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Local History and Genealogy
Searching for Springfield Massachusetts local history and genealogy resources? We can help!
Springfield MA Local History Collection
The Central Library maintains a collection of published works on Springfield area history, including local publications such as the Springfield Planning Department’s neighborhood studies. These items can be used at the library, but most cannot be checked out.
All local history titles in our collection are catalogued and searchable in the online catalog.
(For a more comprehensive local history collection, including archival material, please contact the Springfield History Library & Archives at the Wood Museum of Springfield History.)
Springfield City Directories and Springfield High School Yearbooks
The Central Library maintains a near-complete collection of City Directories from 1866 through 1989, some digitized online, and a limited collection of Springfield college and public high school yearbooks dating from the early 1900s to the late 1980s, many of which are also digitized online.
Please contact the Central Library reference desk with inquiries about these resources at 413-263-6828 ext 213 or use our Ask a Librarian reference form.
Springfield MA Newspapers
The library offers access to Springfield newspapers on microfilm from 1900 to the present at the Central Library. (Springfield newspapers prior to 1900 are held at the Springfield History Library & Archives.) Digital (computer-based) microfilm readers are available for self-service use. Librarians are available for assistance.
We also have some full-text online newpapers available from 1988 to present. See the “Newspapers” tab below for more information.
Genealogy Resources
The library offers in-library access to the genealogical databases, Ancestry.com and American Ancestors, and remote access for Springfield City Library cardholders to Fold3 (military records), HeritageHub (obituaries), and HeritageQuest. You can make an appointment for genealogical assistance from a librarian – please click here for more information.
More Free Online Resources
Springfield City Library – Available on Microfilm at Central Library. Holdings listed below:
- Springfield Weekly Republican: Jan 1900 – Sep 26, 1946
- Springfield Weekly Union: Jan 1900 – Jan 1901
- Springfield Evening Union: Jan 1900 – Sep 25, 1946
- Springfield Daily and Sunday Republican: Jan 1900 – Sep 26, 1946
- Springfield Daily News: Jan 1905 – May 1987
- Springfield Union News (PM edition): Jun 1987 – Jun 19, 1992
- Springfield Morning and Sunday Union: Jan 1900 – Jan 1926
- Springfield Morning Union: Feb 1926 – Sep 26, 1946; Mar 6, 1947 – Aug 1947
- Springfield Morning Union and Sunday Republican: Sep 1947 – May 1987
- Springfield Union News (AM edition): Jun 1987 – Apr 6, 2003
- Springfield Republican: Apr 7, 2003 to current
(Yes, there were big problems in September 1946. A massive strike shut down the city’s presses for months, and several of the city’s papers never recovered.)
MassLive Searchable Index for Springfield Newspapers – MassLive provides an (incomplete) searchable index to Springfield newspapers to aid with microfilm searches (1877-1987). The library does not have access to the full archives online – see above listing for microfilm holdings at Central Library. For details of index coverage, click here.
Springfield Republican & Western Massachusetts Full-Text Newspapers – Springfield Republican coverage: 1988 – current. Other newspapers include: Advocate (North Adams), Amherst Bulletin, Berkshire Eagle, Daily Hampshire Gazette, North Adams Transcript, Recorder (Greenfield), Springfield Advocate, Springfield Examiner, and Valley Advocate. Remote Access for Springfield City Library Cardholders
Springfield Republican Full-Color Digital Archive – This digital archive covers January 1, 2019 and forward, with no delays. It is fully searchable, and you can print, email, or download results. Remote Access for Springfield City Library Cardholders
Boston Public Library – 19th Century US Newspapers – Searchable full-page and article reproductions of newspapers from across the country. Massachusetts Coverage: Boston: Atlas, Congregationalist, Courier, Daily Advertiser, Emancipator & Republican, Investigator, Liberator; Lowell: Lowell Daily Citizen. New York Times (1851-2015) – Searchable full-page and article reproductions back to the first issue on Sept 18, 1851.
Obituary Database – The Obituary Database indexes obituaries appearing in the Boston Evening Transcript (BET), Boston Globe (BG), and the Boston Herald/Herald American (BH) from 1932–1941 and 1953–2010.
The above resources are available with a BPL eCard – If you are a Massachusetts resident and don’t already have a Boston Public Library card, you can register for one online.
