Videos from “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show available online now

The 42 videos collected at the “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show: The Hip-Hop Edition are available online now.

Held at the Boston Public Library in May, the event was a collaboration between UMass Boston’s Healey Library and the Boston Public Library. It was part of a larger project called “Local Rappers, DJs, B-Boys, and Graff: Documenting the Massachusetts Hip-Hop Community from the 1970s to the present” and was supported by a Common Heritage grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor and the UMass President’s Creative Economy Initiatives Fund. Learn more about this project here.

Contributors shared memories of their roots in the Boston hip-hop scene and launching a wide range of careers as visual artists, dancers, musicians, and producers. Many artists described their experiences creating original music and choreography, touring local, national and international stages, and producing events. Local success stories include major performing and record contracts which brought widespread recognition to Boston hip-hop and inspired up-and-coming artists.

The videos in the collection also testify to the significant contributions of Boston hip-hop artists in the development of innovative MCing, DJing, engineering and production techniques and technologies. This pioneering work led to cutting-edge recordings and the founding of independent Boston-based hip-hop record labels, which gained global audiences and recognition. Contributors described the importance of historic albums and recent discs to the hip-hop legacy.

Additionally, the video collection documents contributors’ stories about launching a number of Boston-area radio programs such as Hip-Hope Nation and TV shows such as The Somerville Line, which shared local hip-hop music and culture with wider regional and national audiences.

A few of the videos in the collection further highlight contributors’ experiences launching projects and founding organizations to use music as a vehicle for social change.  For example, the Loop Lab engages Boston youth-at-risk in training programs that address the opportunity gap, by teaching audio and video production skills. Other contributors have started peace-building initiatives to end violence through hip-hop and produced hip-hop performances that explore social justice and other current political issues. All of these initiatives illustrate how members of Boston’s hip-hop community have shaped a local music scene that communicates messages of hope for future generations.

Note to contributors: We need your help to finish processing this collection! If you see something incorrect or misspelled–names and spellings of individuals and performing groups, for example–we want to fix it.  Please email carolyn.goldstein@umb.edu with the details and our team will make the corrections as soon as we can. Thank you!

Logo for National Endownment for the Humanities

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations in this program do not necessarily express those of the National Endowment of the Humanities.

If you have questions about the Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archive, please contact an archivist at UMass Boston, connect with the project on Facebook, or click here to explore the collections and learn how you can contribute materials.


University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.

Participatory Archiving Project Manager

Contributors and volunteers at the scanning station at the Nahant Mass. Memories Road Show

This photograph shows a contributor with volunteers at the scanning station at the Nahant Mass. Memories Road Show, held in 2017.

University Archives and Special Collections in the Healey Library at UMass Boston is hiring a Project Manager to coordinate all aspects of the development of a “Participatory Archiving Roadmap,” as part of a National Leadership Grant for Libraries from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The funded two-year project involves building an accessible, adaptable, and engaging online “roadmap” to guide libraries of all kinds through the process of planning event-based participatory archiving programs with the communities they serve. This is a two-year, full-time benefited position.

WHAT: Project Manager

WHEN: Open until filled

 

About this Position

The University Archives and Special Collections department in the Joseph P. Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts Boston received a National Leadership Grant for Libraries from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for a two-year project to build an accessible, adaptable, and engaging online “roadmap” to guide libraries of all kinds through the process of planning event-based participatory archiving programs with the communities they serve. Read more about this grant here.

The interactive online roadmap will help libraries implement standards- and community-based participatory archiving programs and will be flexible enough to allow libraries to enter at their current point of need, helping them navigate the complexities of community partnerships, digitization event planning, and long-term digital preservation and access to support the vital work of documenting their communities’ cultural heritage.

The successful candidate will work directly with core project team members, national community partners, and others to ensure that the Library adheres to grant project goals and meets project deliverables. The Roadmap Project Manager will report to the Project Director and will coordinate with Healey Library staff and external colleagues as appropriate to ensure all aspects of the multi-faceted project are compatible and are successfully executed in a timely manner. The Roadmap Project Manager will also be responsible for supervising a 12-month, part-time instructional designer who will assist with the design and development of the roadmap.

