Congregational Library & Archives

08/31/2026

Archives Edit Workshop 📦 On August 28, Archivists Zachary and Billy guided participants through key arrangement workflows. Hands‑on activities helped attendees apply these skills to their own church records.

This program is part of our Church Stewardship Initiative 🔗 Learn more about CSI, past workshops and free resources: https://congregationallibrary.org/csi

08/25/2026

🏛️ Learn to Arrange Like an Archivist! Join CLA archivists Zachary Bodnar and Billy McCarthy for a hands‑on workshop focused on archival arrangement.

Through instruction, demonstrations, and practical activities, participants will gain tools for organizing collections of any size—no previous archival experience needed.

Registration is open until Tuesday, August 25: https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/CongregationalLibrary/26SummerWorkshops.html
Cost: $50 for members, $60 for non‑members (includes lunch).
Scholarships available.

Find past Church Stewardship Initiative workshops and free resources here: https://congregationallibrary.org/csi

08/24/2026

A Delicious Afternoon at 14 Beacon 🍲📚 We had a great turnout for our Church Cookbooks Collections Tour on August 21st! Meaghan Wright shared stories behind our cookbook collection, visitors explored original materials, and our historical potluck brought the recipes to life.

Programs are free thanks to the Beacon Hill Civic Association.

Upcoming events: https://congregationallibrary.org/events

08/04/2026

The Boston Seminar is officially underway at the Congregational Library! We look forward to this annual gathering for learning about the Congregational Way and connecting it to the primary sources preserved at the CLA. This year’s participants hail from Anchorage, Green Bay, Madison, and places in between. We love being able to provide the setting for learning and engagement!

08/01/2026

Visits from church groups are always a highlight of the week at the Congregational Library. Sharing how we preserve and make accessible the collections entrusted to us and learning about an individual church’s collections is so gratifying! Thanks to Rev. Scott, Lynn, and Julian for visiting us from Centre Congregational Church - Brattleboro, VT on Friday!

07/29/2026

Congratulations to New England's Hidden Histories Project Director Tricia Peone (seen here in the center leading a tour of Sacred Rebellion: Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts) for being elected to the Colonial Society of Massachusetts!

Founded in 1892, the Colonial Society of Massachusetts is a non-profit educational foundation designed to promote the study of Massachusetts history from earliest settlement through the first decades of the nineteenth century.

Membership in the Colonial Society was originally limited to descendants of Massachusetts Bay or Plymouth colonists but, since 1950, membership has been open to anyone interested in colonial Massachusetts. Resident Members of the Colonial Society, limited to 200 in number, live or work within 60 miles of Boston.

We celebrate this recognition of Tricia's contributions to our understanding of early New England.

07/22/2026

Coming up next week! Tune in for this great program.

📖 Our Church records are more than just words on dusty paper; they are windows into the past that illuminate the history of a community and convey the mission of the church.

📚 Join the Congregational Library & Archives' archivists Billy McCarthy and Zachary Bodnar for a program focused on the first tangible steps a church can take to begin organizing their existing records and ensuring the long-term preservation of the records they produce today.

👉🏾 Register: https://ow.ly/ZJef50Zq7HA

07/21/2026

Ever wonder how all of the amazing scans of early church records end up in our digital archive? Allow us to introduce you to Digital Processing Assistant Hymn Porte!

Hymn is spending eight weeks at the Congregational Library this summer working on the latest batch of material for New England's Hidden Histories: nearly 9,000 pages of early Rhode Island Congregational material from the Rhode Island Historical Society.

Hymn graduated with a BA in History of Art and a double minor in Africana and Museum Studies. Hymn completed their MA in Archival Management from Simmons University with a dedication to stewarding marginalized or repressed histories ethically and sustainably. We are so glad to have Hymn working with us this summer!

07/16/2026

At the Congregational Library, we know we need to meet people where they are at - and this summer they are at Park Street Church!

Thousands are flocking each week to see the interior of the historic Boston Congregational church and the CLA"s Sacred Rebellion pop-up exhibit during their open hours (Monday-Saturday, 9 am -3 pm, now through the end of August).

Executive Director Kyle Roberts (pictured) and NEHH Project Director Tricia Peone worked closely with Park Street historian Martha Neu (pictured) and Board Member Mike Ahearn to make this partnership possible. We are grateful for the collaboration! Freedom Trail Foundation