State Library Newsletter - August Issue

From lighthouses, to shorebirds, to mountain retreats, summer is still going strong at the State Library! Read about all these and more in our August newsletter, out now.

Pictured here is a preview, but the full issue can be accessed by clicking here. And you can also sign up for our mailing list to receive the newsletter straight to your inbox.

The Appalachian Mountain Club in the State Library

Early AMC rock climbing from the

June 1976 issue of Appalachia

The Northeast has many beautiful natural places to explore, but when a person has just moved to Boston with no car and no community, what is the best way to get explore the great outdoors? This was the question that I faced when I first moved to Boston last year, and it was a question that was quickly and thoroughly answered by the Appalachian Mountain Club.

The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the country’s oldest outdoor recreation and conservation organization. It was founded in Boston in 1876 and currently boasts a community of more than 90,000 members with chapters and activities from Maine to Virginia. Members of the Appalachian Mountain Club work to build and maintain trails, teach outdoor skills, advocate for the preservation and protection of the natural world, and cultivate fun outdoors experiences for everyone.

Rescue Practice, Mountain Leadership Workshop, 1975

from the June 1976 issue of Appalachia

Throughout its existence, the AMC has put out a variety of publications, some of which are now housed at the State Library. One such publication is the Bulletin of the Appalachian Mountain Club, which documents the meetings, excursions, and general doings of the club and of organizations adjacent to the club. For example, in 1908 for a fee of twenty-five cents, you could be part of the Snow-Shoe Section of the AMC and go on organized group trips to locations such as the Adirondacks in New York or Iron Mountain in New Hampshire. In the November 1968 issue, you can find requests for art submissions for an AMC Membership Art Show, or a suggestion to write in to the AMC Trader listing to offer and barter your outdoor gear with other members. In the 1907 December edition, the Bulletin mentions that the AMC library’s classification system is based on that of their late member’s, Charles A. Cutter. Any fellow librarians or library enthusiasts might know that Cutter’s Cutter Expansive Classification is the basis for library classification systems such as the Library of Congress.

When I read this, I was excited to find that a fellow librarian from the past was also interested in the AMC, but I wanted to confirm my findings. So, I turned to another of the State Library’s holdings: The Register of the Appalachian Mountain Club. This publication includes a lot of interesting information about the club and how it is run, including details such as the membership of the AMC, officers and committee members, club by-laws, trails and camps maintained by the club, and recent publications. At the State Library, we have many editions of the Register between the years 1882 and 1951. So, when I read that a Charles A. Cutter of library fame may have been in the AMC, I turned to the register to learn more. After flipping through a few registers and finding a few other Charles Cutters, I finally found our Charles A. Cutter in the 1892 register. The address provided for him is the Boston Athenæum, which is where Cutter served as head librarian, so this is a match! Hopefully this aside is enjoyable to all readers as a demonstration of one method of utilizing resources here at the State Library, even if this is the first time a reader may be hearing of Charles A. Cutter.

The State Library also has many copies of the journal Appalachia from the years 1876 to 1980. The contents of this publication include information internal to the club as well as writing on a variety of topics, such as mountaineering, outdoor equipment, trips, environmentalism, and poetry. Many publications also include detailed maps and diagrams of the outdoors, particularly in the areas where the AMC concentrated their expeditions and conservation efforts. Though the State Library only has copies of the journal up until 1980, the journal is being published to this day. You can find articles at the AMC’s website.

Madison Spring Hut #1, 1892 from the June 1976 issue of Appalachia

The AMC publications are not limited just to serials such as the ones discussed previously. It also puts out many guides and maps useful to outdoor adventurers. At the State Library, for example, we have AMC guides for canoeing in the New England area and walking, hiking, and biking around Boston and the rest of the state of Massachusetts.

For outdoorsy folks such as myself, the AMC is a great way explore the nature around us, find community, and get involved in conservation work. I am lucky to be part of an organization with such a rich history and culture, and I am delighted that my time at the State Library has given me the opportunity to explore the AMC’s impact through a new lens.

Emily Colson

Government Documents Intern

Sources

• About – Appalachian Mountain Club. Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). (2025, March 12).
• Belcher, C. F. (1976). A Century of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Appalachia, 41(8), 5-45.
• Bellerose, G. (1976). The AMC Today. Appalachia, 41(8), 48-80.
• U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Conservation timeline 1801-1900. National Parks Service.

