Medford Public Library
Overview: The Medford Public Library’s archives collection focuses on the history of Medford and individuals associated with the city. The collection is completely paper-based: the library does not collect artifacts. In addition to photographs and books on Medford-related topics, the library is particularly rich in city records from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
American Revolution Materials: Medford Public Library’s archival collection includes one item from the Revolutionary War-era: the diary of David Osgood, Medford’s Unitarian minister during the Revolution.
In addition, the archives include other materials related to Revolutionary-era history: vital records, genealogies, and secondary sources focused specifically on the Revolution in the city. The archives also contain a collection of nineteenth-century photographs of buildings from the eighteenth century.
Key Words: diaries, genealogical information, houses, Medford, Rev. David Osgood, photographs, religion
Collection Policies: The archives at the Medford Public Library purchases new publications; however, the majority of additions to the collection are donations or city records received from other departments. Finding aids for the printed collection are available through the Minuteman Library catalog, while information about the photography collection is available on the library website in an Excel spreadsheet. The Medford Public Library has collaborated with other institutions, primarily the Medford Historical Society, on several exhibits in the past.