Senate Resolution No. 1356

BY: Senator STEC

COMMEMORATING the 30th Anniversary of the creation
of the Folklife Center at the Crandall Public
Library on July 25, 2023

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that the quality
of life of the citizens of the State of New York is greatly enriched by
its exceptional cultural, educational and recreational institutions; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the creation of Folklife Center at
the Crandall Public Library to be celebrated at its Festival on Tuesday,
July 25, 2023, in Glens Falls City Park; and

WHEREAS, On July 28, 1993, the Board of Trustees of Crandall Public
Library approved the creation of a new department, the Center for
Folklife, History, and Cultural Programs, later known as the Folklife
Center, adopting its mission statement, activities, and appointing
folklorist Todd DeGarmo, its founding director; and

WHEREAS, The region served by the Folklife Center encompasses the
library's four-county service area as Central Reference Library,
including Saratoga, Warren, Washington and Hamilton counties in upstate
New York; and

WHEREAS, The establishment of the Folklife Center effectively
transformed the 10-year-old Folklife Program and the library's
hundred-year-old history room and its collections, into a Center for
original research and documentation, special collections and archives,
cultural programming for the public, and scholarly discussion on the
living and historical cultural heritage of the region; and

WHEREAS, On May 24, 1995, the library officially opened a physical
space for the Folklife Center, raising over $125,000 in state, federal,
and private foundation funds, to create a staffed research room, online
catalog, centralized archival storage, gallery, and staff workspaces;
and

WHEREAS, On December 12, 2008, with the opening of the newly
renovated library, the Folklife Center moved into newly expanded
quarters, with enlarged gallery, research room, archival storage, and
staff workspaces, thanks to a half million-dollar anonymous donation;
and

WHEREAS, Throughout its 30 year existence, the Folklife Center has
continuously raised funds for its activities, totaling over three
million dollars, including grants from the New York State Council on the
Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Archives and
Records Administration, Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership,
New York Humanities Council, New York State Music Fund, Alfred Z.
Solomon Charitable Trust, Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Touba
Family Foundation, Capital District Library Council, William G. Pomeroy

Foundation, Parent Child Library Services, Youth Bureau of Washington
County, among others; and

WHEREAS, The Folklife Center's ever-growing archives and special
collections, including published local and regional histories, family
histories, the papers of community organizations, photographs and
prints, maps, art and artifacts, are conserved and preserved in a
secure, climate-controlled environment, and are made available to the
public aided by knowledgeable staff; and

WHEREAS, Its curated exhibitions in the Folklife Gallery featuring
local, regional and international folk arts; the stories of creative
people and local institutions; the photographs of farmsteads, industry,
county fairs and hometown life, of people and places near and far in
place and time; and

WHEREAS, The Folklife Center has continuously hosted lecture series,
workshops, films, discussions, and other events for adults, children,
and families; and has partnered on such activities with local schools,
libraries, and other organizations; and

WHEREAS, The Folklife Center has continuously produced its live
music, storytelling, and dance performances, of hundreds of local,
regional, and international performers, presented free at Library, at
the bandstand in City Park and other guest sites, engaging thousands of
patrons from throughout the region, and reaching even more by recording
these events for its YouTube channel; and

WHEREAS, The Folklife Center is producing visual stories of our
region, with a series of video documentaries, including Battenkill
Inspired, Lake George On the Water, Champlain Canal Stories; and

WHEREAS, The Folklife Center has embraced the digital age with its
own blog, YouTube channel, participant in NYHeritage.org, Facebook and
Instagram presence; and

WHEREAS, The Folklife Center has mentored scores of volunteers and
student interns from such colleges as Colgate, Hamilton, Ithaca, Bard,
St Lawrence, Skidmore, Albany State, Geneseo, Empire State, and others,
in archival management, curating of exhibitions, field research and
documentation, video production, among other skills; and

WHEREAS, Over the years, founding director Todd DeGarmo has been
aided by a number of staff joining (and retiring) from the Folklife
Center, including Bruce Cole, Katherine Chansky, Albert Fowler, Erica
Wolfe Burke, Kevin Rogan, Patricia Dolton, and Amanda Franzoni; and

WHEREAS, The staff of the Folklife Center maintain ties with
regional historical and cultural professional organizations, attending
conferences, serving on boards and advisory committees, editing
publications, including though not limited to New York Folklore,
Documentary Heritage Program and Services for New York State, the Museum
Association of New York, Warren County Historical Society; and

WHEREAS, Steeped in a proud and distinguished history, the Folklife
Center may take just pride in its purposeful growth, as it looks forward
to continuing to serve the educational, cultural and intellectual needs
of the community; now, therefore, be it


RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the creation of Folklife Center at
the Crandall Public Library on July 25, 2023; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Todd DeGarmo, Founding Director, the Folklife Center at
the Crandall Public Library.