The Healey Library is looking for a creative and dedicated individual who will fit with our university’s and our department’s collaborative culture. The ideal candidate will have previous experience supervising and delegating tasks to 2 or more people and in managing projects in cultural institutions, library and archives environments, and/or in academic settings. Candidates who enjoy working with other professionals engaged in community-focused library and archival work are encouraged to apply.

Examples of Duties:

  • Facilitate activities of core project team members through all phases of the grant project, including coordinating meetings, preparing agendas, leading workshops, and focus groups.
  • Work with identified local and national community partners to develop survey instruments to solicit both structured and informal feedback on grant project activities.
  • Supervise project-funded Instructional Designer in developing key project deliverables.
  • Track grant project performance, specifically to ensure the successful, on-time completion of short- and long-term goals as identified and outlined by the Project Director and by Healey Library administration.
  • Prepare regular reports including grant-required reports on project progress

Skills and Experience:

  • Previous experience managing medium- to large-scale projects
  • Excellent critical thinking, problem solving, and time management skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
  • Ability to build strong networks with external constituencies
  • Superb analytical skills, as applied to both historical content and organizational process
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively
  • Demonstrated experience with successfully employing project management techniques and tools
  • Experience assisting with the development of survey instruments
  • Proficient, working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Microsoft Excel
  • Strong planning and organizational skills with ability to prioritize and multi-task
  • Proven ability to work independently while exercising good judgment in seeking appropriate guidance
  • Detail oriented
  • Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred.

Read more about this grant and about the Healey Library’s work fostering community archiving programs.

For more information and to apply for this position, click here.


About the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston

UMass Boston logoThe Joseph P. Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts Boston plays a leading role in the dynamic culture of teaching and learning at Boston’s only public research university, while also supporting the campus’ commitment to urban and community engagement. University Archives and Special Collections (UASC) in the Healey Library collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service. UASC is committed to working with, promoting, and assisting community archives in the Greater Boston area and beyond through facilitating cross-organization collaboration and access to informational, educational, and practical resources relevant to archival procedures and best practices. Check in with Healey Library’s news and collections through FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Logo for the Institute of Museum and Library ServicesThe Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. They advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Their vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Healey Library at UMass Boston Receives $275,000 to Expand Community Archiving Programs Nationwide

Attendees and volunteers wearing purple event t-shirts at the Chinese American Experiences Mass. Memories Road Show

Contributors with volunteers at the information station at the Chinese American Experiences Mass. Memories Road Show in June 2018.

The Joseph P. Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts Boston is pleased to announce two funding awards: a $25,000 grant from the LYRASIS Catalyst Fund, and a $250,000 National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). These awards will enable Healey Library, a pioneer in participatory archiving programs through its long-standing Mass. Memories Road Show, to build a suite of resources empowering libraries and cultural heritage organizations nationwide to lead their own community archiving programs and document the unique cultural heritage of their community members.

The LYRASIS Catalyst Fund award, launched in June 2018, will support the production of a video describing the Mass. Memories Road Show program and the development of a suite of online training materials to support libraries in the production of “personal archiving day” events with their communities. Healey Library expects the video and the training modules to be publicly available online by summer 2019.

Contributors and volunteers at the scanning station at the Nahant Mass. Memories Road Show

A contributor with volunteers at the scanning station at the Nahant Mass. Memories Road Show in 2017.

The IMLS award, launched in October 2018, will fund the development of a broad “roadmap” to guide libraries of all kinds through the process of planning participatory archiving programs with the communities they serve as well as in preserving the resulting digital collections and making them accessible. The roadmap, developed in close collaboration with archives and digital preservation experts and with a nationwide network of partners, will help libraries navigate the complexities of community partnerships, digitization event planning, and long-term digital preservation and access, all in support of the vital work of documenting their communities’ cultural heritage. Healey Library’s partners in the roadmap development include representatives from the Maine Historical Society, the Digital Public Library of America, the Metropolitan New York Library Council, the Massachusetts Archives, and the Boston Public Library. The roadmap is scheduled to be completed by fall 2020.

These two projects, taken together, will allow Healey Library to leverage its standing as a national leader in the participatory archiving movement to expand and enhance the capabilities of all libraries, regardless of size or available resources, to engage in and lead these vital community archiving initiatives themselves.

