HomeMy Public PortalAboutjune local history_201308071031464427Library Director
Leone E. Cole
TO: Library Board of Trustees
FROM: Leone E. Cole, Library Director
DATE: May 31, 2013
RE: Report on meeting with Marilyn Roach
As requested, I am providing this report on the meeting I had this month with Marilyn Roach, President
of the Historical Society, regarding our local history collection.
After our meeting, Ms. Roach sent an email to me and copied the Trustees, among others. The concerns
that she expressed during the meeting, plus others, were detailed in that email.
I tried to make it very clear that the library is committed to collecting and preserving Watertown history,
and our collection development policy affirms that. I do not understand why the Arsenal materials are
not being considered as important as, say, the history of Lawrence. The Arsenal materials are unique,
not online, and an important part of Watertown's history. Other town histories, on the other hand, do
not directly relate to Watertown and most are available online. While, it may be convenient to have
non -Watertown materials available, it is not the focus of the collection.
Of course, any materials we choose to withdraw from the collection will be offered to the Historical
Society for their collection.
As part of the request for this report, Mr. Hanlon asked that if, as a result of the meeting I had any
recommendations to change the local history collection development policy, that I do so as part of the
report. I do not have any recommendations for changes to the policy at this time.
123 Main Street Watertown, MA 02472-4478
617.972.6434 watertownlib.org