Massachusetts State Library Goes Full DSpace-GLAM

If you've visited the State Library's Digital Collections website recently, you might have noticed some exciting changes! We've officially transitioned to a new DSpace-GLAM digital repository, thanks to our partnership with 4Science— a global leader in open-source innovation and DSpace platform development.

Our digital repository was originally launched in 2009 with a mission: to ensure long-term access and preservation of electronic Massachusetts state publications, as mandated by law. Since then, we've made a wide range of materials available—from Acts and Resolves, bills and legislative documents, House and Senate Journals to city and town reports, state agency annual reports and publications, and historic photograph and map collections—downloaded millions of times by users around the world.

DSpace-GLAM landing page

You’re probably wondering what exactly is DSpace-GLAM? DSpace-GLAM is a version of DSpace built specifically for Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums. It includes features like:

• Smarter Search: more search filters and a user interface that makes browsing easy
• Rich Metadata: more context through people, events, places & concepts (coming soon!)
• Powerful Visuals: More engaging visual features including interactive maps and charts
• High-Tech Extras: Including a built-in Image viewer, Video/Audio streaming, and OCR tools (coming soon!)
• Cloud Power: Faster speed and reliability for accessing items in the repository
• Improved Discoverability: By adhering to international standards, the State Library’s digital resources will be more visible in search engines

So, what is different? While revamping our digital repository’s appearance and visualization of collections, we took great care to preserve the core functionality of our previous platform by ensuring there are plenty of search options to help you find exactly what you are looking for! In DSpace-GLAM you can:

• Use the global “search bar” on the homepage to browse all our digital collections
• Use the “Advanced Search” in the menu if you prefer a targeted multi-field or “Boolean” search 
  
• Explore the publications of a specific Massachusetts State Agency by going to “All of Digital Collections” in the menu (our reinvented “Communities and Collections” page). The “All of Digital Collections” page features a search bar so you can easily narrow it down further to a specific Digital Collection by agency or publication name 
  
• Use the “filters” on the left of each results page help you refine and focus your search if you have too many results
  
• Use the “Search Within Digital Collection” option to add precision to your search after you have selected a Digital Collection

We’re excited to continue expanding our digital collections to showcase even more of the State Library’s holdings, while also rolling out new platform upgrades to enhance discoverability and improve your user experience. We welcome your feedback as we move ahead into a GLAMourous new DSpace future at the State Library!

Technical Services Department

Libby at the State Library

Summer’s here, but if you’re anything like me, reading isn’t just a summer thing--it’s a year-round, everyday habit (occupational hazard, maybe?). I’m usually reading a minimum of at least two books at a time and always on the lookout for something new—whether it’s from a favorite author, someone I’ve just discovered, or on a favorite topic. If you haven’t tried it yet, Goodreads is a great way to keep track of what you’ve read, what you want to put on your TBR list, and get some pretty great recommendations too.

In last week's blog post, we covered how to request books from our print collections. But honestly? I don’t love lugging around multiple books everywhere I go. That’s why I’m a little obsessed with my Kindle—it’s always with me, whether I’m commuting, traveling, or just reading at home.

Wondering where I get all those eBooks? I use the OverDrive Libby app (download from your favorite app store)! In the app I can borrow eBooks (or audiobooks and even e-magazines if you prefer!), place holds and keep them coming straight to my e-reader. Super easy, super convenient, and best of all, super lightweight! What you may not know is that your State Library card entitles you to borrow eContent (books, audiobooks, and magazines) from not just our CW MARS network libraries, but also five other partner library networks in Massachusetts as well as the Boston Public Library. By adding these libraries to your Libby account, you can search, browse, and check out items from their digital collections. Here’s how to add those libraries in the Libby app:

• Open the Libby app
• Tap the menu icon (☰)
• Scroll down and tap "Add Library"
• Search for and select any of the following:
• CLAMS
• Minuteman Library Network
• NOBLE
• Old Colony Library Network
• SAILS
• Boston Public Library
• Tap "Sign In With My Card"
• Expand the list and choose “CW MARS Patrons”
• Enter your library card number information and password [Forgot your password? Reset it in our online catalog]
• Tap "Next" to start browsing that network’s collection
• Repeat these steps to add more networks and the Boston Public Library, Libby will remember them for you!

