Boston Public Library Research Services

10/15/2026

Join BPL & Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries TODAY at 6pm for this virtual event about famous trials and MA laws about the creepy and unusual 👻 Registration required.

From famous trials to laws about the creepy and unusual, Massachusetts has its share of spooky law! Join the BPL and the Trial Court Law Library for a ''free-spirited'' review of some famous and legally notable cases like the Salem witch trials and Lizzie Borden's murder trial. We will also do an ov...

10/14/2026

In the United States, the states have oversight of elections. While they tend not to get involved in local elections, the Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office certifies the results of state elections and federal elections for Massachusetts- representatives, senators, and electors of the President. They also produce the summaries of the ballot questions. For more information, check out their website at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/elections-and-voting.htm.
This postcard, which George Stanton used in a reelection bid in the 1940s, is from the Ticknor postcard collection of the Boston Public Library and can be accessed online at https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/8g84mq60h. The results of the election would have been certified by the Elections Division

10/13/2026

Sometimes when searching for articles it is hard not to be distracted by the advertisements in old newspapers. This one really caught our attention, what with its interesting spelling and dapper fellow in his Debonair Overcoat. This particular ad appeared in Boston Globe on January 18, 1931, and was discovered on the genealogical resource MyHeritage. You can find a link to it from the library here: https://www.bpl.org/resource/ -m

10/12/2026

Il Progresso del New England was a Connecticut based weekly newspaper that covered the Italian American community of the area. Its dates of publication have not been tracked down, but the Boston Public Library holds this title on microfilm between 1917 and 1920. For more information on the Boston Public Library’s newspaper holdings, check out our guide at https://guides.bpl.org/newspapers.

10/11/2026

A poster advertising Harper's Magazine. To see other digitized graphics from the collection of the Boston Public Library please go to www.digitalcommonwealth.org.

10/10/2026

Published in 1794, The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe played a big role in establishing the tropes of gothic literature that would be seen repeatedly in the following years. The novel tells the story of Emily St. Aubert as she navigates various trials including the deaths of her parents, the evil machinations of a bandit, and supernatural horrors in a spooky castle.

The book was Radcliffe’s best-selling novel to that time and helped to make her one of the most popular and respected authors of her time. Jane Austen and Mary Shelley, among many others, would later claim her as an inspiration for their own writing careers. Despite her literary influence, she was a notoriously private person and never sought the spotlight. As a result, very little is known about her private life.

Internet Archive, The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe- https://tinyurl.com/yc7ddknk
Ann Radcliffe, Then and Now: Who was Ann Radcliffe? - https://tinyurl.com/2bzf9er7
Massachusetts Historical Society, Exploring “The Mysteries of Udolpho”- https://tinyurl.com/3adzpwc3
Books at the BPL- https://tinyurl.com/yn4t8mke

10/09/2026

Generative AI (or GenAI) refers to AI systems that can create new content like text, images, music, code, or video. These systems learn patterns from training data and generate novel outputs that resemble the original data. These models power applications including chatbots, code generation, and creative tools. They also raise questions about the potential for misuse, including creating misinformation and deepfakes.

Are you curious about AI? This library guide is meant to serve as a brief introduction to AI. The guide includes key definitions, important considerations, and ethical concerns regarding AI.

This research guide provides fact-based information on current events. The content provides summaries of topics and provides resources to find reliable information.

10/08/2026

All BPL locations will be closed on Monday, October 12, in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day.

10/08/2026

October is German American Heritage Month 🇩🇪🗽Here are 12 books highlighting the lives and influence of Germans in America.

Did You Know:
🇩🇪 Babe Ruth was a native German speaker
🇩🇪 Dr. Ruth was a German émigré
🇩🇪 the FBI tailed Einstein for years

Babe Ruth was a native German speaker, Dr. Ruth was a German émigré, the FBI chose to tail Einstein for years...our German immigrants leave an impressive trail. Here are 12 books highlighting the lives and influence of Germans in America.

10/07/2026

In Massachusetts, elections are carried out by municipalities. In most municipalities, the city/town clerk is responsible for the administration of elections, but in Boston, we have a distinct department, the Election Department, that handles election related issues, including voter registration, the compilation of the voters lists and lists of residents. For more information on their work, check out their website at https://www.boston.gov/departments/election.
This photo of James Michael Curley obtaining his nomination papers from the Elections Department in 1949 is from the collections of the Jamaica Plain Historical Society and can be accessed online at https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/kk91g703h.