Library of Congress – Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Census Records – National Archives – The first Federal Population Census was taken in 1790, and has been taken every ten years since. Because of a 72-year restriction on access to the Census, the most recent year available is 1950. In-library access to the census is available through the genealogical database, Ancestry.com
City of Springfield, Massachusetts – How to obtain copies of Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates
Commonwealth of Massachusetts –
Vital Records – Search Records of birth, marriage, and death (1841 – 1910)
Passenger Manifest Lists – Search for passengers arriving in the Port of Boston (1848 – 1891)
How to obtain copies of Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates
The Ellis Island Foundation – Passenger Search – Ship Search
Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 – Ancestry.org
United States Social Security Death Index – FamilySearch.org
Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Archives Collection – (1629 – 1799)
DigitalCommonwealth.org – Explore historical collections from libraries, museums, and archives across Massachusetts.
New England Historic Genealogical Society – AmericanAncestors.org – Database Search
The National Genealogical Society – a good list of resources that are kept up to date: https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/free-resources/websites/
Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut and the Northeast, Inc. – 8 Lyle Road
New Britain, CT – Library and Resource Center
The Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts – 33 South Street, Chicopee, MA – Research Library
Polish Genealogical Society of America
Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society – Resources
FamilySearch.org – Free Family History and Genealogy Records
National Archives – Resources for Genealogists
Boston Public Library – online resources listed here- https://guides.bpl.org/genealogymain/databases
Smithsonian Genealogical Research Guide – https://library.si.edu/research/genealogy
Library of Congress Genealogy Guides – https://guides.loc.gov/genealogy
Resources For Job Seekers
Are you new to using computers in your job search? Are you looking for free career resources? Get hired with these resources.
MassHire Springfield Career Center
413-858-2800
admin@masshirespringfield.org
Youthworks
413-858-2818
pgedeon@masshirespringfield.org
MassHire Springfield assists youth and adults in finding jobs and building their skill sets to meet the needs of local businesses. Jobseekers, advance your job search and career through job listings and through workshops and career training options. Specialized services for veterans, people with disabilities, and migrant and seasonal farm workers. Business owners, MassHire serves as your workforce partner to help you with recruitment, hiring, and retention.
Ayuda a jóvenes y adultos a encontrar trabajo y desarrollar sus habilidades para satisfacer las necesidades de las empresas locales. Solicitantes de empleo, avance su búsqueda de empleo y carrera a través de listados de trabajo y a través de talleres y opciones de capacitación profesional. Propietarios de negocios, MassHire trabaja como su socio laboral para ayudarlo con el reclutamiento, la contratación y la retención.
Just getting started?
The Springfield City Library regularly offers classes on Computer Basics and specifically for Job Seekers – visit our adult programs page for more information and to register for upcoming classes.
Our Book A Librarian service is available for one-on-one assistance with basic computing, job searching, resume writing, or just figuring out how to use different features on your smart phone. To schedule an appointment, call or visit the Springfield City Library location most convenient to you for half-hour tutoring sessions.
DigitalLearn.org – If you are new to using computers in your job search, haven’t used them for a while, or just need a bit of a refresher, we have the tools to help you tackle technology at your own pace and gain the confidence you need to succeed.
Video tutorials and printable instructions are available on the following topics:
Intro to Email – Introducción a Correo electrónico
Creating Resumes – Hojas de Vida
Microsoft Word – (en Español)
Online Job Searching – La Búsqueda de Trabajo en línea
and more …
ERC (EMPLOYMENT RESOURCE COLLECTION)
The Employment Resource Collection (ERC) is a collection of books, catalogs, and brochures selected to help job seekers find work, professional training, and/or further their education. Subjects covered in the ERC include test preparation for schooling and trades; resume writing, job interview skills, career guidance, college and scholarship information, and other related topics. The largest ERC is housed at the Central Library in Rice Hall with over 750 job seeker books and resources, though the Brightwood, Forest Park, and Indian Orchard branches also have impressive selections of job seeker books in their ERCs too. Most ERC materials are available for loan, though some are intended for in-house use only.
Job seeker books and DVDs are available at all library locations including those that do not have specially designated ERCs. Please see your branch librarian for help finding these or any other library items.
Helpful Dewey Decimal call numbers:
Careers: 331.7-331.7020973
Test preparation: 378.1662 – 378.1664
College (selecting and paying for): 378.3 – 378.7309
Resumes: 650.14
Cover letters: 650.142
Spanish: 860s
Need help with technology or using the library’s electronic resources? We can help you by phone, e-mail, in person or through our Book A Librarian service – available for one-on-one assistance with basic computing.
