NYS Library Celebrates NY250

New York at 250: A Resource Guide for Public Libraries and Partners includes background information on NY250 and a collection of programming ideas – from turnkey book clubs with discussion questions to more complex projects like creating a community cookbook. The guide includes links to additional resources – think book lists, coloring pages, and more! – and organizes all programs by complexity level and time required to implement each. Included are examples of programs created by libraries and public broadcasting stations across the state, as well as from the New York State Library.

Tapestry of New York is a project of the New York State 250th Commemorative Commission and the WNET Group. It's an online gallery of student artwork submitted by educators across New York. New York elementary, middle, and high school students are invited to submit creative works that reflect their unique perspectives on the history of the American Revolution and ongoing “unfinished revolutions.” Learn more about the Tapestry of New York.

Consider the Source is a free online community that connects educators across New York State to valuable primary sources found in churches, museums, historical organizations, libraries, and state and local governments. It provides engaging learning activities designed to guide and encourage students at all grade levels to make discoveries using critical thinking skills. Don’t miss the primary sources from the Colonial America Collection and Revolutionary New York Collection. Consider the Source NY is provided by the New York State Archives Partnership Trust.

The Library's collections are rich with primary history materials and many of those items are found in popular historical titles like Amanda Vaill’s Pride and Pleasure and Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton. Explore government documents and manuscripts about espionage, battles at sea, and the turning point of the Revolution in the Library's American Revolution Collection guide. Stay tuned as we continue to add items!

The NYS Library's Personal History Initiative captures the stories of people and communities in their own words. By compiling and preserving individual, group, and organizational stories, people can contribute to the overarching narrative of what it means to be a New Yorker, creating a treasure trove that deepens our understanding of our place in the world. We invite everyone to help shape the future by participating in the Personal History Initiative to create a people's history of New York, where people can share their stories in their own words and have hem archived for future generations. 

America250 is challenging businesses, non-profits, schools, youth groups, faith-based networks, and organizations of all types to increase their volunteering and impact. America Gives honors the Semiquincentennial by giving back to your community through the "largest volunteer effort in U.S. history." The NYS Library is partnering with the Suffolk Cooperative Library System to help people engage with their communities through volunteerism, through The Great Give back, a community service initiative. And what better way to honor the Power of Place!

Revisit the Revolution is a traveling exhibition featuring 21 objects from New York State Parks and Historic Sites' historic collections, along with The Revolution Across New York exhibition banners, and an interactive digital display. Check out the current schedule of the exhibit and find information about how to bring this to your location under Traveling Exhibition on the Revisit the Revolution webpage.

Enslavement to Freedom Traveling Banners are available as part of the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s multi-year interpretive initiative focused on engaging the public in understanding the impact of slavery on the state's past and its journey toward freedom.  

The NYS Museum designed Revolutionary New York, a panel exhibition for use in cultural institutions and schools. The exhibition honors the New Yorkers who launched the great American experiment in 1776 and the bold leaders from the Women's Suffrage Movement to the Stonewall Uprising. 

Public broadcasting is highlighting the 250th commemoration through PBS America at 250 programming including The American Revolution documentary series from Ken Burns. For those interested in 250th related educational media for the classroom, PBS LearningMedia offers a variety of on-demand resources. Enjoy this PBS Books Talk and stay tuned as New York State stations unveil 250 specials in the coming months!

Celebrate history with the William G. Pomeroy Foundation! Learn about signature grant programs, including the New York State historical marker grant program, and how you can get involved in creating a historic marker. Visit established markers using this database and map or consider volunteering to help maintain and clean a marker during National Historic Marker Weekend. For inspiration, download and print this Make Your Own Marker DIY activity sheet from the NYS Library!

Many people have collections of treasured mementos that document their own family history, including photos or letters, drawings or paintings, scrapbooks, sound or video recordings, computer files or digital images, articles of clothing, or other objects. It may be hard to decide what things to keep for the future and how to take care of them, so they last. The NYS Archives created Preserving Family History: What to Save and How to guide us through difficult decisions and inform us about how to save what matters most.