Connected PhD Project: Celebration of the Wayland Public Library
Dear History colleagues and Current Graduate Students, GSAS staff and University administrators,
Please consider this a personal invitation to join the Wayland Free Public Library's 175th anniversary celebration (program below). Since the summer of 2021, three Brandeis PhD students under the guidance of Dr. Amy Singer, have been funded by a Mellon Foundation-sponsored Connected PhD Grant to research and write the history of the WFPL. Rafi Abrahams, Joseph Weisberg and Elizabeth Simms have researched and written the history of the library into a collection of essays, a website and a curated exhibit that will all soon be open to the public. This was an exciting initiative connecting Brandeis students to hone their professional skills while simultaneously discovering one of the many towns surrounding Waltham and bringing more of its history to light.
On the library and the celebration program:
History of Wayland Free Public Library’s 175 Years!
Founded in 1848, WFPL is one of the oldest public libraries in the United States. WFPL played a pivotal role in the passage of legislation that authorized the use of public funding to support public libraries. In the intervening 175 years, WFPL has come to be not only a place where residents can borrow books, but a hub of programs for all ages, art exhibits, and community gatherings, as well as a refuge in stressful times.
Our library history program will feature a number of illuminating speakers:
1) Jane Sciacca will discuss her experience as a Wayland resident and de facto town historian.
2) Brandeis History Dept. doctoral students Rafael Abrahams, Elizabeth Simms, and Joseph Weisberg will present their research on highlights from WFPL’s past in a round-table discussion.
3) UConn Professor Emeritus Dr. Robert Gross will give a talk titled “The Public Library and the Community: Reflections on Wayland’s Experiences,” reflecting on WFPL’s unique history as a pioneering library and its place in the broader contexts of Massachusetts, New England, and the nation at large.
March 19 at 2:30 p.m.
Registration is required. Join us in person or via Zoom.
CONTACT: M.J. Wright 508-358-2311 mwright@minlib.net
LOCATION: Raytheon Room
We look forward to seeing you!