Women@Work: a City-Wide Collaborative
Women@Work: Influence and Impact is a city of Springfield-wide collaborative of programs, exhibitions, and gatherings celebrating the power of women.
Women@Work highlights women’s achievements in visual and performing arts, science and literature,
and community-building and social outreach.
At the hub of this collaborative is a major exhibition at the Springfield Museums
exploring artist Isabel Bishop’s work, which depicts ordinary women in an extraordinary
way. Isabel Bishop’s Working Women: Defying Convention explores how Bishop
not only defined herself as a unique, independent, and unconventional artist, but also
how she changed how artists perceive and portray women.
Bishop’s work and her subject matter prompted Museum Director Kay Simpson and her
team to think about broadening the examination of women and their work and to involve
community partners from the arts and culture, area colleges, the media, social services
and businesses led by women.
Simpson convened a group of stakeholders and the idea blossomed into a year-long
calendar of exhibits and events highlighting the work women have done and do today.
Please join us to celebrate the influence and impact of Women@Work.
Click here to view the Women@Work events calendar.
Special thanks to TSM Design for the Women@Work logo.
CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS MEANS NEW ENTRANCE FOR CENTRAL LIBRARY
Central Library visitors will enter through Quadrangle door starting December 12.
Visitors to the Springfield City Library’s Central Library should enter through the door facing the Springfield Museums, starting December 12. Doors on State Street will not reopen until the next construction phase is complete. The Library’s newly constructed ramp means that pedestrians and wheelchair and stroller users alike can enter the building on the Quadrangle side. Museums staff welcome library visitors to park in their lots on Edwards Street. Accessible parking for vehicles displaying a license plate or placard is in a small lot between the George Walter Vincent Smith and Springfield Science museums; enter through the State Street driveway.
The new ramp is part of a renovation of the historic Central Library which opened in 1912. The City of Springfield is funding the project, with supplementary grant funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council through its Cultural Facilities Fund. Besides the ramp construction, ongoing improvements include remediation of water leaks, replacement of a worn roof, and restoration of cornices lining the roof profile. The next step dismantles and restores the marble staircase on the State Street side of the building, necessitating the closure of the surrounding doors for public safety.
The Central Library, located at 220 State Street, is the headquarters for Springfield’s nine-location system. It remains open its regular schedule during construction: Mondays and Wednesdays, 12 to 8; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 9 to 5; and Sundays, 12 to 5. The Massachusetts Cultural Council is a state agency.
Founded in 1857, the Springfield City Library provides nearly 5000 educational and recreational programs per year. To learn more, visit www.springfieldlibrary.org.
Book List – 2018 Teens’ Top Ten
The Teens’ Top Ten is a “teen choice” list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year!
Title | Author |
---|---|
Turtles All the Way Down | John Green |
One of Us is Lying | Karen M. McManus |
Warcross | Marie Lu |
Wonder Woman: Warbringer | Leigh Bardugo |
Caraval | Stephanie Garber |
Long Way Down | Jason Reynolds |
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter | Erika L. Sánchez |
Paper Hearts | Ali Novak |
Strange the Dreamer | Laini Taylor |
Once and For All | Sarah Dessen |
2018 Teens’ Top Ten list announced!
Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country. Nominations are posted on the Thursday of National Library Week, and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year. Readers ages twelve to eighteen voted online between August 15 and Teen Read Week™ (October 7-13, 2018) on the Teens’ Top Ten site.
The Teens’ Top Ten is a project of ALA’s Young Adult Library Services Association. For more great reads visit their Teen Book Finder Database.
Download a pdf file of the Teens’ Top Ten list.
Books about Bullies and Bullying for Teens and their Allies
A great list of fiction and nonfiction books about bullies and bullying for teens, their parents, and caregivers.
NONFICTION
The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School: How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence, by Barbara Coloroso (2008) – A guide for parents and educators offers advice on recognizing bullying behavior while making suggestions on how to appropriately discipline bullies, protect children, and formulate constructive school and community practices.
Bullying: Deal With It Before Push Comes to Shove, by Elaine Slavens (2003) – Offers advice on how to deal with bullying, for targets, bullies, and witnesses.
Bullying: Replies, Rebuttals, Confessions, and Catharsis: an Intergenerational and Multicultural Anthology, edited by Magdalena Gómez and María Luisa Arroyo (2012) – Springfield community leaders and activists Gómez and Arroyo worked with children, teenagers, and parents—both the victims and the bullies—to put together this searing anthology of original essays, poetry, plays, and commentary on how bullying has affected their lives.
