Reporting from the Fourth Annual Digital Conference

The Digital Commonwealth is hosting the Fourth Annual Digital Conference and Vendor Fair today, March 25th, at the College of the Holy Cross. The State Library's blog was chosen as a host for reports on the keynote speakers and several breakout sessions.

The conference will feature two keynote speakers: Tom Clareson and Roy Tennant. Clareson will speak about fundraising for your digital collections and Tennant will speak about engaging users. Check back later today and tomorrow for reports from their talks.

Three breakout sessions will also be covered on the library's blog: From Artifact to Digital: Changes in Preservation Concerns; Fix it or Sleeve It? - Conservation Assessment and Preparation for Digitization; and Metadata II: Moving Forward with Metadata and XML. Look for reports from these sessions later today and tomorrow.

You can find other session summaries on these blogs: http://whittemorelibrary.wordpress.com/ and http://wplrefblog.blogspot.com/.

You can also follow the conference on Twitter, tag: #digicomm10

- Lacy Crews Stoneburner, Preservation Librarian

Statistical Abstract

One of the most comprehensive compilations of information is produced yearly and is called the Statistical Abstract of the United States.

The State Library's collection starts in 1878 with the first edition and is current except for those few years that appear to be missing.

When the Abstract started, it was published by the Bureau of Statistics in the Treasury Department. From 1903 through 1911, it was issued by the Bureau of Statistics in the Department of Commerce and Labor. From 1912 through 1937, the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce was the resource; and from 1938 to now, it is the Bureau of the Census which produces the publication.

The Abstract contains statistics on political, social and economic issues in the United States. For instance, one can ascertain state gasoline tax rates or state motor fuel rates; attendance at sporting events; fires, etc.

The State Library has the most recent copy at the Reference Desk in Room 341. You can also access the Abstract on line at: www.census.gov.

Bette Siegel
Documents Librarian

Massachusetts State Songs and March

The State Library has the official march and songs of the Bay State. In its collection are the words and/or music for these:

Song
"All Hail to Massachusetts", words and music by Arthur J. Marsh, was designated by Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 2, § 19.

Glee Club Song
"The Great State of Massachusetts", words by George A. Wells and music by J. Earl Bley, was designated by Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 2, § 43.

Folk Song
"Massachusetts", words and music by Arlo Guthrie, was designated by Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 2, § 20.

Patriotic Song
"Massachusetts (Because of You our Land is Free)", words and music by Bernard Davidson, was designated by Mass. Gen. Law ch. 2, § 31. News stories about the composer's efforts to have the bill signed into law are held by the Library.

Ceremonial March
"The Road to Boston", composer unknown, was designated by Mass. Gen. Law ch. 2, § 27.

Naomi Allen
Reference Librarian

Library Closed on Evacuation Day, March 17

The State Library will be closed Wednesday, March 17 in observance of Evacuation Day. On this day in 1776 the British Redcoats ended their occupation of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War. The siege of Boston came to a close when the Continental Army, under George Washington, fortified Dorchester Heights with cannons captured at Ticonderoga. The British forces withdrew from Dorchester Heights to Nova Scotia as depicted in this engraving.

CASINOS IN THE NEWS: REPORTS IN THE STATE LIBRARY

The prospect of building casinos in Massachusetts is very much in the news today. A recent Sunday Boston Globe (January 10th, 2010 page C1) had an interview with State Senator Stan Rosenberg, who has travelled around the country to garner information about the overall issue of casinos.

The State Library has numerous reports and overall holdings on this timely subject in the online catalog. Also, the Special Collections Department of the Library collects papers from legislators and other public figures, usually when they leave office. The papers of former Representatives Mary Jeannette Murray and George Rogers contain materials relating to the casino issue. Finally, please note that there are other blog entries about casinos, and these can be found by using the labels assigned to this one.

