New York City History Day: Finding the Past: Researching NYC history in Libraries and Archives

New York City is home to many wonderful museums, libraries, archives, and historical societies whose collections record the history of the five boroughs.

Part of New York Public Library's first New York City History Day, this morning session offers a unique opportunity to learn about collections held at some of those institutions, with presentations from librarians and archivists from New York Public Library’s Milstein Division, and Manuscripts and Archives Division; the Brooklyn Collection at Brooklyn Public Library; Queens Public Library Archives, and the Othmer Library at the Brooklyn Historical Society.

Come and listen to presentations and ask questions of:

Erik Huber

Photo Archivist at Queens Library Archives

"Since 1912, the Archives at Queens Library has collected, preserved, and made available a myriad of resources that document the social, economic, and political history of the four counties on Long Island - Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk. The Archives also serves as the repository of Queens Library records."

Ivy Marvel

Manager of Special Collections at Brooklyn Public Library

"The Brooklyn Collection is Brooklyn Public Library's local history division, providing a range of information and services about anything and everything Brooklyn. Our rich assortment of research materials and archival documents includes maps, historic Brooklyn photographs, ephemera, prints and the full run of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle."

Elizabeth Call

Librarian at the Othmer Library, Brooklyn Historical Society

"Founded in 1863 as the Long Island Historical Society, the Brooklyn Historical Society's (BHS) mission was to discover, procure, and preserve whatever may relate to general history, especially the natural, civil, literary, and ecclesiastical history of the United States, the State of New York, and more particularly of the counties, towns, and villages of Long Island."

Carmen Nigro

Librarian at the Paul and Irma Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, at New York Public Library

"As one of the nation's largest publicly accessible and non-membership genealogical collections, the Milstein Division is a national resource. Cited in most family history handbooks, the Milstein Division is a mecca to researchers from throughout the United States. Unlike many other genealogical and local history collections, the Milstein Division acquires materials beyond the local region. Holdings in United States town, city, county and state histories are national in scope. Genealogical materials are international in scope, including foreign language materials in Roman alphabets."

Thomas Lannon

Assistant Curator of the Manuscripts and Archives Division at New York Public Library

"The Division holds over 29,000 linear feet of archival material in over 3,000 collections. The strengths of the Division are the papers and records of individuals, families, and organizations, primarily from the New York region. These collections support research in the political, economic, social, and cultural history of New York and the United States."