In 2026, there are two opportunities to receive funding to use the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections (NUASC) records to aid research and storytelling.
TheNew England Regional Fellowship Consortium (NERFC) fellowships provides support for research projects that span across several New England repositories. NERFC is a collaboration of 30 cultural institutions and repositories across New England, including NUASC. The consortium’s fellowship program is designed to promote research across a variety of institutions and metropolitan areas in New England. NERFC grants two dozen awards every year and fellows receive a stipend of $5,000 with the requirement that they conduct their research in at least three of the participating institutions for periods of two weeks each. Applications are due Sunday, February 1, 2026, and can be submitted through NERFC’s homepage on the Massachusetts Historical Society website. Note that there are new adjustments to the NERFC submission process, including contacting an archivist directly to learn more about their collections prior to submitting an application.
The Boston Public Library (BPL) is offering a new fellowship in collaboration with NUASC this year. The “Telling Boston Stories Fellowship” is a four-week program intended to support research projects that focus on the people and communities of Boston that are often left out of the historical narrative. This fellowship can support many types of projects both academic and artistic. Fellows will receive a $4,500 stipend and will be expected to spend four weeks working with collections, primarily at the BPL and Northeastern University, though trips at other Boston cultural heritage institutions or research centers may be included. The weeks do not have to be consecutive. Applications are due Monday, March 23, 2026. To apply, visit the BPL’s fellowship page for more information.
For any questions about this fellowships, using our collections, or what other types of collaborations and research projects are possible, email Molly Brown at mo.brown@northeastern.edu.
The Northeastern University Library is excited to announce its third annual Reading Challenge! For each month of 2026, library staff have selected a theme. If you read a book that first the monthly theme and then fill out a quick survey about what you read, you’ll be entered in a prize drawing. We’re giving away prizes every month, so you have 12 chances to win!
How to Participate
Step 1: Read a book that first the theme. Need inspiration? Check out Libby for on-theme audiobooks and e-books, or visit Snell Library during one of our monthly tabling events to browse selections from our print collection and pick up Reading Challenge bookmarks and stickers.
Step 2: Tell us what you read. Every month, we’ll draw one winning name from the list of readers who have completed our book survey
The Themes
The 2026 themes are:
January: A book about exploration, travel, or a journey February: A book under 200 pages March: A book written in letters or diary entries April: A book recommended by a librarian May: A book with a non-human protagonist June: A book about activism July: A book about American history August: A book by an author local to your Northeastern campus September: A book set on a college campus October: A book of investigative journalism November: A book about food December: A book published in 2026
The Prizes
The prizes vary monthly and include:
Northeastern University merch
Stocked study rooms and finals week care packages
Library posters featuring our own Paws the Husky
Stay Up to Date
Want to stay in the loop on the Reading Challenge? You can sign up for our newsletter to receive monthly book recommendations. Make sure you’re also following the Library News blog and our social media accounts (@NortheasternLib on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky) to find out the winner each month, and keep an eye on the library calendar to find out when we’ll be hosting events!
In September, Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections (NUASC) hosted the staff of The Huntington News for an open house to view campus collections dating back from 1926-2009. This event was held in part to help The Huntington News staff prepare to celebrate their centennial year in February 2026 and to introduce the past news issues at their disposal for future research.
The Huntington News has recently been leveraging the archives in their reporting, with archival records featured in many stories. Their From the Archives series chronicles important events and eras in the university’s past with support from primary source materials such as documents and photographs.
Photo courtesy of Margot Murphy/Huntington News
NUASC is fortunate to steward multiple student news publications, including Northeastern News (and its predecessor, The Northeastern Tech); Panga Nyeusi, Northeastern’s first Black student newspaper; and the Black student-run Onyx Informer. Many of these materials can be accessed online through the Digital Repository Service.
While flipping through old issues of Northeastern News, Huntington News staff members were able to see the marked differences between the various eras of the News. While older issues featured more text, shifts in reporting and design led to more photographs in later editions. They were also able to compare reporting from the present to similar themes in the past, such as on-campus demonstrations and rapidly developing new technologies.
