In 1961, four librarians, Evelyn E. Jackson of American International College, Ethlyn Greenwood of Bay Path Junior College, Doris Fletcher of Springfield College, and Miriam Root of Western New England College, formed a committee which began compiling a master list of periodicals owned by libraries at colleges and other institutions within a ten-mile radius of Springfield, Massachusetts. Included among the eighteen contributors to the list were five business and industry libraries, one military library, one law library, five medical libraries, and six college libraries.
A l36 page mimeographed booklet, Union List of Periodicals in the College and Special Libraries of Greater Springfield, Massachusetts, l963, was issued during National Libary Week, April l964. The booklet listed over 2,000 periodicals in alphabetical order by title and indicated which issues were located in which libraries. In addition to the four committee members, the librarians who were involved in the preparation of this publication included: Hilda Holman, Eastern States Farmers Exchange; Adelle Sullivan, G. & C. Merriam Company; John Kelley, Hampden County Law Library; Helen Dikeman, Monsanto Company; Mary Manning, Mercy Hospital; Betty Greenaway, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company; Sister Teresa Daniel, College of Our Lady of the Elms; Rita Halle, Springfield Armory; Grace Flanagan, Springfield Academy of Medicine; Jean Scougall, Springfield Hospital; Mary Sheehan, Shawinigan Resins Corporation; Ethel Wooster, Wesson Memorial Hospital; Elsa Leahy, Western Massachusetts Hospital; Dorothy Rowland, Westfield State College. The Union List was offered to the general public and to libraries for $3.00. In the preface to this first edition of the Union List, the four members of the committee wrote:
"This compilation of periodical holdings represents one of the first cooperative ventures of a Springfield library group. Six colleges and twelve special libraries in the Greater Springfield area have contributed to this project. Although this initial work undoubtedly falls short of perfection, we hope it may serve as groundwork for continued and greater cooperation among these libraries, as well as provide better service to the community."
On Tuesday, April l4, l964, a luncheon was given by Baypath Junior College for participating libraries to"...highlight the completion of this painstaking and arduous task." (Springfield Republican, April l2, l964). Mrs. Ethlyn Greenwood commented: "This booklet is our way of helping the inter-library relationships...We hope to issue supplements to keep the listing up-to-date. A committee to plan the first supplement has been formed and is now working on it."
In l965, the updating of the original Union List was begun under the direction of a committee consisting of Helen Dikeman, Elizabeth Greenaway, and Jean Scougall. This edition of the Union List was to include the holdings of the Springfield City Library. The task of inserting many new entries, revising the original entries and retyping the entire list proved to be difficult, and this revision of the Union List was never completed.
On October ll, l967, contributors to the Union List met at American International College and appointed a committee to investigate the possibility of issuing a list using automation. Members of the committee included: Virginia Keith, Springfield City Library; Robert W. Sillen, Springfield College; Jean Scougall, Springfield Hospital; Elizabeth Greenway, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company; and Mary Gallagher, SSJ, College of Our Lady of the Elms. Norma Binnig, Bay Path Junior College joined the committee in October l968. Jean Scougall applied for and was successful in obtaining a library resources grant of $6000 from the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, under the Medical Library Assistance Act of l963. One portion of the grant was used to acquire reference tools and indexes for physicians and professional people in the Western Massachusetts/Connecticut Valley Area. Another portion of the grant was used to support the cooperative efforts of the six librarians involved in producing a second edition of the Union List. The programming and production of this 1969 publication were done at the data processing department of the Springfield Hospital Medical Center. The computerized printout doubled the size of the first edition, and it listed magazines and journals held in thirteen libraries: American International College, Bay Path Junior College, Hampden County Law Library, Monsanto Company, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Our Lady of the Elms College, Springfield Academy of Medicine, Springfield College, Springfield Hospital, Wesson Memorial Hospital, Western Massachusetts Hospital, Western New England College, and Springfield City Library.
Editorial work on the third edition of the Greater Springfield, Massachusetts Union List of Serials was begun in l970 under the direction of Elizabeth Greenaway, Virginia Keith, Mary Gallagher, SSJ, and Jean Scougall. Diane Mazur of Western New England College, joined the committee in 1971. The third edition was issued in 1971. Judith Campbell of Holyoke Community College joined the Union List editorial committee in January 1972 and Aline Demyttenaere of American International College and Maria Wasek of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company joined the committee in l973. A decision was made to expand the database of the Union List to include serials and newspapers. The preface to the fourth edition, published in 1975 stated:
"This list, by expressing the periodical holdings of its contributors, is a local working tool designed to foster greater inter-library understanding and cooperation. Frequent revision facilitated by the automated process is envisioned."
