New Site Newyorkheritage.Org Find State’s People, Places, History Heritage

2010-02-02 16:43:45 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Press Releases, Web Technology)

Pottsdam, NY (WiredPRNews.com)–Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural legacy in Western New York . . . how NewYork City neighborhoods like Murray Hill have changed over time . . .pictures of old Army barracks in Plattsburgh . . . Anyone interested inNew York State’s history and heritage can now easily and for free search on topics like this by visiting a new website, NewYorkHeritage.org.

Students,researchers, history buffs and others interested in the stories of New York people, places and events will find thousands of documents and other itemsfrom more than 160 collections from libraries, historical societies,museums and archives across the state.

–Using NewYorkHeritage.org is easy. Students looking for information for term papers or special projects can simply visit the site and use the search function to locate information on his or her topic from all the collections.
–In addition to photos, diaries, newspapers and maps, visitors to NewYorkHeritage.org can find letters, government files, drawings, speeches and much more.
–A librarian, archivist or subject expert selected the items to include in the collections, guaranteeing authenticity and relevance to state and loca linterests.

“NewYorkHeritage.org offers an easy way to find the words, documents and pictures from people who lived through a time period and might have actually witnessed historic events,” said Sheryl Knab, executive director of the Western New York Library Resources Council, one of the site’s contributors. “It’s a great site for anyone who wants a glimpse into our state’s history and heritage that goes beyond textbooks.”

Besides students, NewYorkHeritage.org will also be a useful research tool for amateur genealogists who want to find out more about their family’s background; scholarly or investigative researchers looking for evidence for their work; and history buffs who want to add to their knowledge.

New York Heritage is a collaborative project among New York State’s nine Reference and Research Library Resources Councils (NY3Rs): Capital District Library Council; Central New York Library Resources Council; Long Island Library Resources Council; METRO-Metropolitan New York Library Council; Northern New York Library Network; Rochester Regional Library Council;South Central Regional Library Council; Southeastern New York Library Resources Council; and Western New York Library Resources Council.

The NY3Rs, funded by New York State, works with their member institutions (libraries, archives, museums and historical societies) to digitize original research materials and make those materials available for free on the Internet. The Councils are continually adding new collections to NewYorkHeritage.org and actively seek collections to expand the site.
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