Celebrate Women's History Month with New Images in Flickr

March is Women's History Month and the State Library is happy to present a new set of images on our Flickr site that celebrates five women politicians from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Cambridge Women In Politics set digitally recreates an exhibit installed at Cambridge City Hall in the Fall of 2009. The exhibit profiles three former mayors, E. Denise Simmons, Barbara Ackermann and Sheila Russell, and two current Massachusetts legislators, Martha Walz and Alice Wolf. The original exhibit was presented in collaboration with the Office of Mayor E. Denise Simmons and the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators.

- The Marketing Committee

Image courtesy of E. Denise Simmons.

Children and Famillies

The Department of Children and Families, formerly the Department of Social Services, issues a quarterly report on their activities.

Included in the report are placement statistics by race, age, Hispanic origin; foster home profiles; those entering placement and those leaving; those with a goal to adoption; and foster homes by type, race, marital status and Hispanic origin.

The report also delineates cases and information by the state and specific regions and includes charts.

The report is available in the Library (room 341) in paper under the call number MR 363M3 D76. It is also online at: http://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/37929.

The Government Documents Department

Library Open on Evacuation Day

The Library will be open its usual hours on Evacuation Day. The hours of the main reading room in room 341 and the periodicals balcony in room 442 are 9:00 - 5:00. Materials in Special Collections can be accessed 9:00-1:00 and by appointment. To schedule an appointment, please call 617.727.2595.

Sculpted to Inspire: Caleb Tillinghast

FROM NEWSPAPERS TO BOOKS!

What city editor of the Boston Journal became the first State Librarian?

Caleb B. Tillinghast was the Acting State Librarian starting in 1879.
In 1893 the Office of the State Librarian was created.
Mr. Tillinghast was appointed.

Please visit the Library in room 341 between
March 7, 2011-April 15, 2011
to see the State Library’s first State Librarian.

The “Sculpted to Inspire” series is sponsored by the Friends of the State Library.

New Decorated Bindings Images Added to Flickr

Recently I was walking through the stacks and came across a selection of books that have interesting cover images. The books turned out to be the Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture. A description of the title from the USDA's website:

"The main purpose of the Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture was to summarize USDA’s research developments. However, the Yearbook, which was published (with a couple of exceptions) annually from 1894 to 1992, has a broad appeal outside of the scientific community. In fact, Congress passed a law to provide for its publication as part of an effort to make agricultural information more readily available to farmers and other interested citizens."

The USDA has digitized the full run of the yearbook; however, it does not appear that they digitized the covers of the volumes. A selection of cover images can be found on the State Library's Flickr page. I highly recommend checking out the the digitized volumes on the USDA's site, as the title and introductory pages of the volumes also include wonderful mid-century graphics. Print copies of these yearbooks are accessible to the public in the State Library, room 341.

- Lacy Crews Stoneburner, Preservation Librarian

Brown Bag on the Federal Digital System

Join us for a BROWN BAG LUNCH on
Thursday, March 10th , 2011
State Library of Massachusetts
Room 442 State House
12 noon until 1:30 PM

Bring your lunch and hear Bette L. Siegel, Government Documents Librarian in the library, explain and demonstrate this service, referred to as the provider of “America’s Authentic Government Information.”

To register for the Brown Bag, please go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/STJRNPB
You may also do so by calling Reference directly at 617-727-2590 or by e-mailing us at reference.department@state.ma.us.

Sponsored by the Friends of the State Library

Future Brown Bags will include:

April 28th, Lacy Crews Stoneburner, “Preservation of Family Materials”
May 19th, Neil Savage, “The History of the General Court”
June 14th, Michael Widmer, The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation
July 14th, Sean Murphy, reporter, The Boston Globe
August 11th, Dr. John Warner, The Massachusetts State Archives

"Massachusetts Localities- A Finding Aid" : TREASURE OF THE STATE LIBRARY FOR MARCH 2011

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is comprised of 351 cities and towns. These well-known areas are studied routinely here in the State Library. Whether one is researching the history of a town, the current demographics or trying to determine the dates of incorporation, for example, we can help researchers with such requests.

Less frequently, our users in person, via telephone or email are instead attempting to locate a railroad station, a village or a "lesser locality." Where is "Straw Hollow," for example or "Morningdale" or "Waverley?" Is it true there is an "Egypt" in the state? Are there really two "Bliss Corner" locations?

The little "treasure" noted above and published by the Department of Public Works in 1966, is kept in the reference area. The preface to the booklet states that although many of these localities are well-known entities in the municipalities where they "reside," their locations must often be researched by interested parties not familiar with the areas.

To see Massachusetts Localities: A Finding List of Massachusetts Cities and Towns; and of Villages, certain Lesser Localities, Railroad Stations, and Post Offices whose location is not localized within the appropriate cities and towns by their names; and other generally related material, please visit State Library Reference. You may, of course, also call us at 617-727-2590 or send an e-mail to reference.department@state.ma.us to find the answer to your inquiry.

Pamela W. Schofield
Reference Department
State Library of Massachusetts