As the third (1971), fourth (1975), fifth (1977) and sixth (1981) editions of the Union List were compiled and published, editorial work rotated among the libraries represented in the list. The committee for the sixth edition included: Jean Sougall, Baystate Medical Center; Mary Gallagher, SSJ, College of Our Lady of the Elms; Judith Campbell, Holyoke Community College; Raymond Lin, Springfield College; Iris Skipton, Springfield City Library; Nancy McAuliffe, Springfield Technical Community College; Norman Powel, Western New England College. By the sixth edition, the computer files had been transferred to Holyoke Community College. The database consisted of 7,700 current and retrospective titles held by: American International College, Bay Path College, Baystate Medical Center, College of Our Lady of the Elms, Hampden County Law Library, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke Hospital, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Mercy Hospital, Monsanto Company, Springfield Academy of Medicine, Springfield City Library, Springfield College, Springfield Technical Community College, Veteran's Administration Hospital, Western Massachusetts Hospital, Western New England College, Western New England College Law Library, Westfield State College.
In 1982, libraries operating under the auspices of the Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield (CCGS) consortium assumed responsibility for the continuation of the Union List. Members of the Cooperating Libraries of Greater Springfield (CLGS), (American International College, Bay Path Junior College, Baystate Medical Center, Holyoke Community College, College of Our Lady of the Elms, Springfield City Library, Springfield Technical Community College, Westfield State College, Western New England College, Western New England College School of Law) assessed themselves an annual fee of $200 for the revision and publication of the Union List. In 1985 the assessment was increased to $250 and non-CLGS contributors to the Union List were assessed an annual fee of $65. The CLGS group contracted with Judith Campbell, Holyoke Community College to become the editor of the seventh edition (1983). With the assistance of an advisory committee consisting of Virginia Keith, Mary Gallagher, SSJ, and Jean Scougall, Judith Campbell also served as the editor of the 8th editon of the Union List. This edition was dedicated to Jean Scougall:
"Thanks to Jean, the ambitious efforts she undertook years ago to keep the LIST alive continues as an ambitious effort today. The LIST, extensively used and widely respected, now stands as symbol of the cooperation that exists among the participating libraries."
The ninth edition of the Union List was published in 1986. It contained 9,000 titles from 28 participating libraries and was sold to non-CLGS institutions for $65. In 1986, CLGS (A CCGS Agency) applied for a Library Services and Construction Act (LCSA) Title III Grant to transfer the Union List databases into the New England Union List (NEUL), a regional union list sponsored by the New England Library Information Network (NELINET), a contractor for the services of the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). The grant (written by Sister Mary Ellen Brennan, College of Our Lady of the Elms, Glenn Johnson, Western New England College, and Judith Campbell, Holyoke Community College) was also intended to expand the list of contributors in the Greater Springfield Union List of Serials to include academic and public libraries located in four Western Massachusetts counties (Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, Berkshire).
The LSCA Title III Project FOCUS (Four County Union List of Serials) was approved by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the amount of $29,599 was awarded to CLGS to carry out its purpose. Beginning in 1987, the serials records of libraries began to be entered into the OCLC database under the direction of the project coordinator Judith Campbell. With the 10th edition (1987), the Union List of Serials of the Greater Springfield Area became a part of NEUL and accessible through computer terminals nationwide. The Union List was available in hard copy, in microform, and, through terminal accessibility, it became available via computer networking to any of the libraries that were members of OCLC.
The 11th (1988) and l2th (1990) editions of the Union List were supervised by the Union List Project Coordinator, Katherine Higgins, Westfield State College. Data entry for non-OCLC members who were contributors to the Union List was done at CLGS Libraries that were members of OCLC. In 1991, CLGS annual assessment for supporting the publication of the Union List was raised to $300. A $50 annual contributors fee was assessed. These assessments covered the costs of entering data into NEUL for non-OCLC libraries and expenses associated with printing a hard-copy of the Union List every other year for each contributor. Upon publication, the Union List was distributed at a contributors meeting. Additional copies were made available for purchase at $65. The publication of the l3th (1991) edition of The Union List of Serials in the Libraries of the Greater Springfield Area was supervised by Serials Union List Coordinator, Lynn Eaton, Springfield Technical Community College.