Cyberbullying, by Lauri S. Freidman (2011) – Explores the issues surrounding cyberbullying–bullying through the Internet–by placing opinions from a wide range of sources in a pro/con format.
Cyber Bullying: Protecting Kids and Adults from Online Bullies, by Samuel C McQuade (2009) – Before the advent of the widespread use of the internet, bullying was confined to school grounds, classrooms, and backyards. Now, the virulence of bullying has taken on new meaning, as bullies take to the web to intimidate, harass, embarrass, and offend others. Through email, cell phones, text messaging, and social networking sites, bullies can carry out their bullying in many cases without ever having to confront their victims, and often without consequence.
Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories, edited by Carrie Jones and Megan Kelley Hall (2011) –A timely and moving collection of personal stories about bullying from authors as varied as Lauren Kate, Jon Scieszka, Alyson Nöel, Lauren Oliver, Mo Willems and many others.
Girls against Girls: Why We are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change, by Bonnie Burton (2009) – This guide for teenage girls explains why girls can sometimes be mean to each other, what to do if you are a victim of bullying, and the importance of treating other girls with respect.
Hey, Back Off!: Tips for Stopping Teen Harassment, by Jennie Withers with Phyllis Hendrickson (2011) – Offers tips, strategies, and explanations about what harassment is; discusses how the behavior originates from personality types; and examines how to deal with the harassers.
I Have Been Cyberbullied, Now What?, by Caitie McAneney (2016)
Coverage includes the many faces of cyberbullying, consequences of cyberbullying, rights and laws, and surviving cyberbullying.
It Gets Better: Coming out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living, by Dan Savage and Terry Miller (2015) –Authors and public figures share their stories about being LGBT teens and dealing with bullying and other hardships.
I Wrote on All Four Walls: Teens Speak Out on Violence, edited by Fran Fearnley (2004) – Nine teens share their experiences with violence and bullying.
Letters to a Bullied Girl: Messages of Healing and Hope, by Olivia Gardner with Emily and Sarah Buder (2008) –Draws on the correspondence between an epileptic victim of bullying and a pair of sisters who started a letter campaign on her behalf, in a volume that presents more than one hundred letters of encouragement received by the author.
Life at School and in the Community (Teens: Being Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender Series), by Richard Worth (2010) – Strategies for coming out to ones friends, interacting with school personnel, and dealing with bullies. Advice is also given on how to organize groups such as gay-straight alliances.
Masculinity, Bullying, and Aggression: a Guy’s Guide, by Sam Navarre (2012) – Explores the best and worst ways to handle aggression, the facts on bullying and cyberbullying, and how best to handle anger in everyday situations.
The Survival Guide to Bullying: Written by a Teen, by Aija Mayrock (2015) – The Survival Guide to Bullying covers everything from cyber bullying to how to deal with fear and how to create the life you dream of having. From inspiring “roems” (rap poems), survival tips, personal stories, and quick quizzes, this book will light the way to a brighter future.
Surviving Bullies and Mean Teens, by Mary P. Donahue, Ph.D. (2018) –
This book explains how bullying happens and offers solutions for teens to get through it safely. They’ll be given tips and strategies designed to help them make healthy choices, leading to a happier life, minus the bullies.
Teen Cyberbullying Investigated: Where Do Your Rights End and Consequences Begin?, by Tom Jacobs (2010) –Presents a collection of landmark court cases involving teens and charges of cyberbullying–including sending threatening emails, spreading hateful comments on blogs and sending threatening messages using a false identity–urging readers to think about how the computer can change their lives and hurt others.
Understanding Girl Bullying and What to Do about It : Strategies to Help Heal the Divide, by Julaine E. Field, et al. (2009) –This book covers the causes and characteristics of girl bullying; outlines assessment, prevention, and intervention methods; and provides an original 10-session curriculum for small groups. (Annotation from Amazon.com)
Vicious: True Stories by Teens about Bullying, edited by Hope Vanderberg (2012) –Essays by teens address bullying: physical, verbal, relational, and cyber. These stories will appeal to readers because the cruelty and hurt are unmistakably real—and the reactions of the writers are sometimes cringe-worthy, often admirable, and always believable.
We Want You to Know: Kids Talk About Bullying, by Deborah Ellis (2010) –
Presents interviews with students who have been bullied, as they describe their experiences with peers, parents, teachers, and school administrators, along with advice on the best methods that can be used to stop bullying behavior.
