New York State Archives facts for kids
The New York State Archives is like a giant treasure chest of historical documents for New York State. It's a special part of the New York State Education Department. You can find its main building in Albany, New York, inside the Cultural Education Center. This big center also houses the New York State Library and the New York State Museum.
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What is the New York State Archives?
The New York State Archives was created in 1971. Its main goal is to keep and share important papers and records. These documents tell the story of New York State's history, its government, big events, and its people. They go all the way back to the 1600s! The Archives started its full work in 1978 when its storage and research building opened.
Amazing Collections: What They Keep
The Archives protects and lets people see over 270 million documents. These records date from the 1600s, when New York was a Dutch and British colony, right up to today. They keep papers from the state's lawmakers, judges, and the governor's office.
The documents cover many interesting topics, such as:
- How New York interacted with Native American groups.
- The building of the Erie Canal and how people moved west.
- The growth of factories and jobs.
- How New York helped its citizens.
- Public schools and health.
- Protecting the environment.
- New Yorkers' involvement in many wars.
Some cool things in their collection include:
- Nearly 13,000 documents about the old Dutch colony of New Netherland.
- Records from building the Erie Canal and the New York State Barge Canal. These include maps, engineering drawings, and old glass plate photos.
- Over 50,000 movie scripts from the 1920s to the 1960s. You can even search for these online!
- More than 100,000 digital pictures of maps, photos, and other items.
- An online catalog and online guides to help you find records.
Helping New York State: Programs and Services
Since 1987, the New York State Archives has also helped manage state government records. This includes running the State Records Center in Albany.
In 1988, a program called the Documentary Heritage Program was created. It gives advice and grants (money) to historical societies, museums, and libraries. These groups also hold important historical records. Now, this help is offered for free through the Archives' Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) program.
A law in 1987 made sure that 4300 local governments in New York had officers to manage their records. This includes every county, city, town, village, and school district. In 1989, a special fund was set up to help these local governments. Over $250 million in grants have been given out since this program started. The State Archives gives advice and support to all parts of the state.
The New York State Archives helps many different people:
- Students and teachers.
- Scholars and community researchers.
- Government officials.
- People in law and business.
- The general public.
They encourage students with awards, grants, and internships. They help teachers use historical documents in their classrooms. They also offer money for research using their records. The yearly Student Research Award gives money to students in grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 for projects using historical records.
The Archives has an online tool for teachers called Consider the Source. It has thousands of images of historical documents and teaching materials. The Hackman Research Residency program helps scholars travel to Albany to use the Archives' resources for their research.
The New York State Archives Partnership Trust is a non-profit group started in 1992. It helps save and share the Archives' treasures. It also supports educational projects for teachers and students. This trust promotes New York State's history and publishes a magazine called New York Archives. This magazine has articles and photos about New York State history.
New York State Archives Partnership Trust
The New York State Archives Partnership Trust is a special organization in New York State. It is also located in the Cultural Education Center. Its main goal is to create a fund to help preserve historical records. A board of trustees guides the Trust. It supports many programs that help save records, educate people, and share the work of the State Archives.
See also
- Albany Convention Center
- Capital District Transportation Authority
- The Egg, Albany
- Port of Albany-Rensselaer