In 1992, contributors who were members of OCLC assumed full financial resposibility for all Union List activity on OCLC. CLGS members annual assessment was increased to $350. A Serials Advisory Committee was formed to perform administrative tasks dealing with the production of the Union List, to conduct contributors meetings, and to offer recommendations to CLGS about OCLC policies, charges, Union List activity, etc. Members of the committee included: Lynn Eaton (Chair), Springfield Technical Community College; Valorie Kelly, Westfield State College; Judith Campbell, Holyoke Community College; Barbara LaPierre, Springfield City Library; Lisa Pitkin, Springfield College; and Mary Gallagher, SSJ, College of Our Lady of the Elms. Iris Bradley-Lovekin, Western New England College was contracted as data entry personnel for contributors who did not have access to OCLC. The hard copy of the l4th edition of the Union List numbered 963 double-columned pages with titles in Marc II format arranged in alphabetical order, with holdings information and cross reference. The 36 contributing libraries were indicated by OCLC-assigned institution code:
|
BPC, Berkshire Community College |
GRE, Greenfield Community College |
| HLA, Hampden Law Library | HLY, Holyoke Community College |
| JWL, Jones Library | MUT, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company |
| NDA, North Adams State College | NKA, American International College |
| NKB, Bay Path College | NKC, Baystate Medical Center |
| NKE, Chicopee Public Library | NKF, College of Our Lady of the Elms |
| NKG, Cooley Dickinson Hospital | NKH, Franklin Medical Center |
| NKI, Holyoke Hospital | NKJ, Holyoke Public Library |
| NKK, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy | MKL, Mercy Hospital |
| NKN, North Adams Regional Hospital | NKO, Noble Hospital |
| NKP, Providence Hospital | NKQ, Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children |
| NKT, Springfield College | NKU, Veterans Administration Medical Center |
| NKV, Wing Memorial Hospital | NKW, West Springfield Public Library |
| PLM, Palmer Public Library | SFC, Springfield Technical Community College |
| WEX, Westfield State College | WLA, Western New England College Law Library |
| WNE, Western New England College | WRL, Western Massachusetts Regional Library System |
| WRS, Springfield City Library | XWB, Wilbraham Public Library |
| XWF, Westfield Athenaeum | YSR, Simon's Rock of Bard College |
The l5th edition of the Union List was completed in March, 1994, thirty years after the lst edition. In comparison to the lst (1964) edition which was a l36-page, typewritten and mimeographed list of magazines in 6 academic, 7 special, and 5 medical libraries in the Springfield area, the l5th (1994) edition is a l,012-page computerized printout of magazines, newspapers, and serials in 37 libraries located in four Western Massachusetts counties -- Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire. Libraries that have serials holdings in this latest edition of the Union List of Serials in the Libraries of the Greater Springfield Massachusetts Area include:
|
American International College |
Bay Path College (NKB) |
| Baystate Medical
Center (NKC) |
Berkshire Community
College (BCP) |
| Berkshire Medical
Center (NKD) |
Chicopee Public
Library (NKE) |
| Cooley Dickinson
Hospital (NKG) |
College of Our
Lady of the Elms (NKF) |
| Franklin Medical
Center (NKH) |
General Electric
Plastics (GEP) |
| Greenfield Community
College (GRE) |
Hampden Law Library (HLA) |
| Holyoke Community
College (HLY) |
Holyoke Hospital (NKI) |
| Holyoke Public
Library (NKJ) |
Jones Library (JWL) |
| Massachusetts College of Pharmacy (NKK) |
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MUT) |
| Mercy Hospital (NKL) |
Noble Hospital (NKO) |
| North Adams Regional
Hospital (NKN) |
North Adams State
College (NDA) |
| Palmer Public Library (PLM) |
Providence Hospital (NKP) |
| Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children (NKQ) | Springfield City
Library (WRS) |
| Springfield College (NKT) |
Springfield Technical Community College (SFC) |
| Veterans Administration Medical Center (NKU) | West Springfield
Public Library (NKW) |
| Western Massachusetts Regional Library System (WRL) | Western New England
College (WNE) |
| Western New England College Law Library (WLA) | Westfield Athaneum (XWF) |
| Westfield State
College (WEX) |
Wilbraham Public
Library (XWB) |
| Wing Memorial Hospital (NKV) | |
All of the titles in the Union List of Serials in the Libraries of the Greater Springfield Massachusetts Area are now a part of the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) database and can be accessed through computers nationwide. Library users can easily find which local library has a particular magazine, newspaper or journal, and can arrange to borrow a periodical or obtain a copy of an article from any of the libraries that have contributed to the Union List.
During National Library Week in l964, the librarians responsible for the original Union List commemorated their achievement at a luncheon hosted by Bay Path College. That event is being recreated this year to celebrate 30 years of cooperation among Springfield area libraries. During National Library Week in l994, a luncheon is being held at Bay Path College to honor the efforts of the Cooperating Libraries of Greater Springfield (CLGS), the group which assumed responsibility for the continuation and development of the Union List. The CLGS group counts as its members the directors of libraries: Knowlton Utley, American International College; Patrick Brennen, Baystate Medical Center; Barbara L. Feret, Bay Path College; Mary Gallagher,SSJ, College of Our Lady of the Elms; Elizabeth Sheehan, Holyoke Community College; Gerald Davis, Springfield College; Anne Keefe (Co-Director), Springfield City Library; Tamson Ely, Springfield Technical Community College; May Stack, Western New England College; Donald Dunn, Western New England College; and Hal Gibson, Westfield State College.
