September 14, 2026 - UMass Boston Launches Training Program to Help Preserve Local History
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is working with the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston) to bring its successful Mass Memories program to libraries across the Commonwealth to capture local history.
The Mass Memories Participatory Archiving Training Program is a two-year statewide pilot project that trains librarians, archivists, and public historians to build, preserve and expand local history collections with the communities they serve, through participatory archiving. Participatory archiving invites community members to help document their own stories and history. The result is a shared collection of local history built from photos and memories contributed by the people who lived it.
“The training program is designed to help develop and plan community-engaged archives projects, with activities centered on community engagement, event planning and logistics, and digital preservation,” said Nora Katz, Associate Director of Participatory Archiving Programs at UMass Boston’s Healey Library. “We’re sharing the lessons we’ve learned over more than 20 years of running the Mass Memories Road Show and incorporating materials from the Roadmap for Participatory Archiving (RoPA). We're grateful to the MBLC for supporting this essential work and giving us the opportunity to partner with communities across Massachusetts to offer training workshops.”
This fall, workshops will be held in Provincetown, Falmouth, Lawrence and Gloucester. These sessions will focus on defining community, collecting stories, outreach and publicity, and event logistics. In year two, the Participatory Archiving Program will expand its reach to the Berkshires, Greater Boston and the Pioneer Valley with additional listening sessions and training workshops.
For more information and to sign up for a workshop, visit the Mass Memories website.
The Mass Memories Participatory Archiving Training Program is supported by federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.
About MBLC
The Board of Library Commissioners (mass.gov/mblc) is the agency of state government with the statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth. The Board advises municipalities and library trustees on the operation and maintenance of public libraries, including construction and renovation. It administers state and federal grant programs for libraries and promotes cooperation among all types of libraries through regional library systems and automated resource sharing. It also works to ensure that all residents of the Commonwealth, regardless of their geographic location, social or economic status, age, level of physical or intellectual ability or cultural background, have access to essential new electronic information technologies and significant electronic databases.
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