Congregational Library

Welcome to new library intern - Steven Picazio

As we bid farewell to Abraham Miller, Archives Assistant, we welcome into the library Steven Picazio. Steven started his Simmons GSLIS library internship today. He will be with us Tuesday and Wednesday mornings until December 2. Steven is a graduate of Saint Michael's College in Colchester, VT with a BA in English. This is his final semester at Simmons and he will receive his MSLIS in December 2011. He is interested in cataloging and is working with Rachel to complete sections of the collection not yet cataloged. Steven has been a sales associate at Borders in Burlington, MA.

Please stop by and say hello to Steven who will be spending time at the desk in the Reading Room.

We also have a new cataloging volunteer, Nishtha Lakhanpal. Nishtha began her studies at Simmons GSLIS in January 2011. Nishtha has both a BA and MA in English from Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. Prior to beginning classes at Simmons, Nishtha was a Branch Associate at ING Financial in Toronto.

-Claudette

Farewell and tschüss from the Archives Assistant

I don't like "goodbye". It doesn't sit well with me. I prefer the terms like "farewell" or "tschüss", German for "see you later", because they imply continuity, whereas "goodbye" seems terminal. Tomorrow, August 31, 2011, I will say farewell to the Congregational Library, when my tenure as Archives Assistant ends. This is not the end. This marks new beginnings for me and for the Congregational Library. This 1893 photograph of Pilgrim Congregational Church, Dorchester, Boston, Mass., serves as a fitting reminder. The photograph shows a throng gathered in the rain to watch the laying of the cornerstone for the new church structure.

I have worked at the Congregational Library since May 2010, after holding an internship at the library the previous fall. My accomplishments at the Congregational Library were greatly affected by my other jobs and my education at Simmons College, where I earned a M.A. in History and a M.S. in Archival Science, much as my roles at the Congregational Library will affect future jobs. I started at the Congregational Library by creating a framework for the library to continue cataloging the artifact and realia collections, such as objects collected by S. Brainerd Pratt. I have also worked on processing archival records. To aid future processors working on manuscript and archival collections, I created ways for staff to use Describing Archives: A Content Standard, an archival descriptive standard, at the library.

I have cataloged and digitized scores of images from the Image Collection, of which many are Congregational churches and Congregational clergy. Cataloging and digitizing images, by far, was how I spent most of my time. There are currently more than 1,300 Image Collection records in the online database, of which many were cataloged by my predecessors. There are new access mechanisms for finding and viewing these images. More than 150 images are on the Congregational Library Flickr page. The Congregational Library also has 55 records in the Digital Commonwealth system.

I am extremely lucky to have worked at the Congregational Library because my colleagues are warm professionals. What has made this job worthwhile is seeing how much you care for the topics that you are researching. I take pride in knowing that I have been able to work with you all to preserve and perpetuate the memory of Congregationalism, or the other topics in which you are interested. Please continue your work by following this blog, making use of the Records Management brochures, and by contacting the library with your questions. Sari Mauro will join the staff of the Congregational Library. I now say “tschüss” because I know that Sari will be a great asset to you and to the library.

--Abraham

End of summer, changing of the guard

As the summer draws to a close this week, we say goodbye to two more people.

Emily Anderson, one of our cataloging volunteers, is heading back to school. She's been with us since March, and has been very helpful in adding our acquisitions from Chicago Theological Seminary and some of our existing materials to the online catalog.

Abraham Miller, our part-time Archives Assistant, is also destined for greener pastures. Abe began his time here as an intern two years ago, and took over the assistant position when Sam Smallidge graduated from Simmons last year. Now Abe has finished the archival program as well, and is passing the torch to Sari Mauro, who volunteered here last summer. We are extremely grateful for all the hard work Abe has put into digitizing and cataloging the items in our Image Collection, as well as spearheading our participation in the Digital Commonwealth program. We will miss his dedication and good humor, but we know that they will serve him well as he moves on to bigger and better things.

