Letter to the Editor: Successful Westborough Scanning Day preserves local history

55

To the Editor:

 

On Feb. 4, the Westborough Public Library held its first-ever Scanning Day, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Friends of the Westborough Public Library. About 40 residents brought in their historic photos, documents, and objects so we could scan or photograph them for the library’s online Local History collections. We would like to thank the town manager and Board of Selectmen for allowing us to use Memorial Hall for the event, since we didn’t have a large enough open space at the library. Westborough’s history came alive in a beautiful, historic place.

We would also like to thank Westborough TV for providing expertise in graphic design for promotional materials, staff for scanning stations, and for coordinating a small army of volunteers who helped out at the event. They also recorded the stories behind some of the items residents brought in, and a show will be available soon on the WTV website. The Westborough Historical Society, Art & Frame Emporium, and Northeast Document Conservation Center were instrumental in providing historical context and preservation suggestions to everyone who attended. And Mugford’s Flower Shoppe made the day beautiful by providing floral arrangements for each of the stations at the event.

We are grateful to the National Endowment for the Humanities as well, for offering “Common Heritage” grants to libraries and other organizations around the country. These grants allow organizations to explore history and create a sense of community. We plan to offer additional scanning days in the future to continue uncovering treasures of the past and preserving them for generations in the future.

 

Maureen Ambrosino

Library Director

No posts to display