M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives Blog

Below are a few collections recently acquired by the Grenander Department. Complete lists of the Department's collections are available here.

Bridge Line Historical Society (MSS-129) - The Bridge Line Historical Society (BLHS) was founded in 1990 to document the history of the Delaware & Hudson Railway. The collection includes the BLHS's newsletter, The Bulletin, as well as maps, drawings, publications, and related material. The Grenander Department has only just begun to receive records from the BLHS and expects to steadily receive additional material from the organization in the months and years to come.

Business and Professional Women's Club of Schenectady (APAP-218) - The records of the Business and Professional Women's Club of Schenectady joins the records of the Albany and New York State organizations already held by the Grenander Department. The collection includes meeting minutes, news clippings, publications, programs, scrapbooks detailing the club's activities and accomplishments, and photographs from its organization in 1927 through 2006.

David Coplon (APAP-288) - The collection includes material from the Schenectady chapter of Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (SANE); local anti-Vietnam war organizations; Church and Laity United, Schenectady; and groups advocating for Middle East peace. Much of the material dates from the 1970s.

Robert Gross (APAP-291) - The records were created during Gross' work with the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP), Journey of Hope, Lighting the Torch of Conscience, and other activities in opposition to the death penalty. The NCADP leads and coordinates the movement to end state killing in the United States. Its 120 member organizations include civil and human rights groups, legal advocacy and public interest groups, and virtually every major church or religious denomination in the country. Journey of Hope...from Violence to Healing is an organization that is led by murder victims' family members. It conducts public education speaking tours and addresses alternatives to the death penalty. The collection includes: NCADP state files, programs, and organizations; Journey of Hope...From Violence to Healing administrative files, videotapes, photographs, and press packets related to speaking tours; and material from the Lighting the Torch of Conscience march in 1990.

Geof Huth (MSS-137) - The collection includes artworks produced by Geof Huth (including poetry, fiction, essays, aphorisms, visual poems, dramatic works, and comics), biographical records, extensive correspondence, records of his various micropresses, weblogs, audiovisual recordings of sound poems and presentations given at professional conferences, and a large collection of small and micropress publications focused on visual and experimental poetry. Huth's reflections on donating his papers, including the finding aid he wrote for his collection, are here. After a bit of editing, the Grenander Department will make the finding aid available from here.

Women's Building, Inc. (APAP-292) - The Women's Building, Inc. is the women's community center of the Capital Region located at 79 Central Avenue in Albany, New York and operated by the Holding Our Own foundation. The Women's Building's mission is to create an environment where differences are respected, leadership is shared, all women's strengths are recognized, all women's growth is supported, and a diversity of age, race, education, income, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, religion, and social background is seen as enriching. The organization's goals are to: provide a resource center and clearinghouse for information of interest to women; a multi-purpose space for cultural, informational, and recreational events of interest to women and children including meeting rooms, office rental for women's organizations, services, commercial, and professional enterprises, and a performance area; and to enhance a sense of community among women throughout the Capital Region. The collection includes records such as meeting minutes, grant applications, material related to the Women's Building's capital campaign, publications, program material, and other administrative material.

Posted by at 02:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives Adds to Significant Collection

ALBANY, NY (December 19, 2006)--The University at Albany’s Libraries have acquired the papers of U.S. Congressman Sherwood Boehlert (R-24th District). Mr. Boehlert recently retired, after serving in the U.S. Congress since first elected in 1982.

Congressman Boehlert’s papers will add significantly to UAlbany’s New York State Modern Political Archive. His papers include approximately 500 boxes, and stand as record of a long and productive career serving the people of New York. Among Mr. Boehlert’s many achievements was his chairmanship of the House Science Committee; he also served on committees on Transportation and Infrastructure. By appointment of the Speaker of the House, Congressman Boehlert served for eight years as a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence, where he was on the front line of important intelligence decisions faced by Congress. Early in 2003, the Speaker appointed Boehlert to serve on the newly created Select Committee on Homeland Security.

In addition to being a leader on science issues, Boehlert’s legislative experience and seniority made him one of the most influential Members of Congress. National Journal featured him as one of a dozen "key players" in the House. Time Magazine highlighted Congressman Boehlert as a power center on Capitol Hill. Congressional Quarterly regularly named Boehlert one of the 50 most effective lawmakers in Washington.

Continue reading "UAlbany Libraries Announce Acquisition of Congressman Sherwood Boehlert’s Papers" »

Posted by at 01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From the press release available in PDF format here.

