Margaret Chase Smith Library
Newsletter
A Newsletter for Friends of the Library
Vol. 38, No. 2
Thank you for all the feedback on our new newsletter layout. It’s a hit. We look forward to continuing to provide updates about our work and facility using this format!
The staff of the Margaret Chase Smith Library is anticipating the warm weather this summer as we all take much needed vacations. It’s been a few years since most of us have extensively traveled for pleasure. We hope everyone continues to be safe and healthy as we inch our way back to normalcy.
In this issue, you will learn about our recent library activities, educational opportunities, and various researchers and visitors. Each staff member has written what they have been doing over the last few months. Be sure to scroll all the way down. Also highlighted are some photographs of events, projects, educational materials, or people that have been to our facility recently. Finally, check out our up coming events section to see what’s on the horizon.
Directions
by David Richards
A while back, I took an online workshop on effective newsletters. The presenter made the point that readers want stories, not statistics. That’s good, because our numbers have been battered during the past two-plus years of pandemic. Fortunately, the Library began to blossom once again this spring in all four areas of its work: education, museum, archives, and public policy. Elsewhere in the newsletter, my colleagues will highlight activities in these areas.
The first story I want to share is about Jessica. When the REACH Afterschool Program in School Administrative District 54, which serves Skowhegan and surrounding towns, put out the call for community volunteers, the Library responded. I gave two presentations on Margaret Chase Smith at the school in town named in her honor. I also led a month-long family literacy series at Bloomfield Elementary School in May. That’s where I met Jessica and eleven other kindergarten through fifth graders and their families.
Jessica is an English Language Learner student and very shy. She and several of the younger participants barely even wanted to tell me their names. It reminded me of an insight offered by a teacher who brought a class to the Library for a field trip this spring. It’s not just that students have had two years of education disrupted, so too has their social development.
During our family literacy sessions, we read aloud with everyone invited, but not forced, to take a turn. I wasn’t surprised when Jessica passed on the first go round. When her turn came up again, however, I was pleased, and her teachers were amazed, as she began sounding out words, haltingly at first, but with increasing confidence as she progressed through the page.
I had another reminder of what raising the bar can do for young people when I received a letter from a teacher who has had students participate in the Margaret Chase Smith Essay Contest for over a decade. Since 2009, Mr. Prest has shepherded prize-winning entries from first Acadia Christian School and then Highview Christian Academy. Although Taylor did not receive a prize, Mr. Prest wrote that she shed a “good tear” when she received the notification letter. He assured me that it wasn’t a tear of disappointment, but rather one of appreciation that an adult took the time to thank her for her effort and wish her well in the future.
It has been fulfilling to be able to engage with students more directly this school year. We offered virtual field trips during the pandemic as a necessity, but they are no replacement for an actual visit to Margaret Chase Smith’s home. There’s still a long way to go to define and refine the new post-COVID normal. My colleagues and I look forward to continue bringing the lessons and legacy of Senator Smith to young people, so that they might push a rising generation past whispers and tears and towards lives of aspirations, service, and success. As a recent donor, Evelyn Dearborn, put it: “Glad to know that the Library there is still thriving.”
Dr. Richards introduced students in the REACH Afterschool Program at the school in Skowhegan named after Margaret Chase Smith to the teenage version of her.
Simon Hall, a senior at Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine, won first place in the 2022 Margaret Chase Smith Essay Contest.
Eager students from Windsor Elementary School were one of the groups to visit the Library this spring.
Communication Corner
By John Taylor
National History Day in Maine Regional and State Contests:
Another year of National History Day is nearly complete. This is my ninth season as coordinator of the pine state program. Once again, all contests were virtual this year, but the participation and enthusiasm has never waned. Topics ranging from jazz, the Aroostook War, the Holocaust, Ida B. Wells, and the Edwards Dam Removal all fit nicely into this year’s theme Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, and Consequences. All participants from the Northern and Southern Regional contests were invited to participate in the State Contest this year. It was difficult for our volunteer judges, but decisions needed to be made. In the end, we have 35 students chosen to represent Maine at the national contest which will also be virtual this year. To see the state winners please visit our 2022 NHD in Maine Winner’s Showcase.
