or, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Fear and Loathing at a Public Library Reference Desk


History In Job Titles

   July 22nd, 2015 Brian Herzog

I was looking at some old Town of Chelmsford annual reports recently, to research the opening of one of the High School buildings in town. Just by chance, I came across a page that stood out to me (for obvious reasons):

1917 job titles

Chelmsford was a much more agricultural community in 1917, so it makes sense that moths could be a big deal, and that the town would have someone inspecting slaughterhouses. But they still made me laugh, and double-check if these positions are still on the Town payroll (they didn't seem to be). History is fun.



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Reference Question of the Week – 6/3/07

   June 9th, 2007 Brian Herzog

Photo of Forefathers Burying Ground, Chelmsford, MAA patron emailed the Library, asking us to help research an aunt of hers that died. She has the obituary, which said her aunt was buried in cemetery in Chelmsford, but the patron didn't know which.

In our Local History Room, we have a book compiled by a member of the Historical Society, transcribing the head stones in Chelmsford's two oldest cemeteries. These are also still active cemeteries for the Town's long-time resident families, but this woman's relative was not listed in the book.

Thinking that the Town's Cemetery Department might have an updated listing, I went to their website to get their phone number. But to my surprise, I found that they had an online database of everyone buried in all town cemeteries. Way to go, Town of Chelmsford. The patron's aunt was listed, and she was very happy to find this.

It would be great if they would expand this with the text of the headstones or even a photograph, but I know that's asking a lot.

cemeteries, cemetery, chelmsford, libraries, library, ma, public libraries, public library, reference question, town of chelmsford



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Building a Bridge

   April 29th, 2007 Brian Herzog

Chelmsford Conservation Commission trail markerWhen I'm not at the library, I volunteer as a land steward with the Chelmsford Open Spaces Stewardship program. We build and maintain trails on the public lands managed by the Chelmsford Conservation Commission.

Mostly the work is small clean-up projects and just keeping the trails clear of debris. But this morning, we actually built a bridge (see photos).

Over the winter, a new green trail (indicated by the color of the letters on the trail marker signs like the one in the photo) was built at the Lime Quarry. The last step was to build a bridge to span a small stream, so a bunch of us met at 9am on a Sunday morning.

After all the materials were carried the half-mile from the parking area to the stream, it only took us about an hour to actually build the bridge. There ended up being 12 volunteers for maybe a four-person job, but between the extra help and having all the wood pre-cut, the job was a breeze.

If anyone is in Chelmsford and would like to walk these trails, let me know. Or, look around in your own communities for trails and parks, either maintained by the town or city department or by private or volunteer groups. Help maintain and preserve these public lands if you can, but by all means, go out and enjoy them.

bridge, bridge building, building, building bridge, chelmsford, chelmsford ma, chelmsfordian, conservation commission, lime quarry, ma, mass, massachusetts, public lands, town of chelmsford, trail, trailwork, volunteer, volunteering, volunteers



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