Photo courtesy of Margot Murphy/Huntington News
Staff members were welcome to use the microfilm reader that is housed in the reading room to view News issues. While there is a material difference between scrolling through microfilm and leafing through a newspaper, there are benefits to both methods of researching past issues. Microfilm provides quick access to specific issues and a compact way of storing information from print resources. Physical news issues give researchers the opportunity to engage with an item in the same way that someone would have when the issue was first printed.
Student news has been a vital part of the Northeastern campus community since its inception in the early 20th century. These publications are available in physical form and can be viewed in the NUASC reading room. If you would like to view these or any materials in the archives, please make an appointment by contacting archives@northeastern.edu.
A fundraising opportunity to digitize the news is coming soon and will be announced in the new year. NUASC is excited to collaborate with The Huntington News to expand access to these historic records.
In November, we challenged you to read a book about your major or field of study. Our November winner is Katelyn Santilli, who wins a finals week care package from the library! To be eligible for the prize drawing, make sure to read a book that fits the month’s theme and then tell us about it.
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the November Reading Challenge. Here are a few of the books you read. (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)
“Coming from a computer science background, I found the history of information deeply illuminating. The final reflections on infobesity and the Library of Babel truly resonated. We inhabit that library today, each of us both librarian and lost reader.” — Sanath
“Susan Orlean uses the 1986 fire that destroyed the Los Angeles Public Library as a way to share the history of this innovative library system and the role libraries play today. It was a refreshing recognition of the importance of libraries, with a dash of true crime thrown in.” — Kerri
“A dense but timely read from the 1950s.” — William
The Toyota Way: 14 Management Practices from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer, Jeffrey Liker Listen to the audiobook
“The book taught me that long-term thinking and respect for people, processes, and quality build resilient organizations. It also elaborates on how culture matters. It is good for project managers or project management professionals.” — Saakshi
“It was a great book! I’m not in history or criminal justice, but I’m in English and trying to read as much nonfiction as possible to help with writing it! I think Killers of the Flower Moon is a masterclass in how to write nonfiction in a way that is informative and still gripping and reads like a novel.” — Avery
Suggested Reads for December
It’s almost time to wrap up another year of the Reading Challenge. To close out the year, we’re challenging you to read a book that retells or is inspired by a classic myth, fairytale, or folktale. Maybe it’s a modern Cinderella story, a reimagined Odyssey, or a new spin on a Chinese folktale — there are a lot of great options!
Need help deciding what to read? Check out our recommended e-book and audiobook titles in Libby. Or stop by the Snell Library lobby from 1 – 3 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10, and Thursday, December 11, for your final chance of the year to browse print books, get recommendations from librarians, and pick up 2025 Reading Challenge swag. You can never have too much to read over the winter break!
Inspired by: Ancient Greek mythology Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to work in Cambridge with Professor Jacob Grimes, the greatest magician in the world. That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault. With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, Alice and her rival Peter Murdoch set off across Hell to save a man they don’t even like. But there’s something in Alice and Peter’s past that could forge them into the perfect allies…or lead to their doom.
Inspired by: The ancient Indian city of Vijayanagara and Indian mythology In 14th-century southern India, a nine-year-old girl has a divine encounter that will change the course of history. Pampa Kampana becomes a vessel for a goddess, who begins to speak out of the girl’s mouth. Granting her powers beyond Pampa Kampana’s comprehension, the goddess tells her that she will be instrumental in the rise of the great city of Bisnaga — “victory city” — the wonder of the world. Over the next 250 years, Pampa Kampana’s life becomes deeply interwoven with Bisnaga’s, from its literal sowing from a bag of magic seeds to its tragic ruination in the most human of ways: the hubris of those in power. Victory City is a saga of love, adventure, and myth that is in itself a testament to the power of storytelling.
Inspired by: European folklore story of the changeling When Apollo Kagwa’s father disappeared, he left his son a box of books and strange recurring dreams. Now Apollo is a father himself — and as he and his wife, Emma, settle into their new lives as parents, exhaustion and anxiety start to take their toll. At first, Emma seems to be exhibiting signs of postpartum depression. But before Apollo can do anything to help, Emma commits a horrific act and vanishes. Thus begins Apollo’s quest to find a wife and child who are nothing like he’d imagined. His odyssey takes him to a forgotten island, a graveyard full of secrets, a forest where immigrant legends still live, and finally back to a place he thought he had lost forever.