Six people in front of a graffiti painting.

Volunteers and contributors at “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show: The Hip-Hop Edition, which was held at the Boston Public Library in May 2018. Nearly 300 digital images were collected and 60 video interviews were recorded in one day as part of this event.

Libraries are critical community hubs, and these two projects will enhance their ability to bring together diverse participants and to leverage librarians’ unique expertise as information professionals to anchor a community’s collective memory. By helping libraries implement archival preservation standards and best practices, build effective partnerships with their communities, launch successful community archiving events, and navigate channels for publishing and preserving cultural heritage materials, Healey Library, LYRASIS, and the IMLS can ensure the longevity of and access to diverse cultural heritage materials, particularly from groups who might never before have been able to elevate their stories to a national audience. Libraries throughout the country will be able to use these resources to partner more effectively with their communities in preserving and sharing the unique, valuable stories that document our nation’s collective cultural history.

Carolyn Goldstein, Public History and Community Archives Program Manager at Healey Library and Project Director for the IMLS and Catalyst awards, explains, “Community archiving events are a way of collectively telling and preserving a community’s story. Participatory archiving programs are opportunities for community members to add to the historical record photographs and stories that are important to them. These two grants will enable our team to share what we’ve learned from producing the Mass. Memories Road Show for fifteen years, and to collaborate with archival and library colleagues to assess the need and create a set of resources that will empower libraries around the country to document and preserve their communities’ histories and make them accessible.”

“To directly invest in our community of libraries and archives, the LYRASIS Catalyst Fund allows our members the chance to explore their groundbreaking ideas that will help the library and archive landscape at large,” explains Mary Meyer of LYRASIS. “We are very proud to support the Healey Library in its  Online Instruction for Participatory Archiving’ project and are excited about the wide impact this effort will have in sustaining cultural heritages in communities across the country.”

“As centers of learning and catalysts of community change, libraries and museums connect people with programs, services, collections, information, and new ideas in the arts, sciences, and humanities. They serve as vital spaces where people can connect with each other,” said IMLS Director Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew. “IMLS is proud to support their work through our grant making as they inform and inspire all in their communities.”

For additional information about these projects, please contact: Patricia Bruttomesso, Archival Collections Project Manager, at Patricia.Bruttomesso@umb.edu or 617-287-7696.


About the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston

UMass Boston logoThe Joseph P. Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts Boston plays a leading role in the dynamic culture of teaching and learning at Boston’s only public research university, while also supporting the campus’ commitment to urban and community engagement. University Archives and Special Collections (UASC) in the Healey Library collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service. UASC is committed to working with, promoting, and assisting community archives in the Greater Boston area and beyond through facilitating cross-organization collaboration and access to informational, educational, and practical resources relevant to archival procedures and best practices. Check in with Healey Library’s news and collections through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Logo for the Institute of Museum and Library ServicesThe Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. They advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Their vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

About LYRASIS

Lyrasis logoLYRASIS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization whose mission is to support enduring access to the world’s shared academic, scientific and cultural heritage through leadership in open technologies, content services, digital solutions and collaboration with archives, libraries, museums and knowledge communities worldwide. LYRASIS is home to more than 1,000 member academic and public libraries, museums, archives and other collections-holding organizations located in 28 countries. The Catalyst Fund is a program administered by LYRASIS and Leaders Circle members. The Fund is designed to foster new ideas that will benefit the archive, library, and museum communities. Catalyst Fund awards support LYRASIS members as they test and try innovative approaches to advance their field.  

“Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show: The Hip-Hop Edition materials online now

Yhinny Matos and Dash Montalvo at the "Show 'Em Whatcha Got" Mass. Memories Road Show

Yhinny Matos and Dash Montalvo at the “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show.

 

The photographs, objects, and stories collected at the “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show: The Hip-Hop Edition are available online now.

Held at the Boston Public Library in May, the event was a collaboration between UMass Boston’s Healey Library and the Boston Public Library. It was part of a larger project called “Local Rappers, DJs, B-Boys, and Graff: Documenting the Massachusetts Hip-Hop Community from the 1970s to the present” and is supported by a Common Heritage grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor and the UMass President’s Creative Economy Initiatives Fund. Learn more about this project here.

