 250: All Stories. All People. All Places,” a new initiative to engage the nation’s libraries, museums, and archives as they commemorate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. [Read more…] about America’s 250th & The Institute of Museum and Library Services

Heritage Spotlight: FDR Presidential Library and Museum, Dutchess County

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Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and MuseumThe Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and is located near FDR’s home in Hyde Park, Dutchess County, NY.

The first presidential library — and the only one used by its namesake while in office — was planned and designed by Roosevelt in the Dutch Colonial style and houses his official papers, books, and other memorabilia, as well as the papers of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. [Read more…] about Heritage Spotlight: FDR Presidential Library and Museum, Dutchess County

NYC-Long Island Conservation Treatment Grants Available

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material cultureThe New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN) have announced the Conservation Treatment Grant Program is now open. [Read more…] about NYC-Long Island Conservation Treatment Grants Available

The Volunteers Behind the Adirondack Research Library

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Interior of the Adirondack Research Library in the Kelly Adirondack Center of Union College Photo by David GibsonMany organizations introduce their work with the words “were it not for the volunteers, we could not…” That can be justifiably said of the Adirondack Research Library (ARL), formerly part of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks (AfPA). [Read more…] about The Volunteers Behind the Adirondack Research Library

SUNY Broome Culinary Center Wins Historic Preservation Award

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restored facade of Binghamton’s 1904 Carnegie Library courtesy SUNY BroomeSUNY Broome’s Culinary & Event Center has won a 2021 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the Preservation League of NYS.

The Beaux Arts-style Carnegie Library opened in downtown Binghamton in 1904 and was home to the city’s library for 96 years. The building remained vacant from 2000-2016, falling into a state of disrepair. [Read more…] about SUNY Broome Culinary Center Wins Historic Preservation Award

Ballston Community Library: A Short History

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Drawing of original library building 1952On September 23rd, 1952, the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Rotary and the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Women’s Club met at a combined meeting to establish the Library Association which would spearhead fund raisers and begin the process of building a library from the bottom up.

Among other fundraising, the Library Association went door to door soliciting people to come to their homes for breakfast on a particular day — and the invited guests would then be charged for their breakfast. [Read more…] about Ballston Community Library: A Short History

St. Johnsville’s Lion in Love Sculpture: A Piece of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Upstate

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George C. Boldt courtesy Library of CongressThe Margaret Reaney Memorial Library is a fixture in the Erie Canal-side community of St. Johnsville, Montgomery County, NY. The Library contains a museum which features a wide array of art in a very fine collection.

An outdoor sculpture display in the north garden is listed in the Library’s catalog as “Nude Female and Lion” by Roland Hinton Perry. The bronze was cast in 1898 by Jno. Williams, Inc. foundry which was located on West 26th Street in Manhattan. [Read more…] about St. Johnsville’s Lion in Love Sculpture: A Piece of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Upstate