High School Dropouts

The Massachusetts Department of Education's 2007-2008 annual dropout report provides education leaders with data to develop and strengthen prevention programs. Entitled High School Dropouts 2007-08, Massachusetts Public Schools, rates are taken from one year of statistics for grades nine through twelve. These are broken down by race/ethnicity and gender, school type, special populations, and summer/school year. Trends over time and final enrollment status of those in the latest count are presented. The appendices track annual dropout rate by district and school beginning in 2000 and by grade, gender, and race/ethnicity for individual school districts in 2007-2008.

Cambridge Women in Politics

The Library is pleased to announce the opening of another new exhibit, Cambridge Women in Politics, which will run September 21 to December 18 at Cambridge City Hall.

The exhibit is located along the staircase on the first and second floors and highlights five prominent Cantabrigian women who have played important roles in the city's political life. Current Mayor E. Denise Simmons, current State Representative Martha "Marty" Walz, current State Representative Alice Wolf, former Mayor Barbara Ackermann, and former Mayor Sheila Russell are all featured. Cambridge Women in Politics is a precursor to Massachusetts Women in Politics, the State Library's Winter 2010 exhibit produced in collaboration with the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators.

Cambridge Women in Politics is presented by the State Library of Massachusetts in collaboration with the Office of Mayor E. Denise Simmons and the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators.

Cambridge City Hall
795 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Monday 8:30am - 8pm
Tuesday - Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 12pm

- Lacy Crews Stoneburner, Preservation Librarian

Holyoke: Queen of Industrial Cities

The library's newest exhibit, Holyoke: Queen of Industrial Cities, will open on September 14 and run through January 15, 2010.

This exhibit highlights State Library collections regarding Holyoke, Massachusetts, and tells the story of the Industrial Revolution's impact on the town. Books, maps, and photographs of one of the country's first planned industrial towns will be included in the display. This exhibit was produced in collaboration with the Holyoke Public Library, and photographs from their Milan P. Warner collection will be on display. Warner, a Holyoke photographer in the 1880s and 1890s, captured beautiful black and white images of the town during its first industrial boom.

The exhibit will be on display through January at the State Library of Massachusetts, Room 341 of the Massachusetts State House.

- Lacy Crews Stoneburner, Preservation Librarian

Forest Trees

For the first time since 1922, A Pocket Manual entitled FOREST TREES OF MASSACHUSETTS has been published.

This project was funded by the United States Forest Service.

There are over 50 entries which include a picture of the unique character of the tree and a detailed description of the individual tree.

One may access the publication on the State Library website at:
https://state.cwmars.org/Record/1056389.

The manual is an interesting, informative addition to the Library's collection.