The University at Albany's Libraries have added another, varied collection of political papers to its important archive, New York State Modern Political Archive.

The collection, received from Syracuse University Libraries, includes the papers from 22 former new York Congressional members and 41 legislators who served in the New York State Legislature. This acquisition was completed to strengthen scholarly research and to support the long-term preservation and access to New York's political history by placing the materials at the University at Albany Libraries' premier political archive, which includes more than 300 collections from advocacy groups, poliitcal activists, and legislators integral to New York State's public policy.

According to Brian Keough, head of the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, "The continued development of the New York State Modern Political Archive will better serve scholars and students of modern political history by making accessible a comprehensive archive available in one centralized location."

A celebration of the collection as well as to honor donors will be held in April 2007. Contact Brian Keough for detailed information: 518-437-3931 or bkeough@uamail.albany.edu.

Posted by at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Finding aids recently added to the Department of Special Collections and Archives' Website are briefly described below. Be sure to visit the finding aid for additional information about the collection.

Duncan Blanchard
The papers of Atmospheric Sciences Research Center scientist and professor Duncan Blanchard include manuscripts and correspondence.

William Kennedy
The inventory for the papers of William Kennedy continues to be updated with the most recent additions including the series for Kennedy's O Albany! and Charlie Malarkey books.

National Organization for Women--Albany (N.Y.) Chapter
The collection includes correspondence, minutes, by-laws, financial reports, subject files on women's issues, and printed materials pertaining to NOW with particular strength in documenting the Albany and New York State chapters. The records of this women's organization pertain to sexual discrimination in education and employment, reproductive rights, gay and lesbian rights, the Equal Rights Amendment, and other gender-related issues.

Alexander Semmler
The inventory for the papers of composer Alexander Semmler is also now available online. Semmler was active in radio and film, serving as staff conductor and pianist fo rthe CBS Orchestra and as composer and conductor for films released by RKO Pathe. Semmler's compositions include opus numbers as well as numerous songs and other short works. These include works for orchestra, string and chamber orchestra, chamber groups of all sorts, piano, organ, and voice.

Posted by at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives is pleased to announce the acquisition of the papers of Ronald B. Stafford. Stafford represented the North Country for a 37-year State Senate career which included membership on several committees. He ended his career as chairman of the powerful Finance Committee. Stafford, a Republican, was the first chairman of the Senate’s Higher Education Committee. During his Senate career, he chaired the Senate Finance Committee, Higher Education Committee, Codes Committee, and the Judiciary Committee. In 1974, as Chairman of the Senate’s Higher Education Committee he helped shape and create the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), a landmark program that opened access to college for New Yorkers who would otherwise have been unable to afford opportunities in higher education. He was a protector of the environment through his involvement in Adirondack Park affairs. Stafford was instrumental in bringing the 1980 Olympic Winter Games to Lake Placid, and in 1974 was appointed chairman of the New York State 1980 Olympic Winter Games Commission. He remained a leading figure in the Senate and in New York State politics throughout his career and until his death in 2005.

Stafford's papers are part of the Department's New York State Modern Political Archive. The complete press release is available at the University Libraries' News and Events blog.

Posted by at 09:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives is fortunate to have undergraduate and graduate students working on a variety of projects including arranging and describing collections, conducting research related to our collections, and many other initiatives. Here University at Albany graduate student Devin Lander writes about his ongoing project.

My name is Devin Lander and I am a graduate student in the Public History Program at the University at Albany, SUNY. I have been fortunate enough to have been accepted to work with the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) collection at the University at Albany's M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives. Thus far I have been working on uploading CSEA photographs to the University at Albany Libraries' Digital Collections database, assigning them numbers, and adding all of the pertinent information to allow access to the collection via the web. Some of the interesting photographs that I have worked on so far include a series taken in the wake of the past summer's floods throughout New York State. The CSEA has taken an active role in helping both its members and non-members who were directly affected by the flooding. There are many compelling images of work being done to repair the massive amount of damage that was brought about by the floods. Another interesting series of photos that I have worked on is a collection of 1950s and 60s era photographs from the New York State Office of Mental Hygiene's Annual Reports. This series has several striking images of mental health practices from a time period when the modern idea of psychiatric therapy was in its initial stages. Some of the period captions are especially interesting when compared to the modern terminology that is used to describe the mentally ill. I will also be digitizing much of the CSEA's microfilm collection as well as working with their paper collection. Although I have only just begun to scratch the surface of the work to be done with this collection, I am very excited to be a part of this project.

