Connecticut Forum on Digital Initiatives Monday, September 17, 2012
Posted by capittsley in updates.Tags: archives, Connecticut, Cultural Heritage, DigitalCollections, Libraries, Museums, updates
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The Connecticut State Library would like to invite you to join us for
The Connecticut Forum on Digital Initiatives
Digital Communities : The Evolving Interaction of Technology and Cultural Heritage
October 22, 2012
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Connecticut Forum on Digital Initiatives brings together libraries, archives, museums, and cultural heritage institutions from around Connecticut and beyond to talk about the digital initiatives happening in our historic state. The Forum is a chance for the diverse voices within the cultural heritage sector to talk about ideas, projects and tools with which they are engaged.
The theme of this Forum is collaboration, and how working collaboratively can enhance a project and create communities of value. From simple collaborative collections to complex grant partnerships, by working together we can maximize our resources and create a greater impact. We will explore the impact of the Digital Humanities community on the Library, Archive and Museum community and discover new avenues of collaboration. So join us in building a better digital community that will move Connecticut forward.
Speakers from institutions including the Library of Congress, Yale University and the New York Public Library will cover issues just as diverse. Workshops will feature topics such as Digital Imaging Standards, Linked Data and Presentation Layers and speakers will look at emerging trends in digital humanities. Several successful collaborative projects underway in Connecticut will be highlighted.
Since we will be at the Legislative Office Building, we encourage you to invite your legislator (find your Legislator here) to stop by the Forum. Help raise awareness of the work that we do and the roles we play in our communities. For more ideas on how to raise awareness visit the AAM Advocacy page. We have created an informational page to help explain what we do. Add your voice today!
Presenters scheduled:
Greg Colati, Director, University Archives & Special Collections, University of Connecticut
Jack Dougherty, Associate Professor of Educational Studies, Trinity College
Chris Edwards, Digital Studio Production Manager, Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscripts Library
Michael Howser, Undergraduate Education and GIS Librarian, Homer Babbidge Library, University of Connecticut
Seth Kaufmann, Developer, CollectiveAccess
Mary Norris, Partner, Wiggin & Dana
Trevor Owens, Digital Archivist, National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program, Office of Strategic Initiatives, Library of Congress
Tom Scheinfeldt, Managing Director, Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Trevor Thornton, Senior Applications Developer, Archives, New York Public Library Labs
Kendall Wiggin, State Librarian, Connecticut State Library
We’d like to thank Connecticut Humanities for their support.
Who Should Attend:
This is not an introduction to digitization. It is strongly recommended
that attendees currently be involved in some form of digital project or
initiative.
Location:
Legislative Office Building
300 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut
Directions http://www.cga.ct.gov/capitoltours/directions.htm
Registration:
There is no fee for registration.
Register here.
For more information contact
Christine Pittsley
Digital Collections Technician
Connecticut State Library
231 Capitol Ave.
Hartford Ct. 06106
860-757-6517
Email - Christine.Pittsley@ct.gov
Final Twenty-two Towns Added to the WPA Architectural Survey Collection Friday, July 27, 2012
Posted by capittsley in Archives, digital collections, history, updates.Tags: archives, DigitalCollections, historic buildings, historic homes, WPA
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The Connecticut State Library is pleased to announce the completion of the WPA Architectural Survey digitization project. We have just added the final twenty-two towns to our online collection of historic homes and buildings. The newly added towns are Wallingford, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Waterford, Watertown, Westbrook, West Hartford, West Haven, Weston, Westport, Wethersfield, Willington, Wilton, Winchester, Windham, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Wolcott, Woodbridge, Woodbury, and Woodstock.
John Barker house, Wallingford
Digitized materials include survey forms and photos from the Census of Old Buildings in Connecticut. Also known as “The WPA House Survey”, the project took place from 1934 through 1937 under the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). The survey forms provide descriptions of nearly 5,000 buildings. Photographs were taken of most buildings and clipped to the survey forms. Some forms also include sketches of interior and/or exterior architectural details and a brief history of the building.
Thirty-nine New Towns Added to the WPA Architectural Survey Collection Monday, May 21, 2012
Posted by capittsley in Archives, digital collections, history, updates.Tags: archives, DigitalCollections, historic buildings, historic homes, WPA
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The Connecticut State Library has just added twenty-one new towns to our online collection of historic homes from the WPA Architectural Survey. The newly added towns are Plainfield, Plainville, Plymouth, Pomfret, Portland, Preston, Prospect, Putnam, Redding, Ridgefield, Rocky Hill, Roxbury, Salem, Salisbury, Scotland, Seymour, Sharon, Shelton, Sherman, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southbury, Southington, Sprague, Stafford, Stamford, Sterling, Stonington, Stratford, Suffield, Thomaston, Thompson, Tolland, Torrington, Trumbull, Union, Vernon, and Voluntown.
