State Library of Massachusetts

Due to State House maintenance, the State Library will be closed on Monday, August 19, 2024. Library staff will be providing services remotely. https://ow.ly/qTyQ50SZEoM

A little paper repair, a little sewing, and this frontispiece is reunited with its title page! The Ugly Duckling, published circa 1890 with illustration by Harrison Weir, went through a few transformations in the preservation lab, so keep an eye out - it might pop up in our social media again!

2024 is the year of the Olympic and Paralympic games! We aren’t in Paris to enjoy the festivities in person, so we found some of our favorite books about sports and Paris from our collections! Visit the library Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm to take a look!

in 1818 pioneer abolitionist and suffragist Lucy Stone was born on her family's farm at Coy's Hill in West Brookfield, MA. Learn more about her in biographies to historical fiction in the State Library's catalog: https://ow.ly/vkyB50STWBf

Looking for a legislator's biography and photograph, committee assignments, office locations, staffing lists, district information, election results, and more? Then check out the Massachusetts Political Almanac. Read more in this week's blog: https://ow.ly/p3tx50SRwsj

Ice Ice baby 🧊🧊 The library's 1893 copy of "The Ice Crop" is not only a complete guide to harvesting ice, but also includes recipes for ice cream and iced fruit. You can learn more about the ice industry and read the full volume digitally: https://ow.ly/i4U750SSrkG #🍧

Flamingos have unexpectedly popped up on the Cape this summer, and now they're in our library, too. Staff were surprised to see just how pink this print is in person, so visit us through 9/5 to check it out for yourself! And read more about the American Flamingo (plate 431) in today's blog post: https://ow.ly/BhgE50SU1YF

definitely would have answered this incorrectly ... a would totally use a scallop shell for a fan! https://ow.ly/46JP50SEvvR

We're commemorating this month's National Archives Hashtag Party theme with Souvenir of New England's Great Resorts, a souvenir book by George H. Haynes from 1891. Revisit a blog post written by our preservation librarian about this title and its New England vacation hotspots here: https://ow.ly/vAh250SSkxc

Hawaii marks the 65th anniversary of its statehood this month, and in honor, we're displaying an 1838 printing of the first translation of the Bible in the Hawaiian language. Read more in today's blog post, and visit us through August 30 to see it in person: https://ow.ly/H3yw50SPoRY

State employees: Don’t forget your smart device if you’re taking some time away from the office this month! Use the Libby app to borrow ebooks, audiobooks, & magazines while enjoying the summer sun. ☀️To get started, download Libby and sign in using your State Library of MA library card. Learn more at https://cwmars.overdrive.com/ or email [email protected].

Hello August! Summer reading, ice cream, flamingos and more are in our monthly newsletter, out today! Check it out here: https://ow.ly/xuZE50SPkcS

Webster MA is home to Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg - the longest name for a geographic place in the US? The name comes from the Algonquian language, but many refer to it as Webster Lake. Image is from the library's copy of Webster's 1987 Annual Town Report

Our archivists and interns were busy bees today! Here's a shot of them in action preparing legislative papers for transfer to special collections.

In this week’s blog post, our Government Documents Intern describes the library’s large collection of annual reports from cities and towns across the Commonwealth - and highlights some fun covers! Read more here: https://ow.ly/8fn850SKnhu

to this cutting edge tech at the Legislative Service Bureau ca. 1981
https://ow.ly/k6bH50SALb3

Does July have you craving ice cream? Us too, especially when we came across an advertisement for Charles Copeland, Confectioner in the back pages of the Guide to Boston and Suburbs, published in 1856. Copeland ensures visitors that his store had “constantly on hand the best ice cream.” Consider this your sign to get an afternoon treat!

National Fishing Month begins on July 24th and goes until August 30th each year? To kick off this month, we’re sharing a few pages from our 1998 Sport Fish Program Guide by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. To see the full volume, visit: https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/837634

On this day 196 years ago (July 23, 1827) the first swimming school in the United States was opened by Francis Lieber at a Boston gymnasium. Opening the swimming school made such a splash that President John Quincy Adams traveled to Boston to visit the gymnasium facilities.

Do you need to research the Attorney General Opinions and don't know where to start? Our expert librarians are sharing their knowledge in this week's blog: https://ow.ly/yYzz50SFq9I

It’s time for another behind the scenes look at our stacks! We love our long rows of books and the natural light that comes through the half-moon windows. Come visit us in room 341 of the State House, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm!

State Agencies, we now offer temporary use of four of our display cases so you can share information about your projects, initiatives, and accomplishments with State House visitors. Find out more on our website: https://ow.ly/G4RI50StL0h

Fun with weights and values, courtesy of this 1787 pocket almanac! View the whole almanac in our digital collections: https://ow.ly/F8IC50SAJCn

We're taking a different approach to this month's : (leaf)! When conservators worked on the State Library's restoration in 2014, they performed the task you see here - restoring beautiful rosette details from grey to gold 💛

There's a curious connection between two of the busts on display on opposite ends of the State Library! Read about Theodore Roosevelt and John Davis Long in this week's blog post: https://ow.ly/6oXs50SxpmO

On this day 128 years ago, the nation’s first public beach opened in Revere, MA. swimmers were required to rent their bathing suits from the bathhouse at Revere Beach, due to the Metropolitan Park Commission’s monopoly on bathing suits? The suits were manufactured, laundered, and repaired on-site. In just one hour, the on-site laundry could wash, wring, and press 500 bathing suits. Visit the library to take a look at our books on Revere Beach or email [email protected] with your questions.

Hello from the Carolina Parrot (Audubon plate 26)! This colorful and social bird has been officially listed as extinct since 1939, but you can see it on display in our reading room through August 8. Read more about it in our blog post: https://ow.ly/fmjp50SzL8x

A view of the library's reading room, 1960. Come beat the heat in our historic reading room, a nice place to study or start on that summer reading!

As hot as the temps are this week it may be hard to believe that 208 years ago New England experienced a frosty summer! This week marks the anniversary when Waltham reportedly was covered in frost on July 8, 1816.

At the State Library, we have a book published in 1891 describing what the weather was like for New Englanders during the Summer of 1816. According to Historic Storms of New England, many towns saw snow in June and frost in July during 1816! The book describes snow falling on June 7th in Newton, Massachusetts and again on June 8th in Salem, MA. The book goes on to describe July 1816's weather as strange with "frosts in northern New England."

that full-time, permanent state employees can take advantage of the State Library’s Interlibrary Loan program? Read more about how to request materials in this week's blog post: https://ow.ly/bnfO50StJSo