Category Archives: Community

Posts about community happenings that aren’t necessary part of University Archives & Special Collections activities.

Introducing Sarah Collins, new Community Archiving Grant Project Manager

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Headshot of Sarah CollinsWe are pleased to announce that Sarah Collins joined the University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston as Community Archiving Grant Project Manager.

Sarah comes to UASC most recently from the New England Aquarium where she worked in interpretive planning, exhibit and program evaluation, and visitor experience. She is an experienced strategic planner and collaborative leader; during her time in Washington, DC, Sarah held project manager positions in education policy nonprofits as well as for the Administrative Office of the US Courts.

She will be putting these skills to good use helping to build on the success of the Mass. Memories Road Show. Through a grant from the Institute for Museums and Library Sciences, UASC will create an accessible, adaptable, and engaging “roadmap” to guide libraries of all kinds and sizes through the process of planning event-based participatory archiving programs with the communities they serve. Sarah is thrilled to be helping libraries across the country empower their communities to add their personal stories to the archives.

Sarah received her undergraduate degree in international relations and her master’s degree in museum studies with a concentration in history from the George Washington University.

Welcome to UASC, Sarah!

Chinese American Experiences Mass. Memories Road Show materials available now

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

Organized by the Chinese Historical Society of New England (CHSNE), the event was held at the Pao Arts Center in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood on Saturday, June 2, 2018. Collaborating partners included the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association, the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition, and Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. The event was made possible in part with support from CHSNE’s 2018 year-round sponsors–Tufts Medical Center, South Cove Community Health Center, and the National Park Service–as well as generous donations from Jook Sing Cafe, Crave-Mad for Chicken, and MEM Tea Imports.

Karen Yu and Eugenia Beh volunteered at the Chinese American Experiences Mass. Memories Road Show on June 2, 2018.

 

More than two dozen volunteers, including eight Chinese language translators, joined a team of UMass Boston staff members, public history graduate students, and “Roadies” to welcome 130 adults and children from the greater Boston area to the event.

'This photo was taken in a studio in Boston, Massachusetts in 1934. My dad Edwin Keyseu Chin, 30, and my mom Mary Gee, 24, my oldest sister Helen, 1.5, and my oldest brother Tom, 6 months. This is two years after mom came to Boston from Zoishan, China and married Dad. They operated a hand laundry in Charlestown, Massachusetts near City Square in the shadow of the elevated train tracks. Charlestown at the time was mostly Irish. Pictured, from back to front, left to right: my father Edwin Keyseu Chin, my mother Mary Gee Chin, my sister Helen Chin, and my brother Tom Chin.'

‘Edwin Keyseu Chin family of Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1934. This photo was taken in a studio in Boston, Massachusetts. My dad Edwin Keyseu Chin, 30, and my mom Mary Gee, 24, my oldest sister Helen, 1.5, and my oldest brother Tom, 6 months. This is two years after mom came to Boston from Zoishan, China and married Dad. They operated a hand laundry in Charlestown, Massachusetts near City Square in the shadow of the elevated train tracks. Charlestown at the time was mostly Irish. Pictured, from back to front, left to right: my father Edwin Keyseu Chin, my mother Mary Gee Chin, my sister Helen Chin, and my brother Tom Chin.’ Contributor: David Chin.

 

Participants shared over 200 photographs and videos documenting their connections to Chinese American communities in Massachusetts and beyond. A number of images depict family members before they immigrated from China to the United States and the majority of the materials document the homes, businesses, and community organizations that Chinese American families established in the greater Boston area in the 20th century.

My father and his staff Description 'My father owned the Jade Restaurant in Malden. He purchased it during WWII and expanded it. He had several wait staff and kitchen staff. Pictured, from left to right: Maude McKenzie, the wait staff at Jade Restaurant, my father Dun Shai Jeong. Location: Jade Restaurant.'


‘My father and his staff, 1940. My father owned the Jade Restaurant in Malden. He purchased it during WWII and expanded it. He had several wait staff and kitchen staff. Pictured, from left to right: Maude McKenzie, the wait staff at Jade Restaurant, my father Dun Shai Jeong. Location: Jade Restaurant.’ Contributor: Diana Jeong.

 

Domestic interiors and street scenes of Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood are included in the collection. Informal snapshots and formal family portraits depict Chinese Americans living and working in surrounding cities such as Malden and Quincy, as well as suburban towns such as Wayland and Lexington.

Inside 116 Hudson Street circa 1954 Description 'This was taken inside 116 Hudson Street, 2nd floor, in the 1950s when Chinese-American (Taishanese American) families formed for the first time. Settling on Hudson Street until Hudson Street was demolished in 1963 for the Southeast Expressway ramp. It was a traumatic displacement for the immigrants who had been displaced through immigration, revolution, and war. Pictured, from left to right: May Soon Yee, Albert Yee, and Cynthia Yee.'


‘Inside 116 Hudson Street circa 1954. This was taken inside 116 Hudson Street, 2nd floor, in the 1950s when Chinese-American (Taishanese American) families formed for the first time. Settling on Hudson Street until Hudson Street was demolished in 1963 for the Southeast Expressway ramp. It was a traumatic displacement for the immigrants who had been displaced through immigration, revolution, and war. Pictured, from left to right: May Soon Yee, Albert Yee, and Cynthia Yee.’ Contributor: Cynthia Yee.

 

Some contributors further shared stories of adoption by American parents and their experiences forging community connections among Asian adoptees.

'This photo depicts the official moment when I was adopted. I am being held and fed a bottle as a seven-month year old baby by my mom, Marjorie, while my dad, Doug, looks on. Two government officals are holding some certificate. A Chinese flag is in the background, representing the place and national affliation. I would like to know the exact location, date, time, but I just didn't ask my parents this morning. Hdl.handle.net/11603/10862'

‘Moment of conception, official adoption ceremony, May 1995. This photo depicts the official moment when I was adopted. I am being held and fed a bottle as a seven-month year old baby by my mom, Marjorie, while my dad, Doug, looks on. Two government officials are holding some certificate. A Chinese flag is in the background, representing the place and national affiliation. I would like to know the exact location, date, time, but I just didn’t ask my parents this morning.’ Contributor: Laura Xiang Williams.

 

The collection documents participants’ efforts to preserve Chinese identity and cultural heritage as well as their contributions to American institutions and traditions. Many contributors also emphasized memories of their personal accomplishments and those of their children finding success in the United States through educational and professional achievements.

Modern take on traditional Chinese dress Description 'Mary is wearing a traditional Chinese dress, 'cheongsam', that has been modernized to the 1970s. Pictured: my grandmother Mary Soo Hoo.'


‘Modern take on traditional Chinese dress. My grandmother Mary Soo Hoo is wearing a traditional Chinese dress, ‘cheongsam’, that has been modernized to the 1970s.’ Contributor: Maliya Soo Hoo.

 

Browse the Chinese American Experiences 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.

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

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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.

http://https://vimeo.com/302882666

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

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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 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.

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

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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.