Why Good Kids Act Cruel : The Hidden Truth about the Pre-teen Years, by Carl E Pickhardt (2010) –Why Good Kids Act Cruel is the first book to give parents the tools they need to understand why cruelty happens at this age and how to help their child through this difficult stage. This highly informative and useful book explains the psychology of early adolescent change, the short and long term effects of social cruelty, what parents can do, what the school can do, and much more.
Words Wound : Delete Cyberbullying and Make Kindness Go Viral, by Justin W. Patchin and Sameer Hinduja (2013) –Written by experts in cyberbullying prevention and reviewed by teens, this book provides strategies for kids who are being bullied online, as well as for those who have taken part in bullying others. It also presents ways for teens to make their schools and their communities kinder places that are free from online cruelty. This book gives teens the tools they need to keep themselves and others safe.
FICTION
Ahgottahandleonit, by Donovan Mixon (2017) – Tim’s a dyslexic black kid on the mean streets of Newark. He wants to do what is right, but anger boils deep inside him. Despite everything, Tim wants his life to matter.
Avengers: No More Bullying, by various authors (2015) – The Avengers have always stood up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, but this time they’re in for a bombastic adventure of the highest order! Swing along with Spidey and a gathering of his amazing friends as they take on this important social issue in the inimitable Mighty Marvel Manner! Featuring guest stars from across the Marvel Universe, including Thor, Hercules, Daredevil and the Guardians of the Galaxy!
Backlash, by Sarah Darer Littman (2015) – When Christian, a boy she knows only through Facebook, posts a lot of nasty comments on her page, fifteen-year-old Lara tries to kill herself–but that is only the beginning of the backlash for her sister, Sydney; her former friend Bree; and her classmates.
The Bully (Bluford Series), by Paul Langan (2002) –Darrell Mercer, a 9th grader at Bluford, is at the center of this story. Darrell and his mother move to the Bluford area in the middle of the school year. Physically smaller than his peers, Darrell quickly becomes a target for Tyray Hobbs, the freshman class bully.
By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead, by Julie Anne Peters (2010)
High school student Daelyn Rice, who has been bullied throughout her school career and has more than once attempted suicide, again makes plans to kill herself, in spite of the persistent attempts of an unusual boy to draw her out.
Bystander, by James Preller (2009) – Thirteen-year-old Eric discovers there are consequences to not standing by and watching as the bully at his new school hurts people, but although school officials are aware of the problem, Eric may be the one with a solution.
Cracked, by K.M. Walton (2012) – A teen takes a bottle of pills and lands in the psych ward with the bully who drove him to attempt suicide in this gripping novel.
Crossing Lines, by Paul Volponi (2011) –High school senior Adonis struggles to do the right thing when his fellow football players escalate their bullying of a new classmate, Alan, who is transgender.
A Cut Too Far, by Herman Brown (2015) – Chace has been bullied for years by Ivan, first for his facial deformity then for his mother’s Iranian-American boyfriend, but when he decides to pay back Ivan’s Internet attacks with a cyberthreat of his own, he faces suspension from school–and worse.
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, by Josh Berk (2010) – When Will Halpin transfers from his all-deaf school into a mainstream Pennsylvania high school, he faces discrimination and bullying, but still manages to solve a mystery surrounding the death of a popular football player in his class.
Dog Sense, by Sneed B Collard (2008) – After he and his mother move from California to Montana to live with his grandfather, thirteen-year-old Guy gradually adjusts to the unfamiliar surroundings, makes a friend, and learns to deal with a bully, with the help of his Frisbee-catching dog.
Everybody Sees the Ants, by A.S. King (2012) –Experiencing vivid dreams about meeting his long-lost POW/MIA grandfather, Lucky Linderman struggles to fit into a home life marked by a distant father, a weary mother and a cruel bully who compromises Lucky’s grasp on reality.
Fat Angie, by E. E. Charlton-Trujillo (2015) – Her sister was captured in Iraq, she’s the resident laughingstock at school, and her therapist tells her to count instead of eat. Can a daring new girl in her life really change anything?
Freak Show, by James St. James (2007) – Billy, a budding drag queen, survives bullying that would reduce most people to quivering jelly — and falls in love with a football player.
