''Cambridge 400" Aims to Widen the City's Historical Lens
Cambridge Chronicle
December 2, 2021
The 400th anniversary of Cambridge’s settlement as New Towne in 1630 by the Massachusetts Bay Company is nine years away, but a local history-centered nonprofit has begun unifying community-based organizations under a collaborative initiative to start planning it. Full article.
Alyssa Pacy Fills Void of Historically Marginalized Voices
Cambridge Chronicle
October 21, 2021
Alyssa Pacy was working at Lesley University in 2010 as the founding archivist when she saw a position open at the Cambridge Public Library. The job description was for someone to start an archival repository for the city from scratch, which is about as exciting as it gets for a mind like Pacy’s. Full article.
Senses of Place: An Architectural Historian Before and During Covid-19
Maxi Schreiber
Libraries: Culture, History, and Society (2021) 5 (2): 254-260
Using Archives and Rare Materials During Quarantine
Yet, there was still the Cambridge Public Library and archives that I had to visit for my book project. I didn’t want to abandon this case study yet, and I hoped to be able to eventually make the trip, but in July the Cambridge Public Library told me that they wouldn’t reopen anytime soon. At that time, I considered changing my case study and evaluated other potential libraries. After discussing this with my mentor, Prof. Anna Andrzejewski, however, it became clear to me that another library wouldn’t serve my research as well. Fortunately, digitized online archival materials worked out in my favor. Many resources that are crucial for my project were already online, and the librarians of the Cambridge Public Library provided me with a password that granted full-view access to archived Cambridge newspapers. I was lucky because not all libraries offer this service to users out of state. In Chicago and Seattle, for example, one can only access the newspapers in their collection with a library card or at one of the computers inside the library. When I contacted the archivist in Cambridge, it turned out that she was also willing to scan materials for me that I had found in the online finding aids. In online Zoom meetings, the archivist, Alyssa Pacy, showed me archival materials, went through all the relevant folders, and checked with me what was of interest. I’m immensely grateful for her flexibility, work, and assistance that saved my research. Full article.
A Conversation with Alyssa Pacy, CPL Archivist
Cambridge Public Library Foundation
July 17, 2020
What do you do at the Library?
I am the archivist at the Cambridge Public Library, and, to make it very simple, I collect, preserve, describe and make available records of enduring value that document the history of Cambridge.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I am responsible for answering all reference requests – in person and remote requests. I interface a lot with the public in that way – answering questions, connecting patrons to resources, et cetera. I am responsible for curating the collection – going into the community and working with various community members, organizations and families to build the collection. Full article.
Amateur Filmmakers Learn to Document Family Histories
Cambridge Chronicle
November 29, 2018
Missing gravestones, immigration, the origins of unique family names: these are just some of the stories the people of Cambridge have to tell. On Nov. 15, after a six-week course, 10 residents showcased the intricacies of their family histories during a film screening at the Cambridge
Public Library. The night began with a 40-minute screening of all of the films followed by a short question-and-answer session with the filmmakers. The films were created as part of a collaborative course between the Cambridge Public Library and Cambridge Community Television called Discovering our History, Telling Our Stories, in which adult students learned about genealogy research and basic video editing. Full article.
Library Touts Online Newspaper Database
Cambridge Chronicle
May 29, 2014
Filing and storing newspaper can be a troubling experience, just ask Cambridge Public Library archivist Alyssa Pacy. Over the months and years, stacks of newspapers pile up to insurmountable heights, choking any room of extra space and creating a true fire hazard and rendering the content difficult or impossible to find without hours of painstaking searching. Which is why when she was hired in 2011, one of Pacy’s first tasks was finding a suitable archive system to store all of the library’s newspaper content. A key component of the job: Ensure the content was accessible to the public, preserving the historic record in an easy-to-search format. Full article. (To access the article, please register here and confirm your account via email.)
Bent Street Artists Adieu to Doffie’s Studio: Artist's Journals, Artwork to be Donated
Cambridge Chronicle
November 28, 2013
Dorothy Arnold, affectionately called “Doffie,” created thousands of works of art in all types of mediums at her 243 Bent Ave. studio in Cambridge. On Nov. 17, family, friends and supporters gathered at the expansive white-walled studio known as the Bent Street Artists Association to celebrate her 20 years in the space before it closes for good. For the past year, Dorothy Arnold’s son, David, has been cataloging more than 3,000 pieces his mother made. “I would visit every couple of months and she would ask, ‘What do you think of this?’ She was always looking for feedback," David Arnold said of his mother. Doffie’s artwork has been featured in many galleries and showcases around New England, as well as New York and London, in places like WGBH, the Copley Society, and Mass. General Hospital. Full article. (To access the article, please register here and confirm your account via email.)
Perusing Cambridge’s Past: Archive Tour Digs into In/famous Icons of Local Lore
Cambridge Chronicle
July 12, 2012
A man on his way to the market spills a basket of strawberries on Mt. Auburn Street; undercover Vice Squad agents raid a Harvard students room; neighbors bring a suit against a nudist community operating bn Longfellow Street; in Cambridge’s storied past, forgotten moments like these are brought to life in the city’s annual Open Archive Tour, which began July 9. Full article. (To access the article, please register here and confirm your account via email.)
City’s History on Display
Cambridge Chronicle
October 27, 2011
The issue of whether Cambridge needs a history museum came up at last week’s City Council meeting when a majority of the councilors made the request that City Manager Bob Healy appoint a committee to explore the idea. Councilor Craig Kelley was the only one who objected to the idea saying that there were other places in the city that showcase Cambridge’s history. One of those places is nestled away on the second floor of the Cambridge Public Library. The Cambridge Room serves as the city’s repository of all things Cambridge. Full article. (To access the article, please register here and confirm your account via email.)
The Cambridge Room is open during the following hours and by appointment:
Monday 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Tuesday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Wednesday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Thursday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Call to speak with Cambridge Room staff at 617-349-7757