Posted by at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Speaking of Joseph Persico, the finding aid for the papers of Mr. Persico has recently been updated to include a chronological index of speeches, press releases, and transcripts written by Persico primarily for Governor and Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller.

Posted by at 04:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In addition to American Archives Month, October is also designated as GLBT History Month, which provides an ideal opportunity to highlight collections in the Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives.

The Department's subject guide for Human Sexuality and Gender Identity collections has expanded a great deal in recent months as new inventories and finding aids have been added for a number of collections including the Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Council, Steven F. Dansky, Campus Action, and others.

Another collection researchers should be aware of is the papers of Joseph Norton. In addition to material related to Joseph Norton's career as a professor in the School of Education at the University at Albany, the papers also include two cubic feet of correspondence, minutes of meetings, and printed materials relating to Norton's involvement in the gay liberation movement. Norton was an advisor to the Gay Liberation Front in New York State (1971–1972); a member of the Board of Directors of the National Gay Task Force (1976–1978); a founder and director of the National Caucus of Gay and Lesbian Counselors of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists; and a founder and director of the Caucus of Gay Counselors of the American Personnel and Guidance Association (1977–1978).

The Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives continues its efforts to add to the historical record of LGBT history in New York State with a particular emphasis on the Capital Region. If you or someone you know has material that should be transferred to an archival repository to ensure that the records are made available and accessible to all interested researchers and preserved for generations, contact me.

Continue reading "October is GLBT History Month" »

Posted by at 04:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In anticipation of the symposium The Next Generation of Death Penalty Research: Priorities, Strategies, and an Agenda presented by the Capital Punishment Research Initiative and the School of Criminal Justice on October 6-7, 2006, the new finding aids highlighted in this posting are from the National Death Penalty Archive.

Steven Hawkins
Steven Hawkins was the executive director of the National Coalition Against the Death Penalty (now known as the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty) based in Washington, D.C. Hawkins has worked as an advocate for civil and human rights representing persons under a death sentence. The papers contain meeting subject files that include extensive minutes of board meetings, speeches, fundraising and reception notes, and pamphlets and other papers relating to his attendance at board and committee meetings with related organizations, such as the Death Penalty Information Center and Amnesty International. The papers also contain copies of police reports, witness and investigator statements, and defendant testimony regarding the cases of certain high-profile death row inmates.

Death Penalty in New York Testimony Collection
The Death Penalty in New York Testimony Collection includes testimony given to the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Codes, Assembly Standing Committee on Judiciary, and Assembly Standing Committee on Correction in 2004-2005. The collection includes testimony from 137 witnesses, including officials from grass roots organizations, lawyers, law professors, concerned citizens, religious leaders, former inmates, and families of victims. The collection also includes a copy of the 1965 Committee for the Revision of the Penal and Criminal Legal Code Special Report on Capital Punishment and a booklet from the Capital Punishment Committee of Michigan about the New York hearings, entitled A Guide to the New York Death Penalty Hearings, 2004-2005. This booklet, which lists witness names, was written by Eugene G. Wanger, who also testified.

The National Death Penalty Archive is a partnership between the University at Albany Libraries and the Capital Punishment Research Initiative (CPRI) at the University's School of Criminal Justice. In 1999, researchers at the School of Criminal Justice formally established the CPRI. Its overarching goals were research and education -- initiate capital punishment research activities, facilitate collaboration among researchers, and make findings and information available to legal and criminal justice policymakers, practitioners, and the public. One of the original goals of the CPRI was to establish and maintain a collection of archival materials documenting the important history of capital punishment, and to provide resources for historical scholarship. This growing collection of archival materials is housed in the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives.

Posted by at 05:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The National Death Penalty Archive in the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives continues to expand. Last month, over 80 cubic feet of records from Abe Bonowitz, Bill Pelke, Bill Babbit, and Michael Mello were transferred to the Department of Special Collections and Archives. Bonowitz of Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, Pelke of Journey of Hope...From Violence to Healing, and Charlie Lanier of the Capital Punishment Research Initiative even braved one of the hottest days of the summer in August to bring more records to UAlbany! You can read Abe's account of the trip and his encouragement to others to consider transferring their records to the National Death Penalty Archive here.

Posted by at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Department is continuously arranging and describing manuscript and archival collections and adding the finding aids and inventories that are created to the Department’s Website. Some of the finding aids from the Archives of Public Affairs and Policy added in the last month include:

Continue reading "Archives of Public Affairs and Policy Finding Aids" »

Posted by at 04:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives is one of nine institutions in New York State to receive a grant from the New York State Archives' Documentary Heritage Program for 2006-2007. The award of over $12,000 will be used to arrange and describe records related to environmental affairs including the collections of New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides and Lou Ismay.