The Guardian, by Joyce Sweeney (2009) – When thirteen-year-old Hunter, struggling to deal with a harsh, money-grubbing foster mother, three challenging foster sisters, and a school bully, returns to his childhood faith and prays to St. Gabriel, he instantly becomes aware that he does, indeed, have a guardian.
Jumped, by Rita Williams-Garcia (2009) –The lives of Leticia, Dominique, and Trina are irrevocably intertwined through the course of one day in an urban high school after Leticia overhears Dominique’s plans to beat up Trina and must decide whether or not to get involved.
None of the Above, by I. W. Gregorio (2015) – A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex… and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind (Gifted Series, Vol. 1), by Marilyn Kaye (2009) –
Amanda Beeson is Queen Bee at Meadowbrook Middle School. If you’re not friends with Amanda, you’re nobody. But one morning gorgeous, popular Amanda looks in the mirror and sees a very diifferent face staring back at her. The Queen Bee is about to get a taste of life in someone else’s shoes.
Poison Ivy, by Amy Goldman Koss (2006) – In a government class three popular girls undergo a mock trial for their ruthless bullying of a classmate.
Revelación, by Patricia Murdoch (2008) – For most of her life, Julie felt powerless whenever Dana entered her space, whether it was inside or outside school. Dana thrived on making Julie feel less than human by subjecting her to vicious verbal comments that went beyond the normal high school taunts. Then it all changed when Julie sneaked into her brother’s backpack and downloads photos of a sleazy party where Dana exposed more than personality. Now Julie has to decide how far she’ll go to get even with all the nastiness that Dana has dished out to her. Translation of Exposure by Patricia Murdoch.
Scrawl, by Mark Shulman (2010) – When eighth-grade bully Tod and his friends get caught committing a crime on school property, his penalty, staying after school and writing in a journal, reveals aspects of himself that he prefers to keep hidden.
Screenshot, by Donna Cooner (2018) – Sixteen-year-old Skye Matthews is always careful with her social media accounts, but when her friend Asha posts an embarrassing video of Skye at a sleepover her perfect reputation and her dream of a summer internship with the Colorado senator is endangered–someone took a screenshot before the video was deleted and is threatening to share the photo online, unless Skye does whatever they ask.
Shooter, by Walter Dean Myers (2004) – When his friend goes on a shooting rampage at school, misfit Cameron has to rethink his views on his life and his place in the world, in a powerful tale told through interviews, diary excerpts, and newspaper articles.
A Silent Voice, by Yoshitoki Ōima (2015) – When a grade school student with impaired hearing is bullied mercilessly, she transfers to another school. Years later, one of her former tormentors sets out to make amends.
Some Girls Are, by Courtney Summers (2010) – Regina, a high school senior in the popular–and feared–crowd, suddenly falls out of favor and becomes the object of the same sort of vicious bullying that she used to inflict on others, until she finds solace with one of her former victims.
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson (1999) – A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda’s freshman year in high school, as classmates torment her through rumors and exclude her from clubs and gatherings.
Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher (2007) – Por Trece Razones: una Novela (Spanish) – When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah’s voice recounting the events leading up to her death.
This Is What I Did, by Ann Dee Ellis (2009) –Bullied because of an incident in his past, eighth-grader Logan is unhappy at his new school and has difficulty relating to others until he meets a quirky girl and a counselor who believe in him.
Twisted, by Laurie Halse Anderson (2007) – After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, seventeen-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl, but when life starts to go bad again, he must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts.
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, by Meg Medina (2015) –Yaqui Delgado Quiere Darte una Paliza (Spanish) – A Latina girl is targeted at her new school and learns to stand up for herself.
Updated – September 2018
Legal Resources
From general resources like finding you local legislator, to local organizations that offer lawyer referral services and immigration law resources.
Local
Reference:
- Hampden Law Library – 50 State Street, Courthouse, Springfield – Open to the public the law library offers: help with legal research, books and materials to borrow, online databases for no charge (including Westlaw and Lexis), and free public wifi. | (413) 748-7923
- City of Springfield, Good Neighbor Guide – Online Guide – Quality of Life Regulations in the City of Springfield. Includes: Business Licenses & Regulations, Animals, Waste Collection, Public Peace & Welfare, Motor Vehicles, Streets, Sidewalks & Public Places, Building Maintenance, Neighborhood Organizations.
