To mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Associates of the Boston Public Library commissioned two original blackout poems by Regie Gibson, the inaugural Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for We Hold These Truths, the 8th Pierce Performance Series. Read his introduction and poems below, then watch his live performance from the event.
Marcas de Fuego, or “marks of fire” at the Boston Public Library
Last year’s Associates-funded summer conservation intern, Carmen Torrado Gonzalez, shares her research into the book phenomenon known as Marcas de Fuego, or “marks of fire.”
Hands-On Book Conservation Internship at the Boston Public Library
The Associates of the Boston Public Library funds the North Bennet Street School (NBSS) Conservation Internship, which provides a first- or second-year Bookbinding student with hands-on experience in book conservation at the Boston Public Library. This year’s intern, Carmen Torrado Gonzalez, shares her experience working in Special Collections and Preservation Services.A Summer Internship in Book Conservation Book and paper conservation …
Meet the BPL’s new Digital Imaging Production Assistant
The Associates of the Boston Public Library is proud to underwrite the salary of one of the BPL’s Digital Imaging Production Assistants; a role filled in July by Jade Alderman.
Unlocking Hidden Histories in the BPL’s Anti-Slavery Collection
Thanks to Associates-funded staff, new light is being shed on one of the collection’s most requested items: the Teachers of the New England Freedmen’s and Union Commission photograph album. Once minimally described, this album is now fully cataloged, digitized, and newly enriched.
Meet the BPL’s new Curator of Modern Books and Manuscripts
Meet Viv Williams The Associates of the Boston Public Library is proud to underwrite the salary of the BPL Curator of Modern Books and Manuscripts, a role filled in February by Viv Williams. Viv comes to the BPL with eight years of Special Collections experience, most recently as the Commission Archivist at the Cambridge Historical Commission. She dreamed of being …
BPL Archives Intern Discovers Hidden Histories
The Associates of the Boston Public Library funds the BPL Archives Internship. This is a guest blog post by the Spring 2025 Archives Intern, Jen Leahy.
Literary Lights 2025
Celebrating the Power of Literature and Libraries: 35th Annual Literary Lights In a time of rising threats to public institutions, the Associates of the Boston Public Library hosted its 35th annual Literary Lights Dinner on April 27 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza—an evening celebrating New England authors and the vital role of libraries in protecting knowledge, culture, and truth. The …
What was the best book of 1925?
The Associates of the Boston Public Library held our annual Hundred-Year Book Debate of 1925, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the Boston Public Library. The event was an incredibly successful ‘page-turner’ as mentioned on GBH’s The Culture Show with a turnout of approximately 240 in-person and 147 virtual audience members.
A Masterclass in Koussevitzky as a Double Bass
2024 Pierce Performance: 150 Years of Koussevitzky — Night 3 Recap The Associates of the Boston Public Library presented the third and final evening in the sixth annual Pierce Performance Series, 150 Years of Koussevitzky, on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at the Boston Public Library. This annual event aims to highlight treasures in the BPL’s Special Collections through free public …