Municipal Library Notes - August 2022
SPOTLIGHT ON BEACHES
Spotlight on: Beaches
By Christine Bruzzese, Director, Municipal Library
During the summer people visit beaches for relief from the heat and for relaxation. The Municipal Library contains materials on beaches, parks, and recreational areas. A look at the vertical file on “Bathing Beaches” provides several newspaper articles about beaches and a couple of interesting items from city agency publications.
Today there are many reports of beaches being declared unsafe because of sharks and other dangers. Here is an excerpt from a Board of Health policy statement dated 1962 on beach safety.
One of the most famous public beaches in New York City is Orchard Beach in the Bronx. This is a short history from a 1984 issue of the “Daily Plant” newsletter, published by the Parks Department.
Conditions in Harlem Revisited: From the 1936 Mayor's Commission Report to Today
By Pauline Toole, Commissioner, Department of Records and Information Services
The Department of Records and Information Services, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at NYU, and the Vital City project are planning a conference to consider the recommendations and observations from the 1936 Mayor's Commission on Conditions in Harlem, data from NYC Speaks and implications for City government.
Appointed by Mayor LaGuardia after a 1935 riot in Harlem, the Commission members elicited testimony at 21 very interactive hearings and reported on six key areas: Crime and the Police, Discrimination in Employment, Home Relief, Hospitals and Health, Education and Housing. Although the report was published by The Amsterdam News; it was never issued by the City.
Recently, the Administration of Mayor Eric Adams in partnership with the NYC Speaks government organization surveyed New Yorkers on issues of concern and convened community conversations to explore topics in greater depth. The responses and discussions will help shape the initiatives that the City will implement in various communities across the New York City. Many of the survey responses and the community viewpoints are similar to those from 1936.
We are organizing a community conference to explore those similarities. We invite you to attend the conference and participate in the discussion.
September 20, 2022, 9:30 am - 6:30 pm
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
The People vs Mary Jones: Rethinking Race, Sex and Gender through 19th-Century Court Records
By Riah Lee Kinsey, Intern, Department of Records and Information Services
The 1836 case of Mary Jones, a Black transgender sex worker, was rediscovered in the Municipal Archives by scholars in the 1990s and has gained publicity more recently through transgender scholarship. During a recent internship at the Municipal Archives, Riah Lee Kinsey dug deeper into the story turning up extensive documentation that has not been previously available and sharing fascinating new details about Mary Jones and her community.