A Phi Ki in the house. Contributor: Troy Ellerbee.

‘A Phi Ki in the house, 1980s.  Spinning at Cambridge VFW.  Pictured: Malcolm (Malibu) and myself Troy Ellerbee (Terminator).’ Contributor: Troy Ellerbee.

 

The digital collection of nearly 300 items features informal snapshots and promotional publicity photographs documenting the experiences of artists and producers involved in the four elements of hip-hop–rap, DJs, dance, and graffiti–in the Boston community from the 1980s to the present.

The Robonauts, 1981. This group was the first and for months was the only dance group of its kind in Cambridge. The Robonauts ushered in the beginning of popping from this area. Contributor: Kevin Layne (Cap Nice).

‘The Robonauts, 1981. This group was the first and for months was the only dance group of its kind in Cambridge. The Robonauts ushered in the beginning of popping from this area.’ Contributor: Kevin Layne (Cap Nice).

 

Many of the photographs in the collection document artists’ and fans’ memories of notable performances and of receiving awards and other public recognition.

My moment to shine, 1996. 'At that moment the room was quiet and all focus was on me. At that moment, I knew I had a voice. I stay in deep thought.' Contributor: Michelle Hunter (Honey Bee).

‘My moment to shine, 1996. At that moment the room was quiet and all focus was on me.  At that moment, I knew I had a voice.  I stay in deep thought.’  Contributor: Michelle Hunter (Honey Bee).

 

Many contributors shared posters, flyers, and other printed matter from performing groups, production companies, venues, and concert performances. They also brought a great number of magazine and album covers from the 1980s to the present, recording the contributions of Boston graphic artists and designers to the local and national hip-hop scene. Several photographs of clothing items, including T-shirts with logos, painted jackets, performance costumes, and shoes, are included in the collection.

Guru's Jazzmatazz Streetsoul poster, 2000. This is the logo and poster I designed for . Contributor: Rob Stull.

‘Guru’s ‘Jazzmatazz Streetsoul’ poster, 2000. This is the logo and poster I designed for hip-hop legend Guru (Keith Elam).’ Contributor: Rob Stull.

 

Note to contributors: We need your help to finish processing this collection! If you see something incorrect or misspelled–names and spellings of individuals and performing groups, for example–we want to fix it.  Please email carolyn.goldstein@umb.edu with the details and our team will make the corrections as soon as we can. Thank you!

Logo for National Endownment for the Humanities

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations in this program do not necessarily express those of the National Endowment of the Humanities.

The 60 video interviews with community members about their connections to hip-hop in Boston and Massachusetts, also collected at this event, will be added to the collection later this year.

If you have questions about the Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archive, please contact an archivist at UMass Boston, connect with the project on Facebook, or click here to explore the collections and learn how you can contribute materials.


University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.

Amesbury Mass. Memories Road Show materials available for research

The photographs, stories, and videos gathered at the Amesbury Mass. Memories Road Show are now available online for research.

Black and white photo of Merrimac Hat employees

Merrimac Hat employees, 1947. ‘It represents many people who worked for years for the Merrimac Hat Corporation, including my father James F. Manning who is on the right of back row. They were on their way to the Durham Conference. Pictured, from back to front, left to right: Joe Charles, Phil Lees, Harlan Main, Bob Wilbur, James F. Manning, (front) Francis Smith, Lenny McDonald. Location: Cedar Street.’ Contributor: Elizabeth Dion.

 

Organized by the Amesbury Carriage Museum and the Amesbury Senior Community Center, the event was held at Amesbury High School on Saturday, April 21, 2017.  Collaborating partners included the Amesbury Public Library, Amesbury Cultural Council, The Whittier Home Association, Amesbury Lions Club, and Amesbury 350th Celebration Committee.

More than thirty local volunteers joined a team of UMass Boston staff members, public history graduate students, and “Roadies” to welcome nearly 100 adults and children with connections to this town on Boston’s North Shore.

Community participants contributed nearly 300 images spanning three centuries of history. Many photographs depict the everyday lives of Amesbury’s residents in the early 21st century, gathering for family celebrations, sharing memorable moments with friends, and enjoying the town’s natural landscapes, outdoor activities, and sporting events.

