The 30th Annual Long Island Archives Conference Monday, March 16, 2026 at Farmingdale State College, SUNY EMBRACING CHANGE What does it mean to embrace change? Do we actively embrace it? Is it scary, met with resistance, or flat-out rejected by ourselves, our colleagues or the organizations we work for? Perhaps it is an overload of change; too much too fast, that has us concerned. Perhaps you are ready for change and eager to see what’s ahead. Come and join us at the 30th Annual Long Island Archives Conference. Registration ends March 9th! Marie Penny, Archivist, Planting Fields Foundation Title: Spaces for Learning—the SUNY Years at Planting Fields Description: During the mid-twentieth century, many Gold Coast estates were required to adapt to a changing world. Planting Fields forged a new identity when it was deeded to the state of New York in 1949. From 1956-1971, it was home to several fledgling State University of New York (SUNY) colleges. The story of Planting Fields often focuses on the Coe family, however, these intermediary years tell us about a pivotal moment on Long Island, where the development of college campuses and the formation of educational programs converge. Planting Fields Foundation Archives offers a window into this time, and the complexity of changes that shaped Planting Fields’ future as a historic site and house museum. Bio: Marie Penny is the Michael D. Coe Archivist for Planting Fields Foundation, a historic Gold Coast estate in Oyster Bay, New York. After graduating from Queens College at the City University of New York with a Masters in Library Science, she began her career as an archivist with roles at Meier Partners, the Norton Museum of Art, and the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. She has been published in The Magazine Antiques and has presented at symposia at Docomomo, Yale University, and New York Archives Week. Robert Anen, Project Archivist, Long Island Library Resources Council Title: Accessing Archives Program - Highlights From the Field Description: Robert Anen will discuss the projects he fulfilled since our last conference. If you have been reading the Long Island Archives Newsletter, you have read his column describing his work for each organization. His presentation will include the projects he has completed for Farmingdale Public Library, Sayville Library, Three Village Continued on next page Historical Society, Long Beach Public Library, Sea Cliff Village Museum, Peninsula Public Library, Planting Fields Foundation, Merrick Library, Jericho Public Library, Seaford Public Library, and the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum. Bio: Robert has been the Project Archivist at LILRC since 2022 and will soon be entering his third year in that role. He was raised on Long Island, earned his MA at NYU’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation (MIAP) Program and his BA in Film Studies and Production at Hofstra University. Amy Folk, Manager of Collections, Oysterponds Historical Society & Southold Historical Museum, Town of Southold Historian Title: Adventures in Augmented Reality Description: In 2023, Oysterponds Historical Society, thanks to a grant provided by the Gardiner Foundation, was given the opportunity to set up an Augmented Reality program. Learn about the choices the staff had to make and their experience in the creation of the program… and was it worth it? Bio: Amy Folk is a 40+ year veteran of the history world. She is the Town of Southold Historian, manager of collections for the Oysterponds Historical Society and the Southold Historical Museum. Ms Folk has co-authored 5 books on local history and has written two more. A past president of the Long Island Museum Association. Region 2 co-chair and has just stepped up to be the 1st Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Association of Public Historians of New York State. Dee Bowers, Archives Manager, Center for Brooklyn History Natiba Guy-Clement, Director of Special Collections, Center for Brooklyn History Title: Making the Center for Brooklyn History: Reflections on combining two major institutions Description: In February 2020, Brooklyn Public Library and Brooklyn Historical Society announced that they would merge to create the Center for Brooklyn History (CBH). The very next month, New York City went into COVID lockdown. It was only the first, albeit perhaps the most arduous, hurdle to the historic merger of these two major cultural heritage institutions. Two members of the CBH collections team will share insights and reflections about the work accomplished so far and the path ahead. Bios: Natiba Guy-Clement (she/her) is a 25 plus year research and special collection library professional, and Director of Special Collections at Center for Brooklyn History. She has been a part of the Brooklyn Library team for the past 9 years, first as the Manager of Special Collections at the former Brooklyn Collection at the Central library. She currently stewards the Center for Brooklyn History’s collections which include archival collection, rare books, digital assets and art and artifacts. As a Brooklynite, Natiba enjoys using her special collections experience in service of the borough. Dee Bowers (They/Them) has worked as an archivist at Brooklyn Public Library for over a decade and is currently the Archives Manager at BPL's Center for Brooklyn History. A fourth generation Brooklynite, they are devoted to making the borough’s history accessible for all. We hope to see you there. One ticket price for all - open to non-members! Students receive special pricing with proof of current enrollment. 3.5 CEUs will be offered. Register at LILRC.org/events or go directly to: https://lilrc.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=2009677&group=
Featured image: "Lyndon Wright on a snow pile", courtesy of the Freeport Historical Society and Museum. This image can be found in the Freeport Historic Photographs Collection on the New York Heritage Digital Collections website. Accessed 2-12-26: https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15281coll12/id/7208/rec/20
Long island Archives
Transcending Barriers: Opening Archives, Opening Minds
March/April 2026 Volume 33 Issue 2
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Upcoming Programs of Special Interest
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ESLN ADA Title II Compliance for Libraries Series Join ESLN for the next two webinars in our ADA Title II Compliance for Libraries series! Attendees may pick and choose which webinars to attend based on their areas of interest or choose to complete the entire ESLN ADA Title II Compliance for Libraries training series. These webinars will be recorded, but you must register in order to receive the recording.