Aside from our best in state winners we also handed out a few special prizes including the Maritime History Award sponsored by the National Maritime Historical Society and the Women’s History Award sponsored by Amanda Taylor and the Margaret Chase Smith Library. Maritime winners received a year’s membership to the society and a cash prize. Women’s history winners received a Margaret Chase Smith bobblehead, biography, and cash prize.
National History Day Award Ceremony:
Over the last few years it has been difficult to create the same excitement that in-person contests provide. The same goes for the award ceremony. This year Kim Nelson and Nicole Potter helped me create a ceremony that went beyond a typical “PowerPoint” presentation that included me talking with a puppet Margaret Chase Smith and her dog Minnix. Between the three of us we created the script and then our duties were divided the following ways:
Kim: videographer
Nicole: puppeteer and editor
John: director and actor
It was refreshing to try something new and fun this year to break up the mundane structure of the virtual contest. You can check out our final product here.
National History Day National Contest:
As of this writing the national contest is currently happening. That means the final results are not available. What I can report is that one exhibit from Buckfield Jr/Sr High School will be displayed at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History and that a website from Bruce Whittier Middle School has been selected to be showcased by the Plant Word Museum. Final results will be available via our social media sites and our next newsletter.
National History Day in 2023:
It’s been another challenging year, but our sponsors, teachers, students, parents, judges, and staff have risen to the challenge once again. It’s been another successful year. In 2023, we will likely be in-person. I hope some of you will be willing to volunteer to judge. If you are an educator please be on the look out about upcoming teacher workshops in the fall.
The contest might have been virtual this year, but that didn’t stop some judges from meeting in person. Pictured here are Southern Regional judges Amanda Taylor and Joe Schmidt looking over websites, performances, and documentaries.
The MCSL staff wanted to make this year’s award ceremony a little more interesting and fun. They took time to take a selfie while filming in the atrium of the Library.
Button trading among affiliates at the national contest is a BIG DEAL. Along with medals, all the winners of the state contest received vintage buttons collected by State Coordinator John Taylor from different states throughout his years of attending the national contest at the University of Maryland.
learning Lounge
by Kim Nelson
National History Day Judging:
National History Day was virtual again this year. I had the opportunity to not only judge regionals and the state contest in Maine, but I also judged regionals in Connecticut and Virginia. Currently, I have been promoted and I am assessing projects for the National contest. I am astounded at the creative ideas students come up with to meet the theme, and thoroughly enjoy participating in this contest. I urge others to consider judging in the future. The students will amaze you.
Virtual and In-Person Field Trips:
In March, we did our first virtual field trip via Zoom with close to 160 fourth grade students from Greely Middle School. It was certainly a challenge that allowed the staff to work collaboratively on how we could present information that was interesting and informative. We divided up sections of Senator Smith’s life and career and we switched back and forth between the staff as each presented objects and talked about our chosen sections in hopes of making the talk more appealing to students. Worksheets had been sent ahead of time to the students with the goal of keeping the students engaged. At the end of our time with the students, one student from each class asked the staff a question which allowed us to interact with the students and give the students a chance to speak.
We are now enjoying in-person school field trips. While many teachers are disappointed the flight suit has been moved for its protection and preservation, they are happy with our new changes. As a staff, we use worksheets I created that allow us to engage with students like never before. We added a new station where the students and I play Margaret Chase Smith Bingo as well as other activities. Nicole does a scrapbook worksheet while explaining various objects and the purpose of the archives. She also created a worksheet that allows students to write a caption for 3 photographs of Senator Smith. John has an additional worksheet where students find an object in the museum they like and describe in the hopes of honing their observational skills. The museum research scavenger hunt was updated to look like a graphic novel/comic strip and it keeps students busy in the museum while they search for the answers. David gives the house tour and has an opportunity at the end to talk with the students about Senator Smith’s wishes for students to follow their dreams and highlighting the idea of service to others. We also provide take home worksheets to extend their experience. Teachers told us that after their visit, they are using the virtual escape room I created during the pandemic located on the Library’s website page, to further the educational experience. The enthusiasm and excitement from teachers and students matches the staff’s thereby creating an interactive and engaging experience for all.
