League of Women Voters of Albany County (Albany County, N.Y.) records,

Author:

League of Women Voters of Albany County (Albany County, N.Y.)

Call Number:

MSS APAP-128 local

Abstract:

The records of the League of Women Voters of Albany County (LWVAC), include material produced by the LWVAC as well as material that was produced by the League of Women Voters of New York State and the League of Women Voters of the United States. The most comprehensive series in the collection is the Administrative Files. There are meeting minutes, annual reports, and Board of Directors lists from 1940-2001. A large portion of the LWVAC collection relates to the two main purposes of the organization: voter service and "study and action." Records relating to voter service include pamphlets with information about candidates and citizen voting rights published by the LWVAC and material used to increase voter participation. Records related to "study and action" include material used by the LWVAC to inform citizens about public policy issues locally, statewide, and nationally. A strength of the LWVAC collection is the amount of material related to various public policy issues and how they affected the local community. There is a relatively comprehensive collection of newsletters published by the LWVAC, a large number of pamphlets published by the national and state organizations, and some audio-visual material included in the LWVAC records as well.

Historical Note:

The League of Women Voters of Albany County is a local non-partisan political organization concerned with increasing voter participation and educating citizens on issues of public policy on the local, state, and national level. In line with the New York State and national League of Women Voters LWVAC members, since 1922, have encouraged the informed and active participation of citizens in government, helped to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influenced public policy through education and advocacy. The LWVAC records, however, only begin in 1940; the records generated during the first eighteen years of the organization have been lost. However, recollections from early members found in the organization's history files maintain that in order to take part in the League's stated purpose, members of the LWVAC participated in such things as voter registration drives, monthly meetings, study groups, and a number of committees. The topics of study were either state or national in scope. After 1940, the records of the LWVAC indicate the organization was encouraged to adopt local program items that concerned Albany County. In addition to national topics like foreign policy and environmental quality and state study topics like Universal Health Care and the New York State Constitutional Convention, items the LWVAC studied include the Albany County government, the status of mental health facilities throughout the county, and equity in education in the local schools. The LWVAC continues today to provide voter service to increase citizen participation in government and educate and advocate on local, state, and national public policy issues.

Physical Description:

31.47 cu. ft

Access Terms:

Access to the collection is unrestricted.

Notes:

Part of the Archives of Public Affairs and Policy. local

Subjects:

Election law New York (State), Elections New York (State) Albany, Environmental protection New York (State), International relations, Local government New York (State), Political planning New York (State), Voter registration New York (State), Voting New York (State), Women political activists New York (State), Election law, Elections, Environmental protection, International relations, Local government, Political planning, Voter registration, Voting, and Women political activists

Genres/Forms:

Minutes. aat, correspondence. aat, Newletters. aat, Studies. aat, and reports. aat

Names:

Corning, Erastus, 1909-1983, Ryan, James, and Corning, Erastus, 1909-1983

Corporate Names:

League of Women Voters of Albany County (Albany County, N.Y.), League of Women Voters of New York State, League of Women Voters (U.S.), League of Women Voters of Albany County (Albany County, N.Y.), League of Women Voters of New York State, and League of Women Voters (U.S.)

Geographic Terms:

New York (State) and New York (State) Albany