Gurdon Marchant house, Redding
Digitized materials include survey forms and photos from the Census of Old Buildings in Connecticut. Also known as “The WPA House Survey”, the project took place from 1934 through 1937 under the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). The survey forms provide descriptions of nearly 5,000 buildings. Photographs were taken of most buildings and clipped to the survey forms. Some forms also include sketches of interior and/or exterior architectural details and a brief history of the building.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Exhibit Now Open; Holiday Commission Records Finding Aid Available Online Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Posted by aramsey in Archives, history.Tags: archives, civil rights, Martin Luther King
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Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Exhibit opened this month in Memorial Hall at the State Library’s Museum of Connecticut History, 231 Capitol Avenue in Hartford. The exhibit documents King’s and Governor Dempsey’s communications concerning the civil rights movement, Connecticut’s response to King’s death, and the creation and work of the Connecticut Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission. Included in the exhibit are remarks, telegrams, programs, photographs, proclamations, posters, lists, and brochures.
A State Archives intern recently completed an online finding aid for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission records (RG 154:003).
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 29, 1929 to Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King in Atlanta, Georgia. He was ordained at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta in February 1948. On June 18, 1953 Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott were married. In 1957 he helped co-found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). King was a pivotal leader in the non-violent civil rights movement from 1955 to his death in 1968. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray as he walked on the balcony of the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis on April 4, 1968.
United States Representative John Conyers introduced legislation four days after Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death for a national holiday. President Ronald Reagan signed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day into law on November 2, 1983. The first national celebration occurred on January 20, 1986. Governor William A. O’Neil issued Executive Order Number 15 on January 10, 1986 creating the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities as its secretariat.
The Connecticut General Assembly in 1989 passed Public Act 89-258, “An Act Creating the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission,” to ensure the “commemoration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the state is meaningful and reflective of the spirit with which he lived and the struggles for which he died.” The commission, which is still active today, is composed of nineteen appointed commissioners, who work to plan an annual celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., sponsor a youth conference and provide reports on activities in the state.
The exhibit may be viewed Monday through Friday 9:00 to 4:00; and Saturday 9:00 to 2:00 through mid-April. All exhibits are free and open to the public.
Twenty-one New Towns Added to the WPA Architectural Survey Collection Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Posted by capittsley in Archives, digital collections, history, updates.Tags: archives, Connecticut, DigitalCollections, historic buildings, historic homes, WPA
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Connecticut Hall, Yale University, New Haven
The Connecticut State Library has just added twenty-one new towns to our online collection of historic homes from the WPA Architectural Survey, they are Naugatuck, New Britain, New Canaan, New Fairfield, New Hartford, New Haven, New London, New Milford, Newington, Newtown, Norfolk, North Branford, North Canaan, North Haven, North Stonington, Norwalk, Norwich, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Orange and Oxford.
Digitized materials include survey forms and photos from the Census of Old Buildings in Connecticut. Also known as “The WPA House Survey”, the project took place from 1934 through 1937 under the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). The survey forms provide descriptions of nearly 5,000 buildings. Photographs were taken of most buildings and clipped to the survey forms. Some forms also include sketches of interior and/or exterior architectural details and a brief history of the building.
Early record book of General Railroad Commissioners among State Archives accessions for fourth quarter of FY2011 Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Posted by pbaran in updates.Tags: archives, updates
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The State Archives took in 17 accessions during the period covering April 1 – June 30, 2011.
Among the accessions is the first volume of records of the General Railroad Commissioners, 1854-1864. The General Railroad Commissioners became the Board of Railroad Commissioners in 1875. This item was a gift of the Connecticut Historical Society and Mrs. Edmund L. Warren.
The Office of the Secretary of the State transferred several items to the State Archives including the nominating petition for Joseph I. Lieberman, Independent candidate for U.S. Senate, 2006. The State Archives continues to acquire records of the probate courts and accessioned 17 record books from the Hebron Probate Court and 34 cubic feet of files from the Plymouth Probate Court.
