Archives & Special Collections
The Archives & Special Collections document the history and culture of the upper Hudson valley and southern Adirondacks of upstate New York. They are available to everyone in our Reading Room, open when reference staff can be of assistance.
Materials include books, pamphlets, serials, yearbooks, city directories, census records, government reports, records of area businesses and organizations, personal papers, scrapbooks, family histories, photographs, broadsides and posters, maps & atlases, folklife collections, vertical files, and some artifacts.
The Reading Room for the Archives and Special Collections is located downstairs on Level B of the Library in the Center for Folklife, History & Cultural Programs. Everyone is welcome. Materials are non-circulating, do not interlibrary loan, and must be used in the Reading Room during regular Reading Room hours (1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday except Wednesday, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.).s
Photocopies: Limited photocopying is available in the Reading Room under staff supervision at the cost of 10 cents per page. Some materials may be too fragile for photocopying. All photocopying must be done in accordance with current copyright law. For requests received through the mail, by fax, or telephone, charges are added to cover postage and handling. Requests for large orders cannot be filled due to limited staff time.
Requests by mail, e-mail, fax or telephone: Normally staff can provide an indication as to whether the question can be answered with the resources available at the Library. We will also indicate other libraries or historical records repositories that might have pertinent resources. We can also supply a list of qualified research consultants who do genealogical research for hire. The Library does not specifically recommend any of these researchers, nor does it attempt to evaluate their work. Patrons need to make their own arrangements with these consultants.
Special equipment is available for consulting special collections, including an audio system for listening to audio cassettes and compact discs, a VCR monitor for viewing video cassettes, and a slide viewer for viewing 35 mm slides.
Books and published materials: these special, non-circulating reference materials are marked in the Library Catalog with HOLDEN in front of the call number. The Center staff adds new and old materials through its budget and patron donations.
The Center's vertical files are stored in filing cabinets in the Folklife Center, and are organized into the following groups:
Biographical
Glens Falls
Queensbury
Regional
Our collection of Folk Art is available in text form online.
