Life after Simmons
While a student at the Simmons College School of Library and Information Science, I spent my final semester as an intern at the Congregational Library and Archives. With multiple internship opportunities before me, I chose to work at the Congregational Library because of the opportunity it offered interns to become fully enveloped in the Library's cataloging and reference work. By the end of the semester, I had greatly developed my skills as a librarian and I left more energized and excited about the possibilities of librarianship than what I would have anticipated.
Entranced by the rich historical collection, captivated by the splendor of the Reading Room, and excited by the dynamism of the forward-thinking staff, I completed my internship knowing that I wanted to start my career at an institution like the Congregational Library. Fortunately for me, I found a place as the Assistant Librarian only a short time after my graduation. The two years that have followed have been a whirlwind of learning and undertaking new challenges. Most rewardingly, I have had the chance to mentor Simmons interns as they have worked at the Library and taken the first steps in starting their own careers in libraries and archives.
Steve Picazio
Assistant Librarian
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Visit Us
In Person or Online!
|  | Congregational Library
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Give the Gift of
to Someone Special
or to Yourself!
Call 617-523-0470
ext. 230
or
email info@14beacon.org
for more info
Visit us online
www.congregationallibrary.org
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On the Job Training
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One of the benefits of being located in a city rich with colleges and universities is the opportunity it affords us to offer internships to graduate students who are interested in gaining hands on experience working with an archival collection. Many years ago we established an internship program with Simmons School of Library and Informational Science, rated as the top Archives and Preservation program in the nation. Throughout the years we have been the beneficiary of extraordinary talent and passion; and this year is no exception! Whether sifting through personal papers, organizational records, or church inventories, interns have the opportunity to process an archival collection from start to finish by learning the basic principles of arrangement and description, research, preservation, and rehousing techniques. This semester we welcome Rachel Cohen, Anderson Boone, and Nick Ver Steegh. Rachel, a first year graduate student, came to Simmons from Florida State University with a dual degree in English and History. Interested in how a puzzle fits together, Rachel is using her talents and learning new skills as she assesses records and files from the South Congregational Church in Chicago. After fully processing this collection, Rachel will learn how to write a finding aid to help people locate information regarding this congregation in Chicago; the finding aid will be available on our website and searchable on the Internet. This practical experience will give her a sense of the archival profession and provide her with examples for her professional portfolio as she progresses in her career. Anderson, a second year graduate student, is a graduate of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts with a degree in history.
Anderson enjoys culling through a collection which feeds his love of history. Anderson's internship is a programmatic look at the New England's Hidden Histories lifecycle as a whole. Working with many varied, but small collections, Anderson is working through all phases of the NEHH processing, digitization, and publication process.  | | Nick Ver Steegh |
Nick, a first year graduate student, arrived in Boston with a degree in English from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. Aware that there are many internship opportunities in the Boston area, Nick chose The Congregational Library to gain hands on experience in working with an archival collection. Nick is working on a new arrival: the records of the recently closed Everett First United Parish Church. This project provides a wonderful opportunity to learn the bedrock skills that all archivists must master. Nick will organize the collection and create a guide that will be published on the CLA's website after his project is complete. We are delighted to have such talented and interesting interns this semester.
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Upcoming Events
Mark your calendar!
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 | | Charles Harper |
A conversation with Charles Harper
Theologian, Poet, Mystic
Thursday, November 13 at noon
Congregational Library and Archives
A theologian, a poet and a mystic live in me. The theologian is steeped in classical Christian traditions, understood metaphorically. The mystic lives simultaneously in the worlds of light and darkness held together in a dialectical unity. The poet is a metaphysical agnostic, a cultural critic and a spiritual seeker.
At a recent poetry reading in East Falmouth, a retired English teacher commented, "Your poetry raises more questions than it answers." Exactly! My readings are dialogical events at which the poems invite the audience into the conversation. The poems seem to sense they are incomplete apart from the response of the audience. About his work:
"Wonderful - full of the beauty and perils of being human."
Marleen von Goeler, Plymouth, MA
"These are poems to which I return time and again."
Rosalee Sinn, Heifer International
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A Short History of Congregationalism
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What is Congregationalism and who are Congregationalists? To find these answers we look back into the history of this influential spiritual tradition whose roots so many Americans share. This one-day seminar will provide an overview of the Congregational Christian tradition, from its beginning to the present-day. In an informal setting, we will cover three and a half centuries, from Congregationalism's English Puritan roots to the denominational mergers and divisions which created the national organizations as they exist today.
Executive Director and historian Peggy Bendroth will lead an in-depth exploration and help participants discover the origins of their own beliefs and gain a greater understanding of their shared foundation.
There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.
Thursday, November 20th Library members - $20
10:00 am - 2:30 pm Non-members - $35
Lunch provided
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