Then just use Libby’s search feature to look up a specific author or title—or if you’re in the mood to browse, click on the buttons for “newest” or “popular” for some great picks. While you’re exploring, you can switch between different library networks by tapping the little library card icon on a book’s page.

Adding all these collections gives you way more options for placing holds or borrowing, which means less waiting around for the books you want! Libby even shows you which libraries have a copy, how long the wait is, and if you’re lucky, you might even find one that’s available to borrow right away! Questions? Need help? Contact us at reference.department@mass.gov

Judy Carlstrom
Head of Technical Services

Spot a Sandpiper in the Library!

Our summer of Audubon shorebirds continues this month with a depiction of the Semipalmated Sandpiper (plate 405). Interestingly, this is one of thirteen sandpipers included in Birds of America! With so many to choose from, we picked the semipalmated sandpiper because it is one of the most commonly found small sandpipers in Massachusetts.

The Commonwealth's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has a page devoted to the semipalmated sandpiper, where we learned that it is species of greatest conservation need, due in part to a vulnerability caused by a reduction in their breeding ground from climate change and beach erosion. But even with their declining numbers, they are still often found on sandy Massachusetts shorelines, so you might just spot one on your next beach trip. They move fast and are tiny, so you will have to be on your toes!

If you want to guarantee seeing a semipalmated sandpiper, then plan your visit to see our displayed print. It will be on view from July 8 through August 12 in our reading room! 

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

CWMARS at the State Library

You may have read our posts about Interlibrary Loan at the State Library. In case you missed them, or in case you want a quick recap: full-time, permanent state employees can request books via Interlibrary Loan (ILL) by filling out a form or by emailing interlibrary.loan@mass.gov. ILL, a staff-mediated service, can only be used to request work-related materials. What do you do then, if you’re looking to read that New York Times Best-Seller you heard about in the news? What if you’re looking for a light beach read to take on vacation with you?

This is where the CWMARS network comes in! CWMARS, or Central and Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing, is a network of 165+ libraries from around the Commonwealth who have partnered together to create a set of shared resources. If the State Library doesn’t own that beach read you’re interested in, perhaps another CWMARS library owns it. You’ll simply search for that title in our catalog and place a hold on it via your library account. It will then be delivered right to the State Library for you to pick up.

You can request titles in several different formats including physical books, e-books, audiobooks, Kindle, large print, and more. Before you start, you’ll need to request a library card from the State Library. You can do that using our online form found here. Once you have a card, go to our online catalog and log in with your State Library credentials. Now you’re ready to start searching for your favorite books!

Use the search bar at the top of the catalog to search for a title, keyword, author, or more. Once you find an item you’re interested in, click on that title and you’ll be brought to that item’s record. There you will see a “Place Hold” button. Click on that and you’ll be prompted to fill out a brief request form to officially place your hold.

Once you place a hold on a title, go to your library account and take a look at your Pendings Holds. There you’ll be able to see how many people are “in line” ahead of you for the item before it will ship to the State Library for you. You can see this by looking at the “position” of the hold on your title. If there isn’t anyone else using this book ahead of you, the lending library will process your hold request and update the status to “In Transit,” meaning the book is on its way to the State Library.

You can also cancel a hold and suspend a hold. Suspending a hold allows you to select a specific date that you would like your hold to activate. If you suspend your hold, this essentially puts you back in the active hold line on the date you chose. For example, on the date you choose to have your hold activate, if there are already 10 people “in line” for the book ahead of you, you will be placed 11th in line on that date. This is a great feature to use if you already have a couple of books you’d like to read and know you won’t have time for a new one if it arrives. Essentially, suspending a hold lets you defer the arrival date of your item, while not having to remember to place that hold later.

Our YouTube video provides a great summary of how to request a library card, search for books, and place holds, as does our previous blog post. Questions? Contact us at reference.department@mass.gov.


Jessica Shrey
Legal Research Reference Librarian

State Library Newsletter - July Issue

Happy July! Even though it's the summer, it's still a busy time at the State Library! Visit us to see our new exhibit and various display cases, described here in our newsletter. You can also read about some of our intern projects, catch up on our Author Talk series, and more.

Pictured here is a preview, but the full issue can be accessed by clicking here. And you can also sign up for our mailing list to receive the newsletter straight to your inbox.