A CMR Adventure: Tracing the History of a Massachusetts Regulation

Last year we published a blog post titled Understanding the CMR. If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to give it a read! That blog helps you understand what the CMR is and how it's organized. Now it’s time to go to the next level and learn how to research the history of a Massachusetts regulation. We wrote about this in 2013, but our collections have undergone some changes since then, so we thought it was time for an updated post.

With that in mind, let’s look at 105 CMR 125.004. Let’s say you’d like to see all the changes that regulation has gone through since 2015. We’ll trace the history of this regulation together.

To start, we’ll need to go to the Cumulative Tables. The Cumulative Tables, sometimes called “indexes,” are published in the final Massachusetts Register of each calendar year. The cumulative tables start in 1976 and continue through to the present. These tables document all regulation filings, including amendments, new regulations, and emergency regulations, published in the Register during that year.

You’ll find the Cumulative Tables in our digital repository. We also maintain a binder of Cumulative Tables from 1978 to the present, available in our Reading Room alongside the CMR. If you don’t know when a regulation was first added or when it was amended, you should begin by looking at the earliest Cumulative Table and work forward through each year. This helps you create a timeline of the regulation’s history.

As we mentioned, we want to see all the changes that 105 CMR 125.004 has gone through since 2015. We’ll start by looking at the Cumulative Tables file that includes 2015, using the Tables found in our digital repository.

Our digitized Cumulative Tables are keyword searchable, meaning you can do a “ctrl + F” search within the file for “105 CMR.” Each page of the Cumulative Tables is organized as follows:

• Left-hand side: Agency title numbers (also called “digit title numbers”) in bold, with their chapter numbers listed beneath.

• Right-hand side: Two columns showing
1. The Register issue number where the regulation was published, and
2. The effective date of the amendment or filing

From there, you’ll see if section 125 is listed. If it is, you’ll want to make note of the Register number and the effective date to use later. If it’s not included, it means that changes to that section did not take place that year.

For example, a page from the 2014-2025 year-end Cumulative Table shows there were amendments to 105 CMR during that time period. The first amendment for 105 CMR 125 appeared on 2/24/17. By noting the Register issue number (1333), you’ll know exactly where to look to find the full text of the change.

Once you’ve identified the relevant Register issue number, the next step is to look at that issue of Massachusetts Register. Each issue contains the text of the regulation as it was filed, allowing you to see exactly how the regulation appeared at that time. The State Library houses the complete set of Massachusetts Registers in print, and many issues are also available in our digital repository.

Hint: look for the Settings section on the left side of your screen. Set the “Sort By” to “Z→A.” This will sort the Registers from newest to oldest, making it easier for you to find the specific Register you need. In our example, you’ll want to look at Register 1201 through 1400. Next you’ll search for Register 1333 to see if sub-section .004 is listed.

You’ll want to repeat this process until you’ve traced the history of the regulation up through the year you’re interested in. You would keep looking through the Cumulative Tables for changes to 105 CMR 125, find the appropriate Register number, then check that Register to see if sub-section .004 is listed.

In our example, 105 CMR 125 was updated on the following dates, focusing only on the changes that have occurred since 2015 :

2/24/17 (Register 1333)

From there, we’d look in the Registers to see if sub-section .004 is listed. You can search for a specific Register by searching for “no. XXXX” in the Search bar above the list of Items. Here are our search results when we search for Register 1333 using that format:

By using the Cumulative Tables and the Massachusetts Registers together, you can trace how a regulation has evolved over time, whether it was newly created, amended, or repealed. While the process can be a bit tedious, these resources make it possible to construct the full history of a Massachusetts regulation.

Whether you are conducting legal research, exploring public policy, or just curious, the State Library’s collections and staff are here to help you navigate the CMR and its associated resources.

Jessica Shrey
Legal Research Reference Librarian

State Library Newsletter - May Issue

With a new month comes a new newsletter! In this issue, read about our seasonal displays, a resource highlight, and find links our past exhibit on native plants in the Commonwealth and to any Author Talks you may have missed.

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.

Explore the Coast and the Harbor Islands from a Bird’s-Eye View

In Boston, one of the markers that summer is on the horizon is the relaunching of the Boston Harbor Islands Ferry! To coincide with the spring schedule kicking off on May 15, we are displaying a 1905 map titled, "Bird’s Eye View of Boston Harbor and South Shore to Provincetown: Showing Steamboat Routes" in our Collections Spotlight case. This map prominently features Boston Harbor and the many islands found within, and also illustrates part of Boston, the South Shore, and Cape Cod from a bird's-eye perspective (not the cloudy view over parts of Boston, to emphasize that you are viewing it from above).