Digital Accessibility & Your Library: Practical First Steps March 25, 2:00 - 3:30 P.M. (Zoom) - REGISTER: https://rrlc.org/event/digital-accessibility-your-library-practical-first-steps/ As the Title II deadline looms, many librarians are left asking: Where do I begin? How accessible is my library? Where are the barriers, gaps, and challenges? This structured “First Step” workshop helps you determine what your library is already doing and already has to support patrons with disabilities. In this webinar, attendees will: Learn digital accessibility basic principles Discover and summarize accessibility strides and accomplishments Determine a library workflow for addressing accessibility barriers Create a list of gaps and challenges Outline a preliminary action plan for your library Presenter: Rebecca Albrecht Oling, Director of Digital Accessibility Purchase College (SUNY) Digital Accessibility for Everyone: An Overview of Accessibility Tools April 16, 2:00 - 3:00 P.M. (Zoom) - REGISTER: https://rrlc.org/event/digital-accessibility-for-everyone-an-overview-of-accessibility-tools/ Learn how to make your library’s digital resources accessible and user-friendly for all audiences! Join Shawn Lemieux, Associate Librarian/Director of the Talking Book and Braille Library, in this third webinar of ESLN’s ADA Title II Compliance for Libraries series and learn about commonly utilized accessibility tools. This webinar will include an overview on both digital tools and handheld tools, from low cost options to high end devices. For the majority of the session, we’ll explore digital tools that are accessible for a broad range of library types, including: Native accessibility features in Microsoft NVDA Fusion Smartphone accessibility features, such as iPhone and Android Screen readers and screen enlargers Presenter: Shawn Lemieux, Director of the New York State Library’s Talking Book and Braille Library Can't make these dates? Register to receive the webinar recording and class materials and complete the training at your convenience! This series is made possible by the Empire State Library Network (ESLN) and is free for all ESLN/NY Council members. RESCHEDULED - A Review of CONTENTdm Fundamentals for NYHDC Contributors March 31, 1:00 - 2:15 P.M. (Zoom) REGISTER: https://lilrc.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=2025679&group= A demonstration of how to create a new collection, add items and make updates or corrections to metadata using CONTENTdm Project Client and CONTENTdm Administration. If you haven't worked in the Project Client in a while, need to make changes to existing metadata, or are curious about how LILRC uses CONTENTdm to upload images to the New York Heritage Digital Collections website, this program will provide guidance for these fundamental tasks.
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Hello again everyone, I hope everyone has finished shoveling themselves out of the snow. I spent the first blizzard of the new year at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum working on a film collection that contains 142 black-and-white and color films shot by William Kissam Vanderbilt II and his step-son, Barclay Harding Warburton III along with production elements from an amateur film, Organic Farming at Work, produced by Barclay Harding Warburton III and commercial films purchased by the Vanderbilt family for home viewing. The films date from 1925 to 1962. The home movies of William Kissam Vanderbilt II (1878 - 1944) capture his life and experiences from 1925 to 1937. These films capture his time living in Northport, New York with his family and his global travels on his yachts (the Ara and the Alva) to the Galapagos Islands and so much more. The collection was a recent acquisition for the museum and came from the estate of Barclay H. Warburton IV (1948 - 2022) in 2024. The home movies of William Kissam Vanderbilt II’s step-son, Barclay Harding Warburton III (1922 - 1983) and capture his life and experiences from 1941 to 1959. These films capture his time living in Ipswich, Massachusetts with his family and his travels to New Hampshire and Africa. Working at the museum was a total pleasure and over the course of the project, I inspected and inventoried over 150 films for the museum. Sadly, none of the films have been digitized yet but I worked with Alyson Katz and Empire ADC to create a finding aid for the collection that can be found here: (https://empireadc.org/search/catalog/nycenvm_5909). I am currently working at the Locust Valley Library on a film and video collection from the Locust Valley High School Athletics Department that feature football and lacrosse games that date from the 1960s to the 2000s. Stay tuned for more information on this collection in the next newsletter.
LATEST FROM THE ACCESSING ARCHIVES PROGRAM By Robert Anen
Beyond the Headlines: Advanced Features of NYS Historic Newspapers Tuesday, April 28, from 2:00 - 3:15pm REGISTER: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/AzlGcq7zQhmYv1Ms5Vd0_g#/registration Level up your search and use of the NYS Historic Newspapers! Join Chuck Henry, project manager of the NYS Historic Newspapers, for an hour-long session dedicated to more advanced functions, tips, and tricks of the resource, followed by Q&A. This session is intended for users with basic working knowledge of the site. All are welcome. The session will be recorded. Please register to receive the recording, and email amy@nnyln.org with any questions.
