Collections

The Committee for Progressive Legislation records document the efforts of the group in bringing attention to issues important to many New Yorkers, especially abortion, family planning, welfare rights, and the attack on separation of church and state.

The collection consists of 157 volumes of business books and three boxes of financial materials, correspondence, books, scrapbooks and diaries relating to the Bell Family and the Abraham Bell and Son Company.

The School of Nursing Records document the history and day-to-day operations of the School at the University at Albany since its first full year of operation in 1967 through its closing in 1979.

The majority of the Menands Book Club Records consists of meeting and treasurer notes and program schedules. There also is correspondence, club histories and an information packet of the village of Menands, NY Anniversary.

The collection documents the history of the YWCA of Albany, which was founded in 1888 by a group of women led by Mrs. Acors Rathbun in order to provide housing and recreational activities for young women searching for work. Through the years, the organization expanded to include classes, childcare, athletics, essay contests, teen issue programs, and an annual awards dinner honoring women. Strengths include the extensive photographic material and meeting minutes from the board of trustees and directors. The collection is weakest at the beginning and end of the YWCA of Albany's existence.

This collection documents Siena College professor Dr. Patricia Stocking Brown's (1942-2004) research and scholarship in biology as well as her breast cancer advocacy, research, and education work.

These records document the history of the Albany Branch of the American Association of University Women from 1913 - 1992. The records relate chiefly to women's issues; particularly higher education, general education, membership, international relations, legislation, World War II, employment, teaching, community projects and Albany, NY.

The M.C. Lawton Civic and Cultural Club Records showcase the operations of the first black organization in Albany that was actively involved in community service and educational advancement, which was founded in 1919.

The Libby Post Papers contain political campaign documents, professional correspondences, news clippings, meeting minutes, agendas, document drafts, press releases, news letters, civil activism notes, and other materials that document her involvement securing various LGBT rights and with political organizations, as well as the general LGBT community in Albany, NY.

The collection pertains to the Women's movement during the 1960s-1980s, with an emphasis on LGBTQ+ women. Other subjects of interest include the experiences of working and professional women, and women who either worked in, or attended institutions of higher education. Many items in the collection are focused on women in the Capital Region of New York State.

This collection documents the operations of the Bethlehem Business Women's Club from its inception in 1951.

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.

The Michelle Crone Papers document her experience as a feminist and lesbian activist from the early 1980s until the mid-1990s. The collection includes material from here position as National Civil Disobedience Coordinator for the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, and as a member of the Executive Committee for the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. Also present are records from Michelle Crone's management of a number of women's festivals from 1982 to 1996—most notably Rhythm Fest and the Cultural Festival at Gay Games IV—and records from her Capital District production company, Elword Productions. The collection also includes the records from her experience with the Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the National Lesbian Conference. Also included are her personal correspondence, records of her undergraduate studies with the theater and women's studies programs at the University at Albany, SUNY, and political literature from a number of progressive causes at the national and local levels.

This collection documents the day-to-day activities of former advocacy organization, New York Friends of Midwives. New York Friends of Midwives advocated for the birthing rights of mothers and practicing midwives.

Founded in 1920, the League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that informs citizens about government, encourages their participation, and seeks to influence public policy through education and advocacy. One of nearly 60 local leagues in New York State, the League of Women Voters of Saratoga County (formerly the League of Women Voters, Saratoga Springs Area) formed in early 1965. This collection documents the operation and activities of this local league from its founding through 2010.

These records document the activities and membership of the Empire State Federation of Women's Clubs (ESFWC) - the umbrella organization of New York State African-American women's groups - from 1938-1991. The collection also includes records from affiliated organizations: the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs (NACWC) and the Northeast Federation of Women's Clubs (NFWC).

This collection contains records of the activities of Dr. Alice P. Green from her days as a student of criminal justice at the University at Albany, SUNY, through her career as founder and executive director of the Center for Law and Justice in Albany.

The National Organization for Women--Albany, N.Y. Chapter Records document the daily activities and special events involving the chapter as well as the chapter's interactions with the state and federal organizations.

The Tanya M. Melich Papers contain materials relating to the political landscape of the United states throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, as well as various social movements with a particular emphasis on Women's rights.

This collection documents the founding and day-to-day activities of BirthNet, a birth justice organization located in the Capital District of New York.

The Women's Building collection records the formation and day-to-day administrative and programming activities of the Women's Building and its predecessor, the Tri-City Women's Center. The organization provided a safe space for community groups to meet and organize, and informational and educational programming to support the women of the Capital District. Inspired by a feminist perspective and driven by a commitment to social justice, the Women's Building provided physical meeting and office space to local organizations and programming and informational services on financial planning, legal issues, parenthood, childbirth, and women's health. The collection includes administrative records and programming material from the organization's inception in the early 1970s until 2000.