Research Library timeline
For most of its history, there was a single head librarian who presided
over the circulating library of embossed books (later Perkins BTBL),
the school library for the students (called for some time the Teachers’
Library, because the materials supported the curriculum), and the
Special Reference Library.
Librarians
Sarah Elizabeth Lane, 1884-1911
Laura M. Sawyer, 1911-1924
Mary Esther Sawyer, 1924-1948
Nelson Coon, 1949-1960
Miller F. Cook, 1960-1961
Marilyn S. Kuiper, 1961-1964
Frank Lavine, 1964-1966
Billie Jean Ouellette, 1966-1970
Kenneth A. Stuckey is Research Librarian, 1968
Gisela Titman, 1970-?, Head Librarian – the Research and Regional
Libraries seem to be separate programs by this date.
Pat Kirk, ca. 1976-2002
Kim Charlson, ca. 2002-present
Research Librarians
Ken Stuckey, 1968-1998
June Tulikangas, ca. 1999-2000
Jan Seymour-Ford, 2001-present
Events
1879 Library moves to a new building at South Boston campus.
Includes circulating library services for readers who are blind
throughout New England; first such service in U.S.
1880 Sarah Lane first appears as Librarian on staff list
1881 Perkins organizes fund to print tactile books and distribute to
libraries nationally
1883 Commencement exercise includes essay, “Our Library” by Julia
Burnham
1888 Laura Sawyer hired as Clerk to Sarah Lane.
1892, p.7 – Alice M. Marshall begins as Assistant.
1902 Laura Sawyer’s position is upgraded to Librarian; now two
librarians on staff.
1911 Elizabeth Lane retires; Laura Sawyer becomes Librarian.
1924 Brief report of library holdings & activities in Annual Report,
written by Laura Sawyer.
1924 Laura M. Sawyer dies.
1925
1931
Mary Esther Sawyer becomes Librarian.
Ruth M. Knapp is identified as Reference Librarian.
Description in Annual Report of three collections of the library.
1943 Marion A. Woodworth replaces Knapp as Reference Librarian.
1948 Julia Edelstein replaces Woodworth as Reference Librarian.
1949 Nelson Coon becomes Librarian. He was superintendent of
buildings & grounds for 18 years, and for 10 years in charge
of museum. He retains his direction of the museum.
1958, p56-61 – Librarian’s Report features history.
1965 Kenneth A. Stuckey joins as Assistant Librarian.
1967 New library inhabited Sept. 66, dedicated Nov. 7th.
1968 Ken Stuckey is first identified as Research Librarian.
1979 148th A.R. is the first in which staff for the Regional Library is
listed separately from the Research Library. However,
they’ve been in separate quarters since 1967.