New York State Archives

Full operations began in 1978 when the organization's storage and research facility opened in the Cultural Education Center.

The Archives preserves and provides access to over 270 million documents dating from the period of Dutch and British colonial rule during the 17th and 18th centuries through the modern day.

Topics covered in those records include relations with Native Americans, the Erie Canal and westward expansion, industrial development, labor, the rise of the modern social welfare system, public education, public health, the environmental movement, and New York State citizens' participation in numerous military conflicts.

A Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund was established in 1989 to support technical advisory services and competitive grants to local governments to help them develop and maintain records management programs.

It encourages students through awards, grants, and internships; helps teachers use historical documents as primary source material in the classroom; and offers stipends for research using State Archives’ records.

The Archives maintains an online resource for teachers to support use of primary sources in the classroom.