- City of Springfield, Online Public Records – Website – Budget, Expenditures and Financial Plans, City Governance, Code Enforcement, Economic Development, Elections, Property and Taxation, Public Safety, Vital Records
Lawyer Referral Services:
- Community Legal Aid – One Monarch Place, Springfield – Provides free civil legal services to low-income and elderly residents of central and western Massachusetts. CLA also provides free civil legal assistance to victims of crime and survivors of homicide victims. | (508) 425-2785
- Hampden County Bar Association – 50 State Street, Springfield | (413) 732-4660
Immigration Law Resources
- ACLU Immigrant Protection Project of Western Mass – The Immigrant Protection Project (IPP) is a coordinated regional effort by attorneys and organizations to provide immigrants in Western Massachusetts with referrals for legal assistance and connections to other services. | (413) 727-8515
- El Proyecto de Protección al Inmigrante (IPP) es un esfuerzo regional coordinado de abogados y organizaciones para conectar a inmigrantes en el oeste de Massachusetts con referencias para asistencia legal y servicios que abordan otras necesidades de la comunidad inmigrante en todo el Pioneer Valley y el are de Berkshires. | (413) 727-8515
- Berkshire Immigrant Center – 88 South Street, Pittsfield | (413) 445-4881
- Center for New Americans – 42 Gothic St, Northampton – Offers Immigration legal services. Contact Maureen at citizen@cnam.org | (413) 587-0084
- Community Legal Aid – One Monarch Place, Springfield | (508) 425-2785
- New England Justice for our Neighbors – Trinity United Methodist Church, 361 Sumner Avenue, Springfield | (413) 386-9951
- Catholic Charities– Office of Immigration, Migration, and Refugee Services -65 Elliot Street, Springfield – Services are offered for a nominal fee for all documented immigrants, refugees and asylees. In addition to aiding clients with their CIS documents, our caseworkers can provide referrals to legal services, social services and ESOL classes for immigrants regardless of status. | (413) 452-0626 | immigration@diospringfield.org
State
Reference:
- MassLegalHelp.org – MassLegalHelp.org’s mission is to use the Web to improve access to justice for low income and disadvantaged people. It provides practical information about your legal rights in Massachusetts.
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Public Records – A website of the Secretary of the State Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Includes: Notary Public Information, Marriages in Massachusetts, Public Records Access, and Information on the Public Records Law.
- The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Find my Legislator – Bills – Laws
- Massachusetts Court System – Website – Includes a Courthouse locator, Information on Jury Duty, Access to New Opinions, and the ability to search Court Dockets.
- Massachusetts General Laws – An online searchable database of the General Laws of Massachusetts.
- Massachusetts Law Resources in the State Library – The State Library has an extensive collection of Massachusetts law resources, including statutes and legislative materials, administrative law and judicial reports.
Lawyer Referral Services:
- Committee for Public Counsel Services – Provide legal representation in Massachusetts for those unable to afford an attorney in all matters in which the law requires the appointment of counsel.
Immigration Law Resources
- PAIR Project – Political Asylum / Immigration Representation Project – 98 North Washington Street, Suite 106, Boston – PAIR provides free immigration services to indigent asylum-seekers and detained immigrants, assuring fairness and access to justice. | (617) 742-9296
- Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center – 316 Main Street, Suite 804, Worcester | (508) 756-7557
- Ascentria Care Alliance – The Immigration Legal Assistance Program is
part of Services for New Americans and provides free and low-cost legal services to immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts. | (413) 562-6015
Federal
Reference:
Federal Depository Library Program – The Springfield City Library is a congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government documents. Public access to the government documents collection is guaranteed by public law. (Title 44 United States Code). To learn more about the program and the kinds of resources that are collected through it, please visit the guide linked above.
USA.gov – Laws and Legal Issues – Website – Official Guide to Government Information Services. Includes information on: Complaints, Crime and Prisons, Federal Laws and Regulations, Labor Laws and Issues, Personal Legal Issues, Documents, and Family History, Scam and Frauds, U.S. Government Works, Voting and Election Laws and History, Your Legal Disability Rights.
Immigration Law Resources:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services – USCIS is the government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States. | Forms | Tools | Citizenship | Green Card | Legal Resources
Attraction Passes
Check out our museum passes! Free or reduced admission to area museums, parks, and attractions.