For the complete list, see http://www.cslib.org/archives/acc2011Q4.htm
Gladys Bragdon Suffrage Interviews Notebook Available in Flickr Monday, April 18, 2011
Posted by capittsley in Archives, digital collections, genealogy, history, updates.Tags: archives, Connecticut, DigitalCollections, League of Women Voters, Little Black Book, suffrage
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The Connecticut State Library has just completed digitizing the Gladys Bragdon Suffrage Interviews Notebook, 1918, (RG 106) is now available online at our Flickr site. The notebook contains handwritten entries of interviews conducted with approximately 129 prominent men both in and outside local and state government about their position and views on giving women the right to vote. Bragdon recorded in the small black notebook the men’s names, job title or position in government, party affiliation, if they signed a petition,
interests, changed views, and if they supported the federal amendment. The interviews helped the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association (CWSA) and the New Haven Equal Franchise League (NHEFL) gather information about who and who did not support voting rights for women.
On June 19, 1919 the 66th United States Congress passed the suffrage amendment, also known as the Susan B. Anthony amendment, and sent it to state legislatures for ratification. Tennessee became the necessary 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution on August 18, 1920. The Connecticut General Assembly, in a special session, ratified the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution on September 14, 1920. The passage of the amendment by three-fourths of the states guaranteed women the right to vote.
The (Mrs. R.) Gladys Bragdon Record of Suffrage Interviews notebook submitted on July 1, 1918 documents Connecticut women’s push for the right to vote. Some of the more prominent men’s names in the notebook include: former Governor Simeon E. Baldwin, Walter Camp, Robert O. Eaton, former New Haven Mayor Frederick Farnsworth, former New Haven Mayor David E. Fitzgerald, John Fitzgerald, former Congressman James P. Pigott, J. Henry Roraback, Isaac M. Ullman, and former Governor Rollin S. Woodruff.
1918 Suffrage Interview Notebook, Records of Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s administration among State Archives accessions for third quarter of FY2011 Friday, April 1, 2011
Posted by pbaran in New Resources @ CSL.Tags: archives
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The State Archives took in 32 accessions during the period covering January 1 – March 31, 2011.
On March 23, 2011, the League of Women Voters of Connecticut donated a notebook containing a record of suffrage interviews to the Connecticut State Library at a ceremony held in Memorial Hall of the Museum of Connecticut History. The notebook, kept by Gladys Bragdon, contains handwritten entries of approximately 129 men recording their views on suffrage and support for a federal amendment in 1918. CSL will be digitizing the notebook and making it available online. The ceremony can be viewed at http://ct-n.com/ondemand.asp?ID=6388
Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s term as Governor came to an end on January 5, 2011. A total of 786 cubic feet of records from her administration were transferred to the State Archives.
The State Archives continues to acquire records of the probate courts and accessioned a total of 406 record books and 31 cubic feet of files from 18 probate courts: Barkhamsted, Cheshire, Colchester, East Granby, East Haddam, East Hampton, Groton, Hartland, Marlborough, Montville, New Hartford, North Stonington, Portland, Southington, Suffield, Watertown, Winchester, Woodbury.
For the complete list, see http://www.cslib.org/archives/acc2011Q3.htm
New Artists Added to WPA Art Inventory Project Monday, September 27, 2010
Posted by capittsley in digital collections, updates.Tags: archives, art, Connecticut, DigitalCollections, Federal Art Project, Flickr, WPA
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The Connecticut State Library has just added thirty four new artists to our online WPA Art Inventory Project.
In 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Projects Administration (WPA) in order to put people back to work. For the first time in the nation’s history, the federal government hired hundreds of artists and paid them an hourly wage for art that was pleasing to the eye and that could inspire faith in democracy.
Thousands black and white photographs were taken of local WPA artwork in the 1930′s. A few years ago, with funding from the General Assembly, the Connecticut State Library made scans of many of the photographs and since then CSL staff has worked to identify each piece using the artists’ work cards, allocation cards and biographical information.
You can find the resulting artist bios with a list of all known WPA artwork at the WPA Art Inventory Project, or you can go right to the images at our WPA Art Flickr site.
If you have any questions, stories, remembrances, or recent sightings, please contact Mark Jones at mjones@cslib.org or (860) 757-6511 .
State Archives Reopens Windham County County Court Files, 1725-1855 Friday, July 30, 2010
Posted by pbaran in history.Tags: archives
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Some years ago, the State Archives closed several boxes of court files for the Windham County County Court for the years 1725-1855, on account of their condition. Recently, the State Archivist reexamined these files and determined that most of the boxes of files could be reopened. Only a few boxes remain closed due to their fragile condition. Specifically, these are Papers by Subject: Executions, 1771-1847, and Papers by Subject: Miscellaneous, 1747-1855.
