The New York State Library Announces March Public Programs

The New York State Library announced its upcoming programming for March, including various webinars, events, and onsite genealogy walking tours. Among these offerings, in observance of Women’s History Month, is the series, How Women Won the Vote, about the women’s suffrage movement.

The following upcoming free programming requires registration and is available in person and offered online, as indicated per each listing.

Summer Reading Buddies Program (Webinar)
Thursday, March 2
12:30 PM – 1:15 PM

Over the past two summers, Altamont Free Library has teamed up with Literacy Coaches at Altamont Elementary School for its Summer Reading Buddies Program. Summer Reading Buddies (SRB) pairs rising first-grade students who struggle with literacy skills with high school students trained in early literacy instruction skills. Throughout the summer, the students and tutors meet weekly to play literacy games, read to one another, practice sight words, and browse the library shelves for books of particular interest to the students. Students in the SRB program have shown improved literacy test scores and demonstrated an increased interest in reading, while tutors have gained teaching skills and increased senses of empathy, leadership, and responsibility. SRB is a low-cost, high-impact program that can work in nearly any library. SRB is expected to expand to additional libraries and school districts this summer.

Register for the Summer Reading Buddies Program.

Onsite Walking Tour of the Local History and Genealogy Resources at the New York State Library
Friday, March 10
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

The New York State Library is a treasure chest of resources for those tracing their family histories. Join us for an onsite tour highlighting published genealogies, local histories, church records, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) records, United States and New York State Census records, newspapers on microfilm, city directories, and more. Cara Janowsky, an Associate Librarian at the New York State Library, will lead the tour. The tour is limited to 10 individuals, and registration is required.

Register for the March 10th Onsite Walking Tour of the Local History and Genealogy Resources at the New York State Library.

How Women Won the Vote, Part 1 (Webinar)
Speaker: Sandra Opdycke, Ph.D.
Thursday, March 16

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

This is the first of two lectures about the crucial final decade of American women’s campaign for the vote (1910-1920). In this talk, Sandra Opdycke will describe the revitalization of the suffrage movement between 1910 and 1916, including the growing success of the campaigns in individual states and the intensified push for a constitutional amendment on behalf of woman suffrage. She will discuss the women's obstacles and the many strategies they adopted to communicate their message, from grand suffrage parades to the posting of pickets at the White House gates.

Register for How Women Won the Vote, Part 1.

How Women Won the Vote, Part 2 (Webinar)
Speaker: Sandra Opdycke, Ph.D.
Thursday, March 23

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

In this talk, Sandra Opdycke will describe the varying responses of different wings of the suffrage movement to America’s participation in World War I, ranging from dedicated war work to hunger strikes among the suffragists sent to the county workhouse for picketing the White House. She will discuss the women’s successful campaign to get their federal amendment passed by Congress and ratified by 36 state legislatures. And she will conclude by considering some of the political lessons we can learn from the suffragists’ experience.

Register for How Women Won the Vote, Part 2.

Creating Accessible Digital Content (Webinar)
Speakers: Sarah McFadden and Al Oliveras
Thursday, March 23
12:30 PM – 1:15 PM

Library workers create a lot of digital content, including emails, newsletters, presentations, social media posts, research guides, web pages, and more. Is this content accessible to all users? How can inclusive digital materials be created for the whole community? This webinar will cover the basics of web accessibility and some simple practices for creating accessible digital content across the library organization, emphasizing creating inclusive and accessible materials to support Summer Reading at your library. This webinar will be led by the New York State Library, Digital Services Unit staff.

Register for Creating Accessible Digital Content.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Resources for Inventors, Innovators, and Entrepreneurs (Webinar)
Speaker: Tomeka Oubichon

Wednesday, March 29
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

The USPTO has a wealth of resources for individuals interested in learning more about protecting their intellectual property and who need assistance doing so. Learn about these various resources, many of which are free, and put them to work for you as you begin or continue down your path of innovation. The session will also focus on the USPTO’s COVID-19 relief and assistance efforts.

Register for U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Resources for Inventors, Innovators, and Entrepreneurs.

Visit the State Library's website for a complete list of upcoming programs, including webinars, events, and onsite genealogy walking tours. Additional programs will be added to the website as they are confirmed. 

If any reasonable accommodation is required (Americans with Disabilities Act), contact the Office of Cultural Education at least three business days before the program date by emailing NYSLTRN@nysed.gov or calling (518) 474-2274. 

The New York State Library is part of the Office of Cultural Education within the New York State Education Department. The New York State library celebrated its bicentennial in 2018. The Library serves three major constituencies. The Regent Joseph E. Bowman Jr. Research Library, established by law in 1818, collects, preserves, and makes available materials that support State government work. The Library's collections, now numbering over 20 million items, may also be used by other researchers onsite, online, and via interlibrary loan. The Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) lends braille, audiobooks, magazines, and special playback equipment to residents of the 55 upstate counties of New York State who cannot read printed materials because of a visual or physical disability. The Division of Library Development works in partnership with 72 library systems to bring library services to millions of people who use New York's academic, public, school, and special libraries. Library Development also administers State and Federal grant programs that provide aid for library services.