Brown Bag Lunch Series

Bring your lunch and visit the State Library to learn about resources available for research. Join us in the Main Reading Room, Room 341, at 12:00pm on the following dates. Programs end at 1:30pm.

Dec. 17
Saving for the Future: Preserving Collections at the State Library of Massachusetts
Lacy Crews Stoneburner, Preservation Librarian, will talk about conserving state agency publications. Techniques and products used in maintaining volumes dating back to 1800 will be discussed. Tips on applying these to your family's papers will be given. The session will include an optional tour of the Special Collections Preservation Lab. Advance registration is appreciated.

Jan. 14
Advanced Legislative History: the Budget
The budget process and locating past years' appropriations will be explained. Michael Segal from InstaTrac will discuss the BudgeTrac Service, a state budget analysis tool accessible through the web.

Feb. 11
Census 2010
Arthur Bakis from the U.S. Census Bureau will talk about accessing population data and the upcoming decennial census.

Mar. 11
Genealogy (tentative)

Apr. 15
Massachusetts Women in Politics
The focus of this will be women in the Massachusetts General Court.

May 20
Electronic Resources in the State Library
A repeat of November's offering, come learn about databases and the growing repository of state documents.

Gift Received by The State Library

On December 2 the State Library received a wonderful gift for the collection on behalf of the Consulat General du Canada. Neil J. Le Blanc, Consul General, presented The Evolution of Parliamentary Democracy in Nova Scotia to Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo as a gift to the State Library. This volume commemorates 250 years of democracy and reproduces important documents from Nova Scotia's history. Only 12 copies of this book were made, all being hand-bound and printed on handmade linen paper. A booklet, The Making of "The Evolution of Parliamentary Democracy in Nova Scotia", accompanies the presentation volume and illustrates the methods and materials used in producing this volume.

In addition to being a beautifully made showpiece, this volume enhances the library's collection and expands our coverage of legal history. The Evolution of Parliamentary Democracy in Nova Scotia is available for viewing in the Special Collections department. As part of the 250th celebration, content from this volume is posted in an online exhibit available through the Democracy 250 website.

- Lacy Crews Stoneburner, Preservation Librarian