Pamela W. Schofield
Reference Department

Keys to the City

As an intern in the Special Collections department, I am always excited when I learn something new about the collection. A couple days ago, the preservation librarian, Lacy, showed me this key to the city of Boston. She found it in the vault in a collection of medals. When we looked through the collection again, we found another ceremonial key to the city of Lynn that was presented during the city’s tercentennial celebration. Both keys are gold in color with designs representing the city etched on each side. To give an example, the Lynn key has a pair of high heels on the handle to pay homage to the city’s history as a major center in the shoe industry.

Keys like these two are presented by the mayor to honor individuals for their civic services, or personal or career achievements. The tradition of awarding these keys stems from the Middle Ages when walls surrounded cities and travelers entered through gates. The keys represented free and easy entry into the city as well as trust and respect. I was a bit surprised by the size of the keys. When I think of ceremonial presentations I think about comically oversized checks and I expected the keys to be just as big. Each key is about the size of a skeleton key to an old house, but the key is slightly larger than the Lynn key.

I did a little research about keys presented by the mayor of Boston in the City Record. The City Record documents events and news in Boston and the activities of Boston’s mayor. In the 1925 volume, I found several articles concerning events where Mayor James Michael Curley presented keys. Two articles in particular caught my attention. One was a short note from the Chinese General Consul Ziangling Chang, thanking Mayor Curley for his hospitality and the key to his city. The other article described a visit by the Belgian ambassador to Boston. Mayor Curley presented him a key and accepted a Belgian flag in return. If you are interested in conducting further research, I suggest searching local newspapers and the Zimmer Index for articles about key recipients in Boston and other cities.

Marietta Carr, Special Collections Intern

Massachusetts Women in Politics Exhibit, Now Open

The Library is excited to present our new exhibit, “Women in Massachusetts Politics.” The exhibit highlights important women in the state’s political history and their accomplishments. Included is a timeline showing important events and people, and a display on the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators, celebrating their 35th anniversary.

The exhibit brings to light women such as Sybil Holmes, the first female state senator. While working at a law firm, Holmes studied law privately and passed the bar in 1910 at age 21. She later studied at both Harvard and Columbia law schools. Holmes served as an assistant attorney general for four years before being elected to the General Court in 1936.

Other women in the exhibit include Susan Fitzgerald and Sylvia Donaldson, who were the first women elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. They were elected in 1923, just three years after the 19th Amendment was passed. Susan Fitzgerald studied political science and history at Bryn Mawr, where her three daughters later studied. She was a strong advocate for women’s suffrage and served in many different organizations to attain the right to vote. Fitzgerald wrote essays to promote equal rights for women, such as "Women in the Home," 1908, "What is a Democracy?" 1910, and "Have We a Democracy?" 1913.

Outside of the state legislature, women made important strides in local government. Alice Burke was elected mayor of Westfield in 1939, becoming the first female mayor not just in Massachusetts, but in all of New England as well. She beat the incumbent by just 127 votes and went on to serve for three more terms. Burke would become known as the Grand Dame of Westfield for her active role and many contributions to the community.

The exhibit shows how far women have come in Massachusetts politics, but also how far there is to go. In 1971, there were only four women in the legislature, out of a total of 300 seats (1.3%). In 2010, there are 52 women, out of a total of 200 seats (26%). The first female senate president, Therese Murray, was only elected in March 2007; and no woman has been elected as speaker of the House. The sole exception is Sylvia Donaldson, who was declared honorary speaker for one day, February 18, 1926. Massachusetts has yet to send a woman to the U.S. Senate; and of the twelve legislators representing the state in Washington, D.C., only one is a woman (Niki Tsongas, 5th District). As women comprise 52% of the Massachusetts population, they are not only underrepresented in national government but in the government of our own state.

This exhibit celebrates the hard work and achievements won by the women of Massachusetts. We hope you will come to view the exhibit, which is now open. The State Library is located on the third floor, Room 341, in the State House in Boston. Please visit our website at www.mass.gov/lib for more information regarding hours and directions.

Above: Members of the Caucus of Women Legislators outside the House of Representatives, December 1990.