Inspired by: Several stories, including The Frog Prince, Frankenstein, and Blubber Boy The daughter of a Taiwanese father and white mother, Vi Liu has never quite fit into her Midwestern college town. Aimless after getting dumped by her boyfriend and dropping out of college, Vi works at the front desk of a hotel. In the alley outside of a bar one night, Vi discovers a strange blob — a small living creature with beady black eyes. In a moment of concern and drunken desperation, she takes it home. But the blob is no ordinary pet. Becoming increasingly sentient, it begins to grow, shift shape, and obey Vi’s commands. As the entity continues to change, Vi is struck with a daring idea: she’ll mold the creature into her ideal partner. But when Vi’s desire to be loved unconditionally threatens to spiral out of control, she is forced into a journey of self-discovery that teaches her it’s impossible to control those you love.
Inspired by: The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place at the Round Table, only to find that he’s too late. King Arthur died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left. The survivors aren’t the heroes of legend — they’re the oddballs of the group, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. But it’s up to them to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance. They must reclaim Excalibur and make this ruined world whole again — but first, they’ll have to solve the mystery of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell.
Inspired by: Native American mythology Anna Horn is always looking over her shoulder. For the bullies who torment her, for the entitled visitors at the reservation’s casino…and for the nameless, disembodied entity that stalks her every step — an ancient tribal myth come to life, one that’s intent on devouring her whole. As girls begin to go missing and the tribe scrambles to find answers, Anna struggles with her place on the rez, desperately searching for the key she’s sure lies in the legends of her tribe’s past. But the demons plaguing the reservation — both ancient and new — are strong, and sometimes, it’s the stories that never get told that are the most important.
Whatever you read, make sure you tell us about it to enter the December prize drawing. Good luck, and happy reading!
In our series of posts highlighting 10 years of the Digital Repository Service (DRS), I wanted to shine a light on the audio and video materials we host that engage with global warming, pollution, and the climate emergency.
Student Research
The annual Research, Innovation, and Scholarship Expo (RISE) is an opportunity for students and faculty to showcase their research focused on solutions to real-life problems. In 2021, these presentations were recorded.
The debt calculator: a gratitude-based approach to environmental justice by Kira Mok and Sophie Kelly describes how Chelsea and East Boston have a higher burden of pollution and negative health consequences compared to more wealthy parts of Boston, which benefit from industry in these neighborhoods. Their project “What Does Chelsea Do for You?” led to an infographic and online quiz about the debt Boston residents owe to these areas.
Northeastern University green chemistry education symposium, a presentation by Olivia Sterns, Umin Jalloh, Christopher Mahir, Christina McConney, and Angelica Fiuza, describes a sustainable and environmentally responsible chemistry curriculum and plans for a related conference. You can also check out the organization Beyond Benign.
The impact of biological knowledge on pro-environmental behavior is a presentation by Kyleigh Watson, Kelly Marchese, Jasmine Ho, and Daniela Ras that explores the relationship between study participants’ knowledge of nature, urbanicity, and implicit and explicit connection to the natural world.
Podcast Episodes
The What’s New podcast, hosted by Dean of the Library Dan Cohen, is one of the most popular collections in the DRS. It consists of wide-ranging conversations with faculty members across the university.
How We Respond to Disaster (season 1, episode 1) — Professor of Political Science and Founding Director of the Global Resilience Institute Stephen Flynn talks about how communities come together in the wake of disasters, including increasingly common extreme weather events.
Ethics and the Environment (season 3, episode 13) — Director of the Ethics Institute Ron Sandler discusses climate change and how we can ethically respond to the moment.
The DRS team also works with professors to host student coursework in the repository.
The course Gender, Race, and Medicine (WMNS 1225), taught by Moya Bailey, included the creation of a podcast series. In the episode How Boston Institutions Impact the Health of Neighborhoods: Tufts Medical Center and Northeastern University, Celene Chen and Paulina Demirev discuss a variety of issues surrounding gentrification, including the fight against a parking garage in Chinatown that would likely have led to increased pollution. Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections holds the records of the Chinese Progressive Association, one of the groups that protested against the garage.
These selections demonstrate how the DRS documents both the climate crisis and the innovation solutions emerging from Northeastern’s academic community.
