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Describes a local history project designed for ninth-grade students, in which students use primary historical sources to research local history, and the resulting conflict between access to rare documents versus preservation of those materials. The major microfilming project that was undertaken to resolve this conflict is outlined. (CLB)

The article examines the pleas for freedom by slave James Indian in a Massachusetts Bay Colony court, which was detailed in the document "James Indian Answers to His Mr. Carrs Reasons of Appeale." Topics discussed include the claims made by Indian regarding his slave traders, a critique of the colonial slave law demonstrated in the document, and the deception of Native laborers by English traders as exposed in the document.

The article presents a report on the activities of the Melville Society Archive Fellowship as of June 2010. The author describes his experiences working as a participating member of the Fellowship, describing both the program's facilities and opportunities at the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library of Massachusetts as well as his own impressions of the archives and antiquities surrounding the 19th-century U.S. author Herman Melville.

The Finnish Social Science Data Archive is a newcomer in the area of data archiving for two reasons, firstly: it started its operation only in 1999 and secondly: from the very beginning it has had as an official strategy to enhance the reuse of available qualitative as well as quantitative data. Archiving and reusing of data has been a common and continuously expanding practise in quantitative research since the 1950s and 1960s. Qualitative research has thus far been almost invisible in this respect, except for a few successful cases like Qualidata in Essex, UK and Murray Research Center at Harvard, USA. Questions concerning archiving and reusing of qualitative data are many. Here I will concentrate on a very practical but important issue in making qualitative data reusable, i.e. documentation of data. I highlight some reasons for making appropriate and adequate data documentation and give the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) as an example of documenting social science data. The DDI was meant for quantitative data, but I claim that it can be used and elaborated for the special needs of qualitative data as well. Choosing the same documentation model for qualitative and quantitative data would be one step towards social science data archives which would have both quantitative and qualitative data. This would support their basic task of promoting a sensible use of all research resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on aspects of international serials and electronic resource management. Updates are offered on the awards granted by the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP), the publication of "Output of the NISO Alternative Assessment Project" by the National Information Standards Organization (NISO)," the Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) program, and the 2017 ALPSP conference in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

Specialized transitional shelters are available in various cities to provide assistance to homeless individuals with serious mental illness. Little is known about the population using such shelters. The authors conducted a retrospective chart review to collect demographic, social, and clinical data of residents in a state-operated mental health transitional shelter in Massachusetts. A total of 74 subjects were included. Schizophrenia-spectrum disorders were present in 67.6 % of the sample and mood disorders in 35.1 %. Substance use disorders were documented in 44.6 %. Chronic medical illness (mostly hypertension, dyslipidemia, asthma, and diabetes) was found in 82.4 %. The co-occurrence of a psychiatric and substance use disorder and chronic medical illness was found in 36.5 %. The majority (75.7 %) of patients had a history of legal charges. Homeless individuals with serious mental illness served by specialized transitional shelters represent a population with complex psychiatric, medical and social needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009, the Baystate Health Sciences Library began to investigate digitizing historical archives as an innovative way to expand its usefulness to its institution and the communities that it serves. This pilot project was to capture, manage, and preserve annual reports and School of Nursing memorabilia. Across the nation, other medical libraries were launching their own projects. This article describes the process in the context of other digitization projects at medical libraries. Issues of selection, goals, and challenges are addressed. Digitizing hospital history is a viable opportunity for librarians willing to learn new skills and forge new alliances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information about various documents and reports related to labor. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has published A Uniform Classification of Accounts for Electric Utilities, Effective January 1, 1915. The Boston City, Massachusetts, Planning Board has made a report on the Larger Aspects of Passenger Transportation in Metropolitan Boston. This treats of Boston's transportation problem from three points of view, physical, corporate, and financial. The Fourth Annual Report of the United States Bureau of Mines summarizes the statistics of accidents in this industry. During the past year more than 8500 men were killed and more than 100,000 injured in the mining and metallurgical industries of the country. One half of the fatalities and one quarter of the injuries are regarded as easily preventable. The director makes a plea for more extended investigations on the part of the federal government in order to prevent accidents. The First Annual Report of the Commission on Industrial Relations contains a brief analysis of the testimony, which has been taken by this commission, arranged under topical headings. Part of this evidence was secured at public hearings and a part through research investigation.

This article presents information on documents and reports on labor. The third annual report of the Bureau of Statistic of Massachusetts on changes in rates of wage and hour of labor, 1909, and the tenth annual report on strikes and lockouts, 1909, arc of special interest as showing an effort to inform the reader in regard to the meaning of terms used in the statistical tables, and also in giving publicity as to the methods of deriving the tables. An indorsement of free public employment bureaus is given in the twenty-forth report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of Connecticut for the two year ending November 80, 1910. It is stated that these offices have passed the experimental stage and are recognized as a necessity, taking precedence over private agencies. There are now five in operation. This same report has a section devoted to tenement houses and publishes a directory of labor organizations. The National Civic Federation has published a pamphlet, "Views of Legal Committee Department" on compensation for industrial accidents and their prevention.