Louis Ismay was a member of the Department of Fine Arts at the State University of New York at Albany (as the University at Albany, SUNY was then known). However, this collection documents his work with the Environmental Studies Program in general and the Environmental Forum class in particular. The collection also documents organizations such as the Protect Your Environment Club. New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NYCAP) was formed as a non-profit citizens' organization committed to reducing hazardous chemical pesticide use through education and advocacy. The issues that NYCAP championed included: safe pest control for schools, hospitals, and public places; reducing work exposure to chemicals; farm worker protection; prevention of groundwater pollution; environmentally sound farming; and strict regulation of pesticides. NYCAP also sought to provide leadership on these issues to other organizations such as parent teacher associations, labor unions, and general environmental groups.

The Department of Special Collections and Archives has been building its collections in the area of conservation and environmental affairs since 2001 and now holds the records of over 50 organiations and individuals. A complete list of collections held by the Department in this subject area is available at http://library.albany.edu/speccoll/conservation.htm. The records of the New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides and Lous Ismay will be available to the public in Spring 2007.

Posted by at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Over 1,000 publications and 4,000 photographs from the records of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), United University Professions, and IUE-CWA (International Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers) Local 301 were recently made available online.

The digitization of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) newsletters was begun with the support of CSEA with issues of The Civil Service Leader from the years 1946-1947 and 1950-1953 currently available in PDF format through the finding aid for the collection, which is available at http://library.albany.edu/speccoll/findaids/apap015.htm. The digitization of the CSEA’s newsletters is an ongoing project and eventually issues from 1944-1989 of The Civil Service Leader and its successor The Public Sector will be available online. Also, over 700 images documenting labor from the early 20th century to the present from the records of CSEA are also available online. A link to the CSEA images in the University at Albany Libraries’ Digital Collections database is also available at http://library.albany.edu/speccoll/findaids/apap015.htm. The Civil Service Employees Association, Inc., or CSEA, is the largest public employees' union in New York State with over 260,000 members. CSEA began in Albany, New York, in 1910 as a collective effort by a handful of state employees to earn better wages and working conditions.

Over 4,000 images from the records of United University Professions (UUP) are also available online thanks to the support of UUP. A link to the UUP images in the University at Albany Libraries’ Digital Collections database is available at http://library.albany.edu/speccoll/findaids/apap039.htm. UUP was created in 1973 and is the union representing more than 32,000 academic and professional faculty on 29 State University of New York campuses, plus System Administration, Empire State College, and the New York State Theatre Institute. UUP’s records in the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives total over 160 cubic feet.

IUE-CWA Local 301's publications for 1939-1962 are now available in PDF format through the finding aid for the collection available at http://library.albany.edu/speccoll/findaids/apap023.htm. Local 301 has been representing workers at General Electric’s Schenectady facility since 1936. The newspaper is the only consistent source for information prior to the 1960s and provides background for any history of Local 301. Local 301’s publications from 1962-1990 as well as 7 reels of microfilm, 32 audio and video recordings, and over 10 cubic feet of records are available in the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives

A complete list of collections related to Labor is available at http://library.albany.edu/speccoll/labor.htm while the subject guide for Business and Industry is available at http://library.albany.edu/speccoll/business.htm.

Posted by at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

The Capital Punishment Clemency Petitions Collection has been digitized and links to PDF files of the petitions are available from the finding aid for the collection at http://library.albany.edu/speccoll/findaids/apap214.htm.

Unlike judicial proceedings, claims raised in clemency petitions are free of procedural defaults that can mask error, unfairness, or irrationality in a given death sentence. Petitions thus can reveal what the sentencing authority may not have known because of attorney error, prosecutorial misconduct, newly discovered evidence, or other reasons. As part of his work with The Constitution Project, William J. Bowers established the Capital Punishment Clemency Petitions Collection Collection at the National Death Penalty Archive in the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives. This collection comprises approximately 150 clemency petitions in death penalty cases, from almost two dozens jurisdictions. It is the initial installment in a collection that attempts to gather all death penalty clemency petitions filed in the United States during the modern era of capital punishment.

The University Libraries’ M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives is collaborating with the Capital Punishment Research Initiative of the School of Criminal Justice to maintain and grow the National Death Penalty Archive (NDPA). Additional information about the NDPA and a complete list of collections is available at http://library.albany.edu/speccoll/ndpa.htm.

Posted by at 04:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)