We mention our interns and volunteers a lot on this blog. Because we have such a small staff, we simply couldn't accomplish some of the ambitious plans we have for our collections without their assistance. And since Claudette, Jessica, Rachel, and April are all graduates of the Simmons GSLIS program, they enjoy mentoring the next generation of library professionals, and cultivating some of the workplace skills that can't always be learned in a classroom. It's a win-win situation that we hope will continue for a very long time to come.

Obligatory Baby Picture

Dashiell, 2 days old!

Thanks, everyone for the well-wishes- our family is doing quite well and will be sure to visit the library in the next few months. A child named in honor of 20th century creative thought and raised by an archivist will find himself in the stacks often.

-Jessica

Congratulations, Jessica and Matt!

Our archivist, Jessica, mentioned last month that she would soon be going on maternity leave, and we're happy to announce that the time has finally arrived.

Dashiell Matheny was born early Monday morning. Mother and son are both doing great. We wish all the best to Jessica, her husband Matt, and the newest member of their family.

St. Wilfrid’s Church, Scrooby, England

The story of William Brewster's split from the Anglican church in Scrooby, England, is well known. William Brewster and other religious dissenters met in Brewster’s manor after leaving St. Wilfrid's Church. The following is a photograph taken of St. Wilfrid's Church in Scrooby for The Congregationalist in 1896.

For more information about Scrooby and how we remember the religious dissenters, search "Scrooby" or "Dissenters, Religious" in the library catalog.

--Abraham

New digital exhibit - History of the American Board

At long last, our second digital exhibit is ready for viewing.

Of Faith and Courage: The History of the ABCFM began as a display in our conference room as part of a bicentennial celebration for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. The visitors who saw it enjoyed it so much that we decided to create a digital version to share with everyone who couldn't make it to the library in person.

This exhibit provides a history of one of the most influential missionary groups of the 19th and 20th centuries, from its founding through its modern legacy. The ABCFM was a force for change, providing education and medical assistance to people around the world, from right here in the United States to Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific. Learn the stories of the men and women who traveled so far from home, and the people and places they encountered.

 

--Robin

Timeline of Christian (Stone-Campbell) history

The Disciples of Christ Historical Society has put together a beautiful timeline of the Stone-Campbell Movement that formed the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and its modern legacy.

It includes images of important people, places, and events from the development of the Christian tradition in America and around the world. There are even links to further reading for those interested in more details.

The Christian and Congregational traditions are very closely related. A branch of the Christian Connection merged with the majority of the Congregational churches to form the Congregational Christian Churches in 1931. Although the Disciples of Christ weren't part of that union, the resulting denominations have maintained a friendly relationship.

First Congregational Church, Hopkinton, N.H., Covenant

First Congregational Church, Hopkinton, New Hampshire, was formed through the following covenant, dated November 23, 1757. The covenants were used to outline the duties and obligations of those who joined the church as members. As people joined the church, they signed the covenant, seen at the bottom of the photograph.

Click here for a larger image.

This is one reason that church records are valuable for genealogical research: the records provide concrete dates and locations for persons. Two hundred and fifty year old records are important because they allow us to perceive eighteenth century America. Current church records can have enduring value for much the same reason. For more information on preserving your church records, please view the Congregational Library's Records Management resources.

For more information about church records, search "Church records and registers" in the library catalog.

--Abraham

Online church history seminar series

If you've wanted to attend one of our records management workshops, but were unable due to distance or timing, you may have a new option. The Disciples of Christ Historical Society is offering an online course entitled Linking Your Church to History:

Regardless of your current skill level, you'll come away from this six-week online class with a clearer understanding of the importance of preserving church history and with stronger technical and managerial skills that you can apply immediately to the job.

Beginning September 6, 2011, each session includes online readings, offline assignments and culminates in a live online group discussion the following Tuesday evening. The last session concludes on October 18.

• Six online sessions
• Downloadable resources
• Live group discussion

All this and more, for just $150.00

Register through the DCHS information page.

Records management and preservation are important, and a lot of the same guidelines apply, regardless of your denomination. Go learn!