Adirondack Research Library gains new professionals
Niskayuna, NY -- The Adirondack Research Library (ARL) of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks announces continued growth in its library personnel. Keith Swaney has joined the existing library personnel as a volunteer archivist. Swaney has dual graduate degrees in History and Library Science from the University of Maryland and brings experience in archives and records management. Swaney joins two staff professionals, Librarian Dorothy Barnes and Archivist Gretchen Koerpel, as well as retired librarians Marcia Hanson, JoAnne York, Naomi Bristol and other volunteers led by library committee chair Betty Dietz.
ARL is the research and collections arm of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks. Founded in 1979, ARL focuses on the conservation and cultural history of the Adirondack Park region and maintains collections of books, papers, journals, maps, audio-visual materials, and periodicals. ARL is open to the public, but advance arrangements are important so that the library will be open and staffed when visitors arrive. For more information, contact the ARL at 518-377-1452, Ext. 307, or at
The Association and its ARL are based at the former home of Adirondack wilderness conservationist Paul Schaefer in Niskayuna. Schaefer (1908-1996) was a driving force behind the creation of the ARL and donated many items to the library. For his conservation efforts, Schaefer was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Union College in 1980 and received numerous awards and citations from New York governors, legislators and organizations. After his death in 1996, Schaefer was named one of the Nation’s top 100 Conservationists of the Century by Audubon Magazine. When the Association acquired and in 2005 opened its center at Schaefer’s former home, additional boxes of Schaefer’s papers awaited the library’s attention. It is this collection that has captured ARL’s and Swaney’s interest this summer.
“Archives,” explains Swaney, “are records created for a purpose but used by researchers for other purposes. They have enduring value. People around the country can be interested in a single collection for different reasons. With the scholarly emphasis on environmental history remaining strong, the Adirondack Research Library has much to offer both students and scholars in the archival collections it maintains.” At the University of Maryland, Swaney served as a graduate student assistant in the University Archives as the institution celebrated its 150th anniversary.
Dorothy Barnes, ARL’s part-time librarian, instituted new library visiting hours in 2006. Barnes brings years of experience as a professional library cataloguer at Union College, Siena College, RPI, Troy Public Library and other institutions. Her wide knowledge of professionals in her field is a great advantage as ARL seeks to become better known. Recently, she was joined by Gretchen Koerpel, a part-time archivist. Koerpel brings background talent in arranging and describing archival collections. In addition to the Schaefer collection, Koerpel, Barnes, Swaney and the ARL committee are also working on donated archival collections, including those of other great 20th century Adirondack conservationists such as Louis Marshall, John Apperson, Bill Verner, Norm Van Valkenburgh and, most recently, from the noted Adirondack mountaineer Kay Flickinger and the Schenectady Wintersports Club, a prominent and historically important ski club based in Schenectady.
“Thanks to our Adirondack Research Library, the Association is known as a resource and a keeper of institutional memory,” says Association Executive Director David Gibson. “ARL’s professionals, whether paid or unpaid, are passionate about what they do. They put in countless hours – and have for more than 25 years - to help people to understand the Adirondacks better and to pursue their varied interests in the region.”
The Association’s Adirondack Research Library is located at 897 St. David’s Lane in Niskayuna just a few minutes from Schenectady and a 25-minute drive from downtown Albany. It is open for researchers on Mondays and Thursdays or by appointment.Researchers should contact the library at (518) 377-1452, extension 307, or at
, to schedule an appointment or submit a research question.
The Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks is a non-profit, membership organization founded in 1901 to employ public education, citizen action, public and private partnerships and strong advocacy to protect, enhance, and sustain the wild character, ecological integrity, and mutual well-being of the natural and human communities of the Adirondack region.
