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| Homepage of the Massachusetts Archives website (L) and homepage of the State Library of Massachusetts (R) |
A common misconception we encounter at the State Library is that we also serve as the archives for the Commonwealth. Patrons are often surprised to learn that the Massachusetts State Archives and the State Library of Massachusetts are separate agencies and operate independently of one another. The State Library of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Archives are separate agencies. The State Library is part of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance one of the Executive offices under the Governor, whereas the Archives falls under the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
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| Diagram of the organizational structure |
Both agencies collect and preserve materials pertinent to the historical record of the Commonwealth and while there might be some overlap in the materials both have within their respective collections – their collections are distinct from each other. The Commonwealth’s Constituent Experience Center of Excellence has created a Guide for state organizations on archiving documents which provides a helpful breakdown of who gets what in terms of State Library vs. the Archives. Keep in mind that there are always exceptions to rules and guidelines and not everything is always this straightforward – when in doubt, please ask:
- State Library of Massachusetts email: Reference.Department@mass.gov
- Massachusetts Archives email: archives@sec.state.ma.us
The Massachusetts Archives, on the other hand, is located in Columbia Point – next to UMass Boston and the JFK Library.
This is the reason I always recommend contacting the Archives or the Library ahead of time to verify that whichever repository you are considering visiting actually has the item you need.
Time to add another complication: the State Library has a Special Collections Department which holds historic materials that are rare and fragile e.g., the Bradford Manuscript. Technically, the Special Collections does contain archival collections – however, these are predominantly the personal papers of past legislators, documents related to the history of the State Library and the State House building. You can learn more about the legislators’ papers by reading past blog posts: Collecting Legislative Papers. (Read more about examples of legislators’ papers with our collection on our blog, e.g., Ms. Coll. 179: Representative Josh S. Cutler Papers and Pride Month Spotlights from the Special Collections Department). Try to avoid confusing legislators’ papers the State Library collects with the legislative packets/packages kept at the Massachusetts Archives. Legislative packages/packets consist of whatever accompanies a copy of the bill when it gets submitted to the Archives – the packets should include the original petition with names of all petitioners, written changes in the bill, and sometimes other material such as letters, with margin notes. Note that I said “should” – sometimes all that is submitted is a copy of the bill. Again, it’s always best to contact the Archives ahead of time to verify (1) that there is a packet and (2) that there is material in it beyond a copy of the bill.
Another weird thing we’ve got going on is that the web address for our Digital Collections has the word “archives” in it. I don’t really have any advice for that other than to ignore that it says archives and to focus on the lib.state.ma part instead. The Massachusetts Archives has its own digital collections – their web address also has the word “archives” in it, but it’s followed by sec.stat.ma … hopefully that helps. Don’t stress if you’re still unsure about which institution has the materials you need for your research – we’re always happy to point you in the right direction (again, it’s always best to email us and ask – just to be sure!).
Fun fact: the State Library also gets confused with the Boston Public Library. We often get asked where “the room with green lamps” is because for some reason a certain search engine *cough-cough* still likes to pull up images of the Boston Public Library’s famous Bates Hall reading room when people do web searches for the State Library.
This is the reason I always recommend contacting the Archives or the Library ahead of time to verify that whichever repository you are considering visiting actually has the item you need.
Time to add another complication: the State Library has a Special Collections Department which holds historic materials that are rare and fragile e.g., the Bradford Manuscript. Technically, the Special Collections does contain archival collections – however, these are predominantly the personal papers of past legislators, documents related to the history of the State Library and the State House building. You can learn more about the legislators’ papers by reading past blog posts: Collecting Legislative Papers. (Read more about examples of legislators’ papers with our collection on our blog, e.g., Ms. Coll. 179: Representative Josh S. Cutler Papers and Pride Month Spotlights from the Special Collections Department). Try to avoid confusing legislators’ papers the State Library collects with the legislative packets/packages kept at the Massachusetts Archives. Legislative packages/packets consist of whatever accompanies a copy of the bill when it gets submitted to the Archives – the packets should include the original petition with names of all petitioners, written changes in the bill, and sometimes other material such as letters, with margin notes. Note that I said “should” – sometimes all that is submitted is a copy of the bill. Again, it’s always best to contact the Archives ahead of time to verify (1) that there is a packet and (2) that there is material in it beyond a copy of the bill.
Another weird thing we’ve got going on is that the web address for our Digital Collections has the word “archives” in it. I don’t really have any advice for that other than to ignore that it says archives and to focus on the lib.state.ma part instead. The Massachusetts Archives has its own digital collections – their web address also has the word “archives” in it, but it’s followed by sec.stat.ma … hopefully that helps. Don’t stress if you’re still unsure about which institution has the materials you need for your research – we’re always happy to point you in the right direction (again, it’s always best to email us and ask – just to be sure!).
Fun fact: the State Library also gets confused with the Boston Public Library. We often get asked where “the room with green lamps” is because for some reason a certain search engine *cough-cough* still likes to pull up images of the Boston Public Library’s famous Bates Hall reading room when people do web searches for the State Library.
Maryellen Larkin
Government Documents & Reference Librarian