The Conservation Preservation Discretionary Grant Program guidelines and online grant application for 2026-2027 are now available. See https://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/cp/grantprogram The New York State Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials provides $500,000 each year for preserving materials in the collections of libraries, archives, historical societies, and similar agencies. The grant awards for 2026-2027 will be limited to a minimum of $2,500 and a maximum of $45,000. The due date for applications is 5 pm Wednesday, April 1st, 2026. Please read the grant guidelines carefully before applying. Guidelines & Grant Information Online Grant Application If you do not currently have a username and password to access the online application, please submit an Account Registration Form For additional information go to: Conservation/Preservation Discretionary Grant Program Please Note: New York State has implemented a prequalification requirement for not-for-profit entities applying for grants. Proposals received from not-for-profit applicants that have not Registered and are not Prequalified in the Statewide Financial System (SFS) on the proposal due date of 5:00 p.m. on 04/01/2026 cannot be evaluated. Such proposals will be disqualified from further consideration. As this process may take up to a few weeks, it is advised that interested agencies begin this process immediately upon RFP announcement. Even if you have prequalified in the past, please be sure you have completed the necessary steps to maintain a Prequalified Status. Additional information found here: https://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/cp/prequal Questions about the program should be addressed to: Lauren Cardinal, Conservation/Preservation Program Officer, New York State Library, Room 10B41, Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY 12230 or (518) 486-4864. Email: Preservation@nysed.gov
New York State Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials Grant Opportunity Announcement
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Welcome to the LILRC's GOVERNMENT RESOURCES AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE page. Sharing online portals and forums for government agency and publication information; whether the resource is local, state-wide or national. These government resources are worth checking out!
Want to join? Go to LILRC.org/government-information-committee
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Newly Published Final Report from the Cultural Stewardship Succession Planning Initiative The Cultural Stewardship Succession Planning Initiative (CSSPI) is a two-year project of CCAHA, in partnership with Lyrasis, created to actively address the need for leadership development and knowledge transfer in the cultural heritage workforce. Funded by a National Leadership Grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the initiative has built professional development resources to support succession planning for collections stewardship staff and volunteers. The CSSPI published our final report, and you can link to it here: Succession Planning in Tumultuous Times: Research, Resources, and Realities in the Arts and Cultural Communities This white paper synthesizes findings from surveys, listening sessions, and interviews with staff and volunteers across the field.
The U.S. Census Bureau website has a range of statistics and facts, but this page and the brief articles, really put the U.S. Census data into perspective. America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers This page listed under the RESOURCE LIBRARY tab features, "stories on various topics such as families, housing, employment, business, education, the economy, emergency management, and population." Some articles titles since the beginning of 2026 include: Rental Costs Up, Mortgages Stayed Flat Share of Owner-Occupied, Mortgage-Free Homes Up in 2024 U.S. Population Growth Slowest Since COVID-19 Pandemic Revenue and Employment Trends Reveal Shifts in U.S. Economy The Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Children
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The Long Island Library Resources Council Turns 60! Celebrates with "60 Acts of Service” Campaign From February through October 2026, LILRC will be honoring its sixty years of service by highlighting sixty acts of community service and engagement by the council and its members. We invite you to submit your own institution's act of service or engagement to be included in this social media campaign. Kindly complete this form to submit your institution's contribution to our celebration! For questions, please email Sally Stieglitz, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, at sstieglitz@lilrc.org
Ask An Archivist.... When I transcribe text from a journal, should I preserve the line breaks that are used, or should I ignore them entirely and just concern myself with page breaks? This is mainly an issue for anyone using a search function within the transcription document. For example, on the first page are the lines: sent out by the American Colonization Society, we had also on board a number If I were to search within the transcript for the phrase "American Colonization Society" this instance wouldn't appear among the results because it's split by a line break. In theory, the same thing would occur with page breaks that split searchable phrases in two. I understand the desire to preserve the transcript as the lines were written out. However, I don't think you need to transcribe the journal with line breaks. I would just write it out completely: "sent out by the American Colonization Society, we had also on board a number." This, of course, would not be the case where line breaks contribute to the integrity of the piece like in the case of poetry. Since the written lines in the journal are limited to this size of the page, it was not created intentionally. I recently found these resources from the Library of Congress, American Association for State and Local History and the National Archives that could help you or any other reader with transcription questions: Transcribing the American Revolution-Programming Volunteer Service for the Library of Congress 2025-12-09 https://vimeo.com/1144999826?from=outro-local From the American Association for State and Local History https://aaslh.org/crowdsourcing-transcription-creating-community/ The National Archives describes “Best Practices for Transcription,” http://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist/transcribe/tips If you have questions, feel free to contact Nicole Menchise, Digitization and Archives Coordinator at nmenchise@lilrc.org or call 631-675-1570 x2004. You can also use the ESLN Ask The Archivist service. Go to www.esln.org/ask-the-archivist.
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Long Island Archives - March/April 2026 Editor: Nicole Menchise, Digitization and Archives Coordinator LILRC - 627 N. Sunrise Service Rd., Bellport, NY 11713, www.lilrc.org.