While this map has been unfolded and is currently stored flat, it originally would have been folded into a 4 inch by 8 inch rectangle partially affixed to a cardstock front and back cover. For preservation and access purposes, the covers have been removed and are normally stored in an acid-free paper sleeve in a folder along with the map. But this month, the cover is on display as a complement to the map. The cover features the title printed in an eye-catching font and informs us that the price was 10 cents (which would calculate to about $3.75 today, though maybe more if you were purchasing it from a touristy spot downtown!). It was published by John F. Murphy, a news agent and businessman who operated newsstands in railroad stations in the region, including South Station, where this map was likely sold. Also on display is a facsimile of the inside of the front cover, where an index to the map was printed. This is an especially useful resource as it indicates notable buildings and landmarks. For lighthouse fans, this map includes many, including Race Point Light (#32) jutting out from Cape Cod, Gurnet Light (#27) in Plymouth, and Boston Light (#23) in Boston Harbor. What’s missing from the list is Graves Light, also in Boston Harbor, as that lighthouse wasn’t constructed until 1905 and likely missed the publication date of this map.

Beyond lighthouses, there are many details to discover on this map. Note the numerous shipping routes leaving Boston, which could take you as close as Nantasket or as far as Europe. And the tourist-centered entries, like Hotel Pemberton (#18) at the end of Hull and the Myles Standish Monument (#28) in Duxbury. But one of the most interesting details is how many buildings are located on the Harbor Islands. Today, we generally consider recreation to be the Harbor Islands' primary function, but at the turn of the 20th century, they served a more utilitarian purpose. If you visit the islands today, you'll come across some foundations and building remnants that shed light on their past lives. Featured on this map are some of the following buildings: 

• A farm school on Thompson’s Island (#6)
• The City of Boston Almshouse and Hospital on Long Island (#9)
• The City of Boston Quarantine Station on Gallop’s island (#14)
• The City of Boston House of Reformation for Children on Rainsford Island (#16)

Also identified on the map are Fort Andrew (#17) on Peddocks Island and Fort Warren (#15) on George's Island, which exist as historical structures today.

We have previously highlighted a similar bird’s-eye view map that also shows the Harbor Islands and the eastern coastline from Boston to the Cape via the South Shore. This map is a bit more recent, published in 1920, and provides a more detailed view of Boston. You can check it out in this blog post and then compare it to the 1905 map, which is on display in our reading room from May 5 through June 2. Stop by to see it before you catch the ferry to the Harbor Islands!

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

The Cross-Reference: A Massachusetts State Library Publication (Published Erratically)

A candid photograph of State Library staff members found in Ms. Coll. 66, c. 1930. There are six women in the photo, but the inscription on the back only lists five names. It is uncertain whether the names are listed in the order the librarians are shown here. Clarissa Holmes, one of the women pictured, was the editor of The Cross-Reference.

Ms. Collection 66 has felt ever-present in the Special Collections Department reading room this year. This collection documents the inner workings of the State Library throughout its history. It includes correspondence regarding the everyday operations of the Library, Board of Trustees meeting minutes, renovation plans, photographs, past exhibit files, and newspaper clippings about the Library and its staff over the years. It even holds a few artifacts, such as the enormous “Mass Room” stamp currently on display in our 200th anniversary exhibit. While staff prepared for our numerous 200th celebratory events, our interns also worked to rehouse the materials in Ms. Coll. 66. As a result, I came across items from the State Library’s history which made me feel a personal connection to the librarians who came before me in a pretty unexpected way.

During the 1920s, State Library staff published an internal newsletter they titled The Cross-Reference, and I suspect they had a lot of fun doing it. The first issue was published in March 1925 by “Holmes-Clark Publishing Co.,” a reference to librarians C. J. (Clarissa) Holmes and H.E. Clark, who spearheaded the efforts. I thought these witty women should have their writing featured by their fellow librarians here on our blog 100 years later. For the rest of this writeup, I’m going to let them speak for themselves:

Reports on social gatherings (and suspicious behaviors)

"The World of Fashions"

A travel section

“Advice to the Lovelorne”

Money-making schemes

Gossip

Eyebrow troubles

Boston weather snark

Etymology

Superlatives

Alyssa Persson

Processing Archivist

Special Speaker Event: Ambassador (ret.) Nicholas Burns

• 
  Wednesday, May 6th, 2026. 12 pm - 1:00 pm
• In-person and Virtual event. No registration required.
• State Library of Massachusetts - Room 341, Massachusetts State House
• Livestream on YouTube

Please join us in the State Library reading room on Wednesday, May 6th, 2026 at 12:00 pm for a conversation with former Ambassador Nicholas Burns! In lieu of a specific book, he will be presenting on the topic: Lessons From the Front Lines of the US-China Relationship.