Professional Development:
Nicole Potter and I attended the 2022 Maine State Library Conference. It was wonderful to be surrounded by fellow librarians and feel rejuvenated as we talked about Intellectual Freedom, various programs, new technology, archives and more. I was able to spend some time with Harley Rogers who works at the award winning Fogler Library located on the campus of the University of Maine in Orono. Harley did research at the Library and a presentation involving Senator Smith for the 2019 Maine Town Meeting.
For me, the extreme highlight this year was to watch my long time friend Angie Herrick, former youth services librarian and now director of the Skowhegan Free Public Library, receive the MLA Librarian of the Year award. Angie and I were in the Information and Library Services program together at University of Maine at Augusta, and I am always in awe of the things Angie does for our community.
This leads me to mention that the Margaret Chase Smith Library will be working with the Skowhegan Free Public Library for one of their summer reading program events. On Tuesday, June 28 from 1:30-3:30, an Ocean of Slime event will be held outdoors on the Margaret Chase Smith Library grounds. Participants will make slime to take home. Rain date will be Thursday, June 30th also from 1:30-3:30. Please contact Skowhegan Free Public Library at 207-474-9072 for more information on their summer reading program and a list of free events. I am looking forward to working with Angie again and even better we will get to make some slime.
Harley Rogers and her Collaborative Recipe Poster at the 2019 Maine Town Meeting, Centennial of the Suffrage Movement, Legacy of Votes for Women.
Recently a student recreated the New Hampshire map used by Senator Smith during her campaign for the presidency in 1964.
2022 Maine Library Association Conference
Research Roundup
by Nicole Potter
One Year Anniversary:
I started at the Margaret Chase Smith Library as the Curator of Collections on Monday, June 14th, 2021. This means that I am rapidly approaching my one year anniversary at the Library. It’s been a year of many firsts, most recently my first time attending the Maine Library Association Conference.
The Maine Library Association Conference took place at the Sunday River Resort and I was fortunate enough to attend with my colleague Kim. I was particularly interested in attending sessions associated with the academic interest group and the special collections and archives interest group. It was wonderful to hear about what’s happening in the Maine library community and to have the opportunity to talk with so many of my colleagues state-wide. Since I’m new to Maine and moved here during the pandemic, this was one of the first chances I had to meet other cultural heritage professionals. I came away with ideas for programming, new collection management techniques, and a renewed interest in collaborations across organizations.
Since the conference, I have taken time to reflect on my first year at the Library and the projects that I have accomplished during that time. I’m particularly proud of our move to PastPerfect Online which has allowed the Library staff to gain further intellectual control over the collections. We are now working to add additional information to our existing PastPerfect records and we are making strides in transferring all of our existing records for the entirety of the Library’s collections into PastPerfect.
In my day-to-day, I have gained considerable confidence in working with the Library’s researchers and school groups. While I have worked with both types of patrons before at my previous institutions, I needed to become familiar with the Library’s collections and the legacy of Senator Smith in order to best serve these two groups. We just had our last two school groups of the year and I am proud of how I was able to engage with students who visited. Tangentially, answering research requests has become a smoother process as the year has gone by.
Moving forward, I look forward to more in-person visits from students, researchers, and other parties interested in Senator Smith and the Library. I am eager to continue my work with the Library’s collections, both with the digital records associated with the materials and the physical materials themselves. And I can’t wait to tackle more large scale projects, which I’m sure are just around the corner. It’ll be a great second year for me here at the Margaret Chase Smith Library!
Speaking with students from Albion Elementary in the Research Room
Maine Library Association Logo
On March 14, the staff celebrated Pi Day. Nicole was in charge of doling out the pie.
Upcoming events
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