Springfield Museums
21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA
(413) 263-6800
Springfield Symphony Orchestra
1441 Main Street, Springfield, MA
(413) 733-2291
Springfield Thunderbirds
45 Bruce Landon Way, Springfield, MA
(413) 739-4625
Basketball Hall of Fame
1000 Hall of Fame Ave, Springfield, MA 01105
(877) 446-6752
Zoo In Forest Park and Educational Center
293 Sumner Ave, Springfield, MA 01108
(413) 733-2251
Old Sturbridge Village
1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd, Sturbridge, MA
1-800-733-1830
USS Constitution Museum
Building 22, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, MA
(617) 426-1812
Book List – Young Adult Books About Superheroes
Infinity War left you wrecked? Check out some more light-hearted books about superheroes!
Renegades, by Marissa Meyer
The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew. Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to the villains who have the power to end them both.
Wonder Woman: Warbringer, by Leigh Bardugo
Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world. Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery. Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.
Not Your Sidekick, by C. B. Lee
Welcome to Andover, where superpowers are common, but internships are complicated. Just ask high school nobody, Jessica Tran. Despite her heroic lineage, Jess is resigned to a life without superpowers and is merely looking to beef up her college applications when she stumbles upon the perfect (paid!) internship—only it turns out to be for the town’s most heinous supervillain. On the upside, she gets to work with her longtime secret crush, Abby, whom Jess thinks may have a secret of her own. Then there’s the budding attraction to her fellow intern, the mysterious “M,” who never seems to be in the same place as Abby. But what starts as a fun way to spite her superhero parents takes a sudden and dangerous turn when she uncovers a plot larger than heroes and villains altogether.
Vicious, by V. E. Schwab
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates―brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find―aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge―but who will be left alive at the end?
Steelheart, by Brandon Sanderson
How far would you go for revenge if someone killed your father? If someone destroyed your city? If everything you ever loved was taken from you? David Charleston will go to any lengths to stop Steelheart. But to exact revenge in Steelheart’s world, David will need the Reckoners—a shadowy group of rebels bent on maintaining justice. And it turns out that the Reckoners might just need David too.
Miles Morales: Spider-man, by Jason Reynolds
“Everyone gets mad at hustlers, especially if you’re on the victim side of the hustle. And Miles knew hustling was in his veins.” Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He’s even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he’s Spider Man. But lately, Miles’s spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities. After all, his dad and uncle were Brooklyn jack-boys with criminal records. Maybe kids like Miles aren’t meant to be superheroes. Maybe Miles should take his dad’s advice and focus on saving himself. As Miles tries to get his school life back on track, he can’t shake the vivid nightmares that continue to haunt him. Nor can he avoid the relentless buzz of his spidey-sense every day in history class, amidst his teacher’s lectures on the historical “benefits” of slavery and the importance of the modern-day prison system. But after his scholarship is threatened, Miles uncovers a chilling plot, one that puts his friends, his neighborhood, and himself at risk. It’s time for Miles to suit up.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World: Squirrel Meets World, by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
Fourteen-year-old Doreen Green moved from sunny California to the suburbs of New Jersey. She must start at a new school, make new friends, and continue to hide her tail. Yep, Doreen has the powers of…a squirrel! After failing at several attempts to find her new BFF, Doreen feels lonely and trapped, liked a caged animal. Then one day Doreen uses her extraordinary powers to stop a group of troublemakers from causing mischief in the neighborhood, and her whole life changes. Everyone at school is talking about it! Doreen contemplates becoming a full-fledged Super Hero. And thus, Squirrel Girl is born! She saves cats from trees, keeps the sidewalks clean, and dissuades vandalism. All is well until a real-life Super Villain steps out of the shadows and declares Squirrel Girl his archenemy. Can Doreen balance being a teenager and a Super Hero? Or will she go…NUTS?
Black Widow: Forever Red, by Margaret Stohl
Natasha Romanoff is one of the world’s most lethal assassins. Trained from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room, Moscow’s infamous academy for operatives. Ava Orlova is just trying to fit in as an average Brooklyn teenager, but her life has been anything but average. The daughter of a missing Russian quantum physicist, Ava was once subjected to a series of ruthless military experiments—until she was rescued by Black Widow and placed under S.H.I.E.L.D. protection. Ava has always longed to reconnect with her mysterious savior, but Black Widow isn’t really the big sister type. Until now. When children all over Eastern Europe begin to go missing, and rumors of smuggled Red Room tech light up the dark net, Natasha suspects her old teacher has returned—and that Ava Orlova might be the only one who can stop him. To defeat the madman who threatens their future, Natasha and Ava must unravel their pasts. Only then will they discover the truth about the dark-eyed boy with an hourglass tattoo who haunts Ava’s dreams…
Updated – September 2018