Media Releases
November 4, 2024
New York City Releases Map to Help Connect People to the Stories Behind Co-Named Streets, Parks, and Other Locations
Starting November 4, a new online map is available that allows people to look up the nearly 2,500 streets, intersections, and other locations in New York City that have been "co-named" after notable New Yorkers. The new tool comes after New York City Mayor Eric Adams designated the NYC Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) as the agency responsible for sharing background information on co-named locations on its website in 2023.
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May 28, 2024
NYC Municipal Archives Celebrates WNYC Centennial at 13th Annual Photoville Festival
On June 1, the NYC Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) will debut a photography and audiovisual exhibit joining archival photos, artwork, and ephemera with historical audio recordings at the 13th annual Photoville Festival. "100 Years of WNYC" celebrates the 100th anniversary of WNYC, among the nation's first municipally-owned radio and television stations.
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December 21, 2023
NYC Department of Records & Information Services Improves Access to New York City's Vibrant History in 2023
During the past year, the NYC Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) has provided access to the historical and contemporary records of New York City government both online and in-person, while hosting free and accessible events for New York City's many diverse communities.
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October 24, 2023
NYC Department of Records & Information Services Opens "Uniting the Boroughs: The Triborough Bridge" Exhibit at Municipal Archives
The NYC Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) is partnering with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bridges and Tunnels to celebrate the 90th anniversary of MTA B&T with an exhibit titled “Uniting the Boroughs: The Triborough Bridge”, which explores the history of the iconic Triborough Bridge (renamed the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in 2008) and its role in uniting Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens in a rapidly modernizing city. The exhibit is free and will run through June 2024.
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August 9, 2023
NYC Department of Records & Information Services Seeks to Reach Goal of 10,000 Stories of Inspiring and Empowering Women
Today, the NYC Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) announced a final push to complete WomensActivism.NYC, a permanent archive of stories about women who have positively impacted society. With more than 9,000 stories already archived, DORIS is soliciting 700 additional stories to close out the project with 10,000 stories of inspiring and empowering women.
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June 13, 2023
NYC Department of Records' Public Artist in Residence Kameron Neal Debuts Film Installation "Down the Barrel (of a Lens)"
The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS), and Public Artist in Residence Kameron Neal have announced the debut of Down the Barrel (of a Lens), a film installation at the Brooklyn Army Terminal's Annex Building. The program is free and will run from June 16 through June 18, 2023.
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March 16, 2022
NYC Announces Free On-Line Access to Historical Vital Records
The NYC Department of Records & Information Services today announced free access to more than 9.3 million historical vital records on their website. The new online vital records platform lets visitors search and view historical New York City records of birth (1866-1909), death (1862-1948), and marriage (1866-1949). High-quality copies can be downloaded and printed from the site at no charge.
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October 25, 2021
Mayor de Blasio Announces Opening of New Municipal Archives Facility
Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the opening of the new Department of Records & Information Services - Municipal Archives facility at Industry City, Brooklyn.“This state-of-the-art storage and research facility will ensure preservation of the City’s heritage for generations to come,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The $27 million facility is the city’s most significant investment in its Archives since establishment of the Department of Records & Information Services in 1977.”
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June 18, 2021
Neighborhood Stories Presents Voices of Pride, an Online Variety Show Celebrating NYC’s LGBTQ Community on Thursday, June 25th at 7pm
In the spirit of Pride Month 2021, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and the NYC Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) will present a virtual variety show, Neighborhood Stories: Voices of Pride, on Thursday, June 25th at 7 pm.
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September 23, 2020
Municipal Library and Archives Public Reading Rooms Remain Closed
The New York City Municipal Library and Archives public reading rooms at 31 Chambers Street, Manhattan, will remain closed to help limit the spread of the coronavirus and ensure the health and safety of our patrons and staff. Please check our website and social media for updates.
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August 26, 2020
NYC Will Light the City Purple on Wednesday, August 26th to Celebrate the Suffrage Centennial
The NYC Department of Records and Information Services announced that various properties around the city will be lit in the signature women’s suffrage color of purple on the evening of Wednesday, August 26th, Women’s Equality Day.
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July 17, 2020
Women's Activism-Story-Writing Contest
Who are the women who inspire you? Public figures, historic change makers or perhaps women you know personally and admire. Our communities are home to countless inspirational women – friends and neighbors, teachers and community leaders - yet their stories are seldom told. Now, you’re invited to enter the WomensActivism.NYC Story Writing Contest for a chance to win prizes of $500, $350 and $150 by sharing the important role these women played in your life, your community or the world.
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June 25, 2020
Municipal Library and Archives Public Reading Rooms Remain Closed
The New York City Municipal Library and Archives public reading rooms at 31 Chambers Street, Manhattan, will remain closed to help limit the spread of the coronavirus and ensure the health and safety of our patrons and staff. Pending guidance from State and local authorities, the public reading rooms will likely not re-open until late August or early September. Please check our website and social media for updates.
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May 18, 2020
NYC Public Artist in Residence Julia Weist Debuts Digital Public Artwork Series "Public Record"
The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS), and Julia Weist, who served as the Public Artist in Residence (PAIR) with DORIS from 2019-2020, have announced the initiation of the public artwork series Public Record, which represents the culmination of Weist’s residency. The series consists of 11 individual photographic prints submitted to DORIS as official correspondence, triggering the use of the city’s public records protocols to access the art.
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March 17, 2020
Municipal Library and Archives Public Reading Rooms Closed
The New York City Municipal Library and Archives public reading rooms at 31 Chambers Street, Manhattan, are closed until further notice. As a precaution to help limit the spread of the coronavirus and ensure the health and safety of our patrons and staff, we are temporarily closing our public reading rooms.
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March 5, 2020
Ebb and Flow:Tapping into the History of New York City’s Water
The Museum of American Finance and the New York City Department of Records and Information Services today opens a new exhibit: Ebb & Flow: Tapping into the History of New York City’s Water. “Ebb & Flow” explores the more than 200-year history of the city’s effort to build one of the world’s finest water supply systems. The exhibit includes the fascinating story of how a private water company, founded by Aaron Burr in 1799, evolved into the largest bank in the United States today.
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January 23, 2020
Expert Panel to Explore the Role Immigrants Play in Creating NYC's Fashion Identity, Thursday, January 23rd.
Join a distinguished panel from the worlds of fashion, immigration and labor for a lively discussion about the historical relationship between immigrants and the city’s fashion industry. Thursday, January 23, 2020, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the NYC Department of Records & Information Services, 31 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007
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December 27, 2019
The New York City Department of Records and Information Services announces the availability of historic Kings County town records
The New York City Department of Records & Information Services announced today that the Municipal Archives had added the Kings County “Old Town” records to the agency’s online gallery.
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November 13, 2019
The New York City Department of Records and Information Services announces the availability of Historic NYPD Films
The New York City Department of Records & Information Services announced the availability of 140 hours of historical film depicting activists, parades, and famous visitors in the City between 1960 and 1980.
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September 12, 2019
The New York City Department of Records & Information Services opens to the public on September 13, a new exhibit The Language of the City: Immigrant Voices.
The new show incorporates “We Are Brooklyn: Immigrant Voices,” a multimedia exhibition based on oral histories conducted by Brooklyn College students and materials from the New York City Municipal Archives.
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April 22, 2019
The New York City Department of Records & Information Services announced the availability of a new book: The Central Park: Original Designs for New York’s Greatest Treasure (Abrams 2019).
Drawn from the collections of the NYC Municipal Archives, and much of it never before published, the book is a virtual time machine that takes the reader on a journey through the park as it was originally envisioned.
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April 8, 2019
NYC Department of Records and Information Services welcomes Femke Halsema, the Mayor of the City of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to celebrate New Amsterdam Cultural Heritage Day.
The New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) today welcome Femke Halsema, the Mayor of the City of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to celebrate the shared cultural heritage of two great cities—Amsterdam and New York City.
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November 1, 2018
New York City Adds 720,000 Images Showing Every House and Building in Five Boroughs, ca. 1940, to Its Online Collection
The New York City Department of Records & Information Services announced completion of a long-awaited project that digitized more than 720,000 photographs.
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September 21, 2018
2018 Best of New York and Hugh Carey Awards Announced
Award winners include Theresa L. Egan, NYS Information Technology Services, NYC Department of Records and Information Services and more.
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September 13, 2018
NYC: Work and Working WPA Photographs
The New York City Department of Records & Information Services-Municipal Archives opens a new exhibit at PHOTOVILLE in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
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August 31, 2018
Feeding the City: The Unpublished WPA Federal Writers’ Project Manuscript, 1935-1942
The New York City Department of Records & Information Services opens a new exhibit: Feeding the City: The Unpublished WPA Federal Writers’ Project
Manuscript, 1935-1942.
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June 14, 2018
NYC Municipal Archives to crowd-source Young Lord History using historical NYPD Surveillance records.
Participants will view and discuss materials connected to the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican civil rights organization based in New York City.
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April 5, 2018
Special Event: The New York Archival Society and former Mayor David N. Dinkins honor Idilio Gracia-Peña, former Commissioner of the NYC Department of Records & Information Services for his lifetime of dedicated service in preserving and sustaining the invaluable documentary history of New York City.
Hired by the Municipal Archives as a clerk in 1964, Mr. Idilio Gracia-Peña rose to become Director of the Municipal Archives in 1978.
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November 2, 2017
NYC Department of Records and Information Services and the Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Officer announce a searchable public portal to official New York City agency social media posts.
The New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) and the Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Officer (MOCTO) advance transparency in City government information through the creation of an online archive of all official New York City agency social media posts using the Archive Social platform.
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