Launching the whale boat at Lowell's Boat Shop built by apprentices

Launching the whale boat at Lowell’s Boat Shop built by apprentices, 2013. ‘Executive director Graham McKay’s vision became reality as the apprentices successfully launched and rowed this boat that was commissioned by Mystic Seaport’s Charles W. Morgan. As part of this great award, I became the education outreach coordinator for the museum, a position I have loved by bringing students to learn local history.’ Pictured: the seven apprentices who built the boat. Location: Merrimack River.’ Contributor: Patty Hoyt.

 

The former mill town’s industrial development in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is also documented in the collection. Contributors shared images of antique homes, historic structures and monuments, and carriage, automobile, and other manufacturing in the downtown area as well as haberdasheries and shipbuilding operations along the banks of the Powow and Merrimack rivers.

Biddle and Smart factory floor

Biddle and Smart factory floor, early 20th century. ‘Carriage manufacturer, Biddle and Smart, factory where my grandfather worked. It was located on Chestnut Street. Pictured: (second from right, in overalls) my grandfather Edgar H. Gill and other unidentified workers.’ Contributor: Paula Parker.

 

Additional materials relate to Amesbury’s legacy of social reform and activism and its rich cultural heritage.  Contributors shared memories of a number of poets, artists, and writers who once inhabited the town, as well as stories of those residing and working there today.

Halt war. Portraits of Charles H. "Bud" Dolan.

Halt war, 2013. ‘The “Dear World Project” visited the area in 2013. I asked my dad, Charles Dolan, if he would like to be photographed to share a message with the world. He was usually a very private person but he quickly agreed, stating he knew what he wanted to say. This photo captures the intense emotions my dad held inside–from his experience as a young soldier in the infantry during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. There is urgency, fear, anger and sadness in his face. We had never seen these emotions but he was ready to share his message with the world. In his words, “I look like I just came off the battlefield.” I some ways, he had. He never thought of himself as a hero–he was just lucky. Despite being a Bronze Star recipient, he has never felt comfortable or deserving of applause. At a ceremony in Newburyport, my dad received a standing ovation. He welcomed the applause and attention in a way uncharacteristic of him. This time, however, he was being applauded for his message–his beliefs. We all saw a difference in my dad afterward. He had finally come home from the war. RIP Charles H. Dolan 9/19/1923-8/14/2014. Pictured: Charles H. “Bud” Dolan, Sr. Location: Tannery.’ Contributor: Charlene Dolan.

 

Through their contributions to the archive, local community members expressed great pride in their community service and public institutions. Civic engagement, volunteerism, and involvement in local organizations feature prominently in the collection’s images and video testimonials.

 

George Edwin McNeil sign dedication

George Edwin McNeill sign dedication, 2016. ‘This sign is at the site of George E. McNeill’s birthplace. He was a work advocate and often called the “father of the eight-hour workday.” The Amesbury Improvement Association along with the McNeill family funded the renovation of a memorial plaque and created an historical sign. I am the president of the Amesbury Improvement Association. Pictured, from left to right: Roger McNeill, Carol McNeill, and unidentified members of the McNeill family. Location: George McNeill monument.’ Contributor: Anne Ferguson.

 

Browse the Amesbury Mass. Memories Road Show collection.


The Mass. Memories Road Show is a statewide digital history project that documents people, places and events in Massachusetts history through family photographs and stories. In partnership with teams of local volunteers, we organize public events to scan family and community photographs and videotape “the stories behind the photos.” The images and videos are indexed and incorporated into an online educational database. Since its launch, the project has gathered more than 10,000 photographs and stories from across the state. It is supported in part by the Patricia C. Flaherty ’81 Endowed Fund at UMass Boston.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston was established in 1981 as a repository to collect archival material in subject areas of interest to the university, as well as the records of the university itself. The mission and history of UMass Boston guide the collection policies of University Archives & Special Collections, with the university’s urban mission and strong support of community service reflected in the records of and related to urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, war and social consequence, and local history related to neighboring communities. To learn more, visit blogs.umb.edu/archives.