Nicholas Burns grew up in Wellesley, MA. After graduating from Wellesley High School (class of ‘74) he attended Boston College (class of ‘78) and studied abroad at Paris-Sorbonne (‘77), where he earned his practical French Language certificate and met his future wife, Elizabeth Baylies. He went on to earn his MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University (class of ‘80) before embarking on a nearly three-decades-long career in Foreign Service under Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. His work has taken him to various countries throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

©Grace DuVal/Harvard University

Although he transitioned from Foreign to Private Service in 2008, he has served on the boards of numerous non-profit organizations such as the Boston Committee on Foreign Relations and Special Olympics International. He has received many prestigious awards and distinctions which include: the Presidential Distinguished Service Award; the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award; the Ignatian Award from Boston College; New Englander of the Year (2016) from the New England Council; the Boston College Alumni Achievement Award; the Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award from Tufts University. In 2021, President Biden nominated and Congress approved Burns as the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China. He served as US Ambassador to China from 2021 to 2025.

Future world leaders can benefit from his wealth of knowledge and experience at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government where he has taught since 2008. At Harvard, Professor Burns is the Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations.

The State Library is excited to welcome Ambassador (ret.) Nicholas Burns to the State House and is grateful that he has made the time to speak with us. As with all our Author Talks, this lecture is free and open to all. Assisted listening devices will be made available upon request. This is an in-person and virtual event, and the livestream will be available on our YouTube channel courtesy of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Broadcast Services. If you are able to join us in person for this talk, attendees will be able to participate in a question-and-answer session with Ambassador Burns.

Be sure to sign up for our Author Talks newsletter and follow our social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, and X) for the latest information on our visiting authors. If you are unable to attend, the recording will be posted to our YouTube channel to watch anytime - view all past recordings here!

Any questions or concerns, please email us at AuthorTalks.StateLibrary@mass.gov. For more information on the State Library Author Talks series, please visit our site.

Maryellen Larkin

On behalf of the Author Talks Working Group  


Sources:

• Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China - U.S. Embassy & Consulates in China (usembassy-china.org.cn)
• Boston College Magazine - Winter 2003 (archive.org)
• CHINA Town Hall - NCUSCR
• Nicholas Burns | The Cohen Group
• RNB_Bio_Full_1.pdf (belfercenter.org)

Reflections on the Spring 2026 NEA Meeting, Resilience and Action in the Archives

This post is jointly written by our two Special Collections interns, who recently attended and presented at the New England Archivists' Spring Meeting.

Erin (left) and Charlsie (right)

At the end of March, we had the opportunity to travel to Portland, Maine to attend the New England Archivists’ 2026 Spring Meeting. The Spring Meeting is an annual two-day conference dedicated to networking and professional development for archivists at any stage in their career. We were fortunate enough to be selected to present on our work processing legislators’ papers in the State Library’s Special Collections department as a part of the graduate student lightning talks.

The first day of the conference, we attended several engaging sessions with topics ranging from document and textile preservation to gender in the archives. We also got the chance to meet and connect with other early professionals and Simmons students.

We started the second day by attending a panel about the importance of caring for ourselves and others in archival work. After lunch, it was time for the graduate student presentations. There were four other groups presenting, and we went last. It was great getting to meet the other presenters and hear about the projects they are working on. We were nervous when it was our turn to present, but the audience was extremely responsive and seemed interested in our work. We were also thankful to have processing archivist Alyssa Persson in the audience cheering us on. The presentation was centered around our experience processing the papers of Lois Pines, a former state representative and senator, as well as meeting her last summer. This project was very formative to our growth as archivists, so it was great to share our experience with an engaged audience of other people in the field. We are very grateful we were able to attend the conference and hope to return next year as professionals!


Erin Wood and Charlsie Wemple

Special Collections Interns

Welcome Spring with the American Robin!

Traveling through the thirteen original colonies by highlighting their state birds brings us to Connecticut this month! We're featuring the American Robin, which was designated as the state bird of Connecticut by the General Assembly in 1943. Audubon's print (plate 131) depicts the male, female, and young, all in the branches of the chestnut oak tree.

You may have seen images of the European Robin, which has similarities to the American Robin, but is a different group of bird entirely. So how did these two birds end up with the same name? The answer is that colonists thought the bird they were seeing in New England resembled the robin they knew at home, and started calling it by that name. 

Robins are sometimes considered to be a sign of spring, and as Massachusetts thaws out from a snowy winter, they are a welcome sight. Visit us from April 8 through May 12 to see the American Robin on display in our Audubon case.

This is our fourth state bird in our series, and you can catch up with all of those that have been featured here.

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian