▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Education ▁Department , ▁with ▁its ▁main ▁facility ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Education ▁Center ▁on ▁Mad ison ▁Avenue ▁in ▁Alb any , ▁New ▁York , ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Library ▁and ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Museum ▁are ▁also ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Education ▁Center . ▁ ▁Organ ization ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Archives ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁to ▁preserve ▁and ▁make ▁accessible ▁recorded ▁evidence ▁document ing ▁New ▁York ▁State ' s ▁history , ▁govern ments , ▁events , ▁and ▁pe op les ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁to ▁the ▁present . ▁ ▁Full ▁operations ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁when ▁the ▁organization ' s ▁storage ▁and ▁research ▁facility ▁opened ▁in ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Education ▁Center . ▁ ▁Col lections ▁The ▁Archives ▁pres erves ▁and ▁provides ▁access ▁to ▁over ▁ 2 5 0 ▁million ▁documents ▁d ating ▁from ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁Dutch ▁and ▁British ▁colonial ▁rule ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁and ▁ 1 8 th ▁centuries ▁through ▁the ▁modern ▁day . ▁ ▁The ▁State ▁Archives ▁pres erves ▁records ▁from ▁the ▁legisl ative , ▁jud icial , ▁and ▁executive ▁branches ▁of ▁state ▁government . ▁ ▁Top ics ▁covered ▁in ▁those ▁records ▁include ▁relations ▁with ▁Native ▁Americans , ▁the ▁Er ie ▁Canal ▁and ▁west ward ▁expansion , ▁industrial ▁development , ▁labor , ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁social ▁w elf are ▁system , ▁public ▁education , ▁public ▁health , ▁the ▁environmental ▁movement , ▁and ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁citizens ' ▁participation